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CHARACTERS

PETER GILLANE.

MICHAEL GILLANE
his son, going to be married.

PATRICK GILLANE
a lad of twelve, Michael’s brother.

BRIDGET GILLANE
Peter’s wife.

DELIA CAHEL
engaged to MICHAEL.

THE POOR OLD WOMAN.

NEIGHBOURS.

ACT I

[SCENE: Interior of a cottage close to Killala, in 1798. BRIDGET is standing at a table undoing a parcel. PETER is sitting at one side of the fire, PATRICK at the other.]

PETER

. What is that sound I hear?

PATRICK

. I don’t hear anything. [He listens.] I hear it now. It’s like cheering. [He goes to the window and looks out.] I wonder what they are cheering about. I don’t see anybody.

PETER

. It might be a hurling match.

PATRICK

. There’s no hurling to-day. It must be down in the town the cheering is.

BRIDGET

. I suppose the boys must be having some sport of their own. Come over here, Peter, and look at Michael’s wedding-clothes.

PETER

[shifts his chair to table]. Those are grand clothes, indeed.

BRIDGET

. You hadn’t clothes like that when you married me, and no coat to put on of a Sunday any more than any other day.

PETER

. That is true, indeed. We never thought a son of our own would be wearing a suit of that sort for his wedding, or have so good a place to bring a wife to.

PATRICK

[who is still at the window]. There’s an old woman coming down the road. I don’t know, is it here she’s coming?

BRIDGET

. It will be a neighbour coming to hear about Michael’s wedding. Can you see who it is?

PATRICK

. I think it is a stranger, but she’s not coming to the house. She’s turned into the gap that goes down where Murteen and his sons are shearing sheep. [He turns towards BRIDGET.] Do you remember what Winny of the Cross Roads was saying the other night about the strange woman that goes through the country whatever time there’s war or trouble coming?

BRIDGET

. Don’t be bothering us about Winny’s talk, but go and open the door for your brother. I hear him coming up the path.

PETER

. I hope he has brought Delia’s fortune with him safe, for fear her people might go back on the bargain and I after making it. Trouble enough I had making it.

[PATRICK opens the door and MICHAEL comes in.]

BRIDGET

. What kept you, Michael? We were looking out for you this long time.

MICHAEL

. I went round by the priest’s house to bid him be ready to marry us to-morrow.

BRIDGET

. Did he say anything?

MICHAEL

. He said it was a very nice match, and that he was never better pleased to marry any two in his parish than myself and Delia Cahel.

PETER

. Have you got the fortune, Michael?

MICHAEL

. Here it is.

[He puts bag on table and goes over and leans against the chimney-jamb. BRIDGET, who has been all this time examining the clothes, pulling the seams and trying the lining of the pockets, etc., puts the clothes on the dresser.]

PETER

[getting up and taking the bag in his hand and turning out the money]. Yes, I made the bargain well for you, Michael. Old John Cahel would sooner have kept a share of this awhile longer. “Let me keep the half of it till the first boy is born,” says he. “You will not,” says I. “Whether there is or is not a boy, the whole hundred pounds must be in Michael’s hands before he brings your daughter in the house.” The wife spoke to him then, and he gave in at the end.