MARGERY.  Ye ould Hibernian dhrone!  What are yez doin’ wid the china on the floor?  You’ll break it all!

BUCKTHORN.  Ah—­Margery!  Barket is telling us where he last saw Colonel Kerchival West.

MARGERY.  The young Colonel!  The tay-cups and saucers be’s the inimy’s batthery?  Yez may smash ’em, if ye loike!

BUCKTHORN.  Go on, Barket. [JENNY and HEARTSEASE have entered as BARKET proceeds; the whole party lean forward, intensely interested. GERTRUDE enters in hall, looks in, beckons out left. KERCHIVAL follows.  They move up stage, back of the rest and unseen, listening.

BARKET.  Just as the rigiment was rayformed in line, and Colonel Wist was out in front—­widout any coat or hat, and wid only a shtick in his hand—­we heard cheers in the rear.  Gineral Sheridan was coming!  One word to the men—­and we swept over the batthery like a whirlwind! [Slashing his cane through the cups and saucers.

MARGERY.  Hoo-roo!

BARKET.  The attack on the lift flank was checked.  But when we shtopped to take breath, Colonel Wist wasn’t wid us. [GERTRUDE turns lovingly to KERCHIVAL. He places his arm about her.] Heaven knows where he is now.  Afther the battle was over, poor Miss Gertrude wint off by hersilf into the wilderness to find him.

KERCHIVAL.  My wife!  You saved my life, at last! [Embracing her.

BARKET.  They’ll niver come together in this world.  I saw Miss Gertrude, myself, ride away into the woods and disappear behind a school-house on the battle-field, over there.

GERTRUDE.  No, Barket—­[All start and look.]—­it was the little church; we were married there this morning!

CURTAIN.