_The same scene two weeks later._ BROWN _comes in by yard door holding letters in his hand, which he examines curiously at intervals._

BROWN (_shouting loudly_). Miss Mary! Are you there, Miss Mary?

KATE (_coming in from parlour_). Hi there. Stop that shouting. D'ye want to wake the dead?

BROWN. I want to give these letters to Miss Mary. Where is she?

KATE. Who're they for? Let's look at them.

BROWN. Not for you anyway. (_Loudly._) Miss Mary.

KATE. Ach quit deaving me with your shouting.

MARY (_coming in_). What's the matter? Oh! Letters! Any for me, Sam?

BROWN. Aye. There's a post card for you, Miss Mary, and a registered letter for Mr. John. The posty says he'll call on the road back for the account when you sign it. (_He hands the post card to_ MARY _and looks carefully at the letter._) It's like the MCMINN writing that.

(_He looks at_ MARY, _who is reading and re-reading the post card with a puzzled expression._) Isn't Mr. Dan to be home to-day from Belfast, Miss Mary?

MARY. Eh?

BROWN. Isn't Mr. Dan expected home to-day from Belfast?

MARY. Yes.

BROWN. I wonder did he get the bellows sold? There was great talking about him last night in McArn's. Some said he had sold it and made a fortune. (_He breaks off abruptly on seeing that_ MARY _pays no attention to him, and then peers over to see what she is reading._) Post cards is interesting things. Picture post cards is.

KATE. Here. Away out and get them purtas dug for the dinner. We're tired hearing your gabble.

BROWN (_retreating to door and eyeing_ KATE _meaningly_). The master was complaining again to me yesterday evening about the dinner he got.

There's no mistake he likes his meat like myself, and right enough it was bad yesterday. I was chowing haws all evening to keep off the hunger.

KATE. Go on you out of this.

BROWN. That's all the news this morning. (_He makes a grimace at_ KATE _and goes out into the yard._)

MARY. I can't understand this post card. (KATE _goes over and looks at it along with_ MARY.)

"O wad that G.o.d the gift wad gie us, To see oorselves as ithers see us."

What does that mean? "How's the uncle?" It's some cheeky person anyway--"from D.M." Who could that be?

KATE. It's not McCready, Miss, is it?

MARY. No. That's not his writing.

KATE. Och, Miss Mary! Do you see the picture of the Highland man dancing, and under it--"A Mackenzie Clansman." It's thon Scotch fellow sent it.

MARY. Just like the way he would do. I met him again one night we were over at the doctor's, and he was trying to make up to me all he was able.

KATE. Aye. Any word from Mr. Dan about the boy he was to bring you?

MARY. No. I'm not going to bother any more about boys, I'm going to keep house from this on properly. But Uncle Dan said something in his last letter about a great surprise he had for all of us.

KATE. Surprise enough it will be, and he lands home with a ha'penny in his pocket. The last time he come home he borrowed a shilling of me and niver paid me back yet. Did he sell the plans of the bellows, Miss?

MARY. He didn't say. (JOHN MURRAY _comes through yard door. He has evidently been working outside and has left his work in a hurry._) Father, there's a letter for you. (_She hands it to him._) A registered one too.

JOHN. Aye. So Brown was telling me. Maybe its from thon McAlenan fellow that owes me two pound for the heifer. (_He tears it open._ MARY _and_ KATE _watch him with interest. His face changes as he reads, and an expression of dismay comes over it._)

MARY (_coming closer to him_). What's the matter, father?

JOHN (_fidgeting uneasily_). Nothing, child. Nothing. (_He looks at the letter again._) Well I'm--(_He stops short on remembering_ MARY _is there._) She's a caution.

MARY. Father. Tell me. Is it from the McMinns?

JOHN. Aye. (_Pacing up and down._) I knowed she'd do it. I knowed she'd do it.

MARY. What?

JOHN. Sarah's taking an action against me.

MARY. An action?

JOHN. Aye. (_Consulting the letter._) For a thousand pounds.

MARY (_awestruck_). A thousand pounds!

JOHN. Aye. Now the fat's in the fire. She says I promised to marry her and broke it off. At least, it's Andy that writes the letter, but it's her that put him up to it. I know that too well. (_Reading._) "To Mr.

John Murray. Dear Sir,--You have acted to my sister in a most ungentlemanly way, and done her much wrong, and I have put the case intil the hands of Mr. McAllen, the solicitor, who will bring it forward at the coming a.s.sizes. If you wish, however, to avoid a scandal, we are oped to settle the matter by private arrangement for one thousand pounds. Yours truly, Andrew McMinn."

MARY. That's awful, father, isn't it?

JOHN (_going over to fireplace and standing there irresolutely_). Aye.

It's a terrible mess, right enough.

MARY (_brightening up_). Sure she wouldn't get a thousand off you, father?

KATE. There's John McArdle up by Slaney Cross got a hundred pounds took off him by wee Miss Black, the school teacher.

JOHN (_uncomfortably_). Aye. Heth now, I just call that to mind. And he never got courting her at all, I believe.

KATE. It just served him right. He was always a great man for having five or six girls running after him.

JOHN. And she hadn't much of a case against him.

KATE. The school children were standing by when he asked her in a joking sort of way would she marry him, and the court took their evidence.

JOHN (_hopelessly_). Aye. Men are always terrible hard on other men where women are concerned.