the well of the saints-第11章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



wife。　。　。　。　What　call　has　the　like　of　you　to　be　coming　between

married　people　　that　you're　not　understanding　at　all　　and　be

making　a　great　mess　with　the　holy　water　you　have；　and　the　length

of　your　prayers？　　Go　on　now；　I'm　saying；　and　leave　us　here　on　the

road。



SAINT。　　If　it　was　a　seeing　man　I　heard　talking　to　me　the　like　of

that　I'd　put　a　black　curse　on　him　would　weigh　down　his　soul　till

it'd　be　falling　to　hell；　but　you're　a　poor　blind　sinner；　God

forgive　you；　and　I　don't　mind　you　at　all。　　（He　raises　his　can。）　

Go　aside　now　till　I　give　the　blessing　to　your　wife；　and　if　you

won't　go　with　your　own　will；　there　are　those　standing　by　will

make　you；　surely。



MARTIN　DOUL　　＇pulling　Mary　Doul。＇　　Come　along　now；　and　don't

mind　him　at　all。



SAINT　　＇imperiously；　to　the　People。＇　　Let　you　take　that　man

and　drive　him　down　upon　the　road。　＇Some　men　seize　Martin　Doul。＇



MARTIN　DOUL　　＇struggling　and　shouting。＇　　Make　them　leave　me

go；　holy　father！　Make　them　leave　me　go；　I'm　saying；　and　you　may

cure　her　this　day；　or　do　anything　that　you　will。



SAINT　　＇to　People。＇　　Let　him　be。　。　。　。　。　Let　him　be　if　his

sense　is　come　to　him　at　all。



MARTIN　DOUL　　＇shakes　himself　loose；　feels　for　Mary　Doul；

sinking　his　voice　to　a　plausible　whine。＇　　You　may　cure　herself；

surely；　holy　father；　I　wouldn't　stop　you　at　all　　and　it's　great

joy　she'll　have　looking　on　your　face　　but　let　you　cure　myself

along　with　her；　the　way　I'll　see　when　it's　lies　she's　telling；

and　be　looking　out　day　and　night　upon　the　holy　men　of　God。



＇He　kneels　down　a　little　before　Mary　Doul。＇



SAINT　　＇speaking　half　to　the　People。＇　　Men　who　are　dark　a

long　while　and　thinking　over　queer　thoughts　in　their　heads；

aren't　the　like　of　simple　men；　who　do　be　working　every　day；　and

praying；　and　living　like　ourselves；　so　if　he　has　found　a　right

mind　at　the　last　minute　itself；　I'll　cure　him；　if　the　Lord　will；

and　not　be　thinking　of　the　hard；　foolish　words　he's　after　saying

this　day　to　us　all。



MARTIN　DOUL　　＇listening　eagerly。＇　　I'm　waiting　now；　holy

father。



SAINT　　＇with　can　in　his　hand；　close　to　Martin　Doul。＇　　With

the　power　of　the　water　from　the　grave　of　the　four　beauties　of

God；　with　the　power　of　this　water；　I'm　saying；　that　I　put　upon

your　eyes　。　＇He　raises　can。＇



MARTIN　DOUL　　＇with　a　sudden　movement　strikes　the　can　from　the

Saint's　hand　and　sends　it　rocketing　across　stage。　　He　stands　up；

People　murmur　loudly。＇　　　If　I'm　a　poor　dark　sinner　I've　sharp

ears；　God　help　me；　and　have　left　you　with　a　big　head　on　you　and

it's　well　I　heard　the　little　splash　of　the　water　you　had　there　in

the　can。　　Go　on　now；　holy　father；　for　if　you're　a　fine　Saint

itself；　it's　more　sense　is　in　a　blind　man；　and　more　power　maybe

than　you're　thinking　at　all。　　Let　you　walk　on　now　with　your　worn

feet；　and　your　welted　knees；　and　your　fasting；　holy　ways　a　thin

pitiful　arm。　　（The　Saint　looks　at　him　for　a　moment　severely；　then

turns　away　and　picks　up　his　can。　　He　pulls　Mary　Doul　up。）　　For　if

it's　a　right　some　of　you　have　to　be　working　and　sweating　the　like

of　Timmy　the　smith；　and　a　right　some　of　you　have　to　be　fasting

and　praying　and　talking　holy　talk　the　like　of　yourself；　I'm

thinking　it's　a　good　right　ourselves　have　to　be　sitting　blind；

hearing　a　soft　wind　turning　round　the　little　leaves　of　the　spring

and　feeling　the　sun；　and　we　not　tormenting　our　souls　with　the

sight　of　the　gray　days；　and　the　holy　men；　and　the　dirty　feet　is

trampling　the　world。



＇He　gropes　towards　his　stone　with　Mary　Doul。＇



MAT　SIMON。　　It'd　be　an　unlucky　fearful　thing；　I'm　thinking；　to

have　the　like　of　that　man　living　near　us　at　all　in　the　townland

of　Grianan。　　Wouldn't　he　bring　down　a　curse　upon　us；　holy　father；

from　the　heavens　of　God？



SAINT　　＇tying　his　girdle。＇　　God　has　great　mercy；　but　great

wrath　for　them　that　sin。



THE　PEOPLE。　　Go　on　now；　Martin　Doul。　　Go　on　from　this　place。　　Let

you　not　be　bringing　great　storms　or　droughts　on　us　maybe　from　the

power　of　the　Lord。　＇Some　of　them　throw　things　at　him。＇



MARTIN　DOUL　　＇turning　round　defiantly　and　picking　up　a　stone。＇

　Keep　off　now；　the　yelping　lot　of　you；　or　it's　more　than　one

maybe　will　get　a　bloody　head　on　him　with　the　pitch　of　my　stone。　

Keep　off　now；　and　let　you　not　be　afeard；　for　we're　going　on　the

two　of　us　to　the　towns　of　the　south；　where　the　people　will　have

kind　voices　maybe；　and　we　won't　know　their　bad　looks　or　their

villainy　at　all。　　（He　takes　Mary　Doul's　hand　again。）　　Come　along

now　and　we'll　be　walking　to　the　south；　for　we've　seen　too　much　of

everyone　in　this　place；　and　it's　small　joy　we'd　have　living　near

them；　or　hearing　the　lies　they　do　be　telling　from　the　gray　of

dawn　till　the　night。



MARY　DOUL　　＇despondingly。＇　　That's　the　truth；　surely；　and

we'd　have　a　right　to　be　gone；　if　it's　a　long　way　itself；　as　I've

heard　them　say；　where　you　do　have　to　be　walking　with　a　slough　of

wet　on　the　one　side　and　a　slough　of　wet　on　the　other；　and　you

going　a　stony　path　with　a　north　wind　blowing　behind。　＇They　go

out。＇



TIMMY。　　There's　a　power　of　deep　rivers　with　floods　in　them　where

you　do　have　to　be　lepping　the　stones　and　you　going　to　the　south；

so　I'm　thinking　the　two　of　them　will　be　drowned　together　in　a

short　while；　surely。



SAINT。　　They　have　chosen　their　lot；　and　the　Lord　have　mercy　on

their　souls。　　（He　rings　his　bell。）　　And　let　the　two　of　you　come

up　now　into　the　church；　Molly　Byrne　and　Timmy　the　smith；　till　I

make　your　marriage　and　put　my　blessing　on　you　all。



＇He　turns　to　the　church；　procession　forms；　and　the　curtain　comes

down；　as　they　go　slowly　into　the　church。＇











End