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THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD

CHRISTY. And you'll be wedding PEGEEN -- (playfully.) And you
them this day, is it? think you're a likely beau to go stray-
MICHAEL -- (drawing himself ing along with, the shiny Sundays of
up.) -- Aye. Are you thinking, if I'm the opening year, when it's sooner on
drunk itself, I'd leave my daughter a bullock's liver you'd put a poor girl
living single with a little frisky rascal thinking than on the lily or the rose?
is the like of you? SHAWN. And have you no mind
PEGEEN -- (breaking away from of my weight of passion, and the holy
Shawn.) -- Is it the truth the dispen- dispensation, and the drift of heifers
sation's come? I am giving, and the golden ring?
MICHAEL -- (triumphantly.) Fa- PEGEEN. I'm thinking you're too
ther Reilly's after reading it in gal- fine for the like of me, Shawn Keogh
lous Latin, and "It's come in the nick of Killakeen, and let you go off till
of time," says he; "so I'll wed them in you'd find a radiant lady with droves
a hurry, dreading that young gaffer of bullocks on the plains of Meath,
who'd capsize the stars." and herself bedizened in the diamond
PEGEEN -- (fiercely.) He's jewelleries of Pharaoh's ma. That'd
missed his nick of time, for it's that be your match, Shaneen. So God save
lad, Christy Mahon, that I'm wedding you now! (She retreats behind Chris-
now. ty.)
MICHAEL -- (loudly with hor- SHAWN. Won't you hear me tell-
ror.) -- You'd be making him a son to ing you...?
me, and he wet and crusted with his CHRISTY -- (with ferocity.) --
father's blood? Take yourself from this, young fellow,
PEGEEN. Aye. Wouldn't it be a or I'll maybe add a murder to my
bitter thing for a girl to go marrying deeds to-day.
the like of Shaneen, and he a mid- MICHAEL -- (springing up with
dling kind of a scarecrow, with no a shriek.) -- Murder is it? Is it mad
savagery or fine words in him at all? yous are? Would you go making mur-
MICHAEL -- (gasping and sink- der in this place, and it piled with po-
ing on a chair.) -- Oh, aren't you a teen for our drink to-night? Go on to
heathen daughter to go shaking the the foreshore if it's fighting you want,
fat of my heart, and I swamped and where the rising tide will wash all
drownded with the weight of drink? traces from the memory of man.
Would you have them turning on me (Pushing Shawn towards Christy.)
the way that I'd be roaring to the SHAWN -- (shaking himself free,
dawn of day with the wind upon my and getting behind Michael.) -- I'll
heart? Have you not a word to aid me, not fight him, Michael James. I'd
Shaneen? Are you not jealous at all? liefer live a bachelor, simmering in
SHANEEN -- (In great misery.) -- passions to the end of time, than face
I'd be afeard to be jealous of a man a lepping savage the like of him has
did slay his da. descended from the Lord knows
PEGEEN. Well, it'd be a poor where. Strike him yourself, Michael
thing to go marrying your like. I'm James, or you'll lose my drift of heif-
seeing there's a world of peril for an ers and my blue bull from Sneem.
orphan girl, and isn't it a great bless- MICHAEL. Is it me fight him,
ing I didn't wed you, before himself when it's father-slaying he's bred to
came walking from the west or south? now? (Pushing Shawn.) Go on you
SHAWN. It's a queer story you'd fool and fight him now.
go picking a dirty tramp up from the SHAWN -- (coming forward a lit-
highways of the world. tle.) -- Will I strike him with my
hand?

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