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THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD

MAHON. And he a poor fellow reading out his sentence on a civil
would get drunk on the smell of a warrior the like of you. (She swings
pint. He'd a queer rotten stomach, I'm the door to and looks at Christy, who
telling you, and when I gave him is cowering in terror, for a moment,
three pulls from my pipe a while then she bursts into a laugh.)
since, he was taken with contortions WIDOW QUIN. Well, you're the
till I had to send him in the ass cart walking Playboy of the Western
to the females' nurse. World, and that's the poor man you
WIDOW QUIN -- (clasping her had divided to his breeches belt.
hands.) -- Well, I never till this day CHRISTY -- (looking out: then, to
heard tell of a man the like of that! her.) -- What'll Pegeen say when she
MAHON. I'd take a mighty oath hears that story? What'll she be say-
you didn't surely, and wasn't he the ing to me now?
laughing joke of every female woman WIDOW QUIN. She'll knock the
where four baronies meet, the way the head of you, I'm thinking, and drive
girls would stop their weeding if they you from the door. God help her to be
seen him coming the road to let a roar taking you for a wonder, and you a
at him, and call him the looney of little schemer making up the story
Mahon's. you destroyed your da.
WIDOW QUIN. I'd give the world CHRISTY -- (turning to the door,
and all to see the like of him. What nearly speechless with rage, half to
kind was he? himself.) -- To be letting on he was
MAHON. A small low fellow. dead, and coming back to his life, and
WIDOW QUIN. And dark? following after me like an old weazel
MAHON. Dark and dirty. tracing a rat, and coming in here lay-
WIDOW QUIN -- (considering.) ing desolation between my own self
I'm thinking I seen him. and the fine women of Ireland, and
MAHON -- (eagerly.) An ugly he a kind of carcase that you'd fling
young blackguard. upon the sea...
WIDOW QUIN. A hideous, fear- WIDOW QUIN -- (more soberly.)
ful villain, and the spit of you. -- There's talking for a man's one on-
MAHON. What way is he fled? ly son.
WIDOW QUIN. Gone over the CHRISTY -- (breaking out.) --
hills to catch a coasting steamer to the His one son, is it? May I meet him
north or south. with one tooth and it aching, and one
MAHON. Could I pull up on him eye to be seeing seven and seventy
now? divils in the twists of the road, and
WIDOW QUIN. If you'll cross the one old timber leg on him to limp into
sands below where the tide is out, the scalding grave. (Looking out.)
you'll be in it as soon as himself, for There he is now crossing the strands,
he had to go round ten miles by the and that the Lord God would send a
top of the bay. (She points to the high wave to wash him from the
door). Strike down by the head be- world.
yond and then follow on the roadway WIDOW QUIN -- (scandalised.)
to the north and east. (Mahon goes Have you no shame? (putting her
abruptly.) hand on his shoulder and turning
WIDOW QUIN -- (shouting after him round.) What ails you? Near cry-
him.) -- Let you give him a good ing, is it?
vengeance when you come up with CHRISTY -- (in despair and
him, but don't put yourself in the grief.) -- Amn't I after seeing the love
power of the law, for it'd be a poor -light of the star of knowledge shin-
thing to see a judge in his black cap ing from her brow, and hearing words

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