Second Hag: It is too lofty McDonough was, and too high-minded, bringing in a woman was maybe no lawful wife, or no honest child itself, but it might be a bychild or a tinker’s brat, and he giving out no account of her generations or of her name.

First Hag: Whether or no, she was a little giddy.  But that is the way with McDonough.  He is sometimes an unruly lad, but he would near knock you with his pride.

Second Hag: Indeed he is no way humble, but looking for attendance on her, as if she was the youngest and the greatest in the world.

First Hag: It is not to humour her the Union men will, and they carrying her to where they will sink her into the ground, unless it might be McDonough would come back, and he having money in his hand, to bring in some keeners and some hired men.

Second Hag: He to come back at this time it is certain he will bring a fist-full of money.

First Hag: What makes you say that to be certain?

Second Hag: A troop of sheep-shearers that are on the west side of the fair, looking for hire from the grass farmers.  I heard them laying down they met with McDonough at the big shearing at Cregroostha.

First Hag: What day was that?

Second Hag: This day week for the world.

First Hag: He has time and plenty to be back in Galway ere this.

Second Hag: Great dancing they had and a great supper at the time the shearing was at an end and the fleeces lodged in the big sacks.  It is McDonough played his music through the night-time.  It is what I heard them saying, “He went out of that place weightier than he went in.”

First Hag: He is a great one to squeeze the pipes surely.  There is no place ever he went into but he brought the whip out of it.

Second Hag: His father was better again, they do be saying.  It was from the other side he got the gift.

First Hag: He did, and from beyond the world, where he befriended some in the forths of the Danes.  It was they taught him their trade.  I heard tell, he to throw the pipes up on top of the rafters, they would go sounding out tunes of themselves.

Second Hag: He could do no more with them than what McDonough himself can do—­may ill luck attend him!  It is inhuman tunes he does be making; unnatural they are.

First Hag: He is a great musician surely.

Second Hag: There is no person can be safe from him the time he will put his “come hither” upon them.  I give you my word he set myself dancing reels one time in the street, and I making an attack on him for keeping the little lads miching from school.  That was a great scandal to put upon a decent woman.

First Hag: He to be in the fair to-day and to take the fancy, you would hear the nailed boots of the frieze-coated man footing steps on the sidewalk.