thought was a great general, and that I now see to be no more fit
to command an army than an old hen? What's happened to Tessie,
that I was mad to marry a year ago, and that I wouldn't take now
with all Ireland for her fortune? I tell you the world's creation
is crumbling in ruins about me; and then you come and ask what's
happened to me?

MRS O'FLAHERTY [giving way to wild grief]. Ochone! ochone! my
son's turned agen me. Oh, what'll I do at all at all? Oh! oh! oh!
oh!

SIR PEARCE [running out of the house]. What's this infernal
noise? What on earth is the matter?

O'FLAHERTY. Arra hold your whisht, mother. Don't you see his
honor?

MRS O'FLAHERTY. Oh, Sir, I'm ruined and destroyed. Oh, won't you
speak to Dinny, Sir: I'm heart scalded with him. He wants to
marry a Frenchwoman on me, and to go away and be a foreigner and
desert his mother and betray his country. It's mad he is with the
roaring of the cannons and he killing the Germans and the Germans
killing him, bad cess to them! My boy is taken from me and turned
agen me; and who is to take care of me in my old age after all
I've done for him, ochone! ochone!

O'FLAHERTY. Hold your noise, I tell you. Who's going to leave
you? I'm going to take you with me. There now: does that satisfy
you?