Rutherford Mayne

“ 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. ”

“ There's Mary. She's bright enough someways, but others—ach——
Sarah. Mary needs someone—a woman—to look after her. Somebody that knows how to manage a house and save money. She's lost running about here. Now, I had a young girl with me once was a wild useless thing when she came, and when she left me six months after, there wasn't a better trained, nor as meek a child in the whole country.
John. And you can manage a house, Sarah, and well, too. Can't you?
Sarah. I ran the house for Andy there twenty years and more, and I never once had to ask him for a pound. ”

“ 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. ”

“ John. Ach, well, you know, when Annie, the wife, died and left Mary a wee bit of a wain, I was lonesome, and Daniel was always a right heartsome fellow, and I never asked him about going when he came here.
Sarah. He must be rather an expense to you. Pocket money for tobacco, and whenever he goes out a night to McArn's, its a treat all round to who is in at the time. And his clothes and boots, and let alone that, his going to see people about patents and things up to Belfast three or four times in the year. If he was in a situation and doing for himself, you could save a bit of money. ”

“ Mary (motioning towards Alick) . Telegram to come to London.
Daniel. Ah——Oh, yes, yes.
Mary. Let's go into your workshop and tell Alick what we want. Come on.
Alick. I'll do anything in the world you want.
(They all go into the workshop. As they disappear, John Murray, sweating and angry looking, comes through from the yard followed by Brown. John is a tall, stout man, with a rather dour countenance and somewhat stolid expression. He is a year or so the elder of Dan in age. He goes to the dresser, puts his hand on the top shelf, takes down a spanner and throws it down angrily on the table.) ”

“ 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?
[Pg 55]
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. ”

“ John (looking at Sarah with evident admiration) . Man, that's a saving woman. She can count the pounds. (Suddenly) . Daniel, away out and show Andy and Mr. Mackenzie the thresher, and get used to the company, and then you can come in and explain the thing to them. I want Sarah to stay here and help me to make the tea. That fool of a Mary is away again somewhere.
Andy (after a sly glance at Sarah) . Aye. Come on, Daniel, and explain it to us. I hear there's a new kind of feedboard on her.
Mackenzie. How is she driven, Mr. Murray? ”

“ And you call yourself an engineer and you don't know about Donal Mackenzie's patent reciprocating piston.
John (apologetically) . You see we be a bit out of the world here, Mr. Mackenzie.
Daniel. Yes. Now that's one point. One great point that always tells against me. (Getting courageous.) It really needs a man to be continually visiting the great engineering centres—Greenock, London—
Mackenzie (scornfully) . London's not an engineering centre—Glasgow, Hartlepool, Newcastle——
Daniel. Well, all those places. He could keep himself posted up in all the newest ideas then, and inventions. ”

“ John. Daniel back?
Mary. Oh, I must go out and meet him. (She goes out by yard door quickly.)
John. Had he his luggage with him?
Brown. Aye. He has yon big portmanteau of his, and a parcel of something or other.
John. Away out and help him then, can't you? (Brown goes out.) I wonder what kept him in Belfast all this time. I suppose he's spent most of the five pounds I gave him. Like enough. I never mind him coming back yet with a ha'penny on him. (He sits down at the fireplace and looks again at the letter.) A thousand pounds! ”

“ Murray, I just love to know about it. A good fan bellows would be the great thing for yon fireplace of ours, Andy.
Andy. Aye. Soul, it would that.
Daniel (uncomfortably) . No. Not just yet, John. A bit later on. I'm shy, John, you know. A bit backward before company.
John. You're a man to talk about going to see people in London.
Sarah. What? Was he going to London?
John. Aye. He was talking about going to London, and I was half-minded to let him go.
[Pg 26]
Andy (who exchanges meaning glances with Sarah) . Boys, that would cost a wheen of pounds!
Mackenzie. Who wull you go to see in London? ”

“ Mackenzie. A wee bit paint and powder gangs a lang gait to make up defects, as you ken yourself, Miss McMinn. (He laughs loudly.) That's a guid one.
Andy (looking slyly at Sarah) . He's up out of bed then?
John (innocently) . Oh aye. He sits up late of nights working out things. (He points to the door of workshop.) That's his workshop.
Mackenzie. He works then?
John. Aye. He works in there. (Andy goes over and goes into workshop.)
Mackenzie. Because it doesna follow always, as I have discovered in my experience, that because a man has a workshop, he works. ”

“ Oh, God save us! You'd think there was a pross on the house! (She follows Sarah in through door Mackenzie comes in, followed by John, then Andy.)
Mackenzie. And it was a great idea, you know. The steam passed through the condenser, and the exhaust was never open to the atmosphere.
John (evidently much impressed, and repeating the word in a wondering manner) Aye. The exhaust!
Mackenzie. Aye. The exhaust. But now I'm verra anxious to hear your brother explaining what he's made out about the bellows. Its the small things like that you ken that a man makes a fortune of, not the big ones. ”

“ It's only good looking girls would get big sums like a thousand pounds.
John. It's all very well, Mary, but she could dress herself to look nice enough, the same Sarah, if she liked.
Mary. She could not, indeed.
John. They say, at least Brown was hinting to me, that its yon Scotch fellow, Mackenzie, has put up the McMinns to this business. He and that connection are as thick as thieves.
[Pg 49]
Mary. He mightn't be so very fond of them. When a man sends post cards to a girl he doesn't know very well, he's got a wee bit of a liking for her. ”

“ Aye, and twice over.
John (softening) . Thank you, Daniel.
Daniel. You will, John, you will. But don't cast up things like that about the time I've been. It hurts me. A thing like this takes time to mature, you know, John. The great and chief thing for an inventor is time. Look at Palissy, the great French potter, who found out how to make porcelain glaze. Why he worked for years and years at his invention. And there was the man who found out how to make steam drive engines. Look at the years those men spent—and no one begrudged them. ”

