Riders to the Sea [4]
crying out.]
It's Michael, Cathleen, it's Michael; God spare his soul, and what will herself say when she hears this story, and Bartley on the sea?
CATHLEEN [Taking the stocking.]
It's a plain stocking.
NORA It's the second one of the third pair I knitted, and I put up three score stitches, and I dropped four of them.
CATHLEEN [Counts the stitches.]
It's that number is in it [crying out.] Ah, Nora, isn't it a bitter thing to think of him floating that way to the far north, and no one to keen him but the black hags that do be flying on the sea?
NORA [Swinging herself round, and throwing out her arms on the clothes.]
And isn't it a pitiful thing when there is nothing left of a man who was a great rower and fisher, but a bit of an old shirt and a plain stocking?
CATHLEEN [After an instant.]
Tell me is herself coming, Nora? I hear a little sound on the path.
NORA [Looking out.]
She is, Cathleen. She's coming up to the door.
CATHLEEN Put these things away before she'll come in. Maybe it's easier she'll be after giving her blessing to Bartley, and we won't let on we've heard anything the time he's on the sea.
NORA [Helping Cathleen to close the bundle.]
We'll put them here in the corner.
[They put them into a hole in the chimney corner. Cathleen goes back to the spinning-wheel.]
NORA Will she see it was crying I was?
CATHLEEN Keep your back to the door the way the light'll not be on you.
[Nora sits down at the chimney corner, with her back to the door. Maurya comes in very slowly, without looking at the girls, and goes over to her stool at the other side of the fire. The cloth with the bread is still in her hand. The girls look at each other, and Nora points to the bundle of bread.]
CATHLEEN [After spinning for a moment.]
You didn't give him his bit of bread?
[Maurya begins to keen softly, without turning round.]
CATHLEEN Did you see him riding down?
[Maurya goes on keening.]
CATHLEEN [A little impatiently.]
God forgive you; isn't it a better thing to raise your voice and tell what you seen, than to be making lamentation for a thing that's done? Did you see Bartley, I'm saying to you?
MAURYA [With a weak voice.]
My heart's broken from this day.
CATHLEEN [As before.]
Did you see Bartley?
MAURYA I seen the fearfulest thing.
CATHLEEN [Leaves her wheel and looks out.]
God forgive you; he's riding the mare now over the green head, and the gray pony behind him.
MAURYA [Starts, so that her shawl falls back from her head and shows her white tossed hair. With a frightened voice.]
The gray pony behind him.
CATHLEEN [Coming to the fire.]
What is it ails you, at all?
MAURYA [Speaking very slowly.]
I've seen the fearfulest thing any person has seen, since the day Bride Dara seen the dead man with the child in his arms.
CATHLEEN AND NORA Uah.
[They crouch down in front of the old woman at the fire.]
NORA Tell us what it is you seen.
MAURYA I went down to the spring well, and I stood there saying a prayer to myself. Then Bartley came along, and he riding on the red mare with the gray pony behind him [she puts up her hands, as if to hide something from her eyes.] The Son of God spare us, Nora!
CATHLEEN What is it you seen.
MAURYA I seen Michael himself.
CATHLEEN [Speaking softly.]
You did not, mother; it wasn't Michael you seen, for his body is after being found in the far north, and he's got a clean burial by the grace of God.
MAURYA [A little defiantly.]
I'm after seeing him this day, and he riding and galloping. Bartley came first on the red mare; and I tried to say "God speed you," but something choked the words in my throat. He went by quickly; and "the blessing of God on you," says he, and I could say nothing. I looked up then, and I crying, at the gray pony, and there was Michael upon it -- with fine clothes on him, and new shoes on his feet.
CATHLEEN [Begins to keen.]
It's destroyed we are from this day. It's destroyed, surely.
NORA Didn't the young priest say the Almighty
It's Michael, Cathleen, it's Michael; God spare his soul, and what will herself say when she hears this story, and Bartley on the sea?
CATHLEEN [Taking the stocking.]
It's a plain stocking.
NORA It's the second one of the third pair I knitted, and I put up three score stitches, and I dropped four of them.
CATHLEEN [Counts the stitches.]
It's that number is in it [crying out.] Ah, Nora, isn't it a bitter thing to think of him floating that way to the far north, and no one to keen him but the black hags that do be flying on the sea?
NORA [Swinging herself round, and throwing out her arms on the clothes.]
And isn't it a pitiful thing when there is nothing left of a man who was a great rower and fisher, but a bit of an old shirt and a plain stocking?
CATHLEEN [After an instant.]
Tell me is herself coming, Nora? I hear a little sound on the path.
NORA [Looking out.]
She is, Cathleen. She's coming up to the door.
CATHLEEN Put these things away before she'll come in. Maybe it's easier she'll be after giving her blessing to Bartley, and we won't let on we've heard anything the time he's on the sea.
NORA [Helping Cathleen to close the bundle.]
We'll put them here in the corner.
[They put them into a hole in the chimney corner. Cathleen goes back to the spinning-wheel.]
NORA Will she see it was crying I was?
CATHLEEN Keep your back to the door the way the light'll not be on you.
[Nora sits down at the chimney corner, with her back to the door. Maurya comes in very slowly, without looking at the girls, and goes over to her stool at the other side of the fire. The cloth with the bread is still in her hand. The girls look at each other, and Nora points to the bundle of bread.]
CATHLEEN [After spinning for a moment.]
You didn't give him his bit of bread?
[Maurya begins to keen softly, without turning round.]
CATHLEEN Did you see him riding down?
[Maurya goes on keening.]
CATHLEEN [A little impatiently.]
God forgive you; isn't it a better thing to raise your voice and tell what you seen, than to be making lamentation for a thing that's done? Did you see Bartley, I'm saying to you?
MAURYA [With a weak voice.]
My heart's broken from this day.
CATHLEEN [As before.]
Did you see Bartley?
MAURYA I seen the fearfulest thing.
CATHLEEN [Leaves her wheel and looks out.]
God forgive you; he's riding the mare now over the green head, and the gray pony behind him.
MAURYA [Starts, so that her shawl falls back from her head and shows her white tossed hair. With a frightened voice.]
The gray pony behind him.
CATHLEEN [Coming to the fire.]
What is it ails you, at all?
MAURYA [Speaking very slowly.]
I've seen the fearfulest thing any person has seen, since the day Bride Dara seen the dead man with the child in his arms.
CATHLEEN AND NORA Uah.
[They crouch down in front of the old woman at the fire.]
NORA Tell us what it is you seen.
MAURYA I went down to the spring well, and I stood there saying a prayer to myself. Then Bartley came along, and he riding on the red mare with the gray pony behind him [she puts up her hands, as if to hide something from her eyes.] The Son of God spare us, Nora!
CATHLEEN What is it you seen.
MAURYA I seen Michael himself.
CATHLEEN [Speaking softly.]
You did not, mother; it wasn't Michael you seen, for his body is after being found in the far north, and he's got a clean burial by the grace of God.
MAURYA [A little defiantly.]
I'm after seeing him this day, and he riding and galloping. Bartley came first on the red mare; and I tried to say "God speed you," but something choked the words in my throat. He went by quickly; and "the blessing of God on you," says he, and I could say nothing. I looked up then, and I crying, at the gray pony, and there was Michael upon it -- with fine clothes on him, and new shoes on his feet.
CATHLEEN [Begins to keen.]
It's destroyed we are from this day. It's destroyed, surely.
NORA Didn't the young priest say the Almighty