“It is under bad bonds you are putting me, Grania,” said Diarmuid.  “And why is it,” he said, “that you put them on me more than on the great men and sons of kings that are in the Middle Court to-night? for there is not one of them all but is as well worthy of a woman’s love as myself.”  “By my hand, Diarmuid, it is not without cause I laid those bonds on you,” said Grania; “for I was at the door a while ago when you were parting the dogs,” she said, “and my eyes fell on you, and I gave you the love there and then that I never gave to any other, and never will give for ever.”

“It is a wonder you to give that love to me, and not to Finn,” said Diarmuid, “for there is not in Ireland a man is a better lover of a woman than himself.  And do you know this, Grania,” he said, “the night Finn is in Teamhair it is he himself is the keeper of its gates.  And as that is so, we cannot leave the town.”  “There is a side door of escape at my sunny house,” said Grania, “and we will go out by it.”  “It is a thing I will never do,” said Diarmuid, “to go out by any side door of escape at all.”  “That may be so,” said Grania, “but I heard it said that every fighting man has leave to pass over the walls of any dun and of any strong place at all by the shafts of his spears.  And I will go out through the door,” she said, “and let you follow me like that.”

With that she went out, and Diarmuid spoke to his people, and it is what he said, “O Oisin, son of Finn, what must I do with these bonds that are laid on me?” “You are not guilty if the bonds were laid on you,” said Oisin; “and I tell you to follow Grania, and to keep yourself well out of the hands of Finn.”  “Osgar, son of Oisin,” he said then, “what must I do with these bonds that are put on me?” “I tell you to follow Grania,” said Osgar, “for it is a pitiful man that would break his bonds.”  “What advice do you give me, Caoilte?” said Diarmuid.  “It is what I say,” said Caoilte, “that I myself have a fitting wife; and that it would be better to me than all the riches of the world Grania to have given me that love.”  “What advice do you give me, Diorraing?” “I tell you to follow Grania,” said Diorraing, “although you will get your death by it, and that is bad to me.”  “Is that the advice you all give me?” said Diarmuid.  “It is,” said Oisin, and all the rest with him.  With that Diarmuid stood up and stretched out his hand for his weapons, and he said farewell to Oisin and the others, and every tear he shed was of the size of a mountain berry.  He went out then to the wall of the dun, and he put the shafts of his two spears under him, and he rose with a light leap and he came down on the grassy earth outside, and Grania met him there.  Then Diarmuid said:  “It is a bad journey you are come on, Grania.  For it would be better for you to have Finn, son of Cumhal, as a lover than myself, for I do not know any part or any western corner of Ireland that will hide you.  And if I do bring you with me,” he said, “it is not as a wife I will bring you, but I will keep my faith to Finn.  And turn back now to the town,” he said, “and Finn will never get news of what you are after doing.”  “It is certain I will not turn back,” said Grania, “and I will never part with you till death parts us.”  “If that is so, let us go on, Grania,” said Diarmuid.