— You are most kind as ever, dear sister, Shaun said. Till we meet to part no more.

^|aRepulsing all aid, he kicked himself up &^{a| |a}While all ^|bthe February Filldyke's^b| daughters showed their approval in the usual fashion by ^|bdropping to their knees^b| applauding with their hands^a| He took from the ^|agentle gentlest^a| weeper ^|aamong the wailers^a| the yellow label in which he dropped a tear, smothered a cough, spat a spit & blew his nose. He ^|athen licked its stickyback^a| clapped the badge of belief to his brow, waved a hand
{ms, 008}
across the sea ^|aas notice to quit^a| and^|a, in selfrighting himself,^a| toppled on his way to the left and ^|aso he^{a| |a}was couriered^a| off and on his way.

Heaven speed you, rural Shaun ^|aon your pilgrimage ^|xin the antipodes^x| to the past^a|, ^|astout fellow,^a| heart & soul^|a, you are^a| of Shamrogueshire. ^|aMay your bawny ^|bhead hair^b| grow whiter & fairer & rarer, our ^|bown^b| whiteheaded boy!^a| Just by nature & natural by design you will be longed for & looked after while you are away. ^|aas ^|ba the^b| beam of light we follow receding.^{a| |a}you, who so often ^|bbrought ^|cdropped delivered^c|b| us a drop of great joy ^|bdear pennyatimer^{b| |b}into our never too late to post box^b|.^a| Life, it is true, ^|ais will be^a| a dream without you. ^|aa ^|blapsus temporis slip of the time^b| between a date and a date. ^|bfrom tonight to yesterday.^b| Alas how they murmur against him in all beds and all bunks ^|btwo abed & three abed, in lodginghouses & blank^b|a| But you did your ^|a10 furlong^a| mile in swell ^|aslapstick^a| style. And already the sombrer portion of the ^|anight gloom^a| is gone. W Brave, brave ^|afootsore^{a| |a}Sir^a| Shaun! ^|aThe silent cock shall ^|bbe heard crow^b| at last ^|band the ^|ceast west^c| will make the ^|cwest east^c| awake^b|.^a| Walk while you have the night for the ^|aday noon^a| cometh ^|awhen wherein^a| every post shall sleep.

(noises of morning)