The Countess Cathleen | Page 3

own.
(OONA, MARY, and CATHLEEN go Out. ALEEL looks defiantly at

SHEMUS.)
ALEEL. (Singing) Impetuous heart, be still, be still,
Your sorrowful
love can never be told,
Cover it up with a lonely tune,
He that could
bend all things to His will
Has covered the door of the infinite fold

With the pale stars and the wandering moon.
(He takes a step towards the door and then turns again.)
Shut to the door before the night has fallen,
For who can say what
walks, or in what shape
Some devilish creature flies in the air, but
now
Two grey-horned owls hooted above our heads.
(He goes out, his singing dies away. MARY comes in. SHEmus has
been counting the money.)
TEIG. There's no good luck in owls, but it may be
That the ill luck's
to fall upon their heads.
MARY. You never thanked her ladyship.
SHEMUS. Thank her,
For seven halfpence and a silver bit?
TEIG. But for this empty purse?
SHEMUS. What's that for thanks,
Or what's the double of it that she
promised?
With bread and flesh and every sort of food
Up to a price
no man has heard the like of
And rising every day.
MARY. We have all she had;
She emptied out the purse before our
eyes.
SHEMUS (to MARY, who has gone to close the door)
Leave that

door open.
MARY. When those that have read books,
And seen the seven
wonders of the world,
Fear what's above or what's below the ground,

It's time that poverty should bolt the door.
SHEMUS. I'll have no bolts, for there is not a thing
That walks above
the ground or under it
I had not rather welcome to this house
Than
any more of mankind, rich or poor.
TEIG. So that they brought us money.
SHEMUS. I heard say
There's something that appears like a white
bird,
A pigeon or a seagull or the like,
But if you hit it with a stone
or a stick
It clangs as though it had been made of brass;
And that if
you dig down where it was scratching
You'll find a crock of gold.
TEIG. But dream of gold
For three nights running, and there's always
gold.
SHEMUS. You might be starved before you've dug it out.
TEIG. But maybe if you called, something would come,
They have
been seen of late.
MARY. Is it call devils?
Call devils from the wood, call them in
here?
SHEMUS. So you'd stand up against me, and you'd say
Who or what
I am to welcome here.
(He hits her.)
That is to show who's master.
TEIG. Call them in.

MARY. God help us all!
SHEMUS. Pray, if you have a mind to.
it's little that the sleepy ears
above
Care for your words; but I'll call what I please.
TEIG. There is many a one, they say, had money from them.
SHEMUS. (at door)
Whatever you are that walk the woods at night,

So be it that you have not shouldered up
Out of a grave--for I'll
have nothing human--
And have free hands, a friendly trick of speech,

I welcome you. Come, sit beside the fire.
What matter if your
head's below your arms
Or you've a horse's tail to whip your flank,

Feathers instead of hair, that's but a straw,
Come, share what bread
and meat is in the house,
And stretch your heels and warm them in
the ashes.
And after that, let's share and share alike
And curse all
men and women. Come in, come in.
What, is there no one there?
(Turning from door)
And yet they say
They are as common as the grass, and ride
Even
upon the book in the priest's hand.
(TEIG lifts one arm slowly and points toward the door and begins
moving backwards. SHEMUS turns, he also sees something and begins
moving backward. MARY does the same. A man dressed as an

Eastern merchant comes in carrying a small carpet. He unrolls it and
sits cross-legged at one end of it. Another man dressed in the same way
follows, and sits at the other end. This is done slowly and deliberately.
When they are seated they take money out of embroidered purses at
their girdles and begin arranging it on the carpet.
TEIG. You speak to them.
SHEMUS. No, you.
TEIG. 'Twas you that called them.

SHEMUS. (coming nearer)
I'd make so bold, if you would pardon it,

To ask if there's a thing you'd have of us.
Although we are but poor
people, if there is,
Why, if there is--
FIRST MERCHANT. We've travelled a long road,
For we are
merchants that must tramp the world,
And now we look for supper
and a fire
And a safe corner to count money in.
SHEMUS. I thought you were .... but that's no matter now--
There
had been words between my wife and me
Because I said I would be
master here,
And ask in what I pleased or who I pleased
And so. . . .
but that is nothing to the point,
Because it's certain that you are but
merchants.
FIRST MERCHANT. We travel for the Master of all merchants.