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KING PELLINORE’S LITERARY MAGAZINE

goats, the way she'd have a sup of GIRLS -- (giggling.) That's the
goat's milk for to colour my tea. man killed his father.
SARA. And asking your pardon, is WIDOW QUIN -- (coming to
it you's the man killed his father? them.) -- I know well it's the man;
CHRISTY -- (sidling toward the and I'm after putting him down in
nail where the glass was hanging.) -- the sports below for racing, leaping,
I am, God help me! pitching, and the Lord knows what.
SARA -- (taking eggs she has SARA -- (exuberantly.) That's
brought.) -- Then my thousand wel- right, Widow Quin. I'll bet my dowry
comes to you, and I've run up with a that he'll lick the world.
brace of duck's eggs for your food to- WIDOW QUIN. If you will, you'd
day. Pegeen's ducks is no use, but have a right to have him fresh and
these are the real rich sort. Hold out nourished in place of nursing a feast.
your hand and you'll see it's no lie (Taking presents.) Are you fasting or
I'm telling you. fed, young fellow?
CHRISTY -- (coming forward CHRISTY. Fasting, if you please.
shyly, and holding out his left hand.) WIDOW QUIN -- (loudly.) Well,
-- They're a great and weighty size. you're the lot. Stir up now and give
SUSAN. And I run up with a pat him his breakfast. (To Christy.) Come
of butter, for it'd be a poor thing to here to me (She puts him on bench
have you eating your spuds dry, and beside her while the girls make tea
you after running a great way since and get his breakfast) and let you tell
you did destroy your da. us your story before Pegeen will come,
CHRISTY. Thank you kindly. in place of grinning your ears off like
HONOR. And I brought you a lit- the moon of May.
tle cut of cake, for you should have a CHRISTY -- (beginning to be
thin stomach on you, and you that pleased.) -- It's a long story; you'd be
length walking the world. destroyed listening.
NELLY. And I brought you a lit- WIDOW QUIN. Don't be letting
tle laying pullet -- boiled and all she on to be shy, a fine, gamey, treacher-
is -- was crushed at the fall of night ous lad the like of you. Was it in your
by the curate's car. Feel the fat of that house beyond you cracked his skull?
breast, Mister. CHRISTY -- (shy but flattered.) --
CHRISTY. It's bursting, surely. It was not. We were digging spuds in
(He feels it with the back of his hand, his cold, sloping, stony, divil's patch
in which he holds the presents.) of a field.
SARA. Will you pinch it? Is your WIDOW QUIN. And you went
right hand too sacred for to use at all? asking money of him, or making talk
(She slips round behind him.) It's a of getting a wife would drive him
glass he has. Well, I never seen to this from his farm?
day a man with a looking-glass held CHRISTY. I did not, then; but
to his back. Them that kills their fa- there I was, digging and digging, and
thers is a vain lot surely. (Girls gig- "You squinting idiot," says he, "let
gle.) you walk down now and tell the priest
CHRISTY -- (smiling innocently you'll wed the Widow Casey in a score
and piling presents on glass.) -- I'm of days."
very thankful to you all to-day... WIDOW QUIN. And what kind
WIDOW QUIN -- (coming in was she?
quickly, at door.) -- Sara Tansey, Su- CHRISTY -- (with horror.) -- A
san Brady, Honor Blake! What in walking terror from beyond the hills,
glory has you here at this hour of and she two score and five years, and
day? two hundredweights and five pounds

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