ATHLEEN (_offer spinning for a moment_), You didn't give him his
bit of bread?

(MAURYA _begins to keen softly, without turning round._)

CATHLEEN. Did you see him riding down?

(MAURYA _goes on keening._)

CATHLEEN (_a little impatiently_). God forgive you; isn't it a
better thing to raise your voice and tell what you seen, than to
be making lamentation for a thing that's done? Did you see
Bartley, I'm saying to you.

MAURYA (_with a weak voice_). My heart's broken from this day.

CATHLEEN (_as before_). Did you see Bartley?

MAURYA. I seen the fearfulest thing.

CATHLEEN (_leaves her wheel and looks out_). God forgive you; he's
riding the mare now over the green head, and the gray pony behind
him.

MAURYA (_starts, so that her shawl falls back from her head and
shows her white tossed hair; with a frightened voice_). The gray
pony behind him.

CATHLEEN (_coming to the fire_). What is it ails you, at all?

MAURYA (_speaking very slowly_). I've seen the fearfulest thing any
person has seen, since the day Bride Dara seen the dead man with
the child in his arms.

CATHLEEN AND NORA. Uah.

(_They crouch down in front of the old woman at the fire._)

NORA. Tell us what it is you seen.

MAURYA. I went down to the spring-well, and I stood there saying
a prayer to myself. Then Bartley came along, and he riding on the
red mare with the gray pony behind him. (_She puts up her hands,
as if to hide something from her eyes._) The Son of God spare us,
Nora!

CATHLEEN. What is it you seen?

MAURYA. I seen Michael himself.

CATHLEEN (_speaking softly_). You did not, mother; it wasn't
Michael you seen, for his body is after being found in the far
north, and he's got a clean burial by the grace of God.

MAURYA (_a little defiantly_). I'm after seeing him this day, and
he riding and galloping. Bartley came first on the red mare; and
I tried to say "God speed you," but something choked the words in
my throat. He went by quickly; and, "The blessing of God on you,"
says he, and I could say nothing. I looked up then, and I crying,
at the gray pony, and there was Michael upon it--with fine
clothes on him, and new shoes on his feet.

CATHLEEN (_begins to keen_). It's destroyed we are from this day.
It's destroyed, surely.

NORA. Didn't the young priest say the Almighty God wouldn't leave
her destitute with no son living?

MAUKYA (_in a low voice, but clearly_). It's little the like of him
knows of the sea.... Bart