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THE DRONE
A Play in Three Acts
by
RUTHERFORD MAYNE
Luce & Co.
Boston
Copyright, 1912. Samuel Waddell.
TO
SEVEEN
CHARACTERS
JOHN MURRAY, _A farmer._
DANIEL MURRAY, _His brother._
MARY MURRAY, _John's daughter._
ANDREW MCMINN, _A farmer._
SARAH MCMINN, _His sister._
DONAL MACKENZIE, _A Scotch engineer._
SAM BROWN, _A labourer in John Murray's employment._
KATE, _A servant girl in John Murray's employment._
ALICK MCCREADY, _A young farmer._
_The action takes place throughout in the kitchen of John Murray in
the County of Down._
TIME ... _The present day._
The Drone
_A COMEDY IN THREE ACTS_
ACT I.
SCENE: _The farm kitchen of John Murray. It is large and spacious,
with a wide open fire-place to the right. At the back is one door
leading to the parlour and other rooms in the house, also a large
window overlooking the yard outside. To the left of this window is the
door leading into the yard, and near the door an old-fashioned
grandfather's clock. Opposite to the fire-place on the left side is
another door leading into Daniel Murray's workshop, and beside this
door is a large dresser with crockery, &c. At the back beneath the
window is a table near which_ KATE, _the servant, a slatternly dressed
girl of some thirty years of age or more, is seated. She is carefully
examining some cakes of soda bread, and has a bucket beside her into
which she throws the rejected pieces._
KATE. That one's stale. It would break your teeth to eat it. (_She
throws the cake into the bucket._) And the mice have nibbled that one.
And there's another as bad. (_She throws both pieces into the
bucket._)
(BROWN, _the servant man, opens the door from yard and enters. He is
elderly, and with a pessimistic expression of face, relieved somewhat
by the sly humour that is in his eyes. He walks slowly to the centre
of the kitchen, looks at_ KATE, _and then turns his eyes, with a
disgusted shake of the head, towards the dresser as if searching for
something._)
BROWN. Well! Well! Pigs get fat and men get lean in this house.
KATE. It's you again, is it? And what are you looking now?
BROWN. I'm looking a spanner for the boss. The feedboard to the
threshing machine got jammed just when halfway through the first
stack, and he is in a lamentable temper.
KATE (_uneasily_). Is he? (_She starts hurriedly to clear up the
table._)
BROWN (_watching her slyly to see what effect his words have_). And
he's been grumbling all morning about the way things is going on in
this house. Bread and things wasted and destroyed altogether.
KATE. Well, it's all Miss Mary's fault. I told her about this bread
yesterday forenoon, and she never took any heed to me.
BROWN. Miss Mary? (_With a deprecatory shake of his head._) What does
a slip of a girl like that know about housekeeping and her not home a
half-year yet from the boarding-school in the big town, and with no
mother nor nobody to train her. (_He stares in a puzzled way at the
dresser._) I don't see that spanner at all. Did you see it, Kate?
KATE. No. I've more to do than look for spanners.
BROWN (_gazing reproachfully at her and then shaking his head_). It's
a nice house, right enough. (_Lowering his voice._) And I suppose old
Mr. Dan is never up yet. I was told by Johnny McAndless, he was
terribly full last night at McArn's publichouse and talking--ach--the
greatest blethers about this new invention of his.
KATE. Do you say so?
BROWN. Aye. No wonder he's taking a lie this morning. (_He peeps into
the door of the workshop._) He's not in his wee workshop?
KATE. No. Miss Mary is just after taking up his breakfast to him.
BROWN. Some people get living easy in this world. (_He gives a last
look at the dresser._) Well divil a spanner can I see. I'll tell the
master that. (_He goes out again through the yard door, and as he does
so,_ MARY MURRAY _comes through the door from the inner rooms,
carrying a tray with teacups, &c., on it. She is a pretty, vivacious
girl about eighteen years of age._)
MARY. Who was that?
