playboy of the western world-第6章

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　Well；　it's　a　clean　bed　and　soft　with　it；　and　it's　great　luck　and　company

I've　won　me　in　the　end　of　time　　two　fine　women　fighting　for　the　likes　of　me

　till　I'm　thinking　this　night　wasn't　I　a　foolish　fellow　not　to　kill　my

father　in　the　years　gone　by。



CURTAIN







ACT　II。



SCENE；　＇as　before。　　Brilliant　morning　light。　Christy；　looking　bright　and

cheerful；　is　cleaning　a　girl's　boots。＇



CHRISTY　　＇to　himself；　counting　jugs　on　dresser。＇　　Half　a　hundred　beyond。　

Ten　there。　　A　score　that's　above。　　Eighty　jugs。　　Six　cups　and　a　broken　one。　

Two　plates。　　A　power　of　glasses。　　Bottles；　a　school…master'd　be　hard　set　to

count；　and　enough　in　them；　I'm　thinking；　to　drunken　all　the　wealth　and　wisdom

of　the　County　Clare。　　（He　puts　down　the　boot　carefully。）　　There's　her　boots

now；　nice　and　decent　for　her　evening　use；　and　isn't　it　grand　brushes　she　has？　

（He　puts　them　down　and　goes　by　degrees　to　the　looking…glass。）　　Well；　this'd　be

a　fine　place　to　be　my　whole　life　talking　out　with　swearing　Christians；　in

place　of　my　old　dogs　and　cat；　and　I　stalking　around；　smoking　my　pipe　and

drinking　my　fill；　and　never　a　day's　work　but　drawing　a　cork　an　odd　time；　or

wiping　a　glass；　or　rinsing　out　a　shiny　tumbler　for　a　decent　man。　　（He　takes

the　looking…glass　from　the　wall　and　puts　it　on　the　back　of　a　chair；　then　sits

down　in　front　of　it　and　begins　washing　his　face。）　　Didn't　I　know　rightly　I　was

handsome；　though　it　was　the　divil's　own　mirror　we　had　beyond；　would　twist　a

squint　across　an　angel's　brow；　and　I'll　be　growing　fine　from　this　day；　the　way

I'll　have　a　soft　lovely　skin　on　me　and　won't　be　the　like　of　the　clumsy　young

fellows　do　be　ploughing　all　times　in　the　earth　and　dung。　　（He　starts。）　Is　she

coming　again？　　（He　looks　out。）　Stranger　girls。　　God　help　me；　where'll　I　hide

myself　away　and　my　long　neck　nacked　to　the　world？　　（He　looks　out。）　　I'd　best

go　to　the　room　maybe　till　I'm　dressed　again。　＇He　gathers　up　his　coat　and　the

looking…glass；　and　runs　into　the　inner　room。　The　door　is　pushed　open；　and

Susan　Brady　looks　in；　and　knocks　on　door。＇



SUSAN。　　There's　nobody　in　it。　　＇Knocks　again。＇



NELLY　　＇pushing　her　in　and　following　her；　with　Honor　Blake　and　Sara　Tansey。＇　

It'd　be　early　for　them　both　to　be　out　walking　the　hill。



SUSAN。　　I'm　thinking　Shawn　Keogh　was　making　game　of　us　and　there's　no　such　man

in　it　at　all。



HONOR　　＇pointing　to　straw　and　quilt。＇　　Look　at　that。　　He's　been　sleeping

there　in　the　night。　　Well；　it'll　be　a　hard　case　if　he's　gone　off　now；　the　way

we'll　never　set　our　eyes　on　a　man　killed　his　father；　and　we　after　rising　early

and　destroying　ourselves　running　fast　on　the　hill。



NELLY。　　Are　you　thinking　them's　his　boots？



SARA　　＇taking　them　up。＇　　If　they　are；　there　should　be　his　father's　track

on　them。　　Did　you　never　read　in　the　papers　the　way　murdered　men　do　bleed　and

drip？



SUSAN。　　Is　that　blood　there；　Sara　Tansey？



SARAH　　＇smelling　it。＇　　That's　bog　water；　I'm　thinking；　but　it's　his　own

they　are　surely；　for　I　never　seen　the　like　of　them　for　whity　mud；　and　red　mud；

and　turf　on　them；　and　the　fine　sands　of　the　sea。　　That　man's　been　walking；　I'm

telling　you。　＇She　goes　down　right；　putting　on　one　of　his　boots。＇



SUSAN　　＇going　to　window。＇　　Maybe　he's　stolen　off　to　Belmullet　with　the

boots　of　Michael　James；　and　you'd　have　a　right　so　to　follow　after　him；　Sara

Tansey；　and　you　the　one　yoked　the　ass　cart　and　drove　ten　miles　to　set　your

eyes　on　the　man　bit　the　yellow　lady's　nostril　on　the　northern　shore。　　＇She

looks　out。＇



SARA　　＇running　to　window　with　one　boot　on。＇　　Don't　be　talking；　and　we

fooled　to…day。　　（Putting　on　other　boot。）　　There's　a　pair　do　fit　me　well；　and

I'll　be　keeping　them　for　walking　to　the　priest；　when　you'd　be　ashamed　this

place；　going　up　winter　and　summer　with　nothing　worth　while　to　confess　at　all。　　



HONOR　　＇who　has　been　listening　at　the　door。＇　　Whisht！　there's　someone

inside　the　room。　　（She　pushes　door　a　chink　open。）　　It's　a　man。　＇Sara　kicks　off

