Anne comes in.

ANNE
(with a cry) Maire, you are going on the roads!

MAIRE
How do you know that?

ANNE
You bid Brian MacConnell go from you, and where else would you
go but on the roads?

  She goes to the settle and throws herself down, her hands before
  her face.  Maire puts cloak on.  Conn goes to Anne.  He takes her hands
  from her face and holds them.

CONN Don’t be grieving that we’re going from you, Anne.  When you come back here again, your own care will begin.  I know that you grieve for Maire going from you, and my own heart is unquiet for her. (He goes to dresser, takes fiddle and wraps it up.  He puts hat on.  Maire goes to settle, and sits beside Anne) Well, here’s Conn Hourican the fiddler going on his travels again.  No man knows how his own life will end; but them who have the gift have to follow the gift.  I’m leaving this house behind me; and maybe the time will come when I’ll be climbing the hills and seeing this little house with the tears in my eyes.  I’m leaving the land behind me, too; but what’s land after all against the music that comes from the far, strange places, when the night is on the ground, and the bird in the grass is quiet?

  The fiddle is heard again.  Conn Hourican goes to door.  Maire
  embraces Anne again, rises and goes to door.  Anne follows slowly. 
  Conn goes out.  Maire turns to Anne.

MAIRE Tell Brian MacConnell that when we meet again maybe we can be kinder to each other.

  Maire Hourican goes out with Conn.  Anne is left standing at the
  door in the dusk.

END OF PLAY

THE FIDDLER’S HOUSE was first produced on 21st March, 1907, by the Theatre of Ireland, in the Rotunda, Dublin, with the following cast:  —­

CONN HOURICAN Joseph Goggin
MAIRE HOURICAN Maire MacShiubhlaigh
ANNE HOURICAN Eileen O’Doherty
BRIAN MACCONNELL Ed. Keegan
JAMES MOYNIHAN P. MacShiubhlaigh.

THE LAND:  AN AGRARIAN COMEDY IN THREE ACTS

CHARACTERS

MURTAGH COSGAR, a farmer
MATT, his son
SALLY, his daughter
MARTIN DOURAS, a farmer
CORNELIUS, his son
ELLEN, his daughter
A group of men,
A group of boys and girls.

The scene is laid in the Irish Midlands, present time.

ACT I

The interior of Murtagh Cosgar’s.  It is a large flagged kitchen with the entrance on the right.  The dresser is below the entrance.  There is a large fireplace in the back, and a room door to the left of the fireplace; the harness-rack is between room door and fireplace.  The yard door is on the left.  The table is down from the room door.  There are benches around fireplace.