MAIRE What do I say?  I say you’re not a rambler now, though indeed you behave like one.

CONN
You have something against me, Maire.

MAIRE
I have.

CONN
What has she against me, Anne?

MAIRE
All the promises you broke.

CONN
You were listening to what the town is saying.

MAIRE What does the town know?  Does it know that you stripped us of stock and crop the year after we came here?  Does it know that Anne and myself, two girls of the roads, had to struggle ever since to keep a shelter?

CONN
(bitterly) It knows that.  It couldn’t help but know it, maybe. 
But does it know all the promises you made and broke?

CONN (angrily) Hush now; I’ll hear no more.  I went my own way always, and I’ll go my own way always.

  He goes to the entrance, and remains with his back turned.  Maire
  goes to Anne.

MAIRE (raising her voice) Ay, he’ll go his own way always.  What was the good of working and saving here?

ANNE
Be quiet with him.

MAIRE
He’ll go his own way always, and it’s foolish of us to be
fretting for him night and day.

  Maire sits on stool and puts her hands across her face.

CONN (turning his head) Fretting for me.  It was too easy that I reared you.

ANNE God help Maire!  She kept the house together at the worst, and she is always fretting for us.

CONN
I’m oul’ enough to mind myself.  Let her remember that.

ANNE
It’s you that ought to remember that.

CONN
(going to Maire) Did I ever give the harsh word to you, child?

  No answer.

CONN
There, there; I never could see tears in a woman’s eyes; there,
there, colleen.  I’m an oul’ man; I won’t be a trouble to you long.

MAIRE (rising) Why need you play in Flynn’s?  You’re as good as any that goes there.

CONN
I know that.  I’m disgusted with Flynn.  May hell loosen his
knees for him!  I’ll go in and throw his money on the counter.

MAIRE
Some one else can do that.  Promise me you won’t go near the
place.

CONN
You’ll have me promise.  I promise.

MAIRE
Take this in your hand and promise.  It’s a medal that belonged
to mother.

  She takes a medal from her neck

CONN
(taking the medal) I’m disgusted with Flynn.  I promise you,
Maire.

MAIRE
Now you’ve honour and respect.

CONN
And what about Ardagh, Maire?

MAIRE
Sure, you’re not the rambling fiddler any more.

CONN
That would be the good rambling.  I see the trees making shadows
across the roads.

MAIRE
We’ll talk about it again.

ANNE
Brian MacConnell will be coming in now.  CONN I’m going out to
Brian MacConnell.