L
You are goin' to pick a husband for yourself! Are
you, indeed? Ah, sure 'tis the stubbornness of your
mother's people that's in you.

MRS. CORCORAN (_as she keeps knitting_)
And her father's, too.

DONAL
What's that you're saying, woman?

MRS. CORCORAN
I said that 'twas from your side of the family that
she brought the stubbornness.

DONAL
How dare you say that, and in my presence, too?
The devil blast the one belongin' to me was ever
stubborn. She's her mother's daughter, I'm tellin'
you.

MRS. CORCORAN
Whatever is gentle in her comes from me, and what's
stubborn and contrary comes from you and yours.

DONAL (_in a rage_)
God be praised and glorified! What's gentle in her,
will you tell me? She that pleases herself in everythin'.
(_To Kitty_) I'll knock the stubbornness out of you,
my young lady, before we will have another full moon.

MRS. CORCORAN
Indeed and you won't, then, nor in ten full moons,
either.

DONAL (_as he walks up and down the kitchen_)
Woman! woman! woman! You are all alike! Every
damn one of you, from the Queen to the cockle picker.

KITTY
You have no right to marry me to any one against
my will.

DONAL
And is it the way I'd be leavin' you marry some good-for-nothing
idle jackeen, who couldn't buy a ha'porth
of bird seed for a linnet or a finch, let alone to
keep a wife? That's what a contrary, headstrong,
uncontrollable whipster like you would do, if you had
your own way. But, be God, you will have little of
your own way while I am here and above ground.

KITTY
If stubbornness was a virtue, you'd be a saint, father,
and they'd have your picture in all the stained glass
windows in every church in the country, like St.
Patrick or St. Columkille, himself.

MRS. CORCORAN (_laughs at Kitty's answer_)
Well, well, well, to be sure! You are your father's
daughter, Kitty.

DONAL
She's the devil's daughter, I'm thinkin'.

[_A loud knocking is heard at the door. Kitty opens it
and Denis Delahunty enters. He is dressed in a new
frock coat and top hat_.

MRS. CORCORAN AND DONAL (_as he enters_)
Welcome, Sir Denis, welcome. (_They both shake hands
with him_) Our heartiest congratulations, and warmest
respects.

DONAL (_pointing to his own chair_)
Take my own chair, the best in the house, that I
wouldn't offer to the Bishop or the Lord Lieutenant
himself, if either of them called to see me.
[_Sir Denis sits down, but forgets to remove his hat,
which is much too small, an