MAURYA (_continues without hearing anything_). There was Sheamus and his father, and his own father again, were lost in a dark night, and not a stick or sign was seen of them when the sun went up. There was Patch after was drowned out of a curagh that turned over. I was sitting here with Bartley, and he a baby, lying on my two knees, and I seen two women, and three women, and four women coming in, and they crossing themselves, and not saying a word. I looked out then, and there were men coming after them, and they holding a thing in the half of a red sail, and water dripping out of it--it was a dry day, Nora--and leaving a track to the door. (_She pauses again with her hand stretched out towards the door. It opens softly and old women begin to come in, crossing themselves on the threshold, and kneeling down in front of the stage with red petticoats over their heads._) MAURYA (_half in a dream, to Cathleen_). Is it Patch, or Michael, or what is it at all? CATHLEEN. Michael is after being found in the far north, and when he is found there how could he be here in this place? MAURYA. There does be a power of young men floating round in the sea, and what way would they know if it was Michael they had, or another man like him, for when a man is nine days in the sea, and the wind blowing, it's hard set his own mother would be to say what man was it. CATHLEEN. It's Michael, God spare him, for they're after sending us a bit of his clothes from the far north. (_She reaches out and hands MAURYA the clothes that belonged to_ MICHAEL. MAURYA _stands up slowly, and takes them in her hands._ NORA _looks out._) NORA. They're carrying a thing among them and there's water dripping out of it and leaving a track by the big stones. CATHLEEN (_in a whisper to the women who have come in_). Is it Bartley it is? ONE OF THE WOMEN. It is surely, God rest his soul. (_Two younger women come in and pull out the table. Then men carry in the body of_ BARTLEY, _laid on a plank, with a bit of a sail over it, and lay it on the table._) CATHLEEN (_to the women, as they are doing so_). What way was he drowned? ONE OF THE WOMEN. The gray pony knocked him into the sea, and he was washed out where there is a great surf on the white rocks. (MAURYA _has gone over and knelt down at the head of the table. The women are keening softly and swaying themselves with a slow movement._ CATHLEEN _and_ NORA _kneel at the other end of the table. The men kneel near the door._)