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—[Avoiding her eyes.] I thought maybe Robert wanted to go tonight. He offered to go right away when they were leaving.

—He only wanted to be polite.

—[Gets to his feet.] Well, he’ll be right back, I guess. [He turns to his father.] Guess I’ll go take a look at the black cow, Pa—see if she’s ailing any.

—Yes—better had, son. [Andrew goes into the kitchen on the right.]

—[As he goes out—in a low tone.] There’s the boy that would make a good, strong sea-farin’ man—if he’d a mind to.

—[Sharply.] Don’t you put no such fool notions in Andys head, Dick — or you ’n’ me’s goin’ to fall out. [Then he smiles.] You couldn’t tempt him, no ways. Andy’s a Mayo bred in the bone, and he’s a born farmer, and a damn good one, too. He’ll live and die right here on this farm, like I expect to. [With proud confidence.] And he’ll make this one of the slickest, best-payin’ farms in the state, too, afore he gits through!

—Seems to me it’s a pretty slick place right now.

—[Shaking his head.] It’s too small. We need more land to make it amount to much, and we ain’t got the capital to buy it. [ ''enters from the kitchen. His hat is on, and he carries a lighted lantern in his hand. He goes to the door in the rear leading out''.]