MUSKERRY
The doctor’s discharge!  He would have given it to me—­

MRS. CRILLY
You can’t leave without the doctor’s sanction.

MUSKERRY
Out of this house I will go to-day.

  James Scollard enters.

SCOLLARD
I believe you want to see me, Mr. Muskerry.

MUSKERRY
I do, Mr. Scollard.  I am leaving the house.

SCOLLARD
I will be glad to take up the necessary formalities for you,
Mr. Muskerry.

MRS. CRILLY
First of all, has the doctor marked my father off the
infirmary list?

SCOLLARD
No, Mrs. Crilly.  Now that I recall the list, he has not.

MUSKERRY
I waited after Mass to-day, and I missed seeing him.

MRS. CRILLY
My father was seriously ill only a short time ago, and I
do not believe he is in a fit state to leave the infirmary.

SCOLLARD That certainly has to be considered.  Without the doctor explicitly sending you down to the body of the house you are hardly under my jurisdiction, Mr. Muskerry.

MUSKERRY
Mr. Scollard, I ask you to give me leave to go out of the
Workhouse for a day.  You can do this on your own responsibility.

MRS. CRILLY
In the present state of his mind it’s not likely he
would return to-night.  Then if anything happened him your situation
is at stake.

MUSKERRY
I’m not a pauper.  I’ll go out of this to-day without leave
or license from any of you.

SCOLLARD
As you know yourself, Mr. Muskerry, it would be as much as
my situation is worth to let you depart in that way.

MUSKERRY
Well, go I will.

SCOLLARD
I cannot permit it, Mr. Muskerry.  I say it with the
greatest respect.

MUSKERRY
How long will you keep me here?

SCOLLARD
Until the doctor visits the house.

MUSKERRY
That will be on Monday morning.

SCOLLARD
And this is Saturday, Mr. Muskerry.

MUSKERRY
And where will you put me until Monday?

SCOLLARD
Other arrangements will be made for you.

MUSKERRY
It’s the pauper’s bed you would give me!

SCOLLARD
The old arrangements will continue.  Can I do anything
further for you, Mr. Muskerry?

MUSKERRY No, you can do nothing further for me.  It’s a great deal you have done for me!  It’s the pauper’s bed you have given me! (He goes into the Select Ward)

MRS. CRILLY
Sit down, Mr. Scollard.  I want to speak to you.

  Mrs. Crilly seats herself at the table.  Scollard sits down also.

MRS. CRILLY
The bank manager is in the town to-day, and there are
people waiting to tell him whether my father goes to our house or
goes away from us.

SCOLLARD No doubt there are, Mrs. Crilly.

MRS. CRILLY
But you have nothing to do with that, Mr. Scollard.