thing, God help me, to breed sense in a son.
MICHAEL -- gloomily. -- If I didn't mar-
ry her, she'd be walking off to Jaunting Jim
maybe at the fall of night; and it's well your-
self knows there isn't the like of her for getting
money and selling songs to the men.
MARY. And you're thinking it's paying
gold to his reverence would make a woman
stop when she's a mind to go?
SARAH -- angrily. -- Let you not be de-


40

stroying us with your talk when I've as good
a right to a decent marriage as any speckled
female does be sleeping in the black hovels
above, would choke a mule.
MARY -- soothingly. -- It's as good a right
you have surely, Sarah Casey, but what good
will it do? Is it putting that ring on your
finger will keep you from getting an aged
woman and losing the fine face you have, or
be easing your pains, when it's the grand ladies
do be married in silk dresses, with rings of
gold, that do pass any woman with their share
of torment in the hour of birth, and do be
paying the doctors in the city of Dublin a great
price at that time, the like of what you'd pay
for a good ass and a cart?