it, I left it alone.

MAIRE (eagerly) Tell me what your brother said to you.

BRIAN When I came up to the door, Hugh came out to meet me. "What destruction are you bringing me?" he said. "There's my hand," says I, "and I take your offer." MAIRE Ah, that's settled. You could settle anything, Brian. (She goes to the settle and sits down) I wonder could you settle something for us?

BRIAN
What is it, Maire?

MAIRE It's my father. He wants to be rambling again. He wants to be going to some Feis.

BRIAN
Sure, let him go.

He takes her hand.

MAIRE I couldn't, Brian. Couldn't you help us? Couldn't you keep father's mind on the right things?

BRIAN
Sure, let the fiddler go on the roads.

MAIRE You might stay here this evening with ourselves. Father would be glad to talk with you.

BRIAN (putting his arm around her) But I want the two of us to be seen in Moynihan's to-night.

MAIRE (resistance in her voice) Stay here with us, and let all that go by.

BRIAN Hugh will be there with that woman that brought him the big fortune; and I want you to take the shine out of her.

MAIRE (rising) I was out often lately. You know that, Brian.

She goes to chair at table, and sits away from him.

BRIAN (rising and going to her) But this night above all you must be with me.

MAIRE (turning to him impulsively) Stay here and I'll be as nice to you as if we were in another house. (He kisses her. She rises and goes from him) If you knew me at all, Brian MacConnell, that's not the way you'd treat me.

BRIAN
Are you not coming out with me?

MAIRE
You must leave me to myself now. (Conn Hourican comes in) Is
Anne with you, father?

CONN She's gathering posies or something like that. Brian, did you hear about the Feis at Ardagh?

MAIRE (with vehemence) Oh, what's the good of talking about that? You can't go.

CONN
Can't go, did you say, girl?

MAIRE
Oh, how could you go?

CONN Is that the way? Well, God help us. Give me that fiddle till I leave it up.

He takes the fiddle off dresser, and turns to go.

MAIRE
Father, let me be with you to-night; oh, I'm sorry if I vexed
you. (No reply) Well, stay with Brian MacConnell; I'm going out to
Anne.

Maire goes out. Brian goes to rack, and puts on his coat.

BRIAN
Are you coming, Conn? I'm off.

CONN
Where to, man?

BRIAN
To Flynn's.

CONN
I can't be going, I'm sorry to say.

BRIAN I'm going anyway. It's a great thing to be in the company of men.

CONN
Ay, in troth. Women, Brian, leave the heart of one very lonesome.

BRIAN (masterfully) Why can't you come out? I thought you were going to-night.

CONN I can't, Brian, and that reminds me. Give these few shillings to Flynn for me. I'll owe them to you still.

BRIAN
I'm not going to be bothered by the like. Why can't you come?

CONN
I promised Maire.

  Brian strides away. He turns, comes back deliberately, and sits on
  table beside Conn.

BRIAN
They'll be all looking out for you at Flynn's.

CONN
Well, the next time they see me they may respect me.

BRIAN Some of the boys will take it very unkindly. CONN They're decent enough fellows, some of them.

BRIAN And above all nights they'll be watching out for you this night, on account of the Sligomen.

CONN They're decent enough fellows, as I said, and I'll be sorry to disappoint them.

BRIAN
The Sligomen will have great stories about Shawn Heffernan.

CONN
Shawn Heffernan! Is that impostor still alive?

BRIAN He is, and for fiddling these Sligomen think there's not the like of him in the whole of Ireland.

CONN God help them if that's all they know. We played against each other at the Granard Feis. He got the prize, but everybody knew that it was me played the best.

BRIAN
There's few of them alive now that mind of the Granard Feis.
He got the prize, and there's no talk of you at all.

CONN
No talk of me at all?

BRIAN
It's said that since you settled down you lost your art.

CONN And what had the men at Flynn's to say about that? BRIAN They bragged about you for a while, but the Sligomen put them down.

CONN I wonder would we have time to go up, play a few tunes, and come back, while Maire would be doing something? It would be a pity not to give them fellows a lesson and close their ignorant mouths for them. I wonder would we have time? (Anne comes in with Maire) I thought you went somewhere and left Brian and myself here.

ANNE
We're going somewhere and Brian might come with us.

MAIRE
Every one is going to Moynihan's.

CONN It's a pleasant house, a pleasant house. Brian will make his ceilidh [3] with me. We might go over a few tunes.

ANNE
Let Brian come where there are girls that might miss him.

MAIRE Anne, you're a great one for keeping up the story that girls are always thinking about men.

ANNE
And so they are. Just as men are always thinking about girls.

MAIRE You'd make a good ribbonman.[4] You'd put a face on anything you said.

[Footnote 3: Celidh, pronounced cayley, a visit.]

[Footnote 4: A ribbonman—a member of a secret agrarian society.]

ANNE
Ribbonism and secret societies were denounced off the altar.

MAIRE Goodness! The men will begin to think they've secrets worth telling.

ANNE
Have you secrets worth telling, Brian?

MAIRE
I daresay he has. There are foolish women in the world.

ANNE
Are you coming to Moynihan's, Brian?

BRIAN
No. I'm going where there's men.

MAIRE Come, Anne, till I deck you out. Come here, daughter, don't wear flowers. I think they're unlucky. Here I am talking like this, and I going to a dance. I suppose I'll dance with seven or eight and forget what's on my mind…. Everyone is going to Moynihan's except the men here. Are you going out, father?

CONN
I'm making a ceilidh with Brian.

MAIRE
Well, God be with you both. Come on, Anne.

  Maire takes down her shawl, and puts it over her head. She stands
  at the door, watching Anne, who goes to Brian.

ANNE
Brian, what have you against Moynihan's?

BRIAN Nothing at all. I may go in. MAIRE Come on, Anne. God be with you both.

  Maire and Anne go out. They are heard talking for a while. Conn
  goes to the door.

CONN
Maire and Anne are turning the