Andº thereº they were too listening in as hard as they could to the solans and sycamores and ^|2the migratories and^2| mistlethrushesº and all the birds of the sea, all four of them, listening: Theyº were the big four, the four master wavesº of Erin, all listening,º four. There was old Matt Gregory and then besides old Matt there was old
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Marcus Lyonsº, the four waves, and oftentimes they used to be saying grace together right enough:º here now we are the four of us: old Matt Gregory and old Marcus and old Luke Tarpey: the four of us and sure thank God there are no more of us: and sure now you wouldn't go and leave out ^|2the other fellow and^2| old Johnny MacDougall: the four of us and no more of us and so now pass the fish for Christ'º sake, Amen: the way they used to be saying their grace before fish forº auld lang syne. And so thereº they were spraining their ears listening and listening to the oceans of kissening with their eyes glistening all the four when he was kiddling and cuddling his colleen bawn ^|2that was ^|avery wrong^a| most improper^2| and cuddling her and kissing her with his poghue like Arrah-na-poghue the dear dear annual they all four rememboredº ^|2who made the world andº^2| how they used to be ^|2at that time^2|
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cuddling and kiddling her ^|2from^2| under her mistlethrush and kissing and listening inº the good old bygone days of Dion Boucicault ^|2the elder^2| in Arrah-na-poghueº ^|2in one of the farbackº centuriesº ^|awhen who made the world^a|2| where they knew ^|2O'Clery^2| the man on the door when they were all four collegians ^|2on the nod with their slates and satchels^2| in the queen's colleges ^|2with another fellow^2|. Ah ho!º It brought the dear
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scenes all back again as fresh as of yore Matt and Marcus and ^|2after that^2| now there he was and his Arrah-na-poghue before the four of them ^|2so shocking and scandalous^2| and now thank God there were no more of them and he ^|2poguing and poguing poghuing and poghuing^2| and there they were listening ^|2as tired as they were, ^|athe three jolly topers,^a|2| with their mouths watering ^|2along with the other fellow^2| so pass the ^|2pogue poghue^2| for Christ' sake,º Amen. Listening andº ^|2poghuing and^2| watering,º all the four^|2, the old men of the sea,^2| Luke and Johnny MacDougall andº all wishening for anything at all of the bygone times for a cup of kindness yet for four farback tumblerfuls of woman squash with them all four listening and spraining their earsº and all their mouths making water.

^|2Johnny.º^2| Ah well sure that's the way up and ^|2it so happened^2| there was poor Matt Gregory up and up the others and now really and truly they were four dear old heladiesº and really they looked so nice and respectable with their grey half a tall hat and tailormade frock coatº and ^|2then after that^2| they had their fathomglasses to find out all the fathoms and their half a tall hat just now like the marquess of ^|2powerscourt Powerscourt^2| only for theº saltwater or the auctioneer there in front of the place near ^|2Clery's^2| that ^|2ancient Dameº^2| street where theº statue of Mrs ^|2Dannie Dana^2| O'Connell behind the Trinity college that arranges all the auctions of the valuable colleges,º ^|2Smith Battersby Sisters,^2| like the auctioneer Battersbyº Sisters that sells all the fine statues and powerscourts,º
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James H Tickell, the jaypee, off Hoggin Green going to the horse show ^|2before the flood^2| alongº with another fellow and ^|2the shoeblacksº andº^2| everyone ^|2getting highsteppingº to getº^2| out of his way and all the ^|2tercentenaryº^2| horses
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^|2|afrom the Curragh^a| andº confusionaries^2| over from England and American visitors (so they say) all over in his grey half a tall hat (how do you do, jaypee?º) and his fathomglasses to find out all the improper colleges (and how do you do, Mr ^|2Dameº^2| James? get out of my way!) and all the horsepowers. But now that reminds me of the poor Marcus of Lyons and poor Johnny and ^|2the what do you think of the^2| four of us and there they were now listening right enough, the four saltwater widowers, and all they could remembore long long ago in the olden times and Lally when my heart knew no care and after that then there was the landing ofº ^|2sir ⁽⁺Dame Lady^+)2| James Casement inº ^|2the year of the flood^2| 1132 and the christening of ^|2King Queen^2| Battersby ^|2the Fourth^2| according to ^|2his grace her grace^2| the bishop,º ^|2alderman alderwomanº^2| J. P. Bishop, Senior, and then there was the drowning of Pharoah and all his pedestrians and they were all completely drowned into the sea, the red sea, and then poor Martin Cunningham outº of the castle ^|2on pension^2| when he was completely drowned off Dunleary at that time in the red sea and a lovely mourning paper and thank God there were no more of him. And that now was how it was. Ay, ay. And so he was.

