CORNELIUS
Wait for the men, father.

MARTIN DOURAS
Maybe they’ll be here soon.  Is Murtagh in, Sally?

  Cornelius takes the paper up, and begins to read it.

SALLY
He’s down at the bottoms, Martin.

MARTIN DOURAS
He’s going to Arvach Fair, maybe.

SALLY
He is in troth.

MARTIN DOURAS
I’ll be asking him for a lift.  He’ll be going to the
Fair when he come back from the lawyer’s, I suppose? 
Ay, he’ll be going to-night. (She gathers the chopped cabbage
into her apron, and goes to the door)

SALLY
(at the door) Cornelius.

  Cornelius puts down the paper, and goes to the door.  Sally goes out.

MARTIN DOURAS
Cornelius!

  Cornelius goes to Martin.

SALLY
(outside) Cornelius, give me a hand with this.

  Cornelius turns again.

MARTIN DOURAS
Cornelius, I want to speak to you.

  Cornelius goes to him.

MARTIN DOURAS
There is something on my mind, Cornelius.

CORNELIUS
What is it, father?

MARTIN DOURAS
It’s about our Ellen.  Father Bartley gave me news for her. 
“I’ve heard of a school that’ll suit Ellen,” says he.  “It’s in
the County Leitrim.”

CORNELIUS If it was in Dublin itself, Ellen is qualified to take it on.  And won’t it be grand to have one of our family teaching in a school?

MARTIN DOURAS (with a sigh) I wouldn’t stand in her way, Cornelius; I wouldn’t stand in her way.  But won’t it be a poor thing for an old man like me to have no one to discourse with in the long evenings?  For when I’m talking with you, Cornelius, I feel like a boy who lends back all the marbles he’s won, and plays again, just for the sake of the game.

CORNELIUS We were in dread of Ellen going to America at one time, and then she went in for the school.  Now Matt Cosgar may keep her from the school.  Maybe we won’t have to go further than this house to see Ellen.

MARTIN DOURAS
I’m hoping it’ll be like that; but I’m in dread that
Murtagh Cosgar will never agree to it.  He’s a hard man to deal with. 
Still Murtagh and myself will be on the long road to-night, and we
might talk of it.  I’m afeard of Ellen going.

CORNELIUS
(at the door) It’s herself that’s coming here, father.

MARTIN DOURAS
Maybe she has heard the news and is coming to tell us.

  Ellen comes in.  She has a shawl over her head which she lays aside. 
  She is about twenty-five, slightly built, nervous, emotional.

ELLEN
Is it only ourselves that’s here?

MARTIN DOURAS
Only ourselves.  Did you get any news to bring you over, Ellen?

ELLEN
No news.  It was the shine of the day that brought me out; and
I was thinking, too, of the girls that are going to America in the
morning, and that made me restless.