CORNELIUS
Who’ll know you came at all?  And what isn’t seen won’t be
spoken of.

SALLY
Would you like me to stay, Cornelius?

CORNELIUS
Ay, I would.

SALLY
Divil mind the sow,

  They sit down together.

SALLY
(after a pause) Would you like me to knit you a pair of socks,
Cornelius?

CORNELIUS
Oh, I would, Sally; I’d love to wear them.

SALLY
I’ll knit them.  We’ll be getting rid of the sow tonight, maybe,
and I’ll have time after that.

CORNELIUS
And you come along the road when I’m herding.  I don’t want to be going
near your father’s house.

SALLY
O Cornelius, it won’t be lucky for us when father hears about
Ellen and Matt.

CORNELIUS
That’s true.  No man sees his house afire but looks to his rick.

SALLY Come down a bit of the road with me, Cornelius.  The sow will be grunting and grunting, reminding father that I’m away.  Och, a minute ago I was as contented as if there was no land or pigs, or harsh words to trouble one. (She goes to the door) The boys and girls for America are coming here.

CORNELIUS
Give me your hands to hold, Sally. (She gives him her
hands) We are as young as any of them after all.

  They hold each other’s hands, then stand apart.

SALLY
It’s a fine time for them to be going when the leaves are
opening on the trees.

  Three boys and three girls enter.  They are dressed for going away.

SALLY
God save you, girls.  Good-bye, Cornelius.  I’ll have to run
like a redshank.

  Sally goes out.

CORNELIUS I’ll call Ellen down to you. (He goes to the room door and calls) I’m going herding myself.  Herding is pleasant when you have thoughts with you.

  He takes up the rod and goes out.  The girls begin whispering, then
  chattering.

FIRST GIRL Sure I know.  Every night I’m dreaming of the sea and the great towns.  Streets and streets of houses and every street as crowded as the road outside the chapel when the people do be coming from Mass.  I could watch the crowd in the street; I would think it better than any sight I ever knew.

SECOND GIRL
And the shops and the great houses.

SECOND BOY
There’s no stir here.  There’s no fine clothes, nor fine
manners, nor fine things to be seen.

THIRD BOY
There’s no money.  One could never get a shilling together
here.  In America there’s money to have and to spend and to send home.

THIRD GIRL
Every girl gets married in America.

  Ellen comes down.

ELLEN
I’m glad you came.  I have tea ready for you.  I can’t go to
Gilroy’s to-night.

  Some come to the table and some remain near the door.

A GIRL (at table, to Ellen) They say that a peat fire like that will seem very strange to us after America.  Bridget wondered at it when she came back.  “Do civilized people really cook at the like of them?” said she.