Christy goes to Cabinet.  Muskerry follows him.

CHRISTY
There’s none in the bottle, Mister Muskerry.

MUSKERRY
(bitterly) No, I suppose not.  And is that rascal, Albert
Crilly, coming back?

CHRISTY
He’s coming, Mister Muskerry.  I left the novelette on the
table.  Miss Coghlan says it’s a nice love story.  “The Heart of
Angelina,” it is called.

MUSKERRY
I haven’t the heart to read.

  The bell continues to toll.  Christy goes to door.

CHRISTY
Good night, Mister Muskerry.

MUSKERRY
Good night, Christy.

  Christy Clarke goes out through apartments.  Thomas Muskerry is
  standing with hand on arm chair.  The bell tolls.

CURTAIN

ACT SECOND

In Crilly’s, a month later.  The room is the parlour off the shop.  A glass door, right, leads into the shop, and the fireplace is above this door.  In the back, right, is a cupboard door.  Back is a window looking on the street.  A door, left, leads to other rooms.  There is a table near shop door and a horse-hair sofa back, an armchair at fire, and two leather-covered chairs about.  Conventional pictures on walls, and two certificates framed, showing that some one in the house has passed some Intermediate examinations.

   It is the forenoon of an April day.  Mrs. Crilly is seated on sofa,
   going through a heap of account books.  Anna Crilly is at window. 
   Crofton Crilly enters from the shop.

CRILLY
It’s all right, Marianne.

MRS. CRILLY
Well?

CRILLY The Guardians insisted on appointing an outside person to take stock of the workhouse stores.  It’s the new regulation, you know.  Well, the job lay between young Dobbs and Albert, and Albert has got it.  I don’t say but it was a near thing.

MRS. CRILLY
I hope Albert will know what to do.

CRILLY
He’ll want to watch the points.  Where’s the Master?

MRS. CRILLY
He’s in his room upstairs.

CRILLY
Was he not out this morning?

MRS. CRILLY
He’s not dressed yet.

CRILLY
He was more particular when he was in the workhouse.

ANNA
I know who those two children are now.  They are the new
gas-manager’s children.

CRILLY
He’s a Scotchman.

ANNA
And married for the second time.  Mother, Mrs. Dunne is going to
the races.  Such a sketch of a hat.

MRS. CRILLY
It would be better for her if she stayed at home and
looked after her business.

ANNA
She won’t have much business to look after soon.  That’s the
third time her husband has come out of Farrell’s public-house.

CRILLY
He’s drinking with the Dispensary Doctor.  Companions!  They’re
the curse of this town, Marianne. (He sits down)