MRS. S. Well, I’ll cut my sermon short. You’ll marry Joseph Kilroy before you’re a week older. His mother’ll be here in a few minutes, and I’ll make my own arrangements.... Go now and close the parlour windows and have everything ready for tea.... _JOHN comes in right shaking his head._ JOHN. By the hedges, that’s a case. He lay down on the parlour floor and fell asleep. MRS. S. [_shrieks_]. Why did you let him in there? Go and fetch him out of that. Don’t you know the Kilroys have to sit in there! Drag him out. JOHN. By hokey, I’ll do nothing of the kind, Briget.... He’s that long seafaring knife in his hand, and vows he’ll give somebody the length of it.... I’ll not face him anyway.... MRS. S. You’ll not face him! [_Blazing._] But I’m the lady ’ill face him! [_Stalks to the room._] _Noise from the room._ JOHN. Your mother’s getting very hard to live with, Peggy. She’s out of one tantrum into another the whole year round. I’ve made myself an old man trying to humour that woman and keep peace in the house, but it’s going to beat me in the end. _Noise from MRS. S. and PROF._ PEGGY. Listen, father. She’s giving uncle Tim a great tongue thrashing. JOHN. She won’t shift him. You might as well try to draw the badger. PEGGY. I thought you were going to take him over to the other farm? JOHN. The man’s not able to go anywhere! He wants about a month’s sleep. God knows when that man got a dacent sleep. Maybe not for years. PEGGY. Well, it’s a pity, father. The Kilroys are coming and we can’t take them into the room. JOHN. What’s the matter with this kitchen? PEGGY. Not a thing, father. But Mrs. Kilroy’s coming. JOHN. And who’s Mrs. Kilroy? Is she any better than the rest of us? PEGGY. Not a whit. But she thinks she is. JOHN. The priest sits in this kitchen. If it’s good enough for him it’s good enough for Mrs. Kilroy. If she doesn’t think so she needn’t sit down. I’m fair sick of vanity. PEGGY. Just a word, father, before they come in. Don’t you sign any papers for James Kilroy. Hugh O’Cahan says they have nothing. JOHN. Do you think I don’t know what Kilroy’s here for? Do you think I don’t know what all the match-making’s about? Ho, the very best. His ill-bred son wants a settlement and there’s nothing to settle him with.... PEGGY. They shan’t settle him with me anyhow. JOHN. You’re right, Peggy. If I was a nice educated girl like you I’d put a shirt on Hugh O’Cahan. He’s a man with all his faults; and the other’s a prig with all his virtues. PEGGY. Father, I never thought you could size up people so well. JOHN. I’m not as soft as I let on, Peggy. By minding my own business I’m a strong farmer. Kilroy by minding other people’s business is a weak one. He’d ruin me now like himself, but he won’t.... I won’t let him. PEGGY. Mother ’ill be wild if you don’t sign.