ay in her narrow grave, there were five men, aye, and six men,
stretched out retching speechless on the holy stones.

CHRISTY -- [uneasily, watching Pegeen.] -- Is that the truth?

MICHAEL. It is then, and aren't you a louty schemer to go burying your
poor father unbeknownst when you'd a right to throw him on the crupper
of a Kerry mule and drive him westwards, like holy Joseph in the days
gone by, the way we could have given him a decent burial, and not have
him rotting beyond, and not a Christian drinking a smart drop to the
glory of his soul?

CHRISTY -- [gruffly.] It's well enough he's lying, for the likes of him.

MICHAEL -- [slapping him on the back.] -- Well, aren't you a hardened
slayer? It'll be a poor thing for the household man where you go
sniffing for a female wife; and (pointing to Shawn) look beyond at that
shy and decent Christian I have chosen for my daughter's hand, and I
after getting the gilded dispensation this day for to wed them now.

CHRISTY. And you'll be wedding them this day, is it?

MICHAEL -- [drawing himself up.] -- Aye. Are you thinking, if I'm drunk
itself, I'd leave my daughter living single with a little frisky rascal
is the like of you?

PEGEEN -- [breaking away from Shawn.] -- Is it the truth the
dispensation's come?

MICHAEL -- [triumphantly.] Father Reilly's after reading it in gallous
Latin, and "It's come in the nick of time," says he; "so I'll wed them
in a hurry, dreading that young gaffer who'd capsize the stars."

PEGEEN -- [fiercely.] He's missed his nick of time, for it's that lad,
Christy Mahon, that I'm wedding now.

MICHAEL -- [loudly with horror.] -- You'd be making him a son to me, and
he wet and crusted with his father's blood?

PEGEEN. Aye. Wouldn't it be a bitter thing for a girl to go marrying the
like of Shaneen, and he a middling kind of a scarecrow, with no savagery
or fine words in him at all?

MICHAEL -- [gasping and sinking on a chair.] -- Oh, aren't you a heathen
daughter to go shaking the fat of my heart, and I swamped and drownded
with the weight of drink? Would you have them turning on me the way that
I'd be roaring to the dawn of day with the wind upon my heart? Have you
not a word to aid me, Shaneen? Are you not jealous at all?

SHANEEN -- [In great misery.] -- I'd be afeard to be jealous of a man
did slay his da.

PEGEEN. Well, it'd be a poor thing to go marrying your like. I'm seeing
there's a world of peril for an orphan girl, and isn'