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.