KATE. It's the servant man looking for a spanner for your father, Miss
Mary. There's something gone wrong with the threshing machine.
MARY (_taking the tray to the table and starting to get ready to wash
up the cups_). I do believe sometimes that Uncle Dan's a lazy man.
KATE (_assisting her at the washing and stopping as if astonished at
the statement_). And is it only now you're after finding that out!
Sure the whole countryside knowed it this years and years.
MARY (_sharply_). The whole countryside has no business to talk about
what doesn't concern it.
KATE. Oh, well, people are bound to talk, Miss.
MARY. But then Uncle Dan is awfully clever. He's got the whole brains
of the Murrays, so father says, and then, besides that, he is a grand
talker.
KATE. Aye. He can talk plenty. Sure Sarah McMinn, that lives up the
Cut, says its a shame the way he's going on this twenty years and
more, never doing a hand's turn from morning to night, and she says
she wonders your poor father stands him and his nonsense.
MARY. Who said that?
KATE. Sarah McMinn told Johnny McAndless that yesterday.
MARY. Sarah McMinn? Pooh! That hard, mean, old thing. No. I believe in
Uncle Dan and so does father. He'll make a name for himself yet.
KATE. Well, it's getting near time he done it.
MARY. And that Sarah McMinn they say just keeps her brother in
starvation, and she just says nasty things like that about Uncle Dan
because he doesn't like her.
KATE. Aye. He never did like people as seen through him, not but she
is a mean old skin-a-louse. (_The voice of_ DANIEL MURRAY _is heard
calling from within._) He's up, Miss.
MARY. Are you up, uncle?
(DAN MURRAY _opens the door from the inner apartments and comes into
the kitchen. He is carelessly dressed and sleepy-looking as if just
out of bed, wears a muffler and glasses, and appears to be some fifty
years of age._)
DANIEL. Yes. Did the _Whig_ come yet?
MARY. Yes. I put it in your workshop.
DANIEL (_glancing at the clock_). Bless my heart, it's half-past one!
MARY (_reproachfully_). It is, indeed, uncle.
DANIEL. Well! Well! Time goes round, Mary. Time goes round. (_Kate
picks up the bucket and goes out by the yard door._) Where's your
father? (_He crosses over to the workshop door._)
MARY. He's out working with Sam Brown at the threshing all morning
since seven o'clock.
DANIEL. Well! Well! A very industrious man is John Murray. Very. But
lacking in brains, my dear--lacking in brains. Kind, good-hearted,
easy-going, but--ah! well, one can't help these things. (_He goes
towards the workshop._) Where did you say the _Whig_ was, Mary?
MARY. It's in your workshop. (_He crosses over to go there._)
MARY. You were very late coming in last night, uncle.
DANIEL. Eh? (_He goes in, gets the paper, comes out again._)
MARY. I heard you coming in, and the clock was just after striking
two. (_He sits down and opens paper._)
DANIEL. Well--I met a few friends last night. Appreciative friends I
could talk to, and I was explaining that new idea of mine that I've
been working at so long--that new idea for a fan-bellows. It's a great
thing. Oh yes. It should be. I sat up quite a while last night,
thinking it over, and I believe I've got more ideas about it--better
ones.
MARY. Do you think you'll make money off it, uncle?
DANIEL. Mary--if it comes off--if I can get someone to take it up, I
believe 'twill make our fortune, I do.
MARY. Oh, uncle, it would be lovely if you did, and I would just die
to see that nasty McMinn woman's face when she hears about you making
such a hit.
DANIEL. McMinn? Has that woman been sneering about me again? That's
one woman, Mary, I can't stand. I can never do myself justice
explaining ideas in company when that woman is present.
MARY. Never mind her, uncle. (_Coming close beside him._) Do you mind
the time last time, uncle, when you went up to Belfast for a week to
see about that patent for--what's this the patent was, uncle?
DANIEL (_uncomfortably_). Last time? Aye? Why?
MARY. Yes. Don't you remember you said you knew of an awfully nice boy
that you met, and you were going to bring him down here.
