Plays - Livres de poche

PLAYS BY JOHN M. SYNGE PLAYS BY JOHN M. SYNGE LONDON GEORGE ALLEN UNWIN LTD MUSEUM STREET 1929 Copyright. J, M. Synge. 1904 Copyright. J. M. Synge. 1905 Copyright. John IVt. Synge. 1907 Copyright, Edward Synge and Francis Edmund Stephens. 1910 Printed in Great Bntain by brothers, Ltd.. Wohvng CONTENTS HE SHADOW OF THE GLEN p. 3 llDERS TO THE SEA 3 THE WELL OF THE SAINTS 55 THE TINKER S WEDDING 135 THE PLAYBOY OF THE WESTERN WORLD 1 87 DEIRDRE OF THE SORROWS 297 THE SHADOW OF THE GLEN PERSONS IN THE PLAY DAN BURKE, Farmer and Herd. NORA BURKE, his ff fo. MICH AFX DA. RA 9 ayoung Herd. A TRAMP. SCENE The last cottage at the head of a long glen in County Wickfaw THE SHADOW OF THE GLEN Cottage kitchen turf - fire on the right a bed near it against the wall, with a body lying on it cohered with a sheet. A door is at the other end of the room, with a low table near it, and stools, or wooden chairs. There are a couple of glasses on the table, and a bottle of whisky as if for a wake, with two cups, a teapot, and a home-made cake. There is another small door near the bed. Nora Burke is moving about the room, settling a few things, and lighting candles on the table, looking now and then at the bed with an uneasy look. Some one knocks softly at the door. She takes up a stocking with money from the table and puts it in her pocket. Then she opens the door. TRAMP outside. Good evening to you, lady of the house. NORA. Good evening kindly, stranger it s a wild night, God help you, to be out in the rain falling, TRAMP. It is, surely, and I walking to Brittas from the Aughrim fair. THE SHADOW NORA. Is it walking on your feet, stranger TRAMP. On my two feet, lady of the house, and when I saw the lightbelow I thought maybe if you d a sup of new milk and a quiet, decent corner where a man could sleep . . . he looks in past her and sees the dead man. The Lord have mercy on us all NORA. It doesn t matter any way, stranger come in out of the rain. TRAMP coming in slowly and going towards the bed. Is it departed he is NORA. It is, stranger. He s after dying on rne, God forgive him, and there I am now with a hundred sheep beyond on the hills, and no turf drawn for the winter. TRAMP looking closely at the dead man . It s a queer look is on him for a man that s dead. NORA Jialf - humorously . He was always queer, stranger and I suppose them that s queer and they living men will be queer bodies after. TRAMP. Isn t it a great wonder you re letting him lie there, and he not tidied, or laid out itself NORA comtng to the bed. I was afeard, stranger, for he put a black curse on me this morning if I d touch his body the time he d OF THE GLEN die sudden, or let anyone touch it except his sister only, and it s ten miles away she lives, in the big glen over the hill. TRAMP looking at her and nodding slowly . It s a queer story he wouldn t let his own wife touch him, and he dying quiet in his bed. NORA. He was an old man, and an odd man, stranger, and it s always upon the hills he was, thinking thoughts in the dark mist . . . She pulls back a bit of the sheet. Lay your hand on him now, and tell rne if it s cold he is surely. TRAMP. Is it getting the curse on me you d be, woman of the house I wouldn t lay my hand on him for the Lough Nahanagan and it filled with gold. NORA looking uneasily at the body. Maybe cold would be no sign of death with the like of him, for he was always cold, every day since Iknew him . . . and every night, stranger . . . she covers up his face and comes away from the bed but I m thinking it s dead he is surely, for he s complaining a while back of a pain in his heart, and this morning, the time he was going off to Brit as for three days or four, he was taken with a THE SHADOW sharp turn...