The Drone Part 15

DANIEL. I'll keep the pound to do me to the end of the month and not ask you for any more, John, after that. That is if--well--(_He looks at the parcel._) That thing there is all right.

JOHN (_pocketing the ten and sixpence after counting it carefully_).

Daniel. I'm sorry, but there's an account of some thirty shillings I owe the McArdles, and I want to pay it the night. So if you don't mind--(_He holds out his hand._)

DANIEL (_unwillingly_). Well, I suppose it can't be helped, John. But it leaves me just with nothing. However, there you are. (_He hands the pound over to him._ SAM BROWN _opens the yard door and peeps in cautiously._)

JOHN (_looking at him angrily_). What ails _you_ anyway?

BROWN. If you please sir, the posty wants the account signed for that letter.

MARY. Oh, I forgot all about that. (_She picks up the receipt for the letter from the table._) I'll sign it for you, father. (_She goes over to_ BROWN, _who whispers somethings. She nods._) And I'll give it to him myself. (_She goes out following_ BROWN.)

JOHN. It's a serious business, this, about the McMinns.

DANIEL. You're all right, man. Wait a day or two. Take my advice. Do nothing in a hurry. Sit down and think it over the way I do when I'm working out a new idea. Don't rush things. It will all come right in the end. Just you wait and see if it doesn't.

JOHN. Would it not be better to settle before going into the court?

You know I couldn't stand being pointed out to of a Sunday morning and one and another talking--"There's the man that Sarah McMinn took the breach of promise case against." No, I couldn't stand that at all. It would be a disgrace to the Murrays for ever. I'm wondering now----(_He pauses lost in thought._)

DANIEL (_alarmed_). John. Surely you wouldn't--you couldn't think of going back on what you said to me. Would you?

JOHN. I wonder, Daniel, would you mind so much after all if I married her?

DANIEL (_in an agonised voice_). I couldn't stand it. No, John, I couldn't stay. Any other woman but that McMinn.

MARY (_appearing at the door followed by_ ALICK MCCREADY). Come on in, Alick.

ALICK. Good morning, Mr. Murray. How are you, Mr. Dan? So you are back again? We're all glad to have you back.

DANIEL. Thank you, Alick.

MARY. Father. Alick says he heard Andy McMinn talking yesterday to some one at McArdle's shop, and he was telling them all about the whole business, and blaming it all on Uncle Dan.

JOHN. And so the people are talking of me already? Now that I come to think of it, it was your Uncle Dan, and a brave ha'penny it's going to cost me. One thousand pounds.

ALICK. Never mind, Mr. Murray. Maybe Uncle Dan will do something yet.

What about the bellows? (DAN _makes a horrified movement to stop_ ALICK _talking, but too late._)

JOHN. Aye. Here, Daniel. I'll make a bargain with you. I'll leave you to the settling of the case, and you can find the money yourself to pay for it if you want to. And if you can't find the money, I'll marry her.

MARY. Father, surely----

JOHN. What? That's enough about it. I would as soon do without the marrying if I could. I don't want the woman at all, but I'll marry her before she gets a ha'penny off me. So you can settle it among yourselves. You can take charge of that letter, Dan, and make the best you can of it. (_He goes angrily out by yard door._)

DANIEL. This is a nice mess you put me in for, Alick. What the divil made you mention the bellows?

ALICK. I'm sorry, Mr. Dan. I wasn't thinking.

DANIEL. The sooner you start and think a bit the better. If you don't help to settle the case--(_he looks angrily at_ ALICK)--well--I've a good deal of influence with somebody. (_He looks significantly at_ MARY, _who is again examining the parcel._)

ALICK. I'll do my best, Mr. Dan, to help you.

MARY. What will we do, Uncle Dan?

DANIEL. I suppose you've no money, Alick?

ALICK. Well, I haven't much ready money, Mr. Dan, but I could lend you up to twenty pounds at a pinch.

MARY. Twenty pounds would hardly be enough. Would it, uncle?

ALICK. Better get hold of Andy and ask him.

DANIEL. I don't like going near that woman at all.

MARY. Alick! Could you not slip over and ask Andy to come across? You know what the McMinns are like. He'd come over for a shilling if he thought he'd get one. Ah, yes. You will, Alick. Won't you?

ALICK. I'll go straight across now if you--if you----

MARY. What?

ALICK. If you'd leave us along the road a bit.

DANIEL. Aye. Do. Mary. Leave him down to the gate anyway. I want to stay here and think over things a wee bit. That't the good wee girl.

(_He gently urges her out with_ ALICK, _then goes over to the table, lifts the parcel, and sits down near the fireplace. Feeling the parcel._) I'm afraid, Dan Murray, it's all U. P. this time. I'm afraid it is. (_Then an idea seems to dawn on him, and he looks at the parcel._) Unless--unless--well--I wonder now if I--

(KATE _and_ BROWN _enter through yard door._ BROWN _is carrying a bucket filled with washed potatoes._)

KATE. There. Put it down there. You didn't know we wanted that much, did you not? You're getting as big an old liar as Mr.--(_She stops short on perceiving_ DANIEL.)

BROWN (_looking up and then realising what had made her pause_). Aye.

Go on. As who do you say, woman?

KATE (_recovering herself_). Just as big an old liar as Andy McMinn.

BROWN. Now, whist. The McMinns were aye decent folk. (_He glances across at_ DANIEL, _who apparently is not listening._) They're near people, and all that sort of thing, but once they say a thing they stick to it.

KATE. They're a lot of mean scrubs, the whole caboosh of them.

DANIEL (_to himself_). I wonder would twenty pounds be any use at all?

BROWN (_nudging_ KATE _slyly_). I believe that once Sarah puts a price on a thing, like a pig or a sow, or a hen, the divil himself couldn't beat her down in the price of it. And Andy, they say, can beat the best dealer in the county from here to the Mourne. (DANIEL, _who has been listening uneasily, gets up and turns round to look at them._) It's the fine cigar that you were smoking, Mr. Daniel, this morning.

DANIEL. Cigar? Yes. Yes.

BROWN. Aye. A fine cigar, sir. There was a grand smell off it. I seen you coming up by the McMinns, sir, this morning on the road from the station.

DANIEL. Yes. On the road from the station.