playboy of the western world-第10章

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CHRISTY　　＇in　despair　and　grief。＇　　Amn't　I　after　seeing　the　love…light　of

the　star　of　knowledge　shining　from　her　brow；　and　hearing　words　would　put　you

thinking　on　the　holy　Brigid　speaking　to　the　infant　saints；　and　now　she'll　be

turning　again；　and　speaking　hard　words　to　me；　like　an　old　woman　with　a

spavindy　ass　she'd　have；　urging　on　a　hill。



WIDOW　QUIN。　　There's　poetry　talk　for　a　girl　you'd　see　itching　and　scratching；

and　she　with　a　stale　stink　of　poteen　on　her　from　selling　in　the　shop。



CHRISTY　　＇impatiently。＇　　It's　her　like　is　fitted　to　be　handling　merchandise

in　the　heavens　above；　and　what'll　I　be　doing　now；　I　ask　you；　and　I　a　kind　of

wonder　was　jilted　by　the　heavens　when　a　day　was　by。　＇There　is　a　distant　noise

of　girls'　voices。　Widow　Quin　looks　from　window　and　comes　to　him；　hurriedly。



WIDOW　QUIN。　　You'll　be　doing　like　myself；　I'm　thinking；　when　I　did　destroy　my

man；　for　I'm　above　many's　the　day；　odd　times　in　great　spirits；　abroad　in　the

sunshine；　darning　a　stocking　or　stitching　a　shift；　and　odd　times　again　looking

out　on　the　schooners；　hookers；　trawlers　is　sailing　the　sea；　and　I　thinking　on

the　gallant　hairy　fellows　are　drifting　beyond；　and　myself　long　years　living

alone。



CHRISTY　　＇interested。＇　　You're　like　me；　so。



WIDOW　QUIN。　　I　am　your　like；　and　it's　for　that　I'm　taking　a　fancy　to　you；　and

I　with　my　little　houseen　above　where　there'd　be　myself　to　tend　you；　and　none

to　ask　were　you　a　murderer　or　what　at　all。



CHRISTY。　　And　what　would　I　be　doing　if　I　left　Pegeen？



WIDOW　QUIN。　　I've　nice　jobs　you　could　be　doing；　gathering　shells　to　make　a

whitewash　for　our　hut　within；　building　up　a　little　goose…house；　or　stretching

a　new　skin　on　an　old　curragh　I　have；　and　if　my　hut　is　far　from　all　sides；　it's

there　you'll　meet　the　wisest　old　men；　I　tell　you；　at　the　corner　of　my　wheel；

and　it's　there　yourself　and　me　will　have　great　times　whispering　and　hugging。　。

。　。



VOICES　　＇outside；　calling　far　away。＇　　Christy！　　Christy　Mahon！　　Christy！



CHRISTY。　　Is　it　Pegeen　Mike？



WIDOW　QUIN。　　It's　the　young　girls；　I'm　thinking；　coming　to　bring　you　to　the

sports　below；　and　what　is　it　you'll　have　me　to　tell　them　now？



CHRISTY。　　Aid　me　for　to　win　Pegeen。　It's　herself　only　that　I'm　seeking　now。　

（Widow　Quin　gets　up　and　goes　to　window。）　　Aid　me　for　to　win　her；　and　I'll　be

asking　God　to　stretch　a　hand　to　you　in　the　hour　of　death；　and　lead　you　short

cuts　through　the　Meadows　of　Ease；　and　up　the　floor　of　Heaven　to　the　Footstool

of　the　Virgin's　Son。



WIDOW　QUIN。　　There's　praying。



VOICES　　＇nearer。＇　　Christy！　　Christy　Mahon！



CHRISTY　　＇with　agitation。＇　　They're　coming。　　Will　you　swear　to　aid　and

save　me　for　the　love　of　Christ？



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇looks　at　him　for　a　moment。＇　　If　I　aid　you；　will　you　swear　to

