DONAL
She’s the devil’s daughter, I’m thinkin’.

[A loud knocking is heard at the door.  Kitty opens it and Denis Delahunty enters.  He is dressed in a new frock coat and top hat.

MRS. CORCORAN AND DONAL (as he enters) Welcome, Sir Denis, welcome. (They both shake hands with him) Our heartiest congratulations, and warmest respects.

DONAL (pointing to his own chair) Take my own chair, the best in the house, that I wouldn’t offer to the Bishop or the Lord Lieutenant himself, if either of them called to see me. [Sir Denis sits down, but forgets to remove his hat, which is much too small, and tilted to one side.  When Kitty sees the strange figure he cuts, she laughs outright, at which her father gets very angry.

DONAL (to Kitty)
What are you laughin’ at?  You brazen creature!

KITTY (laughing)
Sir Denis has on some one else’s tall hat.

SIR DENIS (looks very bored, removes the hat and says rather sadly) You are mistaken, my child.  Badly mistaken!  ’Tis my own hat.  ’Twas the only one in the town that I could get that came near fittin’ me, and herself, I mean Lady Delahunty, wouldn’t leave me out without it.

KITTY
I hope that you feel more comfortable than you
look, Sir Denis.

SIR DENIS To tell the truth, Kitty, I don’t know whether ’tis on my head or my heels I’m standin’.  The devil a one of me was ever aware that His Majesty the King knew or thought so much about me.  If I was only made a mere knight inself, it wouldn’t be so bad; but think of bein’ made a whole baronet all of a sudden like that, and not knowin’ a bit about it beforehand.

DONAL
You are the lucky man, Sir Denis, but don’t know it.

SIR DENIS I suppose I am, Donal.  At one stroke of his sword, so to speak, the King of, well, we might say of half the whole world, put an unbridgeable gulf between herself, I mean Lady Delahunty, and myself, and the common people forever and forever!

KITTY (laughing)
May the Lord forgive him.

DONAL
I suppose you must present yourself at Court and
have tea with the Queen herself?

MRS. CORCORAN Sure, of course, he must be presented at Court, and the Queen with a crown of glitterin’ jewels on her head will bow to him, the same as if he was the Rajah of Ballyslattery, himself, and he with his ten thousand wives and numerous attendants.  And for all we know, maybe ‘tis the way he’ll be invitin’ the whole Royal Family to spend the summer with himself and Lady Delahunty at Innismore.

SIR DENIS ’Tis the great responsibility that has been thrust upon herself, I mean Lady Delahunty, and myself surely.  But we have made no plans, so far, for the entertainment of Royalty, and their conspicuous aide-de-camps.

KITTY
Aides-de-camp, you mean, I suppose, Sir Denis.

DONAL
How dare you correct Sir Denis?