s she goes to inner room.] -- May God and Mary and St.
Patrick bless you and reward you, for your kindly talk. [She shuts
the door behind her. He settles his bed slowly, feeling the quilt with
immense satisfaction.] -- Well, it's a clean bed and soft with it, and
it's great luck and company I've won me in the end of time -- two fine
women fighting for the likes of me -- till I'm thinking this night
wasn't I a foolish fellow not to kill my father in the years gone by.

CURTAIN

ACT II.

SCENE, [as before. Brilliant morning light. Christy, looking bright and
cheerful, is cleaning a girl's boots.]

CHRISTY -- [to himself, counting jugs on dresser.] -- Half a hundred
beyond. Ten there. A score that's above. Eighty jugs. Six cups and a
broken one. Two plates. A power of glasses. Bottles, a school-master'd
be hard set to count, and enough in them, I'm thinking, to drunken
all the wealth and wisdom of the County Clare. (He puts down the boot
carefully.) There's her boots now, nice and decent for her evening
use, and isn't it grand brushes she has? (He puts them down and goes
by degrees to the looking-glass.) Well, this'd be a fine place to be my
whole life talking out with swearing Christians, in place of my old dogs
and cat, and I stalking around, smoking my pipe and drinking my fill,
and never a day's work but drawing a cork an odd time, or wiping a
glass, or rinsing out a shiny tumbler for a decent man. (He takes the
looking-glass from the wall and puts it on the back of a chair; then
sits down in front of it and begins washing his face.) Didn't I know
rightly I was handsome, though it was the divil's own mirror we had
beyond, would twist a squint across an angel's brow; and I'll be growing
fine from this day, the way I'll have a soft lovely skin on me and won't
be the like of the clumsy young fellows do be ploughing all times in
the earth and dung. (He starts.) Is she coming again? (He looks out.)
Stranger girls. God help me, where'll I hide myself away and my long
neck nacked to the world? (He looks out.) I'd best go to the room maybe
till I'm dressed again. [He gathers up his coat and the looking-glass,
and runs into the inner room. The door is pushed open, and Susan Brady
looks in, and knocks on door.]

SUSAN. There's nobody in it. [Knocks again.]

NELLY -- [pushing her in and following her, with Honor Blake and Sara
Tansey.] It'd be early for them both to be out walking the hill.

SUSAN. I'm thinking Shaw