Darby: There’s a lather of sweat on myself.  That’s my tin can of water!

Taig:  (Holding can from him.) Get out I tell you!  I wouldn’t wish him to feel the smell of you on the breeze.

Darby:  (Almost crying.) You are a mean savage to go keeping from me my tin can and my rag!

Taig: Go wash yourself at the pump can’t you?

Darby: That we may never be within the same four walls again, or come under the lintel of the one door! (He goes out.)

Taig:  (Calling after him while he takes a suit of clothes from his bag.) I’m not like yourself!  I have good clothes to put on me, what you haven’t got!  A body-coat my mother made out—­she lost up to three shillings on it,—­and a hat—­and a speckled blue cravat.
  (He hastily throws off his sweep’s smock and cap, and puts on
  clothes.  As he does he sings:)

  All round my hat I wore a green ribbon,
  All round my hat for a year and a day;
  And if any one asks me the reason I wore it
  I’ll say that my true love went over the sea!

  All in my hat I will stick a blue feather
  The same as the birds do be up in the tree;
  And if you would ask me the reason I do it
  I’ll tell you my true love is come back to me!

  (He washes his face and wipes it, looking at himself in the tin
  can.  He catches sight of a straw hat passing window.)

Who is that?  A gentleman? (He draws back.)

(Darby comes in.  He has changed his clothes and wears a straw hat and light coat and trousers.  He is looking for a necktie which he had dropped and picks up.  His back is turned to Taig who is standing at the other door.)

Taig:  (Awed.) It cannot be that you are Dermot Melody?

Darby: My father’s name was Melody sure enough, till he lost his life in the year of the black potatoes.

Taig: It is yourself I am come here purposely to meet with.

Darby: You should be my mother’s sister’s son so, Timothy O’Harragha.

Taig:  (Sheepishly.) I am that.  I am sorry indeed it failed me to be out before you in the street.

Darby: Oh, I wouldn’t be looking for that much from you.

   (They are trying to keep their backs to each other, and to rub
   their faces cleaner.)

Taig: I wouldn’t wish to be anyway troublesome to you.  I am badly worthy of you.

Darby: It is in dread I am of being troublesome to yourself.

Taig: Oh, it would be hard for you to be that.  Nothing you could put on me would be any hardship at all, if it was to walk steel thistles.

Darby: You have a willing heart surely.

Taig: Any little job at all I could do for you------

Darby: All I would ask of you is to give me my nourishment and my bite.