ime to
explain it to me, Daniel. I didn't quite get on to it the last time
you were telling me about it.

DANIEL. Some time again. Oh yes. But John--I'll have to go to some of
the towns soon to see people about it. The bigger the town the better
the chance, and John (_impressively_)--London's the place.

JOHN (_aghast_). London! In all the name of the world, yon place!
Would Belfast not do you?

DANIEL. No. I don't like Belfast. They're a mangy, stick-in-the-mud,
follow-in-the-old-ruts crowd. Never strike out anything new. It's a
case of London or nothing.

JOHN (_dubiously_). It will be a terrible expense this London
visiting.

DANIEL. It'll be worth it.

JOHN. Now, Danny, I would like to oblige you, but what do you think it
would cost me?

DANIEL. Well, I could live cheap you know, John, and do without meals
an odd day, and go steerage and third class, and that sort of thing. I
would say about fifteen pounds roughly. That would let me stay more
than a week.

JOHN. Fifteen pounds! God bless me, Daniel, would you break me? No,
no, I couldn't afford to give you that much.

DANIEL. Maybe ten would do it. I could sleep out under the arches an
odd night or two, and----

JOHN. No, no. I'll not have that. A Murray aye had a bed to go to and
a sup to eat. (_After a contemplative pause._) Here, I'll give you
three pounds and you can go to Belfast.

DANIEL. I don't care much about Belfast. You know I have been there
five times now, and I have never got anyone to look into the thing at
all proper.

JOHN. You're too backward, Daniel, when it comes to the like of that.
But ten pounds! No, I would like you to get on in the world right
enough, Daniel, but I couldn't afford it. You know the way this house
is being kept; it's lamentable. Tea and sugar and flour and things.
Man, I'm just after paying off ten pounds to the McAfees for one thing
and another, and it only a running account for two months. If I had a
good housekeeper now, maybe things would alter for the better.

MARY (_coming out from the workshop followed by_ ALICK). O Uncle Dan!
He says he'll go at once and get it----(_She stops short in confusion on
seeing her father._)

ALICK. How are you, Mr. Murray?

JOHN. O! bravely. What's the news with you?

ALICK. I was just looking over some of them ideas of Daniel's, about
the new fan bellows.

JOHN. Aye. Now what do you think of it?

ALICK (_warned by_ DANIEL _who nudges him_). They're great altogether