Marcus. And after that there was the Flemish armada all scattered and all drowned there and then on a lovely morning ^|2after the flood^2| at ^|2(+about^+)2| elevenº thirtytwo off the coast of Cunningham and saint Patrick ^|2the anabaptist^2| and Kevin the ^|2blank lacustrian^2| and Powerscourt and Dana our first marents andº Lapoleon, the equestrian and all they remembored and then there was the French fleet ⁽⁺²in round about⁺⁾ the year of ⁽⁺Our Lady⁺⁾ Notre Dame^2| 1132 landing from under ^|2general Boche Madam-general Bonabocheº^2| in his half a grey hat and after that there he was, so terrestrial,º cuddling andº poghuing her ^|2scandalous and very wrong^2| under the sycamores in Arrah-na-poghueº, so silvestrious, near the queen's colleges in 1132 Bride street behind the century man on the door. And then again they used to give the grandest known lectures ^|2from sea to sea^2| (Matt speaking!) according to the pictures postcard in Roman history ^|2(+repeating itself^+)2| (Marcus Lyons speaking!) to the collegians green and all the old ^|2trinitarian^2| senate ^|2and the Plymouth brethren nodding and sleepin^2| sleeping away in the four trinity colleges of Ulcer, Moonster, Leanstare and Cannought, the four grandest colleges of Killorcure and Killthemall and Killeachother and Killkelly-on-the-Flure. Those were theº
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grandest ^|2college gynecollege^2| histories (Lucas calling, hold the line!) in the Jane Andersdaughter university for auld acquaintance sake (this ^|2unitarian^2| lady lived to a great age at ^|2(+or in orº about^+)2| No.º 1132 Fitzmary ^|2square Round^2| where sheº was seen by many and widely liked) for teaching the ^|2Roman Woman^2| history ^|2(+repeating herself^+)2| of the spirit of nature as divinelyº developed in time ^|2by psadatepholomy^2|, the past and present (Johnny MacDougall speaking, give me trunks, miss!) and present and absent and past and present and future arma virumque romanoº. Ah, dearoº dear! How it all came back to them to hear him there kissing herº and cuddling her in his Roman ^|2catholic^2| arms by ^|2(+the^+)2| Cornelius Nepos. Mnepos. Anumque. Umque.º

Queh?º Quos?

Ah,º dearo dearo dear! It was so sorry for ^|2|v+all^v+|2| the ^|2|+whole twice two^+|2| four of us andº Lally when he lost ^|2part of^2| his half a hat ^|2and ⁽⁺repeating himself and⁺⁾ telling him about ^|aLally ^|+and his old fellow^+| and^a| all the old ^|+chickens drakes^+| ever he had ^|+up in the bohereen ^+|2| and ^|2|+the old folks at home and^{+| |+}Duignamº and^+|2| Lapole ^|2|+and^+| he couldn't stop laughing ^|v+about over^{v+|2| |v+2}and Tim Tom Tam Tom Tim^v+|2| Tarpey, the Welshman, and the four widowers. And now that reminds me of the four ^|2of the^2| Welsh ^|v+2waves waves,^v+| leaping ^|v+laughing laughing,^v+|2| in theirº half a Roman hat in Chichester college auction and thank God they were all summarily divorced four years before, so they say, by their dear poor shehusbands in dear bygone days and never brought to mind, to see no more the rainwater on the floor but still they parted, raining water laughing, on the best of terms and be forgot which was plainly foretold by their old pilgrim song As I was going to ^|2Castletownhackett Ballymacarett^2| weº fell in with a ^|2bitch lout by^2| the name of ^|2Burke Peebles^2| as also in another place by their ^|2favourite orthodox^2| proverb That ^|2old^2| fellow knows milk though he's not used to it ^|2latterly^2|. And so they parted. Ay, ay. The good go and the wicked is left ^|2over^2|. Ay, ay. Ah, well, sureº that's the way. Woman. Squash. Part. Ay, ay. By decree absolute.

