But
I'll be a day older to-morrow.

Queen: In what country were you born and
reared?

Manus: I came from over, and I am coming
hither.

Queen: What wages now would you be asking?

Manus: Nothing at all unless what you think
I will have earned at the time I will be leaving
your service.

Queen: That is very right and fair. I hope
you will not be asking too much help. The last
cook had a whole fleet of scullions that were no
use but to chatter and consume.

Manus: I am asking no help at all but the
help of the ten I bring with me.

(Holds up fingers.)

Queen: That will be a great saving in the house!
Can I depend upon you now not to be turning
to your own use the King's ale and his wine?

Manus: If you take me to be a thief I will go
upon my road. It was no easier for me to come
than to go out again.

Queen: (Holding him.) No, now, don't be so
proud and thinking so much of yourself. If I
give you trial here I would wish you to be ready
to turn your hand to this and that, and not be
saying it is or is not your business.

Manus: My business is to do as the King wishes.

Queen: That's right. That is the way the
servants were in the palace of the King of Alban.

Manus: That's the way I was myself in the
King's house of Sorcha.

Queen: Are you saying it is from that place you
are come? Sure that should be a great household!
The King of Sorcha, they were telling me, has
seven castles on land and seven on the sea, and
provision for a year and a day in every one of them.

Manus: That might be. I never was in more
than one of them at the one time.

Queen: Anyone that has been in that place would
surely be fitting here. Keep him, Nurse! Don't let
him make away from us till I will go call the King!

(Goes out.)

Nurse: Sure it was I myself that fostered the
young King of Sorcha and reared him in my lap!
What way is he at all? My lovely child! Give
me news of him!

Manus: I will do that....

Nurse: To hear of him would delight me!

Manus: It is I that can tell you....

Nurse: It is himself should be a grand king!

Manus: Listen till you hear!...

Nurse: His father was good and his mother was
good, and it's likely, himself will be the best of all!

Manus: Be quiet now and hearken!...

Nurse: I remember well the first day I saw him
in the cradle, two and a score of years back! Oh,
it is glad, and very glad, I'll be to get word of him!

Manus: He is come to sensible years....

Nurse: A golden cradle it was and it standing
on four golden balls the very round of the sun!

Manus: He is out of his cradle now. (Shakes
her shoulder.) Let you hearken! He is in need
of your help.

Nurse: He'll get it, he'll get it. I doted down
on that child! The best to laugh and to roar!

Manus: (Putting hand on her mouth.) Will
you be silent, you hag of a nurse? Can't you see
that I myself am Manus, the new King of Sorcha?

Nurse: (Starting back.) Do you say that?
And how's every bit of you? Sure I'd know you
in any place. Stand back till I'll get the full of
my eyes of you! Like the father you are, and you
need never be sorry to be that! Well, I said to
myself and you looking in at the window, I would
not believe but there's some drop of king's blood
in that lad!

Manus: That was not what you said to me!

Nurse: And wasn't the journey long on you
from Sorcha, that is at the rising of the sun? Is
it your foot-soldiers and your bullies you brought
with you, or did you come with your hound and
your deer-hound and with your horn?

Manus: There was no one knew of my journey.
I came bare alone. I threw a shell in the sea and
made a boat of it, and took the track of the wild
duck across the mountains of the waves.

Nurse: And where in the world wide did you
get that dress of a cook?

Manus: It was at a tailor's place near Oughtmana.
There was no one in the house but the mother. I
left my own clothes in her charge and my purse
of gold; I brought nothing but my own blue
sword. (Throws open blouse and shows it.) She gave
me this suit, where a cook from this house had
thrown it down in payment for a drink of milk.
I have no mind any person should know I am a king.
I am letting on to be a cook.

Nurse: I would sooner you to come as a champion
seeking battle, or a horseman that had gone astray,
or so far as a poet making praises or curses according
to his treatment on the road. It would be a bad
day I would see your father's son taken for a kitchen
boy.

Manus: I was through the world last night in
a dream. It was dreamed to me that the King's
daughter in this house is in a great danger.

Nurse: So she is, at the end of a twelvemonth.

Manus: My warning was for this day. Seeing
her under trouble in my dream, my heart was hot
to come to her help. I am here to save her, to
meet every troublesome thing that will come at
her.

Nurse: Oh, my heavy blessing on you doing
that!

Manus: I was not willing to come as a king,
that she would feel tied and bound to live for if
I live, or to die with if I should die. I am come
as a poor unknown man, that may slip away after
the fight, to my own kingdom or across the borders
of the world, and no thanks given him and no more
about him, but a memory of the shadow of a cook!

Nurse: I would not think that to be right,
and you the last of your race. It is best for you
to tell the King.

Manus: I lay my orders on you to tell no one
at all.

Nurse: Give me leave but to whisper it to the
Princess Nu. It's ye would be the finest two the
world ever saw. You will not find her equal in all
Ireland!

Manus: I lay it as crosses and as spells on you
to say no word to her or to any other that will
make known my race or my name. Give me now
your oath.

Nurse: (Kneeling.) I do, I do. But they will
know you by your high looks.

Manus: Did you yourself know me a while ago?

Nurse: (Getting up.) Oh, they're coming! Oh,
my poor child, what way will you that never handled
a spit be able to make out a dinner for the
King?

Manus: This silver whistle, that was her pipe
of music, was given to me by a queen among the
Sidhe that is my godmother. At the sound of it
that will come through the air any earthly thing
I wish for, at my command.

Nurse: Let it be a dinner so.

Manus: So it will come, on a green tablecloth
carried by four swans as white as snow. The
freshest of every meat, the oldest of every drink,
nuts from the trees in Adam's Paradise!

(King, Queen, Princess, Dall Glic come in.
Princess sits on window sill.)

Queen: (To King.) Here now, my dear. Wasn't
I telling you I would take all trouble from your
mind, and that I would not be without finding a
cook for you?

King: He came in a good hour. The want of a
right dinner has downed kingdoms before this.

Queen: Travelling he is in search of service
from the kings of the earth. His wages are in no
way out of measure.

King: Is he a good hand at his trade?

Queen: Honest he is, I believe, and ready to
give a