MAGISTRATE (to POLICEMAN).  Conscience-struck!  He will confess all now!

BARTLEY.  His ghost to come before me!  It is likely it was on account of the fork!  I to have it and he to have no way to defend himself the time he met with his death!

MAGISTRATE (to POLICEMAN).  I must note down his words. (Takes out notebook.  To BARTLEY) I warn you that your words are being noted.

BARTLEY.  If I had ha’ run faster in the beginning, this terror would not be on me at the latter end!  Maybe he will cast it up against me at the day of judgment—­I wouldn’t wonder at all at that.

MAGISTRATE (writing).  At the day of judgment—­

BARTLEY.  It was soon for his ghost to appear to me—­is it coming after me always by day it will be, and stripping the clothes off in the nighttime?—­I wouldn’t wonder at all at that, being as I am an unfortunate man!

MAGISTRATE (sternly).  Tell me this truly.  What was the motive of this crime?

BARTLEY.  The motive, is it?

MAGISTRATE.  Yes, the motive; the cause.

BARTLEY.  I’d sooner not say that.

MAGISTRATE.  You’d better tell me truly.  Was it money?

BARTLEY.  Not at all!  What did poor Jack Smith ever have in his pockets unless it might be his hands that would be in them?

MAGISTRATE.  Any dispute about land?

BARTLEY (indignantly).  Not at all!  He never was a grabber or grabbed from anyone!

MAGISTRATE.  You will find it better for you if you tell me at once.

BARTLEY.  I tell you I wouldn’t for the whole world wish to say what it was—­it is a thing I would not like to be talking about.

MAGISTRATE.  There is no use in hiding it.  It will be discovered in the end.

BARTLEY.  Well, I suppose it will, seeing that mostly everybody knows it before.  Whisper here now.  I will tell no lie; where would be the use? (Puts his hand to his mouth and MAGISTRATE stoops.) Don’t be putting the blame on the parish, for such a thing was never done in the parish before—­it was done for the sake of Kitty Keary, Jack Smith’s wife.

MAGISTRATE (to POLICEMAN).  Put on the handcuffs.  We have been saved some trouble.  I knew he would confess if taken in the right way.

(POLICEMAN puts on handcuffs.)

BARTLEY.  Handcuffs now!  Glory be!  I always said, if there was ever any misfortune coming to this place it was on myself it would fall.  I to be in handcuffs!  There’s no wonder at all in that.

(Enter MRS. FALLON, followed by the rest.  She is looking back at them as she speaks.)

MRS. FALLON.  Telling lies the whole of the people of this town are; telling lies, telling lies as fast as a dog will trot!  Speaking against my poor respectable man!  Saying he made an end of Jack Smith!  My decent comrade!  There is no better man and no kinder man in the whole of the five parishes!  It’s little annoyance he ever gave to anyone! (Turns and sees him.) What in the earthly world do I see before me?  Bartley Fallon in charge of the police!  Handcuffs on him!  O Bartley, Bartley, what did you do at all at all?