Lucas. And well they could remembore at that time Mrs ^|2Dowager^2| Justice Squelchmanº in her fullbottom wig
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and beard in ^|2(+or aring or around about⁺⁾ the year of disgrace^2| 1132 at the Married Maleº Auctioneers'º court in Arrahnacuddle. Poor Johnny of the clan of theº Dougals, the poor Scotsman,º so frightened on account of her fullbottom,º and the four masters because he was so slow ^|2counting her manbuttons groomingº her ladyship^2| insteadº of backscratching proper ^|2like any old methodist^2| andº all divorced according to their dear faithful. ^|2Ah, now,º it was tooº bad!º^2| Andº poor Marcus Powerscourt all persecuted by everybody he was,º by decree absolute becauseº he made wind and water and ^|2dirtied all himself and^2| because he forgot to rememboreº to sign an old morning paper, a request in writing to herself on stamped parchment before saying his grace before fish and then and there and too there was poor Dion Boucicault all drowned too poor Dion beforeº the world and her husband because it was most improper ^|2and most wrong^2| whenº he attempted to — well, he was ^|2a bit shocking^2| bad in his health, he said, with the shinglesº falling off him — becauseº he — ah, well now, we won't be too hard on
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him as an old Manx presbyterian, andº after that he ^|2made his last will and^2| went to confession on his two bare ^|2knees marrowbones^2| toº Mother Evangelist Sweeney ^|2and he was so sorry, he was really, because he left the boot button inº the hansom cab^2| and now tell the truth there
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were faults on both sides — well, he attempted (or so they say) — ah, sure,º he was only funning,º with his andrewmartins and his old age coming ^|2on overº^2| him — well, he attempted or he was tempted to attempt some hunnish familiarities after eating a bad crab in the red sea and sureº he was deadseasickabed ^|2(it was really too bad!)^2|,º her poor old divorced male, in the hospice for the dying and trying to hold the ^|2nurse's nursetender's^2| hand, ah, theº poor old coax, and count the buttons and her hand and frown on a bad crab ^|2and dying to remembore who made a who a snoreº^2|. Ah dearo dearo dear!

And where do you leave Matt? They were all so sorry for poor Matt in his saltwater hat that she grew all out of too big for him ofº Mnepos and his overalls all falling over her in folds — sure,º he hadn't the heart in him to pull them up — poor Matt, the old ^|2peregrineº^2| matriarch, and a queenly man,º sitting there ^|2Themistletocles^2| on his ^|2multilingualº^2| tombstone with her face to the wall in sight of the poorhouseº amid the rattle of hailstones,º with her ivyclad hat and gripping an old pair of curling tongs belonging to Mrs Dana O'Connell ^|2to blow his brains with,^2| with his can of tea ^|2from Anneº Lynch^2| and two cutsº of Shackleton's brown loaf and diliskº, waiting for the end to come — God of heaven, when you think of it! Ahº ho! ^|2It was too bad entirely!º^2| All divorce by active parlourmen of woman squelch and all on account of the
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smell of Shackleton and Scratchmanº and his mouth watering and so now pass the loaf for Christ'º sake,º Amen. And so. And all.
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Matt. And loaf. Ah, God be good to us! Poor Andrew Martin Cunningham! Ay, ay!º

