at, and a good shave, you
might get some old widow with a small farm to marry
you, if you are a bachelor.

FALVEY
Of course I'm a bachelor. Who'd be bothered with
the likes of me for a husband. Sure, I wouldn't raise
my hand to a woman in a thousand years, and what
do women care about a man unless he can earn lots
of money and leather the devil out of them when they
don't behave themselves?

LOGAN
That's true. And when a man hasn't any money to
give his wife, the next best thing to do is to give her a
good beatin'.

FALVEY
That's what my father used to say. But 'tis the lucky
thing for me all the same that I'm not married, an'
that I strayed into a house like this to-day. Yet I
don't think 'tis a bit fair for me to be wearin' your
fine coat and you wearin' mine. You don't look a
bit comfortable in it.

LOGAN
I feel comfortable, and far more comfortable than you
can imagine; and after all that's what matters. Every
eye forms its own beauty, and when the heart is
young, it doesn't matter how old you are.

FALVEY
That's true! That's true! But 'tis the dacent man
you are, nevertheless, and 'tisn't the likes of you that
a poor man like myself meets every day.

LOGAN
No, and it may be a long time again before you will
meet another like me. But be that as it may, I must
be going now, so here's a shillin' for you and go to the
barber's next door and have a shave before startin'
to look for work. (_Hands shilling_) Good-by.

FALVEY
Good-by, God bless you and long life to you.

[_Exit Logan. Enter an old friend._

GARRET DEVLIN (_walks slowly and takes the newspaper
from the table, looks at the clock_)
Only half-past ten, and damn the bit to do. Ah,
me! ah, me! One bloody day like another!

[_Sits on the chair and yawns. Knocks for the publican.
Enter Driscoll._

DRISCOLL
Good mornin', Garret. Anythin' new to-day?

DEVLIN
Yes, I have good news this mornin'.

DRISCOLL
An' what is it?

DEVLIN
Oh, not much, only that a grand-uncle of mine is
after dyin' in America and leavin' me a fortune of a
hundred thousand pounds.

DRISCOLL (_sceptically_)
That's a terrible responsibility for a poor man to have
thrust upon him. What are you going to do with it at
all?

DEVLIN
Well, I was thinkin' of buyin' a new suit of clothes and
dividin' what's left between the poor of the town, the
Sisters of Charity, and the Salvation Army.

DRISCOLL
Wisha, I'm sick and tired of hearin' old yarns like
that. I sup