playboy of the western world-第12章

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sayings　in　a　printed　book。　　Would　you　believe　that？



WIDOW　QUIN。　　If　you're　a　wonder　itself；　you'd　best　be　hasty；　for　them　lads

caught　a　maniac　one　time　and　pelted　the　poor　creature　till　he　ran　out；　raving

and　foaming；　and　was　drowned　in　the　sea。



MAHON　　＇with　philosophy。＇　　It's　true　mankind　is　the　divil　when　your　head's

astray。　Let　me　out　now　and　I'll　slip　down　the　boreen；　and　not　see　them　so。



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇showing　him　out。＇　　That's　it。　　Run　to　the　right；　and　not　a

one　will　see。　　＇He　runs　off。＇



PHILLY　　＇wisely。＇　　You're　at　some　gaming；　Widow　Quin；　but　I'll　walk　after

him　and　give　him　his　dinner　and　a　time　to　rest；　and　I'll　see　then　if　he's

raving　or　as　sane　as　you。



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇annoyed。＇　　If　you　go　near　that　lad；　let　you　be　wary　of　your

head；　I'm　saying。　　Didn't　you　hear　him　telling　he　was　crazed　at　times？



PHILLY。　　I　heard　him　telling　a　power；　and　I'm　thinking　we'll　have　right　sport；

before　night　will　fall。　　＇He　goes　out。＇



JIMMY。　　Well；　Philly's　a　conceited　and　foolish　man。　　How　could　that　madman

have　his　senses　and　his　brain…pan　slit？　　I'll　go　after　them　and　see　him　turn

on　Philly　now。　＇He　goes；　Widow　Quin　hides　poteen　behind　counter。　　Then　hubbub

outside。＇



VOICES。　　There　you　are！　　Good　jumper！　Grand　lepper！　　Darlint　boy！　　He's　the

racer！　Bear　him　on；　will　you！　　＇Christy　comes　in；　in　Jockey's　dress；　with

Pegeen　Mike；　Sara；　and　other　girls；　and　men。＇



PEGEEN　　＇to　crowd。＇　　Go　on　now　and　don't　destroy　him　and　he　drenching　with

sweat。　　Go　along；　I'm　saying；　and　have　your　tug…of…warring　till　he's　dried　his

skin。



CROWD。　　Here's　his　prizes！　　A　bagpipes！　A　fiddle　was　played　by　a　poet　in　the

years　gone　by！　　A　flat　and　three…thorned　blackthorn　would　lick　the　scholars

out　of　Dublin　town！



CHRISTY　　＇taking　prizes　from　the　men。＇　　Thank　you　kindly；　the　lot　of　you。　

But　you'd　say　it　was　little　only　I　did　this　day　if　you'd　seen　me　a　while　since

striking　my　one　single　blow。



TOWN　CRIER　　＇outside；　ringing　a　bell。＇　　Take　notice；　last　event　of　this

day！　　Tug…of…warring　on　the　green　below！　　Come　on；　the　lot　of　you！　　Great

achievements　for　all　Mayo　men！



PEGEEN。　　Go　on；　and　leave　him　for　to　rest　and　dry。　　Go　on；　I　tell　you；　for

he'll　do　no　more。　　（She　hustles　crowd　out；　Widow　Quin　following　them。）



MEN　　＇going。＇　　Come　on　then。　　Good　luck　for　the　while！



PEGEEN　　＇radiantly；　wiping　his　face　with　her　shawl。＇　　Well；　you're　the

lad；　and　you'll　have　great　times　from　this　out　when　you　could　win　that　wealth

of　prizes；　and　you　sweating　in　the　heat　of　noon！



CHRISTY　　＇looking　at　her　with　delight。＇　　I'll　have　great　times　if　I　win

the　crowning　prize　I'm　seeking　now；　and　that's　your　promise　that　you'll　wed　me

in　a　fortnight；　when　our　banns　is　called。



PEGEEN　　＇backing　away　from　him。＇　　You've　right　daring　to　go　ask　me　that；

when　all　knows　you'll　be　starting　to　some　girl　in　your　own　townland；　when　your

father's　rotten　in　four　months；　or　five。



CHRISTY　　＇indignantly。＇　　Starting　from　you；　is　it？　　（He　follows　her。）　　I

will　not；　then；　and　when　the　airs　is　warming　in　four　months；　or　five；　it's

then　yourself　and　me　should　be　pacing　Neifin　in　the　dews　of　night；　the　times

sweet　smells　do　be　rising；　and　you'd　see　a　little　shiny　new　moon；　maybe；

sinking　on　the　hills。



PEGEEN　　＇looking　at　him　playfully。＇　　And　it's　that　kind　of　a　poacher's　love

you'd　make；　Christy　Mahon；　on　the　sides　of　Neifin；　when　the　night　is　down？



CHRISTY。　　It's　little　you'll　think　if　my　love's　a　poacher's；　or　an　earl's

itself；　when　you'll　feel　my　two　hands　stretched　around　you；　and　I　squeezing

kisses　on　your　puckered　lips；　till　I'd　feel　a　kind　of　pity　for　the　Lord　God　is

all　ages　sitting　lonesome　in　his　golden　chair。



PEGEEN。　　That'll　be　right　fun；　Christy　Mahon；　and　any　girl　would　walk　her

heart　out　before　she'd　meet　a　young　man　was　your　like　for　eloquence；　or　talk；

at　all。



