Three Plays: The Fiddler's House, The Land, Thomas Muskerry Part 10

CONN _(going towards entrance)_ I'll go out of the house, I tell you.

MAIRE No.

_Conn goes over to the fire._

CONN G.o.d help me that ever came into this country at all. _(He sits down on the armchair, his hands resting on his stick)_ I had friends once, and was well thought of; I can tell you that, my daughter.

MAIRE I know that. CONN Well, you can have your own way with me now.

MAIRE Why can't you stay here? There's lots to be done here. Our fields are a laughing-stock to the neighbours, they're that poor and wasted. Let us put all our minds into working, and have a good place of our own.

CONN Ay, and the grabbers and informers of this place would think well of you then.

MAIRE Who do you call grabbers and informers?

CONN The people of this place. The people _you_ want to s.h.i.+ne before.

MAIRE I don't want to s.h.i.+ne before the people.

CONN I'm not saying against you, Maire.

MAIRE You're wrong in thinking I want to s.h.i.+ne at all.

CONN Sure you go to every dance and ceilidh; and to every house where you can show off your face, and dancing, and conversation.

MAIRE Do I? Maybe I do. Every girl does the like.

CONN I'm not saying against it.

_Pause._

MAIRE You think I'm like yourself, wanting the praise of the people.

CONN And what's the harm if you do?

MAIRE No harm at all. But I don't go to houses to show myself off.

CONN Troth and you do, Maire.

_He rises and goes towards the entrance, and remains looking out_.

MAIRE I won't believe it.

_She goes to the settle. Anne comes in. Anne goes to the gla.s.s to fix her hair_.

CONN Had you a good night at Moynihan's, Anne?

ANNE A sort of a good night.

CONN I was going to tell you about a man I met last night. He had a song about your grandmother.

ANNE Was grandmother a great beauty, father?

CONN Honor Gilroy had good looks, and indeed she made the most of them.

MAIRE It's likely there was some to tell her that she was showing off.

CONN No one was to her liking unless they praised her.

ANNE Ah well, a fiddler ought to forgive that to a woman. MAIRE Fiddlers and women are all alike, but don't say that to him.

_Anne goes to Maire and sits beside her_.

CONN _(speaking to both)_ Well, Honor Gilroy wasn't the worst, maybe.

MAIRE And fiddlers and women oughtn't be hard on each other.

CONN Do you say that, Maire?

MAIRE _(rising and going to him)_ I say it, father.

CONN G.o.d forgive me if I vexed you, Maire.

ANNE It's clearing up now, father, and you ought to go out to James.

_(Conn turns to the door. He remains in the doorway. Anne rises and goes to Maire)_ What did you say to him?

MAIRE _(looking at Conn)_ He doesn't feel it at all. Father will always be the fiddler, no matter what we say.

ANNE Maire. Come and talk to me. _(They sit at fire)_ I was talking to James. He'll never be happy until we're under the one roof.

_Maire clasps Anne's hands pa.s.sionately_.

MAIRE _(with cry)_ Anne, daughter, I'll be very lonesome for you.

ANNE But sure I won't be far off, Maire.

MAIRE Ay, but it's terrible to face things alone.

_James has come to the door. Conn and James have been talking. They turn in_.

CONN But I'll be glad enough to have the scythe in my hands after it all, James.

JAMES Anne was telling me how you took the victory from Connaught.

CONN Still I'm sorry for him! That poor Heffernan! He'll never hold up his head again.

JAMES Sure I'd have it in a ballad that would be sung in his own town.

It would be well worth putting into a ballad.