mith comes in on left.]

MARTIN DOUL -- [with a begging voice.] -- Leave a bit of silver for
blind Martin, your honour. Leave a bit of silver, or a penny copper
itself, and we'll be praying the Lord to bless you and you going the
way.

TIMMY -- [stopping before them.] -- And you letting on a while back you
knew my step! [He sits down.]

MARTIN -- [with his natural voice.] -- I know it when Molly Byrne's
walking in front, or when she's two perches, maybe, lagging behind; but
it's few times I've heard you walking up the like of that, as if you'd
met a thing wasn't right and you coming on the road.

TIMMY -- [hot and breathless, wiping his face.] -- You've good ears, God
bless you, if you're a liar itself; for I'm after walking up in great
haste from hearing wonders in the fair.

MARTIN DOUL -- [rather contemptuously.] -- You're always hearing queer
wonderful things, and the lot of them nothing at all; but I'm thinking,
this time, it's a strange thing surely you'd be walking up before the
turn of day, and not waiting below to look on them lepping, or dancing,
or playing shows on the green of Clash.

TIMMY -- [huffed.] -- I was coming to tell you it's in this place
there'd be a bigger wonder done in a short while (Martin Doul stops
working) than was ever done on the green of Clash, or the width of
Leinster itself; but you're thinking, maybe, you're too cute a little
fellow to be minding me at all.

MARTIN DOUL -- [amused, but incredulous.] -- There'll be wonders in this
place, is it?

TIMMY. Here at the crossing of the roads.

MARTIN DOUL. I never heard tell of anything to happen in this place
since the night they killed the old fellow going home with his gold, the
Lord have mercy on him, and threw down his corpse into the bog. Let
them not be doing the like of that this night, for it's ourselves have
a right to the crossing roads, and we don't want any of your bad tricks,
or your wonders either, for it's wonder enough we are ourselves.

TIMMY. If I'd a mind I'd be telling you of a real wonder this day, and
the way you'll be having a great joy, maybe, you're not thinking on at
all.

MARTIN DOUL -- [interested.] -- Are they putting up a still behind in
the rocks? It'd be a grand thing if I'd sup handy the way I wouldn't be
destroying myself groping up across the bogs in the rain falling.

TIMMY -- [still moodily.] -- It's not a still they're bringing, or the
like of it either.

MARY DOUL -- [persuasively, to