CATHLEEN. Why wouldn't you give him your blessing and he looking round in the door? Isn't it sorrow enough is on everyone in this house without your sending him out with an unlucky word behind him, and a hard word in his ear?
(MAURYA takes up the tongs and begins raking the fire aimlessly without looking round.)
NORA (turning towards her). You're taking away the turf from the cake.
CATHLEEN (crying out). The Son of God forgive us, Nora, we're after forgetting his bit of bread.
(She comes over to the fire.)
NORA. And it's destroyed he'll be going till dark night, and he after eating nothing since the sun went up.
CATHLEEN (turning the cake out of the oven). It's destroyed he'll be, surely. There's no sense left on any person in a house where an old woman will be talking for ever.
(MAURYA sways herself on her stool.)
CATHLEEN (cutting off some of the bread and rolling it in a cloth, to MAURYA). Let you go down now to the spring well and give him this and he passing. You'll see him then and the dark word will be broken, and you can say, "God speed you," the way he'll be easy in his mind.
MAURYA (taking the bread). Will I be in it as soon as himself?