DANIEL. Upon my soul, I had clean forgotten. Yes, yes. I think I did
say something about a young fellow I met.
MARY. Was he nice, uncle?
DANIEL (_becoming absorbed in the newspaper_). Eh? I think so. Oh. He
was--very nice chap.
MARY. Well, you said he was coming here to see me, and he never turned
up yet.
DANIEL. Did I? Very possibly. I suppose he must have forgotten.
MARY (_walking away to the left and then back again pouting_). I'm
sick of the boys here. There's only Alick McCready that's anyway
passable. When will you see him again, uncle?
DANIEL. Well--possibly, when I go up to town again. Very soon,
perhaps. That is if your father, Mary, can spare the money.
MARY (_thoughtfully_). I don't know, uncle. You see that would be five
times now, and somehow you never seem to get anything done. That's
what he said, mind you, uncle.
DANIEL (_mournfully_). Well! Well! To think of me toiling and moiling
away in that workshop of mine, day after day, and week after week, and
year after year--and there's all the thanks you get for it.
MARY. Uncle?
DANIEL (_somewhat irritably as he gets engrossed reading_). Well?
MARY. Look, if you went up to Belfast again soon, won't you see that
boy? I wonder what he's like. (_She gets close beside her uncle and
nestles beside him._) Is he dark or fair?
DANIEL. Yes, yes. I think so.
MARY. Dark?
DANIEL. Yes. I believe he is dark.
MARY. And tall?
DANIEL (_trying vainly to read in spite of the interruptions_). Very
tall.
MARY. Oh, how nice! And uncle, is he good-looking?
DANIEL. Very. Fine looking fellow.
MARY. That's grand; and uncle, is he well to do?
DANIEL. He has every appearance of it.
MARY. Oh you dear old uncle! (_She nestles closer to him._) But maybe
he wouldn't look at me when he has a whole lot of town girls to go
with.
DANIEL. My dear niece, you don't know what a very good-looking young
lady you are, and besides he saw your photograph.
MARY. Which photograph?
DANIEL (_perplexed_). Which photograph? Your own of course!
MARY. The one I got taken at Lurgan?
DANIEL. Yes. I think so.
MARY. Oh uncle! That horrid thing! Why didn't you show him the one I
got taken at Newcastle?
DANIEL. My mistake. Very sorry, indeed, Mary, I assure you. But I tell
you what, I'll take the album with me next time. Will that do?
MARY (_laughing_). There. Now you're only joking. (_Suddenly._) What
do you do all the time you stay in Belfast, uncle?
DANIEL (_uneasily_). Um--um----Business, my dear girl, business. See
engineers and all that sort of thing, and talk things over. It takes
time, you know, Mary, time.
MARY. You've been an awful long time inventing, uncle, haven't you?
DANIEL. Well, you know, Mary dear--time--it takes time. You can't rush
an inventor.
MARY. Well look, uncle. You know I can just wheedle father round my
wee finger, can't I?
DANIEL. You can indeed.
MARY. Well, look: if you promise to bring down this boy you are
talking about, I'll get father to give you enough to have two weeks in
Belfast. There. It's a bargain.
DANIEL. Um--well--he may not be there you know.
MARY (_disappointed_). O uncle!
DANIEL. You see he travels a lot and he may be away. He may be in
London. In fact I think--yes. He said he would be going to London.
MARY. Then why not go to London?
DANIEL (_starting up and speaking as if struck with delight at the
possibility_). Eh? I never thought of that! (_He collapses again._)
But no. Your father, Mary. He would never give me the money. No.
MARY. But you're more likely to meet people there who'd take it up,
aren't you, uncle?
DANIEL. It's _the place_ for an inventor to go, Mary. _The place._
(_Pauses._) But I'm afraid when John hears about it----(_he becomes
very dubious and shakes his head_).
MARY. Well, look here, uncle. Do you mind the last time when he would
not give you money to go up to Belfast about your patent.