CHRISTY　　＇encouraged。＇　　Let　you　wait；　to　hear　me　talking；　till　we're　astray

in　Erris；　when　Good　Friday's　by；　drinking　a　sup　from　a　well；　and　making　mighty

kisses　with　our　wetted　mouths；　or　gaming　in　a　gap　or　sunshine；　with　yourself

stretched　back　unto　your　necklace；　in　the　flowers　of　the　earth。



PEGEEN　　＇in　a　lower　voice；　moved　by　his　tone。＇　　I'd　be　nice　so；　is　it？



CHRISTY　　＇with　rapture。＇　　If　the　mitred　bishops　seen　you　that　time；　they'd

be　the　like　of　the　holy　prophets；　I'm　thinking；　do　be　straining　the　bars　of

Paradise　to　lay　eyes　on　the　Lady　Helen　of　Troy；　and　she　abroad；　pacing　back

and　forward；　with　a　nosegay　in　her　golden　shawl。



PEGEEN　　＇with　real　tenderness。＇　　And　what　is　it　I　have；　Christy　Mahon；　to

make　me　fitting　entertainment　for　the　like　of　you；　that　has　such　poet's

talking；　and　such　bravery　of　heart？



CHRISTY　　＇in　a　low　voice。＇　　Isn't　there　the　light　of　seven　heavens　in　your

heart　alone；　the　way　you'll　be　an　angel's　lamp　to　me　from　this　out；　and　I

abroad　in　the　darkness；　spearing　salmons　in　the　Owen；　or　the　Carrowmore？



PEGEEN。　　If　I　was　your　wife；　I'd　be　along　with　you　those　nights；　Christy

Mahon；　the　way　you'd　see　I　was　a　great　hand　at　coaxing　bailiffs；　or　coining

funny　nick…names　for　the　stars　of　night。



CHRISTY。　　You；　is　it？　　Taking　your　death　in　the　hailstones；　or　in　the　fogs　of

dawn。



PEGEEN。　　Yourself　and　me　would　shelter　easy　in　a　narrow　bush；　（with　a　qualm　of

dread）　but　we're　only　talking；　maybe；　for　this　would　be　a　poor；　thatched　place

to　hold　a　fine　lad　is　the　like　of　you。



CHRISTY　　＇putting　his　arm　round　her。＇　　If　I　wasn't　a　good　Christian；　it's

on　my　naked　knees　I'd　be　saying　my　prayers　and　paters　to　every　jackstraw　you

have　roofing　your　head；　and　every　stony　pebble　is　paving　the　laneway　to　your

door。



PEGEEN　　＇radiantly。＇　　If　that's　the　truth；　I'll　be　burning　candles　from　this

out　to　the　miracles　of　God　that　have　brought　you　from　the　south　to…day；　and　I；

with　my　gowns　bought　ready；　the　way　that　I　can　wed　you；　and　not　wait　at　all。



CHRISTY。　　It's　miracles；　and　that's　the　truth。　　Me　there　toiling　a　long　while；

and　walking　a　long　while；　not　knowing　at　all　I　was　drawing　all　times　nearer　to

this　holy　day。



PEGEEN。　　And　myself；　a　girl；　was　tempted　often　to　go　sailing　the　seas　till　I'd

marry　a　Jew…man；　with　ten　kegs　of　gold；　and　I　not　knowing　at　all　there　was　the

like　of　you　drawing　nearer；　like　the　stars　of　God。



CHRISTY。　　And　to　think　I'm　long　years　hearing　women　talking　that　talk；　to　all

bloody　fools；　and　this　the　first　time　I've　heard　the　like　of　your　voice

talking　sweetly　for　my　own　delight。



PEGEEN。　　And　to　think　it's　me　is　talking　sweetly；　Christy　Mahon；　and　I　the

fright　of　seven　townlands　for　my　biting　tongue。　　Well；　the　heart's　a　wonder；

and；　I'm　thinking；　there　won't　be　our　like　in　Mayo；　for　gallant　lovers；　from

this　hour；　to…day。　　（Drunken　singing　is　heard　outside。）　　There's　my　father

coming　from　the　wake；　and　when　he's　had　his　sleep　we'll　tell　him；　for　he's

peaceful　then。　　＇They　separate。＇



MICHAEL　　＇singing　outside＇　　　　

The　jailor　and　the　turnkey

They　quickly　ran　us　down；

And　brought　us　back　as　prisoners

Once　more　to　Cavan　town。　＇He　comes　in　supported　by　Shawn。＇

There　we　lay　bewailing

All　in　a　prison　bound。　。　。　。　＇He　sees　Christy。　　Goes　and　shakes　him　drunkenly

by　the　hand；　while　Pegeen　and　Shawn　talk　on　the　left。＇



MICHAEL　　＇to　Christy。＇　　The　blessing　of　God　and　the　holy　angels　on　your

head；　young　fellow。　　I　hear　tell　you're　after　winning　all　in　the　sports　below；

and　wasn't　it　a　shame　I　didn't　bear　you　along　with　me　to　Kate　Cassidy's　wake；

a　fine；　stout　lad；　the　like　of　you；　for　you'd　never　see　the　match　of　it　for

flows　of　drink；　the　way　when　we　sunk　her　bones　at　noonday　in　her　narrow　grave；

there　were　five　men；　aye；　and　six　men；　stretched　out　retching　speechless　on

the　holy　stones。



CHRISTY　　＇uneasily；　watching　Pegeen。＇　　Is　that　the　truth？



MICHAEL。　　It　is　then；　and　aren't　you　a　louty　schemer　to　go　burying　your　poor

father　unbeknownst　when　you'd　a　right　to　throw　him　on　the　crupper　of　a　Kerry

mule　and　drive　him　west