Broadbent.  My dear sir:  to all intents and purposes the syndicate I represent already owns half Rosscullen.  Doolan’s is a tied house; and the brewers are in the syndicate.  As to Haffigan’s farm and Doran’s mill and Mr Doyle’s place and half a dozen others, they will be mortgaged to me before a month is out.

Keegan.  But pardon me, you will not lend them more on their land than the land is worth; so they will be able to pay you the interest.

Broadbent.  Ah, you are a poet, Mr Keegan, not a man of business.

Larry.  We will lend everyone of these men half as much again on their land as it is worth, or ever can be worth, to them.

Broadbent.  You forget, sir, that we, with our capital, our knowledge, our organization, and may I say our English business habits, can make or lose ten pounds out of land that Haffigan, with all his industry, could not make or lose ten shillings out of.  Doran’s mill is a superannuated folly:  I shall want it for electric lighting.

Larry.  What is the use of giving land to such men? they are too small, too poor, too ignorant, too simpleminded to hold it against us:  you might as well give a dukedom to a crossing sweeper.

Broadbent.  Yes, Mr Keegan:  this place may have an industrial future, or it may have a residential future:  I can’t tell yet; but it’s not going to be a future in the hands of your Dorans and Haffigans, poor devils!

Keegan.  It may have no future at all.  Have you thought of that?

Broadbent.  Oh, I’m not afraid of that.  I have faith in Ireland, great faith, Mr Keegan.

Keegan.  And we have none:  only empty enthusiasms and patriotisms, and emptier memories and regrets.  Ah yes:  you have some excuse for believing that if there be any future, it will be yours; for our faith seems dead, and our hearts cold and cowed.  An island of dreamers who wake up in your jails, of critics and cowards whom you buy and tame for your own service, of bold rogues who help you to plunder us that they may plunder you afterwards.  Eh?

Broadbent [a little impatient of this unbusinesslike view].  Yes, yes; but you know you might say that of any country.  The fact is, there are only two qualities in the world:  efficiency and inefficiency, and only two sorts of people:  the efficient and the inefficient.  It don’t matter whether they’re English or Irish.  I shall collar this place, not because I’m an Englishman and Haffigan and Co are Irishmen, but because they’re duffers and I know my way about.

Keegan.  Have you considered what is to become of Haffigan?

Larry.  Oh, we’ll employ him in some capacity or other, and probably pay him more than he makes for himself now.

Broadbent [dubiously].  Do you think so?  No no:  Haffigan’s too old.  It really doesn’t pay now to take on men over forty even for unskilled labor, which I suppose is all Haffigan would be good for.  No:  Haffigan had better go to America, or into the Union, poor old chap!  He’s worked out, you know:  you can see it.