The Tinkers Wedding | Page 5

Casey, the
Beauty of Ballinacree, a great sight surely." MICHAEL. God help the
lot of them! SARAH. It's yourself you'll be calling God to help, in two
weeks or three, when you'll be waking up in the dark night and thinking
you see me coming with the sun on me, and I driving a high cart with
Jaunting

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Jim going behind. It's lonesome and cold you'll be feeling the ditch
where you'll be lying down that night, I'm telling you, and you hearing
the old woman making a great noise in her sleep, and the bats
squeaking in the trees. MICHAEL. Whist. I hear some one coming the
road. SARAH -- looking out right. -- It's some one coming
forward from the doctor's door. MICHAEL. It's often his reverence
does be in there playing cards, or drinking a sup, or singing songs, until
the dawn of day. SARAH. It's a big boast of a man with a long step on
him and a trumpeting voice. It's his reverence surely; and if you have
the ring done, it's a great bargain we'll make now and he after drinking
his glass. MICHAEL -- going to her and giving her the ring. --
There's your ring, Sarah Casey; but I'm thinking he'll walk by and not
stop to speak with the like of us at all. SARAH -- tidying herself, in
great excite- ment. -- Let you be sitting here and keeping a great
blaze, the way he can look on my face; and let you seem to be working,
for it's great love the like of him have to talk of work. MICHAEL --
moodily, sitting down and
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beginning to work at a tin can. -- Great love surely. SARAH --
eagerly. -- Make a great blaze now, Michael Byrne. [The
priest comes in on right; she comes forward in front of him.
SARAH -- in a very plausible voice. -- Good evening, your
reverence. It's a grand fine night, by the grace of God. PRIEST. The
Lord have mercy on us! What kind of a living woman is it that you are
at all? SARAH. It's Sarah Casey I am, your reverence, the Beauty of
Ballinacree, and it's Michael Byrne is below in the ditch. PRIEST. A
holy pair, surely! Let you get out of my way. [He tries to pass
by. SARAH -- keeping in front of him. -- We are wanting a
little word with your reverence. PRIEST. I haven't a halfpenny at all.
Leave the road I'm saying. SARAH. It isn't a halfpenny we're ask- ing,
holy father; but we were thinking maybe we'd have a right to be getting
married; and we were thinking it's yourself would marry us for not a
halfpenny at all; for you're a kind man, your reverence, a kind man with

the poor.
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PRIEST -- with astonishment. -- Is it mar- ry you for nothing at
all? SARAH. It is, your reverence; and we were thinking maybe you'd
give us a little small bit of silver to pay for the ring. PRIEST --
loudly. -- Let you hold your tongue; let you be quiet, Sarah
Casey. I've no silver at all for the like of you; and if you want to be
married, let you pay your pound. I'd do it for a pound only, and that's
making it a sight cheaper than I'd make it for one of my own pairs is
living here in the place. SARAH. Where would the like of us get a
pound, your reverence? PRIEST. Wouldn't you easy get it with your
selling asses, and making cans, and your stealing east and west in
Wicklow and Wex- ford and the county Meath? (He tries to pass
her.) Let you leave the road, and not be plaguing me more.
SARAH -- pleadingly, taking money from her pocket. --
Wouldn't you have a little mercy on us, your reverence? (Holding
out money.) Wouldn't you marry us for a half a sovereign, and it a
nice shiny one with a view on it of the living king's mamma? PRIEST.
If it's ten shillings you have, let you get ten more the same way, and I'll
marry you then.
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SARAH -- whining. -- It's two years we are getting that bit,
your reverence, with our pence and our halfpence and an odd three-
penny bit; and if you don't marry us now, himself and the old woman,
who has a great drouth, will be drinking it to-morrow in the fair (she
puts her apron to her eyes, half sob- bing), and then I won't be
married any time, and I'll be saying till I'm an old woman: "It's a cruel
and a wicked thing to be bred poor." PRIEST -- turning up towards
the fire. -- Let you