David Not for some days, Dick.

Richard Smooth features, large limbs, with much broader hands than other Irishmen. Taciturn creatures and by no means unworthy subjects. But curiously – curiously a people given to deviousness and perfidy. Now – why is that?

David Their hands are too broad?

Richard Is it because they are descended from the Tuatha Dé Danann, as my colleague William Wilde insists? You know Wilde – father of that execrable aesthete creature. And Wilde is a considerable anthropologist. Or look at the people of Wexford.

David The Norwegians.

Richard Exactly. Of Scandinavian aspect. Industrious; peaceable, exemplary farmers. And yet those same peaceable people were the very backbone of the ’98 Rebellion and most barbarous in their prosecution of it. Now, David, can you imagine how different our history would be if treason like that could be anticipated? (to Sally) Come here, child.

David What’s your point, Richard?

Richard Come here – come here, come here! I’m not going to ravish you!

Sally goes reluctantly to him. He grips her chin in his right hand and forces her head back.

Richard Consider this, David. Head long and narrow, with slight parietal bulging. Small eyes. Blue-grey irises. Nose slightly aquiline in profile and –

Sally Sir, you’re hurting me!

Richard Not a bit. Well-developed chin. Black hair. Complexion clear and ruddy. And you’ll find sight and hearing extraordinarily keen. In short – typical of the Celtic breed in Donegal. (He slaps her bottom in dismissal.) Back to the paddock.

David Have a cup of tea yourself, Sally.

Richard Yes, yes, we have become very expert at drawing up our charts and our tables and our dreary pedigrees. But the big prize still eludes us, David.

David Does it?

Richard Isn’t it just possible that that combination of black hair and strong chin and clear complexion is much more than the haphazard confluence of physical accidents? That they constitute an ethnic code we can’t yet decipher? That they are signposts to an enormous vault of genetic information that is only just beyond the reach of our understanding? Are they saying to us – these physical features – if only we could hear them – are they whispering to us: crack our code and we will reveal to you how a man thinks, what his character traits are, his loyalties, his vices, his entire intellectual architecture. Because if we could interpret that hair and chin and complexion, would it tell us that artful Sally could be a designer of a brilliant canal system, a compulsive liar, a new Florence Nightingale, a rebel at heart maybe, maybe even a traitor? Is that the concealed Sally?

Margaret comes out with fresh tea.

Richard (softly) If we could break into that vault, David, we wouldn’t control just an empire. We would rule the entire universe.

Margaret Is what the concealed Sally?

David Richard is of the opinion that if we –

Richard Not an opinion. No, no. Tomorrow’s exact science. This is a feast, Margaret.