Well , but you 're the quiet one , surely !Glory be to God , I 'd not know a soul was alive in the room , barrin ’ myself . What is it you 're at , Mary , that there 's not a word out of you ? It 's the dead spit and image of your sister Eileen you are , with your nose always in a book ; and you 're like your mother , too , God rest her soul .It 's Nora and Tom has the high spirits in them like their father ; and Billy , too ,— if he is a lazy , shiftless divil — has the fightin ’ Carmody blood like me . You 're a Cullen like your mother 's people . They always was dreamin ’ their lives out .There 's no good in too many books , I 'll tell you . It 's out rompin ’ and playin ’ with your brother and sister you ought to be at your age , not carin ’ a fig for books .Is that auld fool of a doctor stayin ’ the night ? If he had his wits about him he 'd know in a jiffy ‘ tis only a cold has taken Eileen , and give her the medicine . Run out in the hall , Mary , and see if you hear him . He may have sneaked away by the front door . Close the door , ye little divil ! There 's a freezin ’ draught comin ’ in .It 's mad I am to be thinkin ’ he 'd go without gettin ’ his money — the like of a doctor !Rogues and thieves they are , the lot of them , robbin ’ the poor like us ! I 've no use for their drugs at all . They only keep you sick to pay more visits . I 'd not have sent for this bucko if Eileen did n't scare me by faintin ’ . If she is , it 's her own fault entirely — weakenin ’ her health by readin ’ here in the house . This 'll be a lesson for her , and for you , too .Put down that book on the table and leave it be . I 'll have no more readin ’ in this house , or I 'll take the strap to you ! No back talk ! Pictures or not , it 's all the same mopin ’ and lazin ’ in it .It 's the bad luck I 've been havin ’ altogether this last year since your mother died . Who 's to do the work and look after Nora and Tom and yourself , if Eileen is bad took and has to stay in her bed ? I 'll have to get Mrs. Brennan come look after the house . That means money , too , and where 's it to come from ? All that I 've saved from slavin ’ and sweatin ’ in the sun with a gang of lazy Dagoes 'll be up the spout in no time .What a fool a man is to be raisin ’ a raft of children and him not a millionaire !Mary , dear , it 's a black curse God put on me when he took your mother just when I needed her most .What are you sniffin ’ at ? It 's late you are with your tears , and her cold in her grave for a year . Stop it , I 'm tellin ’ you ! Ah , here you are , the lot of you . Shut that door after you ! What 's the use in me spendin ’ money for coal if all you do is to let the cold night in the room itself ? You did , darlin ’ , and fair , too .Sure it 's you can beat the divil himself ! Did you get the plug for me I told you ? It 's a great wonder you did n't forget it — and me without a chew . Shut your big mouth ! What is the matter with you at all ? Shut up your noise ! Go up to bed , the two of you , and no more talk , and you go with them , Mary . Hush your noise , you soft , weak thing , you ! It 's nothin ’ but blubberin ’ you do be doin ’ all the time .I 'll have a moment 's peace , I will ! Off to bed with you before I get the strap ! It 's crazy mad you all get the moment Eileen 's away from you . Go on , now !And be quiet or I 'll be up to you ! No . The doctor 's with her yet .Yes , go in to her , Nora . It 'll drive himself out of the house maybe , bad cess to him , and him stayin ’ half the night .The rheumatics are in my leg again .If Eileen 's in bed long those brats 'll have the house down . It 's a cold only she has .Your poor mother died of the same .Ara , well , it 's God 's will , I suppose , but where the money 'll come from , I dunno .They 'll not be raisin ’ your wages soon , I 'll be bound . Five dollars a week — for a strappin ’ lad the like of you ! It 's shamed you should be to own up to it . A divil of a lot of good it was for me to go against Eileen 's wish and let you leave off your schoolin ’ this year like you wanted , thinkin ’ the money you 'd earn at work would help with the house . Nor any other place , I 'm thinkin ’ , you 're that thick ,Whisht ! It 's the doctor comin ’ down from Eileen . What 'll he say , I wonder ?Aw , Doctor , and how 's Eileen now ? Have you got her cured of the weakness ? You take them , Billy , and run round to the drug store . How much will they come to , Doctor ? A dollar ! Sure it 's expensive medicines you 're givin ’ her for a bit of a cold .Bring back the change — if there is any . And none of your tricks , for I 'll stop at the drug store myself to-morrow and ask the man how much it was . Take a chair , Doctor , and tell me what 's wrong with Eileen . Aw , Doctor , did n't I know you 'd be sayin ’ that , anyway ! Too-ber-c'losis ? Consumption ? Eileen ?What lie is it you 're tellin ’ me ? Do n't be angry , now , at what I said . Sure I 'm out of my wits entirely . Eileen to have the consumption ! Ah , Doctor , sure you must be mistaken ! It 's a bad cold only , maybe . God blast it ! Is it sendin ’ Eileen away to a hospital you 'd be ?Then you 'll not ! You 'll get that