king up tools_]. Well, maybe so. But
work must go on and coach building must go on, and they will not go on
the time there is too much attention given to dreams. A dream is a sort
of a shadow, no profit in it to anyone at all. A coach now is a real
thing and a thing that will last for generations and be made use of the
last, and maybe turn to be a hen-roost at its latter end.

FATHER JOHN. I think Andrew told me it was a dream of Martin's that led
to the making of that coach.

THOMAS. Well, I believe he saw gold in some dream, and it led him to
want to make some golden thing, and coaches being the handiest, nothing
would do him till he put the most of his fortune into the making of
this golden coach. It turned out better than I thought, for some of the
lawyers came looking at it at assize time, and through them it was
heard of at Dublin Castle ... and who now has it ordered but the Lord
Lieutenant! [FATHER JOHN _nods._] Ready it must be and sent off it must
be by the end of the month. It is likely King George will be visiting
Dublin, and it is he himself will be sitting in it yet.

FATHER JOHN. Martin has been working hard at it, I know.

THOMAS. You never saw a man work the way he did, day and night, near
ever since the time, six months ago, he first came home from France.

FATHER JOHN. I never thought he would be so good at a trade. I thought
his mind was only set on books.

THOMAS. He should be thankful to myself for that. Any person I will
take in hand I make a clean job of them the same as I would make of any
other thing in my yard, coach, half coach, hackney-coach, ass car,
common car, post-chaise, calash, chariot on two wheels, on four wheels.
Each one has the shape Thomas Hearne put on it, and it in his hands;
and what I can do with wood and iron, why would I not be able to do it
with flesh and blood, and it in a way my own?

FATHER JOHN. Indeed I know you did your best for Martin.

THOMAS. Every best. Checked him, taught him the trade, sent him to the
monastery in France for to learn the language and to see the wide
world; but who should know that if you did not know it, Father John,
and I doing it according to your own advice?

FATHER JOHN. I thought his nature needed spiritual guidance and
teaching, the best that could be found.

THOMAS. I thought myself it was best for him to be away for a while.
There are too many wild lads about this place. He to have stopped here,
he might have taken some fanci