(Staffy and Delia put their eyes
to keyhole but draw back
disappointed.)
Darner: If you cannot see it, try can you get the smell of it. Take a good draw of it now; lay your head along the hinges of the door. So now ye may quit and scamper out of this, the whole throng of ye, robbers and hangmen and bankbreakers, bargers and bad characters, and you may believe me telling you that is the nearest ye ever will come to my gold!
(He bangs back into room locking door after him.)
Delia: He has no more nature than the brutes of the field, hunting and howling after us.
Staffy: Yourself that rose him out of his wits and his senses. We will sup sorrow for this day’s work where he will put curses after us. It is best for us go back to my place. It may be to-morrow that his anger will be cured up.
Ralph: I thought it was to lay him out with candles we were brought here. I declare I came nearer furnishing out a corpse myself with the start I got.
Delia: There is no dread on me. When he gets in humour I will tackle up again to him. It is too far I came to be facing back to Loughtyshassy and I fasting from the price of my goats! Little collars I was thinking to buckle around their neck the same as a lady’s lapdog, and maybe so far as a small clear-sounding bell.
(They go out, Damer comes back. He puts on clock, rakes out fire, picks up potatoes and puts them back in sieve, takes bread into his room. There is a knock at the door. Then it is cautiously opened and Simon Niland comes in, and stands near the hearth. Damer comes back and sees him.)
Damer: What are you looking for?
Simon: For what I won’t get seemingly, that is a welcome.
Damer: Maybe it’s for fists you are looking?
Simon: It is not, before I will get my rest. I couldn’t box to-night if I was the Queen of England.
Damer: Have you any traffic with that congregation is after going out?
Simon: I seen no person good or bad, but a dog and it on the chain.
Damer: You to have in you any of the breed of the Kirwans that is my own, I’d rise the tongs and pitch you out from the door!
Simon: I suppose you would not begrudge me to rest myself for a while, (Sits down.)
Damer: I’ll give leave to no strolling vagabond to sit in any place at all.
Simon: All right so.
(Tosses a coin he takes from
his pocket, tied in a spotted
handkerchief.)
Damer: What’s that you’re doing?
Simon: Pitching a coin I was to see would it bid me go west or east.
Damer: Go toss outside so.
Simon: (Stooping and groping.) I will after I will find it.
Damer: Hurry on now.