boots　and　puts　them　where　they　were。　　They　all　stand　in　a　line　looking　through

chink。＇



SARA。　　I'll　call　him。　　Mister！　　Mister！　（He　puts　in　his　head。）　　Is　Pegeen

within？



CHRISTY　　＇coming　in　as　meek　as　a　mouse；　with　the　looking…glass　held　behind

his　back。＇　　She's　above　on　the　cnuceen；　seeking　the　nanny　goats；　the　way

she'd　have　a　sup　of　goat's　milk　for　to　colour　my　tea。



SARA。　　And　asking　your　pardon；　is　it　you's　the　man　killed　his　father？



CHRISTY　　＇sidling　toward　the　nail　where　the　glass　was　hanging。＇　　I　am；　God

help　me！



SARA　　＇taking　eggs　she　has　brought。＇　　Then　my　thousand　welcomes　to　you；

and　I've　run　up　with　a　brace　of　duck's　eggs　for　your　food　today。　　Pegeen's

ducks　is　no　use；　but　these　are　the　real　rich　sort。　　Hold　out　your　hand　and

you'll　see　it's　no　lie　I'm　telling　you。



CHRISTY　　＇coming　forward　shyly；　and　holding　out　his　left　hand。＇　　They're　a

great　and　weighty　size。



SUSAN。　　And　I　run　up　with　a　pat　of　butter；　for　it'd　be　a　poor　thing　to　have

you　eating　your　spuds　dry；　and　you　after　running　a　great　way　since　you　did

destroy　your　da。



CHRISTY。　　Thank　you　kindly。



HONOR。　　And　I　brought　you　a　little　cut　of　cake；　for　you　should　have　a　thin

stomach　on　you；　and　you　that　length　walking　the　world。



NELLY。　　And　I　brought　you　a　little　laying　pullet　　boiled　and　all　she　is　

was　crushed　at　the　fall　of　night　by　the　curate's　car。　　Feel　the　fat　of　that

breast；　Mister。



CHRISTY。　　It's　bursting；　surely。　＇He　feels　it　with　the　back　of　his　hand；in

which　he　holds　the　presents。＇



SARA。　　Will　you　pinch　it？　　Is　your　right　hand　too　sacred　for　to　use　at　all？　

（She　slips　round　behind　him。）　　It's　a　glass　he　has。　　Well；　I　never　seen　to

this　day　a　man　with　a　looking…glass　held　to　his　back。　　Them　that　kills　their

fathers　is　a　vain　lot　surely。　　＇Girls　giggle。＇



CHRISTY　　＇smiling　innocently　and　piling　presents　on　glass。＇　　I'm　very

thankful　to　you　all　to…day　。　。　。



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇coming　in　quickly；　at　door。＇　　Sara　Tansey；　Susan　Brady；　Honor

Blake！　　What　in　glory　has　you　here　at　this　hour　of　day？



GIRLS　　＇giggling。＇　　That's　the　man　killed　his　father。



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇coming　to　them。＇　　I　know　well　it's　the　man；　and　I'm　after

putting　him　down　in　the　sports　below　for　racing；　leaping；　pitching；　and　the

Lord　knows　what。



SARA　　＇exuberantly。＇　　That's　right；　Widow　Quin。　　I'll　bet　my　dowry　that

he'll　lick　the　world。



WIDOW　QUIN。　　If　you　will；　you'd　have　a　right　to　have　him　fresh　and　nourished

in　place　of　nursing　a　feast。　　（Taking　presents。）　Are　you　fasting　or　fed；　young

fellow？



CHRISTY。　　Fasting；　if　you　please。



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇loudly。＇　　Well；　you're　the　lot。　　Stir　up　now　and　give　him　his

breakfast。　　（To　Christy。）　　Come　here　to　me　（she　puts　him　on　bench　beside　her

while　the　girls　make　tea　and　get　his　breakfast）　and　let　you　tell　us　your　story

before　Pegeen　will　come；　in　place　of　grinning　your　ears　off　like　the　moon　of

May。



CHRISTY　　＇beginning　to　be　pleased。＇　　It's　a　long　story；　you'd　be　destroyed

listening。



WIDOW　QUIN。　　Don't　be　letting　on　to　be　shy；　a　fine；　gamey；　treacherous　lad　the

like　of　you。　　Was　it　in　your　house　beyond　you　cracked　his　skull？



CHRISTY　　＇shy　but　flattered。＇　　It　was　not。　　We　were　digging　spuds　in　his

cold；　sloping；　stony；　divil's　patch　of　a　field。



WIDOW　QUIN。　　And　you　went　asking　money　of　him；　or　making　talk　of　getting　a

wife　would　drive　him　from　his　farm？



CHRISTY。　　I　did　not；　then；　but　there　I　was；　digging　and　digging；　and　〃You

squinting　idiot；〃　says　he；　〃let　you　walk　down　now　and　tell　the　priest　you'll

wed　the　Widow　Casey　in　a　score　of　days。〃



WIDOW　QUIN。　　And　what　kind　was　she？



CHRISTY　　＇with　horror。＇　　A　walking　terror　from　beyond　the　hills；　and　she

two　score　and　five　years；　and　two　hundredweights　and　five　pounds　in　the

weighing　scales；　with　a　limping　leg　on　her；　and　a　blinded　eye；　and　she　a　woman

of　noted　misbehaviour　with　the　old　and　young。



GIRLS　　＇clustering　round　him；　serving　him。＇　　Glory　be。



WIDOW　QUIN。　　And