And still and all at that time they were always thinking up of auld langº syne up their four hosenbands that were four up beautfulº sister masters, now happily married,º and there they were always counting every night the lovely ^|2periwinkle mother-of-periwinkleº^2| buttons according to the lapper part of their dress up one up two up one up four and after that there now she was, the deary, the beautfour sisters and that was her modern name right enough and they used to be getting up ^|2from under^2| at the kookaburraº bell ^|2ringing ^|aall wrongº^a| inside of them come in come on you lazy ^|alouts loafs^a| come out to hell you lousy allº inside their poor ^|aold Shandonº^a| bellboxº come out to hell you lousy louts,^2| so frightened, at all hours everyº night on their mistletoes,º the four old oldsters, when nobody wouldn't even let them rest, ^|2and getting into their way something scandalous,^2| changing the oneº wet ^|2underdownº^2| bed they used to sleep under and putting on their half a hat and falling over all ^|2the opticals synopticals^2|,º lookº ^|2all round the stool walk^2| everywhere for a jool to break fire to all the rancers to collect all and bits of brown, the rathure's evelopmenº in spirits of time in all fathom of space and slooping around in a bath slipper and go away see the doctor and after that ^|2so glad^2| they had their night tentacles and there they used to be ^|2hanging flappingº^2| around the waists of the ships,º ^|2as tired as they were,º^2| the clipperbuilt and the fourmasters and Lally and Roeº and he telling him that oneº about a goose a lay a goldeny egg and Johnny MacGory, dear mister John, and all the other analist, the steamshipsº andº the women-o'-war and playing ladies' foursome and their ^|2bottlegreen pairº of green^2| eyes and peering in, so they say, through the steamy windows intoº the honeymoon cabins on board the big steamadories made by Fumadory and the saloon ladies' modern toilet chambers lined over prawn silk and rub off the salty catara off a windows ^|2and hee hee^2| listening^|2, the poor old quakers,º^2| to see all the hunnishmooners and the ^|2firstclass^2| ladies ^|2and shee shee^2| allº improper in a lovely mourning toilet under all their familarities,º saying their grace before ^|2steamadory chambadory^2| soº pass the ^|2pogue poghue^2| for grace sake,º Amen. And all ^|2trembling hee hee hee quakingº^2|, so fright, and ^|2shee shee^2| shakingº. Aching. Ay, ay.
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And then after thatº they used to be counting their ^|2peributts motherpeributtsº^2| up one up four to membore her beaufu modern
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maiden name by the dream. From Greg and Doug on poor Greg and Mat and Mar and Lu and Jo, now happily buried, our four sisters.º And there she was nowº right enough, that lovely sight enough, the lady bawnº asthore as for days galore of planxtyº Gregory. Egory.º Ay, ay.

But sure thatº reminds me now, like another ^|2story tellmastoryº^2|, how they used to be at that time up always^|2, tired and all,^2| over their singing ^|2at up^2| the top of the voice of Mamalujo ^|2sitting^2| round ^|2two by two^2| up the wetº ^|2fire air^2| register in Old Man's House with their cold kneesº and their poor up feet asleep and all dolled up for their blankets and materny mufflers and plimsolesº and their bowl of brown schackleº and milky and clots for a cup of kindest yet with hold take hand and nurse and only touch of eat a lovely munkybown and wait the pinch and prompt poor Mucusº Lyons to pass the teeth for choke sake Amensch when it so happen they were all sicamoreº since the phlegmish hoopicough for all a possabed afterº eat a bad cramp and johnny magories and backscrat the poor bedsores and their farthing dip and read a letter or two every night ^|2before going to sleep in the twilight^2|,º a capitaletter on their old book of old year's eve 1132, their ^|2Senchus Seanchus^2| Mor ^|2by Mrs Shemans,º^2| final buff lunch edition and Lally through their gangreneº spentacles and all the good they did in their time for Roe and ^|2O'Driscoll a Riscoll O'Mulconryº a
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Conryº^2| on ^|2all Mulº^2| or Lap ^|2a at^2| Morion and Buffler on Matty MacGregoryº for Marcus by Daddy de Wyer, old bagabroth, and ^|2one by one and^2| sing a mamalujo.

And ^|2after that^2| now ^|2start start all say oremus prayer ^|+to Peregrine and Michael and Farfassa and Peregrine^+| for navigants etº peregrinantibus and in all the old sea and^2| sing a lovasteamadorion in her ^|2doaty duckyº^2| little blue and roll a hoop and how she ran and old Luke and ^|2Senchus Seanchus^2| Mor and another more for auld lukeº syne and she haihaihail her kobbor kohinorº sehehet on the praze savohoholeº Shanghaiº.