“ There now—pay particular attention to this. (She takes the cannister from Kate, opens it and ladles out [Pg 32] the tea with a spoon into the teapot.) One spoonful for your father and uncle, one for my brother and Mr. Mackenzie, one for yourself and me, and half-a-one for Kate.
Mary. Do you see that, Kate?
Kate. Yes, Miss.
Mary (mockingly) . Now the next thing, I suppose, is to weigh out the sugar.
Sarah. No. You always ask the company first do they take sugar before you pour out the tea.
Mary. No; not in good society. You put it on the saucers. ”

“ Mackenzie (laughs) . The fan bellows! I think he'll never make much of a fortune of his fan bellows.
Mary. Do you ever examine new inventions?
Mackenzie. Aye. I'm a specialist on that, you know. I'm the writer of the inventions column in the Scottish——
[Pg 60]
Mary. Yes. Yes. That's all right. I know. Are all the inventions you write about good things?
Mackenzie. Eh? Ninety-nine per cent. rotten, lassie. Ninety-nine per cent. perfectly rotten. People don't invent a reciprocating piston that works every day in the week, or a fan bellows either. ”

“ Murray.
John (who has resumed his place at the fire, and is looking carefully at the telegram) . That will mean how many pounds, Daniel, did you say?
Daniel (promptly) . Fifteen, John. (Mary goes out by door to rooms.)
Mackenzie. Who is Gregg?
Daniel. Gregg? Ah. He's a man lives in London. Engineer.
John (dubiously) . Well, I suppose you— (he pauses, [Pg 40] then hands the telegram to Sarah, who stretches out her hand for it.)
Mary (at door) . Tea's ready. (She stands aside to let the company past.)
Sarah. We didn't hear all about the bellows.
Andy (contemptuously) . No, nor you never will. ”

“ None. Not one. A great head on him, Daniel. He'll do something yet.
Alick. Did you know Andy McMinn's for coming over to see you this day, Mr. Murray?
John (eagerly) . This day? When? Are you sure?
Alick. Aye, so he said. About two o'clock or so. Someone told him about Daniel's great new idea, and he's very curious to hear about it.
Mary. He's always poking his nose into people's business.
John. Whist. Andy McMinn's a very decent man. Tell me (rather bashfully) , was Sarah to come with him?
Mary (alarmed) . O holy prophets! I hope not. ”

“ Brown (opening yard door and looking in) . Me, sir. Mr. Dan wants to know could you not come out a minute, and show the gentlemen what way you can stop the feedboard working.
John. Don't you know yourself, you stupid headed [Pg 29] lump you. Away back at once. (Brown hurriedly closes the door after an inquiring glance at the pair.) That's them servant men for you. He knowed rightly what way it worked, only he was just curious. (Savagely.) He's a stupid creature, anyway.
Sarah. I think all men is stupid. They never see things at all.
John. Now, Sarah, sure women are just as bad. ”

“ Mackenzie (coming out) . I can't say much about that contrivance. (He laughs.) And, I say. Look here. He does more than draw bellows. He draws corks as well. (He produces a bottle of whiskey almost empty.)
John. Ah, well. He's not a great transgressor either in the matter of a bottle. No, no.
Andy. And the smell of smoke in the place!
Sarah. John, I think Daniel smokes far too much.
Andy. He should be dressed by now.
John. Aye. Oh, aye. He should right enough. He's a wee bit backward before women, you know, Sarah. (Calls.) Daniel! (He goes over and opens door into rooms.) Daniel! ”

“ Mary. Aren't you going to explain that fan bellows thing you've been working at to them when they come in? (Daniel nods sadly.) Well, look. That Scotchman—he understands things like that, and that's just the reason why that nasty woman brought him over. Just to trip you and show you up, and she thinks she'll make father see through you. But just you rise to the occasion and astonish them. Eh, uncle? ”

“ I was just looking at the pass book last night, and you'd think this house was a bakery to see the amount of flour comes into it.
Mary (submissively) . I'm sorry, father.
John. When I was out on the road, I seen a trail of [Pg 66] flour leading up our loaning, and says I to myself, Jeminy' father, are they getting some more! So I followed up the mark and just caught up on her coming through the gate.
Mary (a little defiantly) . It's paid for, Kate, anyway. Isn't it?
Kate. It is, Miss. (She busies herself putting the flour into a box, and then slips out during the next speech.) ”

“ Mary (reproachfully) . It is, indeed, uncle.
Daniel. Well! Well! Time goes round, Mary. Time goes round. (Kate picks up the bucket and goes out by the yard door.) Where's your father? (He crosses over to the workshop door.)
Mary. He's out working with Sam Brown at the threshing all morning since seven o'clock.
Daniel. Well! Well! A very industrious man is John Murray. Very. But lacking in brains, my dear—lacking in brains. Kind, good-hearted, easy-going, but—ah! well, one can't help these things. (He goes towards the workshop.) Where did you say the Whig was, Mary? ”

“ And there never was a breach of promise case known where they didn't bring in a verdict for the [Pg 50] woman. Never! (He becomes absorbed in thought, and as he sits ruminating Mary opens the door, carrying a large brown paper parcel, followed by Daniel. Daniel is dressed fairly well, and seems to be in high spirits. Brown follows him carrying a portmanteau.)
Daniel (brightly) . Home again, John.
John (morosely) . Aye. It was near time, I think.
Daniel. Saw quite a number of people this time, John. A great number. They were all very much interested. Fine town, Belfast. Growing very rapidly. ”