walks in. He is partially intoxicated, enough
only to make him talkative.]

ELLEN.

Well, how did the fair go off?

[Samuel James takes off his overcoat, flings
it on back of chair beside dresser and sits
down heavily.]

Ah! you've been takin' a drop, as usual.

SAMUEL JAMES.

[Scowls at this but does not deny.]

The fair. Oh, it was great value. Sure grand-da he sould the foal for
thirty poun'.

GRANDFATHER.

[Astonished]

Boys a dear but William John Granahan bates the divil. And who took
her?

SAMUEL JAMES.

There was a cavalryman bought her. Boys but Da is the hard man to
plaze. We stopped at Muc Alanan's on the way home and met William John
McKillop there, and he toul' the oul' man he was a fool to let a good
horse go at that price, for he was lookin' all roads to give him
thirty poun' for it; only he couldn't get in time for the sale.

GRANDFATHER.

[Incredulously.]

Who did you say? McKillop?

SAMUEL JAMES.

[Laughing.]

Aye.

ROBBIE JOHN.

[Smiling.]

Sure McKillop hasn't two sov'rins in the wide world. He was only
takin' a rise out of Da.

SAMUEL JAMES.

Sure I knowed the ould Yahoo hadn't the price of a nanny-goat. But
of course, Da tuk it all in for gospel. And me sittin' listenin to
him tellin' ould McKillop what a grand action the foal had and the
shoulders the baste had, and the way it could draw thirty hundred up
Killainey hill without a pech.

GRANDFATHER.

[Astonished.]

William John Granahan makes a tarr'ble fine Sunday School teacher.

SAMUEL JAMES.

[Grinning.]

But to see ould McKillop sittin' there as solemn as a judge, drinkin'
it all in as if gospel and winkin' at me on the sly, the ould rascal,
and cursin' his luck at losin' such a bargain.

[The voice of William John Granahan can be
heard inviting some one to come on. The
strains of a fiddle played by uncertain
but unmistakeably professional hands,
sounds from the same direction.]

ELLEN.

[Looking out through window into yard.]

Who's that father has got with him Samuel James? Oh such a dirty
looking man!

SAMUEL JAMES.