DANIEL (_sadly_). I do.
MARY. You remember you got a letter a few days after asking you to
come up at once and you had to go then. Hadn't you?
DANIEL. I had.
MARY. Well, couldn't we do the same this time?
DANIEL (_looking at her uneasily_). Eh?
MARY. Couldn't we get someone to send a letter. (_Pausing and
thinking, then suddenly_). Oh, the very thing! You know that silly
Alick McCready that comes running after me. Well, look, I'll get him
to send a letter.
DANIEL. No good, my dear. I did it before----I mean letters on plain
notepaper don't carry much weight. No.
MARY. What about----oh, I know! Uncle, a telegram!
DANIEL. Great idea! It is in soul!
MARY. And we'll put something on it like "come to London at once to
see about the patent," or something like that. And he'd have to let
you go then.
DANIEL. Mary, you're really a cleverer girl than your father thinks.
(_Musingly._) Two weeks in London.
MARY. And don't forget the nice boy, uncle, when you go.
DANIEL. I'll do my best to get hold of him.
MARY. No. I want a good definite promise. Promise, uncle.
DANIEL. Well, really you know, my dear, he----
MARY. Uncle, promise.
DANIEL. Um----well, I promise.
MARY. You're a dear old thing. You see, uncle, I don't want to marry
Alick McCready or Jim McDowell or any of those boys, unless there's
nobody else.
DANIEL. Quite right, my dear, quite right. Two weeks in London.
Splendid! But it's time I was going into my workshop. (_He rises and
takes the paper with him._) I must really try and do something this
morning. (_Exit by workshop door._)
MARY (_calling after him_). You won't forget, uncle? Will you?
DANIEL. No, certainly not.
MARY. I do hope uncle brings that nice boy. Dark--tall--well set
up--well to do.
(KATE _comes in again through the yard door, and looks at_ MARY, _who
is gazing vacantly into space._)
KATE. Well? What notion have you got now?
MARY. Oh! just think, Kate! How would you like a boy who was dark and
tall, and well set up and well to do?
KATE. I'd just leap at him.
MARY (_laughing_). Agh! I don't think he'll ever come, Kate!
KATE. I think you've plenty on hand to manage. (BROWN _opens the yard
door and resumes his old-position from which he stares at the
dresser_). You're back again, are you?
BROWN. Aye.
KATE. What ails you now?
BROWN. I'm looking the spanner.
MARY. The spanner?
BROWN. The spanner, Miss Mary. It's for turning the nuts like.
KATE. Have you never got it yet?
BROWN. Do you think I've got eyes in the back of my head? Underneath
the seat, beside the salt-box, on the right near the wee crock in the
left hand corner. (_He makes a movement to open one of the drawers of
the dresser._)
KATE. Will you get out of that, ignorance. It's not there.
BROWN (_with an appealing look at_ MARY). Maybe its in the parlour?
MARY. Well, I'll take a look round. (_She goes through the door to
living rooms._)
BROWN (_mysteriously_). Did you hear the news?
KATE. No. (_Very much interested._) What?
BROWN. Ach! You women never know anything.
KATE. What's the news? Somebody killed?
BROWN. No. More serious.
KATE (_alarmed_). God bless me! What is it?
BROWN. Andy McMinn has a sister.
KATE (_disappointed_). Ach!
BROWN. And she's trying to get a man.
KATE. Well. I knowed that this years.
BROWN. And Mr. John Murray is a widow man.
KATE. You mean to be telling me that Mr. John has a notion of that old
thing? Go long with you!
BROWN. Did you ever hear tell of a widow man that never got married
again.
KATE. Plenty. Don't come in here talking blethers.
BROWN. Whist. There's more in what I'm telling you than you think. And
I'll hold you to a shilling that Sarah McMinn will be Mrs. John Murray
before one month.
KATE. Who told you?
BROWN. Ach. You've no more head than a yellow yorling. Where has Mr.
John been going to these wheen of nights?
