playboy of the western world-第13章

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

mule　and　drive　him　westwards；　like　holy　Joseph　in　the　days　gone　by；　the　way　we

could　have　given　him　a　decent　burial；　and　not　have　him　rotting　beyond；　and　not

a　Christian　drinking　a　smart　drop　to　the　glory　of　his　soul？



CHRISTY　　＇gruffly。＇　　It's　well　enough　he's　lying；　for　the　likes　of　him。



MICHAEL　　＇slapping　him　on　the　back。＇　　Well；　aren't　you　a　hardened　slayer？　

It'll　be　a　poor　thing　for　the　household　man　where　you　go　sniffing　for　a　female

wife；　and　（pointing　to　Shawn）　look　beyond　at　that　shy　and　decent　Christian　I

have　chosen　for　my　daughter's　hand；　and　I　after　getting　the　gilded

dispensation　this　day　for　to　wed　them　now。



CHRISTY。　　And　you'll　be　wedding　them　this　day；　is　it？



MICHAEL　　＇drawing　himself　up。＇　　Aye。　　Are　you　thinking；　if　I'm　drunk

itself；　I'd　leave　my　daughter　living　single　with　a　little　frisky　rascal　is　the

like　of　you？



PEGEEN　　＇breaking　away　from　Shawn。＇　　Is　it　the　truth　the　dispensation's

come？



MICHAEL　　＇triumphantly。＇　　Father　Reilly's　after　reading　it　in　gallous　Latin；

and　〃It's　come　in　the　nick　of　time；〃　says　he；　〃so　I'll　wed　them　in　a　hurry；

dreading　that　young　gaffer　who'd　capsize　the　stars。〃



PEGEEN　　＇fiercely。＇　　He's　missed　his　nick　of　time；　for　it's　that　lad；

Christy　Mahon；　that　I'm　wedding　now。



MICHAEL　　＇loudly　with　horror。＇　　You'd　be　making　him　a　son　to　me；　and　he

wet　and　crusted　with　his　father's　blood？



PEGEEN。　　Aye。　　Wouldn't　it　be　a　bitter　thing　for　a　girl　to　go　marrying　the

like　of　Shaneen；　and　he　a　middling　kind　of　a　scarecrow；　with　no　savagery　or

fine　words　in　him　at　all？



MICHAEL　　＇gasping　and　sinking　on　a　chair。＇　　Oh；　aren't　you　a　heathen

daughter　to　go　shaking　the　fat　of　my　heart；　and　I　swamped　and　drownded　with

the　weight　of　drink？　Would　you　have　them　turning　on　me　the　way　that　I'd　be

roaring　to　the　dawn　of　day　with　the　wind　upon　my　heart？　　Have　you　not　a　word

to　aid　me；　Shaneen？　　Are　you　not　jealous　at　all？



SHANEEN　　＇In　great　misery。＇　　I'd　be　afeard　to　be　jealous　of　a　man　did　slay

his　da。



PEGEEN。　　Well；　it'd　be　a　poor　thing　to　go　marrying　your　like。　　I'm　seeing

there's　a　world　of　peril　for　an　orphan　girl；　and　isn't　it　a　great　blessing　I

didn't　wed　you；　before　himself　came　walking　from　the　west　or　south？



SHAWN。　　It's　a　queer　story　you'd　go　picking　a　dirty　tramp　up　from　the　highways

of　the　world。



PEGEEN　　＇playfully。＇　　And　you　think　you're　a　likely　beau　to　go　straying

along　with；　the　shiny　Sundays　of　the　opening　year；　when　it's　sooner　on　a

bullock's　liver　you'd　put　a　poor　girl　thinking　than　on　the　lily　or　the　rose？



SHAWN。　　And　have　you　no　mind　of　my　weight　of　passion；　and　the　holy

dispensation；　and　the　drift　of　heifers　I　am　giving；　and　the　golden　ring？



PEGEEN。　　I'm　thinking　you're　too　fine　for　the　like　of　me；　Shawn　Keogh　of

Killakeen；　and　let　you　go　off　till　you'd　find　a　radiant　lady　with　droves　of

bullocks　on　the　plains　of　Meath；　and　herself　bedizened　in　the　diamond

jewelleries　of　Pharaoh's　ma。　　That'd　be　your　match；　Shaneen。　　So　God　save　you

now！　＇She　retreats　behind　Christy。＇



SHAWN。　　Won't　you　hear　me　telling　you。　。　。　？



CHRISTY　　＇with　ferocity。＇　　Take　yourself　from　this；　young　fellow；　or　I'll

maybe　add　a　murder　to　my　deeds　to…day。



MICHAEL　　＇springing　up　with　a　shriek。＇　　Murder　is　it？　　Is　it　mad　yous　are？　

Would　you　go　making　murder　in　this　place；　and　it　piled　with　poteen　for　our

drink　to…night？　　Go　on　to　the　foreshore　if　it's　fighting　you　want；　where　the

rising　tide　will　wash　all　traces　from　the　memory　of　man。　＇Pushing　Shawn

towards　Christy。＇



SHAWN　　＇shaking　himself　free；　and　getting　behind　Michael。＇　　I'll　not　fight

him；　Michael　James。　　I'd　liefer　live　a　bachelor；　simmering　in　passions　to　the

end　of　time；　than　face　a　lepping　savage　the　like　of　him　has　descended　from　the

Lord　knows　where。　　Strike　him　yourself；　Michael　James；　or　you'll　lose　my　drift

of　heifers　and　my　blue　bull　from　Sneem。



