the well of the saints-第3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！



seeing　at　all。　　（He　shakes　the　can。）　　There's　a　small　sup　only。

Well；　isn't　it　a　great　wonder　the　little　trifling　thing　would

bring　seeing　to　the　blind；　and　be　showing　us　the　big　women　and

the　young　girls；　and　all　the　fine　things　is　walking　the　world。



＇He　feels　for　Mary　Doul　and　gives　her　the　can。＇



MARY　DOUL　　＇shaking　it。＇　　Well；　glory　be　to　God。



MARTIN　DOUL　　＇pointing　to　Bride。＇　　And　what　is　it　herself

has；　making　sounds　in　her　hand？



BRIDE　　＇crossing　to　Martin　Doul。＇　　It's　the　Saint's　bell；

you'll　hear　him　ringing　out　the　time　he'll　be　going　up　some

place；　to　be　saying　his　prayers。





＇Martin　Doul　holds　out　his　hand；　she　gives　it　to　him。＇



MARTIN　DOUL　　＇ringing　it。＇　　It's　a　sweet；　beautiful　sound。



MARY　DOUL。　　You'd　know；　I'm　thinking；　by　the　little　silvery　voice

of　it；　a　fasting　holy　man　was　after　carrying　it　a　great　way　at

his　side。



＇Bride　crosses　a　little　right　behind　Martin　Doul。＇



MOLLY　BYRNE　　＇unfolding　Saint's　cloak。＇　　Let　you　stand　up

now；　Martin　Doul；　till　I　put　his　big　cloak　on　you。　　（Martin　Doul

rises；　comes　forward；　centre　a　little。）　　The　way　we'd　see　how

you'd　look；　and　you　a　saint　of　the　Almighty　God。



MARTIN　DOUL　　＇standing　up；　a　little　diffidently。＇　　I've　heard

the　priests　a　power　of　times　making　great　talk　and　praises　of　the

beauty　of　the　saints。　＇Molly　Byrne　slips　cloak　round　him。＇



TIMMY　　＇uneasily。＇　　You'd　have　a　right　to　be　leaving　him

alone；　Molly。　　What　would　the　Saint　say　if　he　seen　you　making

game　with　his　cloak？



MOLLY　BYRNE　　＇recklessly。＇　　How　would　he　see　us；　and　he

saying　prayers　in　the　wood？　　（She　turns　Martin　Doul　round。）　Isn't

that　a　fine　holy…looking　saint；　Timmy　the　smith？　　（Laughing

foolishly。）　　There's　a　grand；　handsome　fellow；　Mary　Doul；　and　if

you　seen　him　now　you'd　be　as　proud；　I'm　thinking；　as　the

archangels　below；　fell　out　with　the　Almighty　God。



MARY　DOUL　　＇with　quiet　confidence　going　to　Martin　Doul　and

feeling　his　cloak。＇　　It's　proud　we'll　be　this　day；　surely。

＇Martin　Doul　is　still　ringing。＇



MOLLY　BYRNE　　＇to　Martin　Doul。＇　　Would　you　think　well　to　be

all　your　life　walking　round　the　like　of　that；　Martin　Doul；　and

you　bell…ringing　with　the　saints　of　God？



MARY　DOUL　　＇turning　on　her；　fiercely。＇　　How　would　he　be

bell…ringing　with　the　saints　of　God　and　he　wedded　with　myself？



MARTIN　DOUL。　　It's　the　truth　she's　saying；　and　if　bell…ringing　is

a　fine　life；　yet　I'm　thinking；　maybe；　it's　better　I　am　wedded

with　the　beautiful　dark　woman　of　Ballinatone。



MOLLY　BYRNE　　＇scornfully。＇　　You're　thinking　that；　God　help

you；　but　it's　little　you　know　of　her　at　all。



MARTIN　DOUL。　　It's　little　surely；　and　I'm　destroyed　this　day

waiting　to　look　upon　her　face。



TIMMY　　＇awkwardly。＇　　It's　well　you　know　the　way　she　is；　for

the　like　of　you　do　have　great　knowledge　in　the　feeling　of　your

hands。



MARTIN　DOUL　　＇still　feeling　the　cloak。＇　　We　do；　maybe。　　Yet

it's　little　I　know　of　faces；　or　of　fine　beautiful　cloaks；　for

it's　few　cloaks　I've　had　my　hand　to；　and　few　faces　（plaintively）；

for　the　young　girls　is　mighty　shy；　Timmy　the　smith　and　it　isn't

much　they　heed　me；　though　they　do　be　saying　I'm　a　handsome　man。



MARY　DOUL　　＇mockingly；　with　good　humour。＇　　Isn't　it　a　queer

thing　the　voice　he　puts　on　him；　when　you　hear　him　talking　of　the

skinny…looking　girls；　and　he　married　with　a　woman　he's　heard

called　the　wonder　of　the　western　world？



TIMMY　　＇pityingly。＇　　The　two　of　you　will　see　a　great　wonder

this　day；　and　it's　no　lie。



MARTIN　DOUL。　　I've　heard　tell　her　yellow　hair；　and　her　white

skin；　and　her　big　eyes　are　a　wonder；　surely。



BRIDE　　＇who　has　looked　out　left。＇　　Here's　the　saint　coming

from　the　selvage　of　the　wood。　。　。　。　　Strip　the　cloak　from　him；

Molly；　or　he'll　be　seeing　it　now。



MOLLY　BYRNE　　＇hastily　to　Bride。＇　　Take　the　bell　and　put

yourself　by　the　stones。　（To　Martin　Doul。）　　Will　you　hold　your

head　up　till　I　loosen　the　cloak？　　（She　pulls　off　the　cloak　and