KATE (_thinking_). Andy McMinns!
BROWN. Aye. Do you think it is to see old Andy? And sure he's been
talking to me all morning about the way the house is being kept. No
hand to save the waste; bread and things destroyed; hens laying away;
eggs ate up by the dozen and chickens lost and one thing and another.
And hinting about what money a good saving woman would bring him. And
Mr. Daniel----
KATE. Sh----he's in there working.
BROWN. Working? Ah, God save us! Him working! The last man that seen
Mr. Dan working is in his grave this twenty years. (_He goes over next
workshop door._) I'll just peep in at him through the keyhole. (_He
goes over and does so, and then beckons_ KATE _over. She peeps in and
grins. As they are thus occupied_ ALICK MCCREADY _opens the door and
stands gazing at them. He is a type of the young well-to-do farmer,
respectably dressed and good-looking._)
ALICK. Well! Well! Some people earn their money easy!
BROWN. Aye. In soul. Just look in there to see it. (MCCREADY _looks in
and bursts into a loud hearty laugh._ BROWN _hurriedly goes out by the
yard door and_ KATE _by door to inner rooms._)
DANIEL (_opening door and standing there, perplexed looking_). What's
the matter?
ALICK. Ah. I was just laughing at a wee joke, Mr. Murray.
DANIEL. It must have been very funny.
ALICK. Aye. It was. (_Coming close to_ DANIEL, _who walks slowly to
the middle of the kitchen._) I say. Were you at McArn's publichouse
last night?
DANIEL (_looking round cautiously to see that no one else can hear
him_). Well, just a minute or two. Why?
ALICK. There was someone there told Andy McMinn this morning, I
believe, that you'd been talking of a great invention altogether, and
he was that much curious to see it that him and his sister Sarah are
coming over this day to have a look at it.
DANIEL. Who? Sarah McMinn?
ALICK. Aye. She's very anxious to see it, I believe.
DANIEL. Um. Rather awkward this. She's not a woman that, plainly
speaking, I care very much to talk about my ideas to.
ALICK. But have you got something struck out?
DANIEL. McCready, come here. (ALICK _goes closer to him._) It is
really a great idea. Splendid. But I've a great deal of trouble over
it. In fact I've been thinking out details of a particular gear all
morning.
ALICK. Aye. (_He looks at_ DANIEL _and then endeavours to restrain
unsuccessfully a burst of laughter._)
DANIEL (_angrily_). You were always an ignorant hound anyway and be
d----d to you. (_He turns to go towards his workshop._)
ALICK. Ah, Mr. Murray, I beg your pardon. It's another thing
altogether I'm thinking about. I just wanted a talk with you this
morning. You have a nice wee girl for a niece, Mr. Murray.
DANIEL (_somewhat mollified_). Well?
ALICK (_bashfully_). And I was wondering if you could put in a good
word for me now and again with her.
DANIEL. Now, look here, Alick. We can all work nice and comfortably
together, can't we?
ALICK. Aye.
DANIEL. Well, if you behave yourself like a man with some manners, and
not like an ignorant clodhopper, I can do a great deal for you.
ALICK. Thank you, sir. You know, Mr. Murray, I have as nice a wee
farm, and as good stock on it as well, as any man in the county, and
if I'm lucky enough to get that niece of yours, you'll always be
welcome to come and pass a day or two and have a chat.
DANIEL. I think you and I will get along all right, Alick. There's one
or two little things I need badly sometimes in this house. I mean I
want help often, you know, Alick, to carry my points with John; points
about going to see people and that sort of thing, and it's really very
hard to manage John on points like that, unless we resort to certain
means to convince him they are absolutely necessary.
ALICK (_uneasily_). Yes. I sort of follow you.
DANIEL. You know what I mean. John's a little dense, you know. He
can't see the point of an argument very well unless you sort of knock
him down with it. Now, if a thing is fair and reasonable, and a man is
so dense that he can't see it, you are quite justified--at least, I
take it so--to manufacture a way--it doesn't matter how--so long as
you make that dense man accept the thing, whatever it is, as right. Do
you follow me?
