Bartley lays down the halter, takes off his old coat, and puts on a newer one of the same flannel.

Bartley (to Nora). Is she coming to the pier?

Nora (looking out). She’s passing the green head and letting fall her sails.

Bartley (getting his purse and tobacco). I’ll have half an hour to go down, and you’ll see me coming again in two days, or in three days, or maybe in four days if the wind is bad.

Maurya (turning round to the fire, and putting her shawl over her head). Isn’t it a hard and cruel man won’t hear a word from an old woman, and she holding him from the sea?

Cathleen. It’s the life of a young man to be going on the sea, and who would listen to an old woman with one thing and she saying it over?

Bartley (taking the halter). I must go now quickly. I’ll ride down on the red mare, and the grey pony ’ill run behind me. … The blessing of God on you.

He goes out.

Maurya (crying out as he is in the door). He’s gone now, God spare us, and we’ll not see him again. He’s gone now, and when the black night is falling I’ll have no son left me in the world.

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?

Cathleen. If you go now quickly.

Maurya (standing up unsteadily). It’s hard set I am to walk.

Cathleen (looking at her anxiously). Give her the stick, Nora, or maybe she’ll slip on the big stones.

Nora. What stick?

Cathleen. The stick Michael brought from Connemara.