playboy of the western world-第9章

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miringly。＇



WIDOW　QUIN。　　If　you　seen　yourself　now；　I'm　thinking　you'd　be　too　proud　to

speak　to　us　at　all；　and　it'd　be　a　pity　surely　to　have　your　like　sailing　from

Mayo　to　the　Western　World。



CHRISTY　　＇as　proud　as　a　peacock。＇　　I'm　not　going。　　If　this　is　a　poor　place

itself；　I'll　make　myself　contented　to　be　lodging　here。　＇Widow　Quin　makes　a

sign　to　Shawn　to　leave　them。＇



SHAWN。　　Well；　I'm　going　measuring　the　race…course　while　the　tide　is　low；　so

I'll　leave　you　the　garments　and　my　blessing　for　the　sports　to…day。　　God　bless

you！　　＇He　wriggles　out。＇



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇admiring　Christy。＇　　Well；　you're　mighty　spruce；　young　fellow。　

Sit　down　now　while　you're　quiet　till　you　talk　with　me。



CHRISTY　　＇swaggering。＇　　I'm　going　abroad　on　the　hillside　for　to　seek　Pegeen。



WIDOW　QUIN。　　You'll　have　time　and　plenty　for　to　seek　Pegeen；　and　you　heard　me

saying　at　the　fall　of　night　the　two　of　us　should　be　great　company。



CHRISTY。　　From　this　out　I'll　have　no　want　of　company　when　all　sorts　is

bringing　me　their　food　and　clothing　（he　swaggers　to　the　door；　tightening　his

belt）；　the　way　they'd　set　their　eyes　upon　a　gallant　orphan　cleft　his　father

with　one　blow　to　the　breeches　belt。　　（He　opens　door；　then　staggers　back。）　

Saints　of　glory！　　Holy　angels　from　the　throne　of　light！



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇going　over。＇　　What　ails　you？



CHRISTY。　　It's　the　walking　spirit　of　my　murdered　da？



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇looking　out。＇　　Is　it　that　tramper？



CHRISTY　　＇wildly。＇　　Where'll　I　hide　my　poor　body　from　that　ghost　of　hell？　

＇The　door　is　pushed　open；　and　old　Mahon　appears　on　threshold。　　Christy　darts

in　behind　door。＇



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇in　great　amusement。＇　　Cod　save　you；　my　poor　man。



MAHON　　＇gruffly。＇　　Did　you　see　a　young　lad　passing　this　way　in　the　early

morning　or　the　fall　of　night？



WIDOW　QUIN。　　You're　a　queer　kind　to　walk　in　not　saluting　at　all。



MAHON。　　Did　you　see　the　young　lad？



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇stiffly。＇　　What　kind　was　he？



MAHON。　　An　ugly　young　streeler　with　a　murderous　gob　on　him；　and　a　little

switch　in　his　hand。　　I　met　a　tramper　seen　him　coming　this　way　at　the　fall　of

night。



WIDOW　QUIN。　　There's　harvest　hundreds　do　be　passing　these　days　for　the　Sligo

boat。　　For　what　is　it　you're　wanting　him；　my　poor　man？



MAHON。　　I　want　to　destroy　him　for　breaking　the　head　on　me　with　the　clout　of　a

loy。　　（He　takes　off　a　big　hat；　and　shows　his　head　in　a　mass　of　bandages　and

plaster；　with　some　pride。）　　It　was　he　did　that；　and　amn't　I　a　great　wonder　to

think　I've　traced　him　ten　days　with　that　rent　in　my　crown？



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇taking　his　head　in　both　hands　and　examining　it　with　extreme

delight。＇　　That　was　a　great　blow。　　And　who　hit　you？　A　robber　maybe？



MAHON。　　It　was　my　own　son　hit　me；　and　he　the　divil　a　robber；　or　anything　else；

but　a　dirty；　stuttering　lout。



WIDOW　　＇letting　go　his　skull　and　wiping　her　hands　in　her　apron。＇　　You'd

best　be　wary　of　a　mortified　scalp；　I　think　they　call　it；　lepping　around　with

that　wound　in　the　splendour　of　the　sun。　　It　was　a　bad　blow　surely；　and　you

should　have　vexed　him　fearful　to　make　him　strike　that　gash　in　his　da。



MAHON。　　Is　it　me？



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇amusing　herself。＇　　Aye。　　And　isn't　it　a　great　shame　when　the

old　and　hardened　do　torment　the　young？



MAHON　　＇raging。＇　　Torment　him　is　it？　And　I　after　holding　out　with　the

patience　of　a　martyred　saint　till　there's　nothing　but　destruction　on；　and　I'm

driven　out　in　my　old　age　with　none　to　aid　me。



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇greatly　amused。＇　　It's　a　sacred　wonder　the　way　that

wickedness　will　spoil　a　man。



MAHON。　　My　wickedness；　is　it？　　Amn't　I　after　saying　it　is　himself　has　me

destroyed；　and　he　a　liar　on　walls；　a　talker　of　folly；　a　man　you'd　see

stretched　the　half　of　the　day　in　the　brown　ferns　with　his　belly　to　the　sun。



WIDOW　QUIN。　　Not　working　at　all？



MAHON。　　The　divil　a　work；　or　if　he　did　itself；　you'd　see　him　raising　up　a

haystack　like　the　stalk　of　a　rush；　or　driving　our　last　cow　till　he　broke　her

leg　at　the　hip；　and　when　he　wasn't　at　that　he'd　be　fooling　over　little　birds

he　had　　finches　and　felts　　or　making　mugs　at　his　own　self　in　the　bit　of

glass　we　had　hung　on　the　wall。



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇looking　at　Christy。＇　　What　way　was　he　so　foolish？　　It　was