ALICK. I'm just beginning to see a kind of way.
MARY (_appearing at door from inner rooms_). I can't see that thing
anywhere. (_She suddenly sees_ ALICK.) Oh Alick! You here!
ALICK. Yes. It's a nice morning, and you're looking beautiful!
MARY. Oh, bother. (_She seems to suddenly recollect something._) Oh, I
say! uncle! You remember? Uncle!
DANIEL (_somewhat perplexed_). Eh?
MARY (_motioning towards_ ALICK). Telegram to come to London.
DANIEL. Ah----Oh, yes, yes.
MARY. Let's go into your workshop and tell Alick what we want. Come
on.
ALICK. I'll do anything in the world you want.
(_They all go into the workshop. As they disappear,_ JOHN MURRAY,
_sweating and angry looking, comes through from the yard followed by_
BROWN. JOHN _is a tall, stout man, with a rather dour countenance and
somewhat stolid expression. He is a year or so the elder of Dan in
age. He goes to the dresser, puts his hand on the top shelf, takes
down a spanner and throws it down angrily on the table._)
JOHN. There. There you are, you stupid-looking, good for nothing,
dunder-headed, Italian idiot you.
BROWN. You're something terrible cross this morning.
JOHN. (_heatedly_). Is it any wonder? Away out at once now and put her
to rights and quick about it. (BROWN _meekly goes out._) The like of
servant men nowadays, I never seen in my mortal days. A concern of
ignorant bauchles, every one of them.
DANIEL (_opening door of workshop and peeping out. He sees_ JOHN _and
goes over to him with a genial air_). Good morning John.
JOHN (_snappishly_). Morning.
DANIEL. John, what do you think, I believe I have just come on to a
great idea about----
JOHN. Ach! You and your great ideas! Here you've been blundering and
blethering and talking these fifteen years and more, and I've never
seen anything come of them yet.
DANIEL (_soothingly_). I know, John, I know. But I'm handicapped you
know. Bad place to work in and all the rest of it: but you've been
kind to me, John. Keeping a brother and helping him after he has lost
all his money isn't a common thing with many men, but John a day will
come sometime, and you'll get it all back. (_Impressively_). Every
penny. Aye, and twice over.
JOHN (_softening_). Thank you, Daniel.
DANIEL. You will, John, you will. But don't cast up things like that
about the time I've been. It hurts me. A thing like this takes time to
mature, you know, John. The great and chief thing for an inventor is
time. Look at Palissy, the great French potter, who found out how to
make porcelain glaze. Why he worked for years and years at his
invention. And there was the man who found out how to make steam drive
engines. Look at the years those men spent--and no one begrudged them.
JOHN. I suppose that now.
DANIEL. Certainly, John, nothing surer. And look at the fortunes those
men made. But the great difficulty is trying to get someone to take up
your patent. You see these men had the eyes of the world fixed on
them. People knew all about them, and had their hands stretched out
ready to grab what they invented. (_Pathetically_). I----I'm just a
poor unknown man struggling in a wee dark corner.
JOHN (_touched_). Never mind, Danny. You'll make the name of the
Murray's known yet, maybe.
DANIEL. I'll do my best, John. But mind you it would take me to be
pushing on this thing that I have found out and bringing it before
people to notice. You see I've got it all ready now except for a few
small details.
JOHN (_much interested_). Have you now? I would like you sometime to
explain it to me, Daniel. I didn't quite get on to it the last time
you were telling me about it.
DANIEL. Some time again. Oh yes. But John--I'll have to go to some of
the towns soon to see people about it. The bigger the town the better
the chance, and John (_impressively_)--London's the place.
JOHN (_aghast_). London! In all the name of the world, yon place!
Would Belfast not do you?
DANIEL. No. I don't like Belfast. They're a mangy, stick-in-the-mud,
follow-in-the-old-ruts crowd. Never strike out anything new. It's a
case of London or nothing.