notion out of your head damn quick . It 's all nonsense you 're stuffin ’ me with , and lies , makin ’ things out to be the worst in the world . I 'll not believe a word of Eileen having the consumption at all . It 's doctors ’ notions to be always lookin ’ for a sickness that 'd kill you . She 'll not move a step out of here , and I say so , and I 'm her father ! I do . Report all you like , and be damned to you ! Ara , Doctor , you do n't see the way of it at all . If Eileen goes to the hospital , who 's to be takin ’ care of the others , and mindin ’ the house when I 'm off to work ? Hire ? D'you think I 'm a millionaire itself ? But where 's the money comin ’ from ? Seven dollars ! And I 'll have to pay a woman to come in — and the four of the children eatin ’ their heads off ! Glory be to God , I 'll not have a penny saved for me old age — and then it 's the poor-house ! Ah , doctor , it 's the truth I 'm tellin ’ you ! Ah , Doctor , thank you . I 'll do my best for Eileen , if it 's needful — and you 'll not be tellin ’ them people about it at all , Doctor ? And they 'll pay the half , surely ? God bless you , Doctor !It 's the whole of it they ought to be payin ’ , I 'm thinkin ’ , and them with bags of money . ‘ Tis them builds the hospitals and why should they be wantin ’ the poor like me to support them ? You 'll be comin ’ again tomorrow ?Leave it to the likes of you to be drainin ’ a man dry . Who 'll it be ? Ah , it 's Fred Nicholls , maybe .Eileen 's young man , Doctor , that she 's engaged to marry , as you might say . I had a mind to phone to your house , but I was n't wishful to disturb you , knowin ’ you 'd be comin ’ to call to-night . Ah , who knows ? Here 's the doctor . You 've not met him ? It 's Doctor Gaynor . This is Fred Nicholls , Doctor .Sit down , Fred , that 's a good lad , and be talkin ’ to the Doctor a moment while I go upstairs and see how is Eileen . She 's all alone up there . I will so . Has he gone away ? Oho , he did , did he ? Maybe I 'll surprise him . I 'm thinkin ’ it 's lyin ’ he is about Eileen 's sickness , and her lookin ’ as fresh as a daisy with the high colour in her cheeks when I saw her now . Did he now , the auld monkey ! Small thanks to him to be tellin ’ our secrets to the town . Ara , do n't be talkin ’ ! That 's no secret at all with the whole town watchin ’ Eileen and you spoonin ’ together from the time you was kids . To hell with the town and all in it ! I 've troubles enough of my own . So he told you he 'd send Eileen away to the hospital ? I 've half a mind not to let him — and let him try to make me !But Eileen herself says she 's wantin ’ to go , now .It 's all that divil 's notion he put in her head that the children 'd be catchin ’ her sickness that makes her willin ’ to go . He 's a divil . But what can he do — him and his Sasiety ? I 'm her father . Ah , divil take him ! Let him send her where he wants , then . I 'll not be sayin ’ a word . Whisht ! She might hear you . But you 're right . Let her do what she 's wishful to , and get well soon . You 're not goin ’ ? Sure , Eileen is puttin ’ on her clothes to come down and have a look at you . She 'll be here in a jiffy . Sit down now , and wait for her . You 'll be stayin ’ a while now , Fred ? I 'll take a walk down the road . I 'm needin ’ a drink to clear my wits . Sure who would n't get drunk with all the sorrows of the world piled on him ? I 'll be havin ’ a nip now we 're alone , and that cacklin ’ hen gone . I 'm feelin ’ sick in the pit of the stomach . Ah , I 'm not mindin ’ a man at all . Sure I 'll bet it 's himself would be likin ’ a taste of the same . A sick one , and him readin ’ a book like a dead man without a civil word out of him ! It 's queer they 'd be allowin ’ the sick ones to read books , when I 'll bet it 's the same lazy readin ’ in the house brought the half of them down with the consumption itself .I 'm thinking this whole shebang is a big , thievin ’ fake — and I 've always thought so . I 'll put it back when I 'm ready , not before , and no lip from you ! Drunk , am I ? Is it the like of a young jackass like you that 's still wet behind the ears to be tellin ’ me I 'm drunk ? It 's a grand hotel this is , I 'm thinkin ’ , for the rich to be takin ’ their ease , and not a hospital for the poor , but the poor has to pay for it . Do n't be shshin ’ at me ? I 'm tellin ’ you the truth . I 'd make Eileen come back out of this to-night if that divil of a doctor did n't have me by the throat . Is it anxious to get out of her sight you are , and you engaged to marry and pretendin ’ to love her ?Sure , it 's no heart at all you have — and her your sweetheart for years — and her sick with the consumption — and you wild to run away from her and leave her alone . Go to hell , for all I 'm preventin ’ . You 've got no guts of a man in you .Is it true you 're one of the consumptives , young fellow ? My name 's Carmody . What 's yours , then ? Irish as Paddy 's pig !I 'm glad to be knowin ’ you 're one of us . You can keep an eye on Eileen . That 's my daughter that came with us . She 's got consumption like yourself . Thanks to you — though it 's a grand life she 'll be