playboy of the western world-第3章

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sighing　and　moaning。　　Then　he　sits　down；　putting　his　glass　beside　him　and

begins　gnawing　a　turnip；　too　miserable　to　feel　the　others　staring　at　him　with

curiosity。＇



MICHAEL　　＇going　after　him。＇　　Is　it　yourself　fearing　the　polis？　　You're

wanting；　maybe？



CHRISTY。　　There's　many　wanting。



MICHAEL。　　Many　surely；　with　the　broken　harvest　and　the　ended　wars。　　（He　picks

up　some　stockings；　etc。；　that　are　near　the　fire；　and　carries　them　away

furtively。）　　It　should　be　larceny；　I'm　thinking？



CHRISTY　　＇dolefully。＇　　I　had　it　in　my　mind　it　was　a　different　word　and　a

bigger。



PEGEEN。　　There's　a　queer　lad。　　Were　you　never　slapped　in　school；　young　fellow；

that　you　don't　know　the　name　of　your　deed？



CHRISTY　　＇bashfully。＇　　I'm　slow　at　learning；　a　middling　scholar　only。



MICHAEL。　　If　you're　a　dunce　itself；　you'd　have　a　right　to　know　that　larceny's

robbing　and　stealing。　　Is　it　for　the　like　of　that　you're　wanting？



CHRISTY　　＇with　a　flash　of　family　pride。＇　　And　I　the　son　of　a　strong　farmer

（with　a　sudden　qualm）；　God　rest　his　soul；　could　have　bought　up　the　whole　of

your　old　house　a　while　since；　from　the　butt　of　his　tailpocket；　and　not　have

missed　the　weight　of　it　gone。



MICHAEL　　＇impressed。＇　　If　it's　not　stealing；　it's　maybe　something　big。



CHRISTY　　＇flattered。＇　　Aye；　it's　maybe　something　big。



JIMMY。　　He's　a　wicked…looking　young　fellow。　　Maybe　he　followed　after　a　young

woman　on　a　lonesome　night。



CHRISTY　　＇shocked。＇　　Oh；　the　saints　forbid；　mister；　I　was　all　times　a　decent

lad。



PHILLY　　＇turning　on　Jimmy。＇　　You're　a　silly　man；　Jimmy　Farrell。　　He　said

his　father　was　a　farmer　a　while　since；　and　there's　himself　now　in　a　poor

state。　　Maybe　the　land　was　grabbed　from　him；　and　he　did　what　any　decent　man

would　do。



MICHAEL　　＇to　Christy；　mysteriously。＇　　Was　it　bailiffs？



CHRISTY。　　The　divil　a　one。



MICHAEL。　　Agents？



CHRISTY。　　The　divil　a　one。



MICHAEL。　　Landlords？



CHRISTY　　＇peevishly。＇　　Ah；　not　at　all；　I'm　saying。　　You'd　see　the　like　of

them　stories　on　any　little　paper　of　a　Munster　town。　　But　I'm　not　calling　to

mind　any　person；　gentle；　simple；　judge　or　jury；　did　the　like　of　me。　＇They　all

draw　nearer　with　delighted　curiosity。＇



PHILLY。　　Well；　that　lad's　a　puzzlethe　world。



JIMMY。　　He'd　beat　Dan　Davies'　circus；　or　the　holy　missioners　making　sermons　on

the　villainy　of　man。　　Try　him　again；　Philly。



PHILLY。　　Did　you　strike　golden　guineas　out　of　solder；　young　fellow；　or

shilling　coins　itself？



CHRISTY。　　I　did　not；　mister；　not　sixpence　nor　a　farthing　coin。　　　　



JIMMY。　　Did　you　marry　three　wives　maybe？　　I'm　told　there's　a　sprinkling　have

done　that　among　the　holy　Luthers　of　the　preaching　north。



CHRISTY　　＇shyly。＇　　I　never　married　with　one；　let　alone　with　a　couple　or

three。　　　　



PHILLY。　　Maybe　he　went　fighting　for　the　Boers；　the　like　of　the　man　beyond；　was

judged　to　be　hanged；　quartered　and　drawn。　　Were　you　off　east；　young　fellow；

fighting　bloody　wars　for　Kruger　and　the　freedom　of　the　Boers？



CHRISTY。　　I　never　left　my　own　parish　till　Tuesday　was　a　week。



PEGEEN　　＇coming　from　counter。＇　　He's　done　nothing；　so。　　（To　Christy。）　　If

you　didn't　commit　murder　or　a　bad；　nasty　thing；　or　false　coining；　or　robbery；

or　butchery；　or　the　like　of　them；　there　isn't　anything　that　would　be　worth

your　troubling　for　to　run　from　now。　You　did　nothing　at　all。



CHRISTY　　＇his　feelings　hurt。＇　　That's　an　unkindly　thing　to　be　saying　to　a

poor　orphaned　traveller；　has　a　prison　behind　him；　and　hanging　before；　and

hell's　gap　gaping　below。



PEGEEN　　＇with　a　sign　to　the　men　to　be　quiet。＇　　You're　only　saying　it。　　You

did　nothing　at　all。　　A　soft　lad　the　like　of　you　wouldn't　slit　the　windpipe　of

a　screeching　sow。



CHRISTY　　＇offended。＇　　You're　not　speaking　the　truth。



PEGEEN　　　＇in　mock　rage。＇　　Not　speaking　the　truth；　is　it？　　Would　you　have

me　knock　the　head　of　you　with　the　butt　of　the　broom？



