you great fool, and you payin' money to
give her her job. (_Disgustedly._) You've no guts in you.

CARMODY (_placatingly_). Would you have me raisin' a shindy when
Eileen's leavin' here in a day or more? What'd be the use?

MRS. BRENNAN. In the new place she's goin' you'll not have to pay a
cent, and that's a blessing! It's small good they've done her here for
all the money they've taken. (_Gazing about the room critically._) It's
neat and clean enough; and why shouldn't it, a tiny room and the lot of
them nothing to do all day but scrub. (_Scornfully._) Two sticks of
chairs and a table! They don't give much for the money.

CARMODY. Catch them! It's a good thing she's clearin' out of this, and
her worse off after them curin' her eight months than she was when she
came. She'll maybe get well in the new place.

MRS. BRENNAN (_indifferently_). It's God's will, what'll happen.
(_Irritably._) And I'm thinkin' it's His punishment she's under now for
having no heart in her and never writin' home a word to you or the
children in two months or more. If the doctor hadn't wrote us himself
to come see her, she was sick, we'd have been no wiser.

CARMODY. Whisht! Don't be blamin' a sick girl.

MARY (_who has drifted to one of the windows at right--curiously_).
There's somebody in bed out there. I can't see her face. Is it Eileen?

MRS. BRENNAN. Don't be goin' out there till I tell you, you imp! I must
speak to your father first. (_Coming closer to him and lowering her
voice._) Are you going to tell her about it?

CARMODY (_pretending ignorance_). About what?

MRS. BRENNAN. About what, indeed! Don't pretend you don't know. About
our marryin' two weeks back, of course. What else?

CARMODY (_uncertainly_). Yes--I disremembered she didn't know. I'll
have to tell her, surely.

MRS. BRENNAN (_flaring up_). You speak like you wouldn't. Is it shamed
of me you are? Are you afraid of a slip of a girl? Well, then, I'm not!
I'll tell her to her face soon enough.

CARMODY (_angry in his turn--assertively_). You'll not, now! Keep your
mouth out of this and your rough tongue! I tell you I'll tell her.

MRS. BRENNAN (_satisfied_). Let's be going out to her, then. (_They
move towards the door to the porch._) And keep your eye on your watch.
We mustn't miss the train. Come with us, Mary, and remember to keep
your mouth shut.

(_They go out on the porch and stand just outside the door
waiting for_ Eileen _to notice them; bu