havin ’ here from the fine look of the place .It 's me it 's hard on , God help me , with four small children and me widowed , and havin ’ to hire a woman to come in and look after them and the house now that Eileen 's sick ; and payin ’ for her curin ’ in this place , and me with only a bit of money in the bank for my old age . That 's hard , now , on a man , and who 'll say it is n't ? I 'll make you acquainted . Eileen !This is Mr. Murray , Eileen . I want you to meet . He 's Irish and he 'll put you on to the ropes of the place . He 's got the consumption , too , God pity him . Oho , here you are again .I thought Fred was slidin ’ down hill to the train with his head bare to the frost , and him so desperate hurried to get away from here . Look at the knees on him clappin ’ together with the cold , and with the great fear that 's in him he 'll be catchin ’ a sickness in this place ! I 'll be goin ’ . Keep your eye on her . I 'll be out soon to see her and you and me 'll have another talk . Has n't she brought up brats of her own , and does n't she know the way of it ? Do n't be worryin ’ now , like a fool . You 'd better not . Leave her alone . She 'll not wish you mixin ’ in with her work and tellin ’ her how to do it . A cold kiss ! And never a small tear out of her ! Is your heart a stone ?And your own father going back to a lone house with a stranger in it ! I 'm off , then ! Come on , Fred . It 's no welcome we have with her here in this place — and a great curse on this day I brought her to it ! We 'll try to put life in her spirits , God help her .Wo n't we , Maggie ? We 'll not say a word of it . Would you have me raisin ’ a shindy when Eileen 's leavin ’ here in a day or more ? What 'd be the use ? Catch them ! It 's a good thing she 's clearin ’ out of this , and her worse off after them curin ’ her eight months than she was when she came . She 'll maybe get well in the new place . Whisht ! Do n't be blamin ’ a sick girl . About what ? Yes — I disremembered she did n't know . I 'll have to tell her , surely . You 'll not , now ! Keep your mouth out of this and your rough tongue ! I tell you I 'll tell her . Eileen . Ah , Eileen , sure it 's a sight for sore eyes to see you again !How are you now ? Sure it 's the picture of health you 're lookin ’ . Is the pain bad , Eileen ? Do n't be talking of the trip . Sure we 're glad to take it to get a sight of you . It 's three months since I 've had a look at you , and I was anxious . Why have n't you written a line to us ? You could do that without trouble , surely . Do n't you ever think of us at all any more ?You 're not asking a bit of news from home . I 'm thinkin ’ the people out here have taken all the thought of us out of your head . We 're all well , thank God . I 've another good job on the streets from Murphy and one that 'll last a long time , praise be ! I 'm needin ’ it surely , with all the expenses — but no matter . Billy had a raise from his old skinflint of a boss a month back . He 's gettin ’ seven a week now and proud as a turkey . He was comin ’ out with us to-day , but he 'd a date with his girl . Sure , he 's got a girl now , the young bucko ! What d'you think of him ? It 's old Malloy 's girl he 's after — the pop-eyed one with glasses , you remember — as ugly as a blind sheep , only he do n't think so . He said to give you his love .And Tom and Nora was comin ’ out too , but Father Fitz had some doin 's or other up to the school , and he told them to be there , so they would n't come with us , but they sent their love to you , too . They 're growin ’ so big you 'd not know them . Tom 's no good at the school . He 's like Billy was . I 've had to take the strap to him often . He 's always playin ’ hooky and roamin ’ the streets . And Nora .There 's the divil for you ! Up to everything she is and no holdin ’ her high spirits . As pretty as a picture , and the smartest girl in her school , Father Fitz says . Am I lyin ’ , Maggie ? Ah , do n't be talkin ’ ! She 'll know more than the lot of us before she 's grown even .Are you sick , Eileen , that you 're keepin ’ your eyes shut without a word out of you ? And who else is there , let me think ? Oh , Mary — she 's the same as ever , you can see for yourself . She 's grown , you mean ? I suppose . You 'd notice , not seeing her so long ? Half-past four , a bit after . Eileen . Ca n't you open your eyes on me ? It 's like talkin ’ to myself I am . It 's this , Eileen — me and Maggie — Mrs. Brennan , that is — we —— Not goin ’ to . It 's done . Two weeks back we were , by Father Fitz . Is that a proper way to be treatin ’ your father , Eileen , after what I 've told you ? Have you no heart in you at all ? Is it nothin ’ to you you 've a good , kind woman now for mother ? Will you shut your gab ? Shut your gab , I 'm saying ! Wait a bit , Maggie . I 'm comin ’ .Is your last word a cruel one to me this day , Eileen ? There 's something wrong in the whole of this — that I can n't make out .And I 'll get drunk this night — dead , rotten drunk !I 'll get drunk this night , I 'm sayin ’ ! I 'll get drunk if my soul roasts for it — and no one in the whole world is strong enough to stop me !