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THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD

in the weighing scales, with a limping CHRISTY -- (flattered and confi-
leg on her, and a blinded eye, and she dent, waving bone.) -- He gave a drive
a woman of noted misbehaviour with with the scythe, and I gave a lep to
the old and young. the east. Then I turned around with
GIRLS -- (clustering round him, my back to the north, and I hit a blow
serving him.) -- Glory be. on the ridge of his skull, laid him
WIDOW QUIN. And what did he stretched out, and he split to the knob
want driving you to wed with her? of his gullet. (He raises the chicken
(She takes a bit of the chicken.) bone to his Adam's apple.)
CHRISTY -- (eating with growing GIRLS -- (together.) Well, you're
satisfaction.) He was letting on I was a marvel! Oh, God bless you! You're
wanting a protector from the harsh- the lad surely!
ness of the world, and he without a SUSAN. I'm thinking the Lord
thought the whole while but how he'd God sent him this road to make a sec-
have her hut to live in and her gold to ond husband to the Widow Quin, and
drink. she with a great yearning to be wed-
WIDOW QUIN. There's maybe ded, though all dread her here. Lift
worse than a dry hearth and a widow him on her knee, Sara Tansey.
woman and your glass at night. So WIDOW QUIN. Don't tease him.
you hit him then? SARA -- (going over to dresser and
CHRISTY -- (getting almost excit- counter very quickly, and getting two
ed.) -- I did not. "I won't wed her," glasses and porter.) -- You're heroes
says I, "when all know she did suckle surely, and let you drink a supeen
me for six weeks when I came into the with your arms linked like the out-
world, and she a hag this day with a landish lovers in the sailor's song.
tongue on her has the crows and sea- (She links their arms and gives them
birds scattered, the way they wouldn't the glasses.) There now. Drink a
cast a shadow on her garden with the health to the wonders of the western
dread of her curse." world, the pirates, preachers, poteen-
WIDOW QUIN -- (teasingly.) makers, with the jobbing jockies;
That one should be right company. parching peelers, and the juries fill
SARA -- (eagerly.) Don't mind their stomachs selling judgments of
her. Did you kill him then? the English law. (Brandishing the
CHRISTY. "She's too good for the bottle.)
like of you," says he, "and go on now WIDOW QUIN. That's a right
or I'll flatten you out like a crawling toast, Sara Tansey. Now Christy.
beast has passed under a dray." "You (They drink with their arms linked,
will not if I can help it," says I. "Go he drinking with his left hand, she
on," says he, "or I'll have the divil with her right. As they are drinking,
making garters of your limbs to- Pegeen Mike comes in with a milk
night." "You will not if I can help it," can and stands aghast. They all spring
says I. (He sits up, brandishing his away from Christy. He goes down left.
mug.) Widow Quin remains seated.)
SARA. You were right surely. PEGEEN -- (angrily, to Sara.) --
CHRISTY -- (impressively.) With What is it you're wanting?
that the sun came out between the SARA -- (twisting her apron.) --
cloud and the hill, and it shining An ounce of tobacco.
green in my face. "God have mercy on PEGEEN. Have you tuppence?
your soul," says he, lifting a scythe; SARA. I've forgotten my purse.
"or on your own," says I, raising the PEGEEN. Then you'd best be get-
loy. SUSAN. That's a grand story. ting it and not fooling us here. (To
HONOR. He tells it lovely. the Widow Quin, with more elaborate

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