. GRANAHAN.

Now, will you go when I tell you. You and your ould fiddle. It'll be
the death of you yet. Mind what I say.

ROBBIE JOHN.

[Coming through door and standing there.]

Bad cess to the cattle and Aura Boyd.

GRANDFATHER.

He's a tarr'ble unneighbourly man.

MRS. GRANAHAN.

He's a cross grained man right enough, but it wouldn't do to have the
cattle trampin' and eatin' his corn.

ROBBIE JOHN.

I was down there only ten minutes ago when you sent me, and they were
eatin' there quite peaceable.

MRS. GRANAHAN.

Now will you go Robbie John when your mother wants you. Aura Boyd sent
over here this forenoon to say if that Kerry cow broke into his field
again he'd have the law agin us.

ROBBIE JOHN.

Och, he's a cross ould cratur. Sure, she had only one foot through the
hedge when he turned her.

[He sees mother is getting impatient.]

All right; I'm away.

[He goes back into room, leaves fiddle
there, comes into kitchen again and
goes out by door to yard.]

MRS. GRANAHAN.

He's as ill to drive as the ould mare to meetin' a Sundays.

[She goes and looks through door into
room.]

Look at the time it is and your father and Samuel James niver back yet
Ellen. They're terrible late o' comin'.

ELLEN.

Och, I suppose they've met some dealer at the fair and are driving a
hard bargain as usual.

GRANDFATHER.

I wonner if they got that foal red off their hands yet. It'll be a
job I'm thinkin'. He was a miserable baste, and tarr'ble broken in
the wind.

ELLEN.

Och, trust father to make that all right. I heard Mr. Taylor, of the
creamery, say that father could sell you skim milk for cream, better
than any man he knew.

MRS. GRANAHAN.

[Seating herself at chair beside table at
back.]

Oh, aye. It's easy for _him_ to talk, but money's hard o' makin', and
if people's soft it's their own fault. Only I hope they've no' taken
any drink.

GRANDFATHER.

It's no fault in a good man if he does take a half-un.

MRS. GRANAHAN.

Now, don't you be startin' to talk that way. It's always the way with
them dailers. Muddle the good man's head with whiskey, and then