The Well of the Saints - A Play

PERSONS IN THE PLAY MARTIN D OUL w, eather-beaten, blind beggar MARY DOUL, his W f e, weather-beaten, ugly woman, blind also, nearly ffty TIMM a Y m, id de-aged, almost elderly, but vigorous smith MOLLY BYRNEf, i ire-looking girl with fair hair BRIDE, another handsome girl MAT SIMON THE SA INT, a wandering Friar OTHE G R IRLS AN D MEN SCENE-Some lonely mountainous district in the east of Ireland one or more centuries ago. THE WELL OF THE SAINTS ACT I Roadside with big stones, etc., on the right low loose wall at back with gap near centre at lgt, ruined doorway of church with bushes beside it. Martin Doul and Mary Doul grope in on Zft and pass over to stones on right, where they sit. MARY DOUL. What plLe are we now, Martin Doul MARTIN DOUL. Passing the gap. MARY DOUL, raising her head. T h e length of that Well, the suns coming warm this day i f its late autumn itself. MARTIN DOUL, putting out his hands in sun. What way wouldnt it be warm and it getting B The Well of the Saints Act i high up in the south You were that length plaiting your yellow hair you have the morning lost on us, and the people are after passing to the fair of Clash. MARY DOUL. It isnt going to the fair, the time they d driving their cattle and they with a litter of maybe squealing in their carts, theyd give thing at all. She sits down. I S well know that, but you must be talking. MARTIN DOUL, sitting down beside her and beginning to shred rushes she gives him. If I didnt talk Id be destroyed in a short while listening to the clack you do be making, for youve a queer cracked voice, the Lord have mercy on you, if its fine to look on you are itself. MARY DOUL. Who wouldnt have a cracked voice sitting out all the year inthe rain falling Its a bad life for the voice, Martin Doul, though Ive heard tell there isnt anything like the wet south wind does be blowing upon us for keeping a white The Well of the Saints Act i beautiful skin-the like of my skin-on your neck and on your brows, and there isnt anything at all like a fine skin for putting splendour on a woman. MARTIN DOUL, teasingly, but with good humour. I do be thinking odd times we dont know rightly what way you have your splendour, or asking myself, maybe, if you have it at all, for the time I was a young lad, and had fine sight, it was the ones with sweet voices were the best in face. MARY DOUL. Let you not be making the like of that talk when youve heard Timmy the smith, and Mat Simon, and Patch Ruadh, and a power besides saying fine things of my face, and you know rightly it was the beautiful dark woman they did call me in Ballinatone, If it was itself I heard Molly Byrne saying at the fall of night it was little more than a fright you were. The Well of the Saints Act i MARY DOUL, sharply. She was jealous, God forgive her, because Timmy the smith was after praising my hair-MARTIN DOUL, with mock irony. Jealous 0 MARY DOUL. Ay, jealous, Martin Doul and if she wasnt itself, the young and silly do be always making game of them thats dark, and theyd think it a fine thing if they had us deceived, the way we wouldnt know we were so fine-looking at all. She puts her hand to her face with a complacent gesture. MARTIN DOUL, a little plaintively. I do be thinking in the long nights itd be a grand thing if we could see ourselves for one hour, or a minute itself, the way wed know surely we were the finest man and the finest woman of the seven counties ofthe east- bitterly and then the seeing rabble below might be destroying their souls telling bad lies, and wed never heed a thing theyd say. a The Well of the Saints Act i MARY DOUL...