ELLEN
Sally, Sally, is it the truth you’re telling?

SALLY
It is the truth.  Honest as day, it is the truth.

ELLEN And I thought I’d be content with a new house.  Now we can go away together.  I can see what I longed to see.  I have a chance of knowing what is in me. (She takes Sally’s hands) It’s great news you’ve brought me.  No one ever brought me such news before.  Take this little cross.  You won’t have a chance of getting fond of me after all. (She wears a cross at her throat; she breaks the string, and gives it to Sally)

SALLY I don’t know why I was so fervent to tell you.  There’s the stool before me that myself and Cornelius were sitting on, and he saying—­(She goes to the door) Here’s Matt!  Now we’ll hear all about it.

ELLEN So soon; so soon. (She goes to the mirror.  After a pause, turning to Sally) Go down the road a bit, when he comes in.  Sally, you have a simple mind; you might be saying a prayer that it will be for the best.

SALLY (going to the door muttering) Go down the road a bit!  ’Deed and I will not till I know the whole ins and outs of it.  Sure I’m as much concerned in it as herself!  “No man sees his house afire but watches his rick,” he was saying.  Ah, there’s few of them could think of as fine a thing as that.

  Matt comes in.

MATT
Well, Sally, were you home lately?

SALLY
I was—­leastways as far as the door.  Father and oul’ Martin were
discoursing.

MATT
I’ve given them something to discourse about.  Maybe you’ll be
treated better from this day.  Sally.

SALLY
O Matt, I’m sorry.

  She goes out.

MATT (going to Ellen) It happened at last, Ellen; the height of the quarrel came.

ELLEN
It was bound to come.  I knew it would come, Matt.

MATT
He was a foolish man to put shame on me after all I did for the land.

ELLEN
You had too much thought for the land.

MATT
I had in troth.  The others went when there was less to be done.  They
could not stand him.  Even the girls stole away.

ELLEN
There was the high spirit in the whole of you.

MATT
I showed it to him.  “Stop,” said I; “no more, or I fling lands
and house and everything aside.”

ELLEN
You said that.

MATT
Ay.  “Your other children went for less,” said I; “do you think
there’s no blood in me at all?”

ELLEN
What happened then?

MATT “I’m your last son,” I said; “keep your land and your twenty years’ purchase.  I’m with the others; and it’s poor your land will leave you, and you without a son to bring down your name.  A bit of land, a house,” said I; “do you think these will keep me here?”

ELLEN I knew they could not keep you here, Matt.  You have broken from them at last; and now the world is before us.  Think of all that is before us—­the sea, and the ships, the strange life, and the great cities.