throws　it　over　her　arm。　　Then　she　pushes　Martin　Doul　over　and

stands　him　beside　Mary　Doul。）　　Stand　there　now；　quiet；　and　let

you　not　be　saying　a　word。



＇She　and　Bride　stand　a　little　on　their　left；　demurely；　with　bell；

etc。；　in　their　hands。＇



MARTIN　DOUL　　＇nervously　arranging　his　clothes。＇　　Will　he　mind

the　way　we　are；　and　not　tidied　or　washed　cleanly　at　all？



MOLLY　BYRNE。　　He'll　not　see　what　way　you　are。　。　。　。　　He'd　walk　by

the　finest　woman　in　Ireland；　I'm　thinking；　and　not　trouble　to

raise　his　two　eyes　to　look　upon　her　face。　。　。　。　Whisht！



＇The　Saint　comes　left；　with　crowd。＇



SAINT。　　Are　these　the　two　poor　people？



TIMMY　　＇officiously。＇　　They　are；　holy　father；　they　do　be

always　sitting　here　at　the　crossing　of　the　roads；　asking　a　bit　of

copper　from　them　that　do　pass；　or　stripping　rushes　for　lights；

and　they　not　mournful　at　all；　but　talking　out　straight　with　a

full　voice；　and　making　game　with　them　that　likes　it。



SAINT　　＇to　Martin　Doul　and　Mary　Doul。＇　　It's　a　hard　life

you've　had　not　seeing　sun　or　moon；　or　the　holy　priests　itself

praying　to　the　Lord；　but　it's　the　like　of　you　who　are　brave　in　a

bad　time　will　make　a　fine　use　of　the　gift　of　sight　the　Almighty

God　will　bring　to　you　today。　　（He　takes　his　cloak　and　puts　it

about　him。）　　It's　on　a　bare　starving　rock　that　there's　the　grave

of　the　four　beauties　of　God；　the　way　it's　little　wonder；　I'm

thinking；　if　it's　with　bare　starving　people　the　water　should　be

used。　　（He　takes　the　water　and　bell　and　slings　them　round　his

shoulders。）　　So　it's　to　the　like　of　yourselves　I　do　be　going；　who

are　wrinkled　and　poor；　a　thing　rich　men　would　hardly　look　at　at

all；　but　would　throw　a　coin　to　or　a　crust　of　bread。



MARTIN　DOUL　　＇moving　uneasily。＇　　When　they　look　on　herself；

who　is　a　fine　woman。



TIMMY　　＇shaking　him。＇　　Whisht　now；　and　be　listening　to　the

Saint。



SAINT　　＇looks　at　them　a　moment；　continues。＇　　If　it's　raggy

and　dirty　you　are　itself；　I'm　saying；　the　Almighty　God　isn't　at

all　like　the　rich　men　of　Ireland；　and；　with　the　power　of　the

water　I'm　after　bringing　in　a　little　curagh　into　Cashla　Bay；

He'll　have　pity　on　you；　and　put　sight　into　your　eyes。



MARTIN　DOUL　　＇taking　off　his　hat。＇　　I'm　ready　now；　holy

father。



SAINT　　＇taking　him　by　the　hand。＇　　I'll　cure　you　first；　and

then　I'll　come　for　your　wife。　　We'll　go　up　now　into　the　church；

for　I　must　say　a　prayer　to　the　Lord。　　（To　Mary　Doul；　as　he　moves

off。）　　And　let　you　be　making　your　mind　still　and　saying　praises

in　your　heart；　for　it's　a　great　wonderful　thing　when　the　power　of

the　Lord　of　the　world　is　brought　down　upon　your　like。



PEOPLE　　＇pressing　after　him。＇　　Come　now　till　we　watch。



BRIDE。　　Come；　Timmy。



SAINT　　＇waving　them　back。＇　　Stay　back　where　you　are；　for　I'm

not　wanting　a　big　crowd　making　whispers　in　the　church。　　Stay　back

there；　I'm　saying；　and　you'd　do　well　to　be　thinking　on　the　way

sin　has　brought　blindness　to　the　world；　and　to　be　saying　a　prayer

for　your　own　sakes　against　false　prophets　and　heathens；　and　the

words　of　women　and　smiths；　and　all　knowledge　that　would　soil　the

soul　or　the　body　of　a　man。



＇People　shrink　back。　　He　goes　into　church。　　Mary　Doul　gropes

half…way　towards　the　door　and　kneels　near　path。　People　form　a

group　at　right。＇



TIMMY。　　Isn't　it　a　fine；　beautiful　voice　he　has；　and　he　a　fine；

brave　man　if　it　wasn't　for　the　fasting？



BRIDE。　　Did　you　watch　him　moving　his　hands？



MOLLY　BYRNE。　　It'd　be　a　fine　thing　if　some　one　in　this　place

could　pray　the　like　of　him；　for　I'm　thinking　the　water　from　our

own　blessed　well　would　do　rightly　if　a　man　knew　the　way　to　be

saying　prayers；　and　then　there'd　be　no　call　to　be　bringing　water

from　that　wild　place；　where；　I'm　told；　there　are　no　decent

houses；　or　fine…looking　people　at　all。



BRIDE　　＇who　is　looking　in　at　door　from　right。＇　　Look　at　the

great　trembling　Martin　has　shaking　him；　and　he　on　his　knees。



TIMMY　　＇anxiously。＇　　God　help　him。　。　。　What　will　he　be　doing

when　he　sees　his