sway, Mr. Muskerry.

MUSKERRY
Go out of the house. No, stay here. You think I'm out of
the Workhouse. No. That's not so. I've claims, great claims, on it
still. Not for nothing was I there for thirty years, the pattern for
the officials of Ireland.

TOURNOUR
Twenty-nine years, I'm telling you.

MUSKERRY
The Guardians will take account of me.

TOURNOUR
And maybe they would, too.

MUSKERRY
What's that you're saying?

TOURNOUR
The Guardians might take an account of Thomas Muskerry in a
way he mightn't like. _(He goes to door)_

MUSKERRY
Come back here, Felix Tournour.

TOURNOUR
I'm not your sub-servant.

MUSKERRY
Stand here before me.

TOURNOUR
You and your before me! Your back to heaven and your belly
to hell.

MUSKERRY
Go away. Go away out of this.

TOURNOUR
Don't try to down-face me. I know something about you.

MUSKERRY
About me!

TOURNOUR
Aye, you and your fifty tons of coal. _(Muskerry goes back
from him)_ Great claims on the Workhouse have you. The Guardians
will take account of you. Will they? Talk to them about the fifty
tons of coal. Go and do that, my pattern of the officials of Ireland!

_Tournour goes out by shop. Muskerry stands with his hands on the
arm chair_.

MUSKERRY
This minute I'll go down to the Guardians and make my
complaint. _(He notices his appearance)_ I'm going about all day
with my boots unlaced. I'm falling into bad ways, bad, slovenly ways.
And my coat needs brushing, too. _(He takes off his coat and goes to
window and brushes it)_ That's Myles Gorman going back to the
Workhouse. I couldn't walk with my head held as high as that. In
this house I am losing my uprightness. I'll do more than lace my
boots and brush my coat. I'll go down to the Guardians and I'll pay
them back their fifty pounds.

_Anna Crilly comes in from left with a bowl of soup_.

ANNA
Here's your soup, grandpapa.

MUSKERRY
I can't take it now, Anna. _(He puts on his coat)_

ANNA
Are you going out, grandpapa?

MUSKERRY
I'm going before the meeting of the Board of Guardians.

ANNA
Are you, grandpapa?

MUSKERRY
Yes, Anna, I am. I'm going to pay them back their fifty
pounds.

ANNA
And have you the fifty pounds?

MUSKERRY
Your mother has it for me.

ANNA
Sit down, grandpapa, and take your soup.

MUSKERRY
No, Anna, I won't take anything until my mind is at rest
about the coal. A certain person has spoken to me in a way I'll
never submit to be spoken to again.