Conn Hourican goes into the room right; soon after the fiddle is heard.  Anne goes to the settle, and takes up her knitting.  Maire takes her shawl off, and hangs it on the rack.  Maire Hourican is over twenty.  She is tall, and has easy, graceful movements; her features are fine and clear-cut; the nose is rather blunted, the mouth firm.  Her gaze is direct and clear.  She has heavy auburn hair, loose now, and falling.  Maire comes down to the table, opens basket, and takes some flowers from top.  She turns to dresser and arranges some of the flowers in a jar.

MAIRE
We’d have no right to take another day from Brian.  And when
there’s no one here to-morrow, you and me could draw some of the turf.

ANNE
Your hair is loose, Maire.

  Maire goes to the mirror and fixes her hair.

MAIRE
The wind blew it about me, and then I let it down.  I came home
by the long way, just to feel young again with my hair about me.

ANNE
And did you meet any one?

MAIRE
Indeed I did.  I met James Moynihan.

ANNE
James had to go early.  They’re building at his place.

MAIRE
Indeed they ought to let James build a house for himself.  ANNE
Some day they will, Maire.

MAIRE But
we must not let some day be a far day.

ANNE
(hesitatingly) I think I’ll show you something.

MAIRE What is it, daughter?

  Anne rises and goes to the dresser.  She opens drawer.  Maire
  watches her.

MAIRE
(waiting) I made a good girl out of you, anyway.

ANNE
You wouldn’t let me use stroller words when we were on the road. 
Do you mind of that?

MAIRE
I kept you to the mannerly ways.  I have that to my credit.

ANNE (showing Maire the verses) Read that, Maire.  It was James that made it.

MAIRE
It’s a song, I declare.

ANNE
No, Maire, it’s a poem.

MAIRE
A poem?  O, that’s grand!

  She begins to read it eagerly.

ANNE
And, Maire—­

MAIRE
Well?

ANNE
James says it’s about me.

MAIRE
About you?  O, I wish some one would put me into a song, or into a poem;
I suppose a poem would be best.  You might ask James.  No, I’ll coax him
myself.  Ah, no I won’t, Anne.

ANNE
You may keep it for a while, but don’t let any one know.

MAIRE
He must be very fond of you, and I thinking him so quiet.

ANNE
(happy) He has grand thoughts about me.

MAIRE
Well, you’ll be seeing him to-night.

ANNE
I don’t know that I’ll go out to-night.

MAIRE
Sure Grace Moynihan asked us to go over.

ANNE
I’m shy of going into James’.

MAIRE
Anne, you’re the only one of us that has any manners.  Maybe
you’re right not to go.