PEGGY. Hugh, I’m going with you. Take me out of this. O’C. I will, Peggy, and I don’t think anyone present--or all of them--will try to stop me. PROF. Now, Joseph, there’s a chance for you to get knocked flat. MRS. S. John Scally, save your daughter! She won’t heed me any more. JOHN [_rising_]. Do nothing rash, Peggy. You’re a good girl. PEGGY. I’m doing nothing rash, father. I was engaged to Hugh O’Cahan when he had plenty. I’m going with him now when he has nothing. PROF. Gum, she’s a thick and thinner. JOHN. By the hedges, she put that plain and dacent. I’m proud of my Peggy.... Hugh O’Cahan, you don’t know what you’re getting. It’s not because she’s my daughter. But no man in the world is good enough for Peggy Scally to clean her feet on. O’C. That’s the one thing I do know, John. JOHN. But she’s going with you, and I won’t try to stop her.... Lord, I wish you were staying at home ... that I could see Peggy whiles.... But here’s an offer. You’ll stay here another week and get married decently, and I’ll give Peggy her fortune. O’C. You’re manly, John. You always were. But I won’t take any fortune with Peggy. I want to throw off my coat and vest and work.... I’m going to prophesy now. [_He looks at the KILROYS_] You people have got Rush Hill. But if I live I’ll come back and root you out of it! If I die a son of mine will come back and root you out of it! But I believe I’ll come back myself, and bring Peggy back to Rush Hill. PROF. That’s inspiration. If a man holds on to that he can crush the earth like an eggshell. He can break the Wheel that tried to break him. JOHN. Peggy, you and me was always the best of friends. I never seen your frown. Won’t you make Hugh wait here another week? PEGGY. We’ll do as father says, Hugh. O’C. Right you are, Peggy. You’re the law and the prophets. JOHN. Hugh O’Cahan, I’ll say out before all these people what was always in my mind. I always had a great grah for you. You were a wild fella but a good fella. You as good as gimme a brown mare that has made me a power of money with her foals.... O’C. Never mind about the brown mare, John. I took a profit on her. Tell us some of the wild deeds. JOHN. Well, you went too fast, Hugh. That’s the short way of putting it. PROF. That takes in wine, women, and cards.... JOHN. And leppin’ horses. O’C. How much, John, do you reckon I’ve spent on wine, women and cards and leppin’ horses since my uncle died? JOHN. Some says fifty thousand pounds, and some twice that. O’C. Mr. Allison, how much has the Bank against Rush Hill? ALLISON. Four thousand pounds! O’C. How much had the Bank against it when uncle Hugh died? ALLISON. The same--four thousand pounds. O’C. There you are, John. It isn’t hard to earn a local reputation for riotous living. As a matter of fact, I never had the ghost of a chance.