JOHN (_dubiously_). It will be a terrible expense this London
visiting.
DANIEL. It'll be worth it.
JOHN. Now, Danny, I would like to oblige you, but what do you think it
would cost me?
DANIEL. Well, I could live cheap you know, John, and do without meals
an odd day, and go steerage and third class, and that sort of thing. I
would say about fifteen pounds roughly. That would let me stay more
than a week.
JOHN. Fifteen pounds! God bless me, Daniel, would you break me? No,
no, I couldn't afford to give you that much.
DANIEL. Maybe ten would do it. I could sleep out under the arches an
odd night or two, and----
JOHN. No, no. I'll not have that. A Murray aye had a bed to go to and
a sup to eat. (_After a contemplative pause._) Here, I'll give you
three pounds and you can go to Belfast.
DANIEL. I don't care much about Belfast. You know I have been there
five times now, and I have never got anyone to look into the thing at
all proper.
JOHN. You're too backward, Daniel, when it comes to the like of that.
But ten pounds! No, I would like you to get on in the world right
enough, Daniel, but I couldn't afford it. You know the way this house
is being kept; it's lamentable. Tea and sugar and flour and things.
Man, I'm just after paying off ten pounds to the McAfees for one thing
and another, and it only a running account for two months. If I had a
good housekeeper now, maybe things would alter for the better.
MARY (_coming out from the workshop followed by_ ALICK). O Uncle Dan!
He says he'll go at once and get it----(_She stops short in confusion on
seeing her father._)
ALICK. How are you, Mr. Murray?
JOHN. O! bravely. What's the news with you?
ALICK. I was just looking over some of them ideas of Daniel's, about
the new fan bellows.
JOHN. Aye. Now what do you think of it?
ALICK (_warned by_ DANIEL _who nudges him_). They're great altogether.
JOHN. Do you think there will be any sale for it at all?
ALICK. I think so. (_He perceives_ DANIEL _motioning assent._) I
believe there would be indeed.
JOHN. Man, I wish I had the head of some of you young fellows to
understand the working of them machinery and things. (DANIEL _goes
back into the workshop._) I've the worst head in the world for
understanding about them sort of things. There's Daniel, a great head
on him, Daniel.
ALICK (_slyly_). He has, right enough!
JOHN (_proudly_). One of the best. When he was a wee fellow, dang the
one could beat him at making boats or drawing pictures, or explaining
extraordinary things to you. None. Not one. A great head on him,
Daniel. He'll do something yet.
ALICK. Did you know Andy McMinn's for coming over to see you this day,
Mr. Murray?
JOHN (_eagerly_). This day? When? Are you sure?
ALICK. Aye, so he said. About two o'clock or so. Someone told him
about Daniel's great new idea, and he's very curious to hear about it.
MARY. He's always poking his nose into people's business.
JOHN. Whist. Andy McMinn's a very decent man. Tell me (_rather
bashfully_), was Sarah to come with him?
MARY (_alarmed_). O holy prophets! I hope not.
ALICK. Aye. She's coming too. She wanted to see it as well as Andy.
JOHN. Aye. Certainly, and she's welcome too. Mary, you can get the
house ready, and the table set, and a nice tea for them when they
come, and I can go and get tidied up a wee bit. (_He goes off through
door into inner rooms._)
ALICK (_leaning against the table and looking across at_ MARY, _who is
sitting at the opposite end._) You're as nice a wee girl as ever I----
MARY. You're an awful fool. Hurry, Alick, like a decent man and get
that telegram sent.
ALICK. That uncle of yours, Mary, heth he's as canny a keoghboy as
I've seen. Its the queer tears he'll be taking to himself in London if
I know anything.
MARY. Hold your tongue. You've no business to talk about Uncle Dan
that way. He could give you tons as far as brains go anyway.
ALICK. I believe that. (_He goes to yard door, then turns back._) I
say, Mary. What name will I put on that telegram? "Come to London at
once about patent. Intend purchasing." Hadn't we better have a name?