CHRISTY　　＇twisting　round　on　her　with　a　sharp　cry　of　horror。＇　　Don't　strike

me。　　I　killed　my　poor　father；　Tuesday　was　a　week；　for　doing　the　like　of　that。



PEGEEN　　＇with　blank　amazement。＇　　Is　it　killed　your　father？



CHRISTY　　＇subsiding。＇　　With　the　help　of　God　I　did　surely；　and　that　the　Holy

Immaculate　Mother　may　intercede　for　his　soul。



PHILLY　　＇retreating　with　Jimmy。＇　　There's　a　daring　fellow。



JIMMY。　Oh；　glory　be　to　God！



MICHAEL　　＇with　great　respect。＇　　That　was　a　hanging　crime；　mister　honey。　

You　should　have　had　good　reason　for　doing　the　like　of　that。



CHRISTY　　＇in　a　very　reasonable　tone。＇　　He　was　a　dirty　man；　God　forgive

him；　and　he　getting　old　and　crusty；　the　way　I　couldn't　put　up　with　him　at　all。



PEGEEN。　　And　you　shot　him　dead？



CHRISTY　　＇shaking　his　head。＇　　I　never　used　weapons。　　I've　no　license；　and

I'm　a　law…fearing　man。



MICHAEL。　　It　was　with　a　hilted　knife　maybe？　　I'm　told；　in　the　big　world　it's

bloody　knives　they　use。



CHRISTY　　＇loudly；　scandalized。＇　　Do　you　take　me　for　a　slaughter…boy？



PEGEEN。　　You　never　hanged　him；　the　way　Jimmy　Farrell　hanged　his　dog　from　the

license；　and　had　it　screeching　and　wriggling　three　hours　at　the　butt　of　a

string；　and　himself　swearing　it　was　a　dead　dog；　and　the　peelers　swearing　it

had　life？



CHRISTY。　　I　did　not　then。　　I　just　riz　the　loy　and　let　fall　the　edge　of　it　on

the　ridge　of　his　skull；　and　he　went　down　at　my　feet　like　an　empty　sack；　and

never　let　a　grunt　or　groan　from　him　at　all。



MICHAEL　　＇making　a　sign　to　Pegeen　to　fill　Christy's　glass。＇　　And　what　way

weren't　you　hanged；　mister？　　Did　you　bury　him　then？



CHRISTY　　＇considering。＇　　Aye。　　I　buried　him　then。　　Wasn't　I　digging　spuds　in

the　field？



MICHAEL。　　And　the　peelers　never　followed　after　you　the　eleven　days　that　you're

out？



CHRISTY　　＇shaking　his　head。＇　　Never　a　one　of　them；　and　I　walking　forward

facing　hog；　dog；　or　divil　on　the　highway　of　the　road。



PHILLY　　＇nodding　wisely。＇　　It's　only　with　a　common　week…day　kind　of　a

murderer　them　lads　would　be　trusting　their　carcase；　and　that　man　should　be　a

great　terror　when　his　temper's　roused。



MICHAEL。　　He　should　then。　　（To　Christy。）　And　where　was　it；　mister　honey；　that

you　did　the　deed？



CHRISTY　　＇looking　at　him　with　suspicion。＇　　Oh；　a　distant　place；　master　of

the　house；　a　windy　corner　of　high；　distant　hills。



PHILLY　　＇nodding　with　approval。＇　　He's　a　close　man；　and　he's　right；

surely。



PEGEEN。　　That'd　be　a　lad　with　the　sense　of　Solomon　to　have　for　a　pot…boy；

Michael　James；　if　it's　the　truth　you're　seeking　one　at　all。



PHILLY。　　The　peelers　is　fearing　him；　and　if　you'd　that　lad　in　the　house　there

isn't　one　of　them　would　come　smelling　around　if　the　dogs　itself　were　lapping

poteen　from　the　dungpit　of　the　yard。



JIMMY。　　Bravery's　a　treasure　in　a　lonesome　place；　and　a　lad　would　kill　his

father；　I'm　thinking；　would　face　a　foxy　divil　with　a　pitchpike　on　the　flags　of

hell。



PEGEEN。　　It's　the　truth　they're　saying；　and　if　I'd　that　lad　in　the　house；　I

wouldn't　be　fearing　the　loosed　kharki　cut…throats；　or　the　walking　dead。



CHRISTY　　＇swelling　with　surprise　and　triumph。＇　　Well；　glory　be　to　God！



MICHAEL　　＇with　deference。＇　　Would　you　think　well　to　stop　here　and　be

pot…boy；　mister　honey；　if　we　gave　you　good　wages；　and　didn't　destroy　you　with

the　weight　of　work？



SHAWN　　＇coming　forward　uneasily。＇　　That'd　be　a　queer　kind　to　bring　into　a

decent　quiet　household　with　the　like　of　Pegeen　Mike。



PEGEEN　　＇very　sharply。＇　　Will　you　whisht？　　Who's　speaking　to　you？



SHAWN　　＇retreating。＇　　A　bloody…handed　murderer　the　like　of　。　。　。



PEGEEN　　＇snapping　at　him。＇　　Whisht　I　am　saying；　we'll　take　no　fooling　from

your　like　at　all。　　（To　Christy　with　a　honeyed　voice。）　And　you；　young　fellow；

you'd　have　a　right　to　stop；　I'm　thinking；　for　we'd　do　our　all　and　utmost　to

content　your　needs。



CHRISTY　　＇overcome　with　wonder。＇　　And　I'd　be　safe　in　this　place　from　the

searching　law？



MICHAEL。　　You　would；　surely。　　If　they're　not　fearing　you；　itself；　the　peelers