MICHAEL。　　Is　it　me　fight　him；　when　it's　father…slaying　he's　bred　to　now？　

（Pushing　Shawn。）　　Go　on　you　fool　and　fight　him　now。



SHAWN　　＇coming　forward　a　little。＇　　Will　I　strike　him　with　my　hand？



MICHAEL。　　Take　the　loy　is　on　your　western　side。



SHAWN。　　I'd　be　afeard　of　the　gallows　if　I　struck　him　with　that。



CHRISTY　　＇taking　up　the　loy。＇　　Then　I'll　make　you　face　the　gallows　or　quit

off　from　this。　　＇Shawn　flies　out　of　the　door。＇



CHRISTY。　　Well；　fine　weather　be　after　him；　（going　to　Michael；　coaxingly）　and

I'm　thinking　you　wouldn't　wish　to　have　that　quaking　blackguard　in　your　house

at　all。　　Let　you　give　us　your　blessing　and　hear　her　swear　her　faith　to　me；　for

I'm　mounted　on　the　spring…tide　of　the　stars　of　luck；　the　way　it'll　be　good　for

any　to　have　me　in　the　house。



PEGEEN　　＇at　the　other　side　of　Michael。＇　　Bless　us　now；　for　I　swear　to　God

I'll　wed　him；　and　I'll　not　renege。



MICHAEL　　＇standing　up　in　the　centre；　holding　on　to　both　of　them。＇　　It's

the　will　of　God；　I'm　thinking；　that　all　should　win　an　easy　or　a　cruel　end；　and

it's　the　will　of　God　that　all　should　rear　up　lengthy　families　for　the　nurture

of　the　earth。　　What's　a　single　man；　I　ask　you；　eating　a　bit　in　one　house　and

drinking　a　sup　in　another；　and　he　with　no　place　of　his　own；　like　an　old

braying　jackass　strayed　upon　the　rocks？　　（To　Christy。）　　It's　many　would　be　in

dread　to　bring　your　like　into　their　house　for　to　end　them；　maybe；　with　a

sudden　end；　but　I'm　a　decent　man　of　Ireland；　and　I　liefer　face　the　grave

untimely　and　I　seeing　a　score　of　grandsons　growing　up　little　gallant　swearers

by　the　name　of　God；　than　go　peopling　my　bedside　with　puny　weeds　the　like　of

what　you'd　breed；　I'm　thinking；　out　of　Shaneen　Keogh。　（He　joins　their　hands。）　

A　daring　fellow　is　the　jewel　of　the　world；　and　a　man　did　split　his　father's

middle　with　a　single　clout；　should　have　the　bravery　of　ten；　so　may　God　and

Mary　and　St。　Patrick　bless　you；　and　increase　you　from　this　mortal　day。



CHRISTY　AND　PEGEEN。　　Amen；　O　Lord！



＇Hubbub　outside。＇



＇Old　Mahon　rushes　in；　followed　by　all　the　crowd；　and　Widow　Quin。　　He　makesa

rush　at　Christy；　knocks　him　down；and　begins　to　beat　him。＇



PEGEEN　　＇dragging　back　his　arm。＇　　Stop　that；　will　you。　　Who　are　you　at

all？



MAHON。　　His　father；　God　forgive　me！



PEGEEN　　＇drawing　back。＇　　Is　it　rose　from　the　dead？



MAHON。　　Do　you　think　I　look　so　easy　quenched　with　the　tap　of　a　loy？　　＇Beats

Christy　again。＇



PEGEEN　　＇glaring　at　Christy。＇　　And　it's　lies　you　told；　letting　on　you　had

him　slitted；　and　you　nothing　at　all。



CHRISTY　　＇clutching　Mahon's　stick。＇　　He's　not　my　father。　　He's　a　raving

maniac　would　scare　the　world。　　（Pointing　to　Widow　Quin。）　　Herself　knows　it　is

true。



CROWD。　　You're　fooling　Pegeen！　　The　Widow　Quin　seen　him　this　day；　and　you

likely　knew！　　You're　a　liar！



CHRISTY　　＇dumbfounded。＇　　It's　himself　was　a　liar；　lying　stretched　out　with

an　open　head　on　him；　letting　on　he　was　dead。



MAHON。　　Weren't　you　off　racing　the　hills　before　I　got　my　breath　with　the　start

I　had　seeing　you　turn　on　me　at　all？



PEGEEN。　　And　to　think　of　the　coaxing　glory　we　had　given　him；　and　he　after

doing　nothing　but　hitting　a　soft　blow　and　chasing　northward　in　a　sweat　of

fear。　　Quit　off　from　this。



CHRISTY　　＇piteously。＇　　You've　seen　my　doings　this　day；　and　let　you　save　me

from　the　old　man；　for　why　would　you　be　in　such　a　scorch　of　haste　to　spur　me　to

destruction　now？



PEGEEN。　　It's　there　your　treachery　is　spurring　me；　till　I'm　hard　set　to　think

you're　the　one　I'm　after　lacing　in　my　heart…strings　half…an…hour　gone　by。　　（To

Mahon。）　　Take　him　on　from　this；　for　I　think　bad　the　world　should　see　me　raging

for　a　Munster　liar；　and　the　fool　of　men。



MAHON。　　Rise　up　now　to　retribution；　and　come　on　with　me。



CROWD　　＇jeeringly。＇　　There's　the　playboy！　　There's　the　lad　thought　he'd　rule

the　roost　in　Mayo。　　Slate　him　now；　mister。



CHRISTY　　＇getting　up　in　shy　terror。＇　　What　is　it　drives　you　to　torment　me

here；　when　I