MARY. Yes. I'll just ask uncle. (_She knocks at door of workshop._)
Uncle!
DANIEL (_without_). Yes.
MARY. What name will we put to that telegram?
DANIEL (_without_). Oh, it's not particular. Wilson or Smith, or
Brown, or Gregg.
ALICK. I'll put Gregg on it.
DANIEL. Do well.
ALICK. Did you see the fluster that your father got into, Mary, when
he heard that Sarah McMinn was coming over?
MARY (_alarmed_). What?
ALICK.. Did you not see how he rushed off to tidy himself up when he
heard Sarah McMinn was coming over?
MARY (_seating herself on chair to right of table_). Nonsense. Father
wouldn't think of that woman.
ALICK. All right. But I think I know something more than you.
MARY (_anxiously_). What? Tell me.
ALICK. Come on and leave me down the loaning a pace, and I'll tell
you.
MARY (_glancing at him, and then coquettishly turning her back to him
as he leans against the table_). Oh, I can't. Those people are coming
over, and that McMinn woman will be looking at everything and telling
you how to do things in front of father, and all the rest of it.
ALICK (_entreatingly_). Leave me down the loaning a pace till I tell
you the news.
MARY (_teasingly_). No.
ALICK. Come on.
MARY. No. (ALICK _moves sadly towards the door._ MARY _looks round,
and then laughingly skips past him out through the yard door, and he
follows her._)
JOHN (_coming through door from inner rooms partly dressed, with a
towel in his hands, evidently making much preparation to clean
himself_). Daniel! (_Loudly and crossly._) Daniel!
DANIEL (_peeping out from workshop door_). Well!
JOHN. Tidy yourself up a wee bit, man, Andy McMinn and Sarah's coming
over to see you.
DANIEL (_somewhat taken back_). Me?
JOHN. Aye. They want to see about the new invention. You can have the
collar I wore last Sunday, and put on your new coat that you got in
Belfast. (DANIEL _goes back into the workshop._) I wonder what tie
would be the better one? Yon green or the red one that Mary gave me
last Christmas. Aye. (_Seeing no sign of_ DANIEL.) D----n! Is he
making no shapes to dress himself. Daniel!
DANIEL (_without_). Aye.
JOHN (_loudly_). Daniel!
DANIEL (_again appearing at door_). Well!
JOHN (_impatiently_). Come on and get on you.
DANIEL. Ach. This is always the way. Just when a man has got the whole
thing worked out and the plans of the apparatus just on the point of
completion he has to stop.
JOHN. Never mind, Danny. You can do it again the night or the morrow
morning. I want you to look decent. Come on and get on you.
DANIEL (_beginning to regard his brother with a sudden interest and
suspicion_). Who did you say was coming?
JOHN (_at door to rooms_). Andy and Sarah McMinn. (He goes out.)
DANIEL (_suddenly realising the import of the preparations going on._)
McMinn. Mc----. (_He stops short, and then in a horrified voice._)
Surely to God he hasn't a notion of that woman? (_Calling
tremulously._) John! John!
JOHN (_at door_). Hurry up, man.
DANIEL (_appealingly_). John. Tell me, John. You haven't----you're not
going to----you haven't a notion of that woman?
JOHN (_hesitatingly_). Well, Daniel, you see the house needs some one
to look after it proper, and I thought----well--maybe--that Sarah
would be just as nice and saving a woman as I could get, but I thought
I would keep it a bit secret, don't you know, because I don't know yet
if she'd have me or not. And she could talk to you better nor I could
about machinery and things that would interest you, for she has an
agency for sewing machines, and knows something about that sort of
thing, and you'd get on great with each other. Now, hurry and get on
you. (_He goes out by door into rooms._)
DANIEL (_looking after him in a helpless manner, and sinking into a
chair_). If--if she'd have him! O great God! If that woman comes to
this house, I--I'm a ruined man.
(CURTAIN.)