The Mother of God, Hushed by the waving of the immortal wings, Has dropped in a doze and cannot hear the poor: I passed by Margaret Nolan’s; for nine days Her mouth was green with dock and dandelion; And now they wake her. MAIRE. I will go the next; Our parents’ cabins bordered the same field. SHEMUS. God, and the Mother of God, have dropped asleep, For they are weary of the prayers and candles; But Satan pours the famine from his bag, And I am mindful to go pray to him To cover all this table with red gold. Teig, will you dare me to it? TEIG. Not I, father. MAIRE. O Shemus, hush, maybe your mind might pray In spite o’ the mouth. SHEMUS. Two crowns and twenty pennies. MAIRE. Is yonder quicken wood? SHEMUS. [_Picking the bough from the table._] He swayed about, And so I tied him to a quicken bough And slung him from my shoulder. MAIRE. [_Taking the bough from him._] Shemus! Shemus! What, would you burn the blessed quicken wood? A spell to ward off demons and ill faeries. You know not what the owls were that peeped in, For evil wonders live in this old wood, And they can show in what shape please them best. And we have had no milk to leave of nights To keep our own good people kind to us. And Aleel, who has talked with the great Sidhe, Is full of terrors to come. [_She lays the bough on a chair._ SHEMUS. I would eat my supper With no less mirth if squatting by the hearth Were dulacaun or demon of the pit Clawing its knees, its hoof among the ashes. [_He rings another piece of money. A sound of footsteps outside the door._ MAIRE. Who knows what evil you have brought to us? I fear the wood things, Shemus. [_A knock at the door._ Do not open. SHEMUS. A crown and twenty pennies are not enough To stop the hole that lets the famine in. [_The little shrine falls._ MAIRE. Look! look! SHEMUS. [_Crushing it underfoot._] The Mother of God has dropped asleep, And all her household things have gone to wrack. MAIRE. O Mary, Mother of God, be pitiful! [_SHEMUS opens the door. TWO MERCHANTS stand without. They have bands of gold round their foreheads, and each carries a bag upon his shoulder._ FIRST MERCHANT. Have you food here? SHEMUS. For those who can pay well. SECOND MERCHANT. We are rich merchants seeking merchandise. SHEMUS. Come in, your honours. MAIRE. No, do not come in: We have no food, not even for ourselves. FIRST MERCHANT. There is a wolf on the big hook in the cupboard. [_They enter._ SHEMUS.