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THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD

PEGEEN. Aye. Did you never PEGEEN -- (she puts sack on set-
hear that from the young girls where tle and beats it up.) -- I never killed
you come from in the west or south? my father. I'd be afeard to do that,
CHRISTY -- (with venom.) -- I except I was the like of yourself with
did not then. Oh, they're bloody liars blind rages tearing me within, for I'm
in the naked parish where I grew a thinking you should have had great
man. tussling when the end was come.
PEGEEN. If they are itself, CHRISTY -- (expanding with de-
you've heard it these days, I'm think- light at the first confidential talk he
ing, and you walking the world tell- has ever had with a woman.) -- We
ing out your story to young girls or had not then. It was a hard woman
old. was come over the hill, and if he was
CHRISTY. I've told my story no always a crusty kind when he'd a
place till this night, Pegeen Mike, hard woman setting him on, not the
and it's foolish I was here, maybe, to divil himself or his four fathers could
be talking free, but you're decent peo- put up with him at all.
ple, I'm thinking, and yourself a PEGEEN -- (with curiosity.) --
kindly woman, the way I wasn't fear- And isn't it a great wonder that one
ing you at all. wasn't fearing you?
PEGEEN -- (filling a sack with CHRISTY -- (very confidentially.)
straw.) -- You've said the like of that, -- Up to the day I killed my father,
maybe, in every cot and cabin where there wasn't a person in Ireland knew
you've met a young girl on your way. the kind I was, and I there drinking,
CHRISTY -- (going over to her, waking, eating, sleeping, a quiet, sim-
gradually raising his voice.) -- I've ple poor fellow with no man giving
said it nowhere till this night, I'm me heed.
telling you, for I've seen none the like PEGEEN -- (getting a quilt out of
of you the eleven long days I am the cupboard and putting it on the
walking the world, looking over a low sack.) -- It was the girls were giving
ditch or a high ditch on my north or you heed maybe, and I'm thinking it's
my south, into stony scattered fields, most conceit you'd have to be gaming
or scribes of bog, where you'd see with their like.
young, limber girls, and fine prancing CHRISTY -- (shaking his head,
women making laughter with the with simplicity.) Not the girls itself,
men. and I won't tell you a lie. There was-
PEGEEN. If you weren't de- n't anyone heeding me in that place
stroyed travelling, you'd have as much saving only the dumb beasts of the
talk and streeleen, I'm thinking, as field. (He sits down at fire.)
Owen Roe O'Sullivan or the poets of PEGEEN -- (with disappoint-
the Dingle Bay, and I've heard all ment.) -- And I thinking you should
times it's the poets are your like, fine have been living the like of a king of
fiery fellows with great rages when Norway or the Eastern world. (She
their temper's roused. comes and sits beside him after plac-
CHRISTY -- (drawing a little ing bread and mug of milk on the ta-
nearer to her.) -- You've a power of ble.)
rings, God bless you, and would there CHRISTY -- (laughing piteously.)
be any offence if I was asking are you -- The like of a king, is it? And I after
single now? toiling, moiling, digging, dodging
PEGEEN. What would I want from the dawn till dusk with never a
wedding so young? sight of joy or sport saving only when
CHRISTY -- (with relief.) -- I'd be abroad in the dark night poach-
We're alike, so. ing rabbits on hills, for I was a devil

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