Larry.  How is the man to marry and live a decent life on less?

Father Dempsey.  Man alive, hwere have you been living all these years? and hwat have you been dreaming of?  Why, some o dhese honest men here can’t make that much out o the land for themselves, much less give it to a laborer.

Larry [now thoroughly roused].  Then let them make room for those who can.  Is Ireland never to have a chance?  First she was given to the rich; and now that they have gorged on her flesh, her bones are to be flung to the poor, that can do nothing but suck the marrow out of her.  If we can’t have men of honor own the land, lets have men of ability.  If we can’t have men with ability, let us at least have men with capital.  Anybody’s better than Mat, who has neither honor, nor ability, nor capital, nor anything but mere brute labor and greed in him, Heaven help him!

Doran.  Well, we’re not all foostherin oul doddherers like Mat. [Pleasantly, to the subject of this description] Are we, Mat?

Larry.  For modern industrial purposes you might just as well be, Barney.  You’re all children:  the big world that I belong to has gone past you and left you.  Anyhow, we Irishmen were never made to be farmers; and we’ll never do any good at it.  We’re like the Jews:  the Almighty gave us brains, and bid us farm them, and leave the clay and the worms alone.

Father Dempsey [with gentle irony].  Oh! is it Jews you want to make of us?  I must catechize you a bit meself, I think.  The next thing you’ll be proposing is to repeal the disestablishment of the so-called Irish Church.

Larry.  Yes:  why not? [Sensation].

Matthew [rancorously].  He’s a turncoat.

Larry.  St Peter, the rock on which our Church was built, was crucified head downwards for being a turncoat.

Father Dempsey [with a quiet authoritative dignity which checks Doran, who is on the point of breaking out].  That’s true.  You hold your tongue as befits your ignorance, Matthew Haffigan; and trust your priest to deal with this young man.  Now, Larry Doyle, whatever the blessed St Peter was crucified for, it was not for being a Prodestan.  Are you one?

Larry.  No.  I am a Catholic intelligent enough to see that the Protestants are never more dangerous to us than when they are free from all alliances with the State.  The so-called Irish Church is stronger today than ever it was.

Matthew.  Fadher Dempsey:  will you tell him dhat me mother’s ant was shot and kilt dead in the sthreet o Rosscullen be a soljer in the tithe war? [Frantically] He wants to put the tithes on us again.  He—­