Delia: A queer sort of a brother he is.  To go searching Ireland you wouldn’t find queerer.  But as soon as I got word what happened I bade Ralph to put the tacklings on the ass.  We must have nature about us some way.  There was silence between us long enough.

Ralph: She was thinking it might be the cause of him getting his death sooner than God has it promised to him, and that it might turn his mind more friendly like towards us, he knowing us to be at hand for to settle out his burying.

Delia: Why wouldn’t it, and we being all the brothers and sisters ever he had, since Jane Niland, God rest her soul, went out last Little Christmas from the troubles and torments of the world.

Staffy: There is nothing left of that marriage now, only one young lad is said to be mostly a fool.

Delia: It is ourselves can bear witness to that, where he came into the house ere yesterday, having no way of living, since death and misfortune scattered him, but as if he was left down out of the skies.

Ralph: He has not, unless the pound piece the mother put into his hand at the last.  It is much she had that itself.  The time Tom Niland died from her, he didn’t leave her hardly the cat.

Staffy: The lad to have any wit around him he would have come travelling hither along with yourselves, to see would he knock any kindness out of Damer.

Ralph: It is what herself was saying, it would be no advantage to him to be coming here at all, he being as he is half light, where there is nothing only will or wit could pick any profit out of Damer.  She did not let on to him what side were we facing, and we travelling out from Loughtyshassy.

Staffy: It is likely he will get tidings as good as yourself.  It is said, and said largely, Damer has a full gallon jar of gold.

Ralph: There is no one could lift it—­God bless it—­they were telling me.  Filled up it is and brimmed to the very brink.

Staffy: His heart and his soul gone into it.  He is death on that gallon of gold.

Delia: He would give leave to the poorhouse to bury him, if he could but put in his will they should leave it down with his bones.

Staffy: A man could live an easy life surely and that much being in the house.

Delia: There is no more grasping man within the four walls of the world.  A strange thing he turning to be so ugly and prone to misery, where he was reared along with myself.  I have the first covetous person yet to meet I would like!  I never would go thrusting after gold, I to get all Lord Clanricarde’s estate.

Ralph: She never would, only at a time she might have her own means spent and consumed.

Staffy: The house is very racked beside what it was.  The hungriest cabin in the whole ring of Connemara would not show out so empty and so bare.