running　wild　after　the　girls　may　be？



MAHON　　＇with　a　shout　of　derision。＇　　Running　wild；　is　it？　　If　he　seen　a　red

petticoat　coming　swinging　over　the　hill；　he'd　be　off　to　hide　in　the　sticks；

and　you'd　see　him　shooting　out　his　sheep's　eyes　between　the　little　twigs　and

the　leaves；　and　his　two　ears　rising　like　a　hare　looking　out　through　a　gap。　

Girls；　indeed！



WIDOW　QUIN。　　It　was　drink　maybe？



MAHON。　　And　he　a　poor　fellow　would　get　drunk　on　the　smell　of　a　pint。　　He'd　a

queer　rotten　stomach；　I'm　telling　you；　and　when　I　gave　him　three　pulls　from　my

pipe　a　while　since；　he　was　taken　with　contortions　till　I　had　to　send　him　in

the　ass　cart　to　the　females'　nurse。



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇clasping　her　hands。＇　　Well；　I　never　till　this　day　heard　tell

of　a　man　the　like　of　that！



MAHON。　　I'd　take　a　mighty　oath　you　didn't　surely；　and　wasn't　he　the　laughing

joke　of　every　female　woman　where　four　baronies　meet；　the　way　the　girls　would

stop　their　weeding　if　they　seen　him　coming　the　road　to　let　a　roar　at　him；　and

call　him　the　looney　of　Mahon's。



WIDOW　QUIN。　　I'd　give　the　world　and　all　to　see　the　like　of　him。　　What　kind　was

he？



MAHON。　　A　small　low　fellow。



WIDOW　QUIN。　　And　dark？



MAHON。　　Dark　and　dirty。



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇considering。＇　　I'm　thinking　I　seen　him。



MAHON　　＇eagerly。＇　　An　ugly　young　blackguard。



WIDOW　QUIN。　　A　hideous；　fearful　villain；　and　the　spit　of　you。



MAHON。　　What　way　is　he　fled？



WIDOW　QUIN。　　Gone　over　the　hills　to　catch　a　coasting　steamer　to　the　north　or

south。



MAHON。　　Could　I　pull　up　on　him　now？



WIDOW　QUIN。　　If　you'll　cross　the　sands　below　where　the　tide　is　out；　you'll　be

in　it　as　soon　as　himself；　for　he　had　to　go　round　ten　miles　by　the　top　of　the

bay。　　（She　points　to　the　door）。　　Strike　down　by　the　head　beyond　and　then

follow　on　the　roadway　to　the　north　and　east。　　＇Mahon　goes　abruptly。＇



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇shouting　after　him。＇　　Let　you　give　him　a　good　vengeance　when

you　come　up　with　him；　but　don't　put　yourself　in　the　power　of　the　law；　for　it'd

be　a　poor　thing　to　see　a　judge　in　his　black　cap　reading　out　his　sentence　on　a

civil　warrior　the　like　of　you。　＇She　swings　the　door　to　and　looks　at　Christy；

who　is　cowering　in　terror；　for　a　moment；　then　she　bursts　into　a　laugh。＇



WIDOW　QUIN。　　Well；　you're　the　walking　Playboy　of　the　Western　World；　and　that's

the　poor　man　you　had　divided　to　his　breeches　belt。



CHRISTY　　＇looking　out：　then；　to　her。＇　　What'll　Pegeen　say　when　she　hears

that　story？　What'll　she　be　saying　to　me　now？



WIDOW　QUIN。　　She'll　knock　the　head　of　you；　I'm　thinking；　and　drive　you　from

the　door。　　God　help　her　to　be　taking　you　for　a　wonder；　and　you　a　little

schemer　making　up　the　story　you　destroyed　your　da。



CHRISTY　　＇turning　to　the　door；　nearly　speechless　with　rage；　half　to

himself。＇　　To　be　letting　on　he　was　dead；　and　coming　back　to　his　life；　and

following　after　me　like　an　old　weazel　tracing　a　rat；　and　coming　in　here　laying

desolation　between　my　own　self　and　the　fine　women　of　Ireland；　and　he　a　kind　of

carcase　that　you'd　fling　upon　the　sea。　。　。



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇more　soberly。＇　　There's　talking　for　a　man's　one　only　son。



CHRISTY　　＇breaking　out。＇　　His　one　son；　is　it？　　May　I　meet　him　with　one

tooth　and　it　aching；　and　one　eye　to　be　seeing　seven　and　seventy　divils　in　the

twists　of　the　road；　and　one　old　timber　leg　on　him　to　limp　into　the　scalding

grave。　　（Looking　out。）　　There　he　is　now　crossing　the　strands；　and　that　the

Lord　God　would　send　a　high　wave　to　wash　him　from　the　world。



WIDOW　QUIN　　＇scandalised。＇　　Have　you　no　shame？　　（putting　her　hand　on　his

shoulder　and　turning　him　round。）　　What　ails　you？　　Near　crying；　is　it？



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

the　star　of　knowl