The Tinkers Wedding | Page 7

their sins? MARY --
with compassion. -- It's destroy- ed you must be hearing the
sins of the rural people on a fine spring. PRIEST -- with
despondency. -- It's a hard life, I'm telling you, a hard life, Mary
Byrne; and there's the bishop coming in the morning, and he an old
man, would have you destroyed if he seen a thing at all. MARY --
with great sympathy. -- It'd break my heart to hear you talking
and sigh- ing the like of that, your reverence. (She pats him on the
knee.) Let you rouse up, now, if it's a poor, single man you are

itself, and I'll be singing you songs unto the dawn of day. PRIEST --
interrupting her. -- What is it I want with your songs when it'd
be better for the like of you, that'll soon die, to be down on your two
knees saying prayers to the Almighty God? MARY. If it's prayers I
want, you'd have a right to say one yourself, holy father; for we don't
have them at all, and I've heard tell a power of times it's that you're for.
Say
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one now, your reverence, for I've heard a power of queer things and I
walking the world, but there's one thing I never heard any time, and
that's a real priest saying a prayer. PRIEST. The Lord protect us!
MARY. It's no lie, holy father. I often heard the rural people making a
queer noise and they going to rest; but who'd mind the like of them?
And I'm thinking it should be great game to hear a scholar, the like of
you, speaking Latin to the saints above. PRIEST -- scandalized.
-- Stop your talk- ing, Mary Byrne; you're an old flagrant heathen, and
I'll stay no more with the lot of you. [He rises. MARY --
catching hold of him. -- Stop till you say a prayer, your
reverence; stop till you say a little prayer, I'm telling you, and I'll give
you my blessing and the last sup from the jug. PRIEST -- breaking
away. -- Leave me go, Mary Byrne; for I have never met your like
for hard abominations the score and two years I'm living in the place.
MARY -- innocently. -- Is that the truth? PRIEST. --* It is, then,
and God have mercy on your soul. [The priest goes towards the left,
and Sarah follows him.
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SARAH -- in a low voice. -- And what time will you do the
thing I'm asking, holy father? for I'm thinking you'll do it surely, and
not have me growing into an old wicked heathen like herself. MARY --
calling out shrilly. -- Let you be walking back here, Sarah
Casey, and not be talking whisper-talk with the like of him in the face
of the Almighty God. SARAH -- to the priest. -- Do you hear
her now, your reverence? Isn't it true, surely, she's an old, flagrant
heathen, would destroy the world? PRIEST -- to Sarah, moving

off. -- Well, I'll be coming down early to the chapel, and let you
come to me a while after you see me pas- sing, and bring the bit of gold
along with you, and the tin can. I'll marry you for them two, though it's
a pitiful small sum; for I wouldn't be easy in my soul if I left you
growing into an old, wicked heathen the like of her. SARAH --
following him out. -- The bles- sing of the Almighty God be on
you, holy father, and that He may reward and watch you from this
present day. MARY -- nudging Michael. -- Did you see that,
Michael Byrne? Didn't you hear me telling you she's flighty a while
back since the change of the moon? With her fussing for
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marriage, and she making whisper-talk with one man or another man
along by the road. MICHAEL. --* Whist now, or she'll knock the head
of you the time she comes back. MARY. --* Ah, it's a bad, wicked way
the world is this night, if there's a fine air in it itself. You'd never have
seen me, and I a young woman, making whisper-talk with the like of
him, and he the fearfullest old fellow you'd see any place walking the
world. [Sarah comes back quickly. MARY -- calling out to
her. -- What is it you're after whispering above with himself?
SARAH -- exultingly. -- Lie down, and leave us in peace.
She whispers with Michael. MARY -- poking out her pipe
with a straw, sings -- She'd whisper with one, and she'd whisper
with two -- She breaks off coughing. -- My singing voice is
gone for this night, Sarah Casey. (She lights her pipe.) But