and wouldn't it
be a shame for us to be at each other's throats like a pair of dogs,
and I married with Anna. So out with the truth, man alive. What is it
you're holding against me at all?

CHRIS--[A bit placated, in spite of himself, by BURKE'S evident
sincerity--but puzzled and suspicious.] Vell--Ay don't vant for Anna
gat married. Listen, you fallar. Ay'm a ole man. Ay don't see Anna for
fifteen year. She vas all Ay gat in vorld. And now ven she come on
first trip--you tank Ay vant her leave me 'lone again?

BURKE--[Heartily.] Let you not be thinking I have no heart at all for
the way you'd be feeling.

CHRIS--[Astonished and encouraged--trying to plead persuasively.] Den
you do right tang, eh? You ship avay again, leave Anna alone.
[Cajolingly.] Big fallar like you dat's on sea, he don't need vife. He
gat new gel in every port, you know dat.

BURKE--[Angry for a second.] God stiffen you! [Then controlling
himself--calmly.] I'll not be giving you the lie on that. But divil
take you, there's a time comes to every man, on sea or land, that isn't
a born fool, when he's sick of the lot of them cows, and wearing his
heart out to meet up with a fine dacent girl, and have a home to call
his own and be rearing up children in it. 'Tis small use you're asking
me to leave Anna. She's the wan woman of the world for me, and I can't
live without her now, I'm thinking.

CHRIS--You forgat all about her in one veek out of port, Ay bet you!

BURKE--You don't know the like I am. Death itself wouldn't make me
forget her. So let you not be making talk to me about leaving her. I'll
not, and be damned to you! It won't be so bad for you as you'd make out
at all. She'll be living here in the States, and her married to me. And
you'd be seeing her often so--a sight more often than ever you saw her
the fifteen years she was growing up in the West. It's quare you'd be
the one to be making great trouble about her leaving you when you never
laid eyes on her once in all them years.

CHRIS--[Guiltily.] Ay taught it vas better Anna stay avay, grow up
inland where she don't ever know ole davil, sea.

BURKE--[Scornfully.] Is it blaming the sea for your troubles ye are
again, God help you? Well, Anna knows it now. 'Twas in her blood,
anyway.

CHRIS--And Ay don't vant she ever know no-good fallar on sea--

BURKE--She knows one now.

CHRIS--[Banging the table with his fist--furiously.] Dat's yust it!
Dat's yust what you are--no-good, sailor