ut the priest stopped father and us
on the road. Father Bartley wanted his advice, I suppose. Ah, it's a
pity the men won't have some one like my father with them! He was in
gaol for the Cause. Besides, he's a well-discoursed man, and a
reading man, and, moreover, a man with a classical knowledge of
English, Latin, and the Hibernian vernacular.

_Martin Douras comes in. He is a man of about sixty, with a refined,
scholarly look. His manner is subdued and nervous. He has a stoop,
and is clean-shaven._

CORNELIUS
I was just telling Sally here what a great day it is,
father.

MARTIN DOURAS
Ay, it's a great day, no matter what our own troubles
may be. I should be going home again. _(He takes a newspaper out of
his pocket, and leaves it on the table)_

CORNELIUS
Wait for the men, father.

MARTIN DOURAS
Maybe they'll be here soon. Is Murtagh in, Sally?

_Cornelius takes the paper up, and begins to read it_.

SALLY
He's down at the bottoms, Martin.

MARTIN DOURAS
He's going to Arvach Fair, maybe.

SALLY
He is in troth.

MARTIN DOURAS
I'll be asking him for a lift. He'll be going to the
Fair when he come back from the lawyer's, I suppose?
Ay, he'll be going to-night. _(She gathers the chopped cabbage
into her apron, and goes to the door)_

SALLY
_(at the door)_ Cornelius.

_Cornelius puts down the paper, and goes to the door. Sally goes out_.

MARTIN DOURAS
Cornelius!

_Cornelius goes to Martin_.

SALLY
_(outside)_ Cornelius, give me a hand with this.

_Cornelius turns again_.

MARTIN DOURAS
Cornelius, I want to speak to you.

_Cornelius goes to him_.

MARTIN DOURAS
There is something on my mind, Cornelius.

CORNELIUS
What is it, father?

MARTIN DOURAS
It's about our Ellen. Father Bartley gave me news for her.
"I've heard of a school that'll suit Ellen," says he. "It's in
the County Leitrim."

CORNELIUS
If it was in Dublin itself, Ellen is qualified to take it
on. And won't it be grand to have one of our family teaching in a
school?

MARTIN DOURAS
_(with a sigh)_ I wouldn't stand in her way, Cornelius;
I wouldn't stand in her way. But won't it be a poor thing for an old
man like me to have no one to discourse with in the long evenings?
For when I'm talking with you, Cornelius, I feel like a boy who
lends back all the marbles he's won, and plays again, just for the
sake of the game.

CORNELIUS
We were in dread of Ellen going to America at one time,
and then she