give　me　a　right　of　way　I　want；　and　a　mountainy　ram；　and　a　load　of　dung　at

Michaelmas；　the　time　that　you'll　be　master　here？



CHRISTY。　　I　will；　by　the　elements　and　stars　of　night。



WIDOW　QUIN。　　Then　we'll　not　say　a　word　of　the　old　fellow；　the　way　Pegeen　won't

know　your　story　till　the　end　of　time。



CHRISTY。　　And　if　he　chances　to　return　again？



WIDOW　QUIN。　　We'll　swear　he's　a　maniac　and　not　your　da。　　I　could　take　an　oath

I　seen　him　raving　on　the　sands　to…day。　　＇Girls　run　in。＇



SUSAN。　　Come　on　to　the　sports　below。　Pegeen　says　you're　to　come。



SARA　TANSEY。　　The　lepping's　beginning；　and　we've　a　jockey's　suit　to　fit　upon

you　for　the　mule　race　on　the　sands　below。



HONOR。　　Come　on；　will　you？



CHRISTY。　　I　will　then　if　Pegeen's　beyond。



SARA。　　She's　in　the　boreen　making　game　of　Shaneen　Keogh。



CHRISTY。　　Then　I'll　be　going　to　her　now。　＇He　runs　out　followed　by　the　girls。＇



WIDOW　QUIN。　　Well；　if　the　worst　comes　in　the　end　of　all；　it'll　be　great　game

to　see　there's　none　to　pity　him　but　a　widow　woman；　the　like　of　me；　has　buried

her　children　and　destroyed　her　man。　　＇She　goes　out。＇



CURTAIN







ACT　III。





SCENE；　＇as　before。　　Later　in　the　day。　　Jimmy　comes　in；　slightly　drunk。＇



JIMMY　　＇calls。＇　　Pegeen！　　（Crosses　to　inner　door。）　　Pegeen　Mike！　　（Comes

back　again　into　the　room。）　　Pegeen！　　（Philly　comes　in　in　the　same　state。）　　（To

Philly。）　　Did　you　see　herself？



PHILLY。　　I　did　not；　but　I　sent　Shawn　Keogh　with　the　ass　cart　for　to　bear　him

home。　（Trying　cupboards　which　are　locked。）　　Well；　isn't　he　a　nasty　man　to　get

into　such　staggers　at　a　morning　wake？　and　isn't　herself　the　divil's　daughter

for　locking；　and　she　so　fussy　after　that　young　gaffer；　you　might　take　your

death　with　drought　and　none　to　heed　you？



JIMMY。　　It's　little　wonder　she'd　be　fussy；　and　he　after　bringing　bankrupt　ruin

on　the　roulette　man；　and　the　trick…o'…the…loop　man；　and　breaking　the　nose　of

the　cockshot…man；　and　winning　all　in　the　sports　below；　racing；　lepping；

dancing；　and　the　Lord　knows　what！　He's　right　luck；　I'm　telling　you。



PHILLY。　　If　he　has；　he'll　be　rightly　hobbled　yet；　and　he　not　able　to　say　ten

words　without　making　a　brag　of　the　way　he　killed　his　father；　and　the　great

blow　he　hit　with　the　loy。



JIMMY。　　A　man　can't　hang　by　his　own　informing；　and　his　father　should　be　rotten

by　now。　＇Old　Mahon　passes　window　slowly。＇



PHILLY。　　Supposing　a　man's　digging　spuds　in　that　field　with　a　long　spade；　and

supposing　he　flings　up　the　two　halves　of　that　skull；　what'll　be　said　then　in

the　papers　and　the　courts　of　law？



JIMMY。　　They'd　say　it　was　an　old　Dane；　maybe；　was　drowned　in　the　flood。　　（Old

Mahon　comes　in　and　sits　down　near　door　listening。）　Did　you　never　hear　tell　of

the　skulls　they　have　in　the　city　of　Dublin；　ranged　out　like　blue　jugs　in　a

cabin　of　Connaught？



PHILLY。　　And　you　believe　that？



JIMMY　　＇pugnaciously。＇　　Didn't　a　lad　see　them　and　he　after　coming　from

harvesting　in　the　Liverpool　boat？　　〃They　have　them　there；〃　says　he；　〃making　a

show　of　the　great　people　there　was　one　time　walking　the　world。　　White　skulls

and　black　skulls　and　yellow　skulls；　and　some　with　full　teeth；　and　some　haven't

only　but　one。〃



PHILLY。　　It　was　no　lie；　maybe；　for　when　I　was　a　young　lad　there　was　a

graveyard　beyond　the　house　with　the　remnants　of　a　man　who　had　thighs　as　long

as　your　arm。　　He　was　a　horrid　man；　I'm　telling　you；　and　there　was　many　a　fine

Sunday　I'd　put　him　together　for　fun；　and　he　with　shiny　bones；　you　wouldn't

meet　the　like　of　these　days　in　the　cities　of　the　world。



MAHON　　＇getting　up。＇　　You　wouldn't　is　it？　　Lay　your　eyes　on　that　skull；

and　tell　me　where　and　when　there　was　another　the　like　of　it；　is　splintered

only　from　the　blow　of　a　loy。



PHILLY。　　Glory　be　to　God！　　And　who　hit　you　at　all？



MAHON　　＇triumphantly。＇　　It　was　my　own　son　hit　me。　　Would　you　believe　that？　　



JIMMY。　　Well；　there's　wonders　hidden　in　the　heart　of　man！



PHILLY　　＇suspiciously。＇　　And　what　way　was　it　done？



MAHON　　＇wandering　about　the　room。＇　　I'm　after　walking　hundreds　and　long

scores　of　miles；　winning　clean　beds　and　the　fill　of　my　belly　four　times　in　the

day；　and　I　doing　nothing　but　telling　stories　of　that　naked　truth。　（He　comes　to

them　a　little　aggressively。）　　Give　me　a　supeen　and　I'll　tell　you　now。　＇Widow

Quin　comes　in　and　stands　aghast　behind　him。　　He　is　facing　Jimmy　and　Philly；

who　are　on　the　left。＇



JIMMY。　　Ask　herself　beyond。　　She's　the　stuff　hidden　in　her　shawl。



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇coming　to　Mahon　quickly。＇　　you　here；　is　it？　　You　didn't　go

far　at　all？



MAHON。　　I　seen　the　coasting　steamer　passing；　and　I　got　a　drought　upon　me　and　a

cramping　leg；　so　I　said；　〃The　divil　go　along　with　him；〃　and　turned　again。　

（Looking　under　her　shawl。）　　And　let　you　give　me　a　supeen；　for　I'm　destroyed

travelling　since　Tuesday　was　a　week。



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇getting　a　glass；　in　a　cajoling　tone。＇　　Sit　down　then　by　the

fire　and　take　your　ease　for　a　space。　　You've　a　right　to　be　destroyed　indeed；

with　your　walking；　and　fighting；　and　facing　the　sun　（giving　him　poteen　from　a

stone　jar　she　has　brought　in。）　　There　now　is　a　drink　for　you；　and　may　it　be　to

your　happiness　and　length　of　life。