KATHLEEN Faith, I must answer _somebody_ back--and sorra a word of English _she_ understands. I might as well talk to a tree. MENDEL You are not paid to talk, but to work. [_Playing on softly._] KATHLEEN And who _can_ work wid an ould woman nagglin' and grizzlin' and faultin' me? [_She removes the red table-cloth._] Mate-plates, butther-plates, _kosher_, _trepha_, sure I've smashed up folks' crockery and they makin' less fuss ouver it. MENDEL [_Stops playing._] Breaking crockery is one thing, and breaking a religion another. Didn't you tell me when I engaged you that you had lived in other Jewish families? KATHLEEN [_Angrily_] And is it a liar ye'd make me out now? I've lived wid clothiers and pawnbrokers and Vaudeville actors, but I niver shtruck a house where mate and butther couldn't be as paceable on the same plate as eggs and bacon--the most was that some wouldn't ate the bacon onless 'twas killed _kosher_. MENDEL [_Tickled_] Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! KATHLEEN [_Furious, pauses with the white table-cloth half on._] And who's ye laughin' at? I give ye a week's notice. I won't be the joke of Jews, no, begorra, that I won't. [_She pulls the cloth on viciously._] MENDEL [_Sobered, rising from the piano_] Don't talk nonsense, Kathleen. Nobody is making a joke of you. Have a little patience--you'll soon learn our ways. KATHLEEN [_More mildly_] Whose ways, yours or the ould lady's or Mr. David's? To-night being yer Sabbath, _you'll_ be blowing out yer bedroom candle, though ye won't light it; Mr. David'll light his and blow it out too; and the misthress won't even touch the candleshtick. There's three religions in this house, not wan. MENDEL [_Coughs uneasily._] Hem! Well, you learn the mistress's ways--that will be enough. KATHLEEN [_Going to mantelpiece_] But what way can I understand her jabberin' and jibberin'?--I'm not a monkey! [_She takes up a silver candlestick._] Why doesn't she talk English like a Christian? MENDEL [_Irritated_] If you are going on like that, perhaps you had better _not_ remain here. KATHLEEN [_Blazing up, forgetting to take the second candlestick_] And who's axin' ye to remain here? Faith, I'll quit off this blissid minit! MENDEL [_Taken aback_] No, you can't do that. KATHLEEN And why can't I? Ye can keep yer dirthy wages. [_She dumps down the candlestick violently on the table, and exit hysterically into her bedroom._] MENDEL [_Sighing heavily_] She might have put on the other candlestick. [_He goes to mantel and takes it. A rat-tat-tat at street-door._] Who can that be? [_Running to KATHLEEN'S door, holding candlestick forgetfully low._] Kathleen! There's a visitor! KATHLEEN [_Angrily from within_] I'm not here! MENDEL So long as you're in this house, you must do your work. [_KATHLEEN'S head emerges sulkily._] KATHLEEN I tould ye I was lavin' at wanst. Let you open the door yerself.