pieces, backed by Lake; table and two seats_, R. C.
SHEELAH _and_ EILY _discovered, knitting_.
_Sheelah_ [R.] Don’t cry, darlin’--don’t, alanna!
_Eily_ [L.] He’ll never come back to me--I’ll never see him again,
Sheelah!
_Sheelah_ Is it lave his own wife?
_Eily_ I’ve sent him a letther by Myles, and Myles has never come
back--I’ve got no answer--he won’t spake to me--I am standin’ betune
him and fortune--I’m in the way of his happiness. I wish I was dead!
_Sheelah_ Whisht! be thee husht! what talk is that? when I’m tuk sad
that way, I go down to the chapel and pray a turn--it lifts the cloud
off my heart.
_Eily_ I can’t pray; I’ve tried, but unless I pray for him, I can’t
bring my mind to it.
_Sheelah_ I never saw a colleen that loved as you love; sorra come to
me, but I b’lieve you’ve got enough to supply all Munster, and more
left over than would choke ye if you wern’t azed of it.
_Eily_ He’ll come back--I’m sure he will; I was wicked to doubt. Oh!
Sheelah! what becomes of the girls he doesn’t love? Is there anything
goin’ on in the world where he isn’t?
_Sheelah_ There now--you’re smilin’ again.
_Eily_ I’m like the first mornin’ when he met me--there was dew on the
young day’s eye--a smile on the lips o’ the lake. Hardress will come
back--oh! yes; he’ll never leave his poor Eily all alone by herself in
this place. Whisht, now, an’ I’ll tell you. [_Music._
_Song.--Air, “Pretty Girl Milking her Cow.”_
’Twas on a bright morning in summer,
I first heard his voice speaking low,
As he said to a colleen beside me,
“Who’s that pretty girl milking her cow?”
And many times after he met me,
And vowed that I always should be
His own little darling alanna,
Mavourneen a sweelish machree.
I haven’t the manners or graces
Of the girls in the world where ye move,
I haven’t their beautiful faces,
But I have a heart that can love.
If it plase ye, I’ll dress in satins,
And jewels I’ll put on my brow,
But don’t ye be after forgettin’
Your pretty girl milking her cow.
_Sheelah_ Ah, the birds sit still on the boughs to listen to her, and
the trees stop whisperin’; she leaves a mighty big silence behind her
voice, that nothin’ in nature wants to break. My blessin’ on the path
before her--there’s an angel at the other end of it.
[_Exit_ SHEELAH _in cottage_, R.
_Eily_ [_Repeats last line of song._]
_Enter_ ANNE CHUTE, L. U. E.
_Anne_ There she is.
_Eily_ [_Sings till facing Anne--stops--they examine each other._]
_Anne_ My name is Anne Chute.
_Eily_ I am Eily O’Connor.
_Anne_ You are the Colleen Bawn--the pretty girl.
_Eily_ And you are the Colleen Ruaidh.
_Anne_ [_Aside._] She is beautiful.
_Eily_ [_Aside._] How lovely she is.
_Anne_ We are rivals.
_Eily_ I am sorry for it.
_Anne_ So am I, for I feel that I could have loved you.
_Eily_ That’s always the way of it; everybody wants to love me, but
there’s something spoils them off.
_Anne_ [_Showing letter._] Do you know that writing?
_Eily_ I do, ma’am, well, though I don’t know how you came by it.
_Anne_ I saw your signals last night--I saw his departure, and I have
come here to convince myself of his falsehood to me. But now that I
have seen you, you have no longer a rival in his love, for I despise
him with all my heart, who could bring one so beautiful and simple as
you are to ruin and shame!
_Eily_ He didn’t--no--I am his wife! Oh, what have I said!
_Anne_ What?
_Eily_ Oh, I didn’t mane to confess it--no, I didn’t! but you wrung it
from me in defense of him.
_Anne_ You his wife?
_Enter_ DANNY, L. U. E.
_Danny_ [_At back--aside._] The divil! they’re at it--an’ I’m too late!
_Anne_ I can not believe this--show me your certificate.
_Eily_ Here it is.
_Danny_ [_Advances between them._] Didn’t you swear to the priest that
it should niver lave your breast?
_Anne_ Oh! you’re the boatman.
_Danny_ Iss, ma’am!
_Anne_ Eily, forgive me for doubting your goodness, and your purity. I
believe you. Let me take your hand. [_Crosses to her._] While the heart
of Anne Chute beats, you have a friend that won’t be spoiled off, but
you have no longer a rival, mind that. All I ask of you is that you
will never mention this visit to Mr. Daly--and for you [_To_ DANNY.]
this will purchase your silence. [_Gives money._] Good-by!
[_Exit_ ANNE, L. U. E.
_Danny_ Long life t’ye. [_Aside._] What does it mane? Hasn’t she found
me out?
_Eily_ Why did she ask me never to spake to Mr. Daly of her visit here?
Sure I don’t know any Mr. Daly.
_Danny_ Didn’t she spake of him before, dear?
_Eily_ Never!
_Danny_ Nor didn’t she name Master Hardress?
_Eily_ Well, I don’t know; she spoke of him and of the letter I wrote
to him, but I b’lieve she never named him intirely.
_Danny_ [_Aside._] The divil’s in it for sport; she’s got ’em mixed yet.
_Enter_ SHEELAH _from cottage_, R.
_Sheelah_ What brings you back, Danny?
_Danny_ Nothing! but a word I have from the masther for the Colleen here.
_Eily_ Is it the answer to the letter I sent by Myles?
_Danny_ That’s it, jewel, he sent me wid a message.
_Sheelah_ [C.] Somethin’ bad has happened. Danny, you are as pale as
milk, and your eye is full of blood--yez been drinkin’.
_Danny_ May be I have.
_Sheelah_ You thrimble, and can’t spake straight to me. Oh! Danny, what
is it, avick?
_Danny_ Go on now, an’ stop yer keenin’.
_Eily_ Faith, it isn’t yourself that’s in it, Danny; sure there’s
nothing happened to Hardress?
_Danny_ Divil a word, good or bad, I’ll say while the mother’s there.
_Sheelah_ I’m goin’. [_Aside._] What’s come to Danny this day, at all,
at all; bedad, I don’t know my own flesh and blood.
[_Runs into cottage._
_Danny_ Sorro’ and ruin has come on the Cregans; they’re broke intirely.
_Eily_ Oh, Danny.
_Danny_ Whisht, now! You are to meet Masther Hardress this evenin’, at
a place on the Divil’s Island, beyant. Ye’ll niver breathe a word to a
mortal where yer goin’, d’ye mind, now; but slip down, unbeknown, to
the landin’ below, where I’ll have the boat waitin’ for yez.
_Eily_ At what hour?
_Danny_ Just after dark; there’s no moon to-night, an’ no one will see
us crossin’ the water. [_Music till end of scene._
_Eily_ I will be there; I’ll go down only to the little chapel by the
shore, and pray there ’till ye come. [_Exit_ EILY, _into cottage_, R.
_Danny_ I’m wake and cowld! What’s this come over me? Mother, mother,
acushla.
_Enter_ SHEELAH, R.
_Sheelah_ What is it, Danny?
_Danny_ [_Staggering to table._] Give me a glass of spirits!
[_Falls in chair--Change quickly._