MATTHIAS. “The oars pulling strongly--” (_He stops again._)
Neighbours, the “_Báidín_” itself is gone from me. (_They remain silent
for a spell, the old man sitting and his head bent on his breast, and
the boys looking on him sorrowfully. The old man speaks with a start._)
Are those the people coming home from Mass?
CUIMIN. No. They won’t be free for a half hour yet.
COILIN. Why don’t you go to Mass, Matthias?
_The old man rises up and puts his hand to his head again. He speaks
angrily at first, and after that softly._
MATTHIAS. Why don’t I go?... I’m not good enough. By my word, God
wouldn’t hear me.... What’s this I’m saying?... (_He laughs._) And I
have lost the “_Báidín_,” do ye say? Amn’t I the pitiful object without
my “_Báidín_!”
_He hobbles slowly across the road. Coilin rises and puts his shoulder
under the old man’s hand to support him. The boys begin playing
“jackstones” quietly. Old Matthias sits on the chair again, and Coilin
returns. Daragh speaks in a low voice._
DARAGH. There’s something on Old Matthias to-day. He never forgot the
“_Báidín_” before.
CUIMIN. I heard my father saying to my mother, the other night, that
it’s not long he has to live.
COILIN. Do you think is he very old?
PADRAIC. Why did you put that question on him about the Mass? Don’t you
know he hasn’t been seen at Mass in the memory of the people?
DARAGH. I heard Old Cuimin Enda saying to my father that he himself saw
Old Matthias at Mass when he was a youth.
COILIN. Do you know why he doesn’t go to Mass now?
PADRAIC (_in a whisper_). It’s said he doesn’t believe there’s a God.
CUIMIN. I heard Father Sean Eamonn saying it’s the way he did some
terrible sin at the start of his life, and when the priest wouldn’t give
him absolution in confession there came a raging anger on him, and he
swore an oath he wouldn’t touch priest or chapel for ever again.
DARAGH. That’s not how I heard it. One night when I was in bed the old
people were talking and whispering by the fireside, and I heard Maire of
the Bridge saying to the other old women that it’s the way Matthias sold
his soul to some Great Man he met once on the top of Cnoc-a’-Daimh, and
that this Man wouldn’t allow him to go to Mass.
PADRAIC. Do you think was it the devil he saw?
DARAGH. I don’t know. A “Great Man,” said Maire of the Bridge.
CUIMIN. I wouldn’t believe a word of it. Sure, if Matthias sold his soul
to the devil it must be he’s a wicked person.
PADRAIC. He’s not a wicked person, _muise_. Don’t you mind the day
Iosagan said that his father told him Matthias would be among the saints
on the Day of the Mountain?
CUIMIN. I mind it well.
COILIN. Where’s Iosagan from us to-day?
DARAGH. He never comes when there does be a grown person watching us.
CUIMIN. Wasn’t he here a week ago to-day when old Matthias was watching
us?
DARAGH. Was he?
CUIMIN. He was.
PADRAIC. Aye, and a fortnight to-day, as well.
DARAGH. There’s a chance he’ll come to-day, then.
_Cuimin rises and looks east._
CUIMIN. O, see, he’s coming.
_Iosagan enters--a little, brown-haired boy, a white coat on him, and
he without shoes or cap like the other boys. The boys welcome him._
THE BOYS. God save you, Iosagan!
IOSAGAN. God and Mary save you!
_He sits among them, a hand of his about Daragh’s neck; the boys begin
playing again, gently, without noise or quarrelling. Iosagan joins in
the game. Matthias rises with a start on the coming of Iosagan, and
stands gazing at him. After they have played for a spell he comes
towards them, and then stands again and calls over to Coilin._
MATTHIAS. Coilin!
COILIN. What do you want?
MATTHIAS. Come here to me. (_Coilin rises and goes to him._) Who is that
boy I see among you this fortnight back--he, yonder, with the brown head
on him--but take care it’s not red he is; I don’t know is it black or is
it fair he is, the way the sun is burning on him? Do you see him--him
that has his arm about Daragh’s neck?
COILIN. That’s Iosagan.
MATTHIAS. Iosagan?
COILIN. That’s the name he gives himself.
MATTHIAS. Who are his people?
COILIN. I don’t know, but he says his father’s a king.
MATTHIAS. Where does he live?
COILIN. He never told us that, but he says his house isn’t far away.
MATTHIAS. Does he be among you often?
COILIN. He does, when we do be amusing ourselves like this. But he goes
from us when grown people come near. He will go from us now as soon as
the people begin coming from Mass.
_The boys rise and go, in ones and twos, when they have finished the
game._
COILIN. O! They are going jumping.
_He runs out after the others. Iosagan and Daragh rise and go.
Matthias comes forward and calls Iosagan._
MATTHIAS. Iosagan! (_The Child turns back and comes towards him at a
run._) Come here and sit on my knee for a little while, Iosagan. (_The
Child links his hand in the old man’s hand, and they cross the road
together. Matthias sits on his chair and draws Iosagan to him._) Where
do you live, Iosagan?
IOSAGAN. Not far from this my house is. Why don’t you come to see me?
MATTHIAS. I would be afraid in a royal house. They tell me that your
father’s a king.
IOSAGAN. He is High-King of the World. But there’s no call for you to be
afraid of Him. He’s full of pity and love.
MATTHIAS. I fear I didn’t keep His law.
IOSAGAN. Ask forgiveness of Him. I and my Mother will make intercession
for you.
MATTHIAS. It’s a pity I didn’t see You before this, Iosagan. Where were
You from me?
IOSAGAN. I was here always. I do be travelling the roads and walking the
hills and ploughing the waves. I do be among the people when they gather
into My house. I do be among the children they do leave behind them
playing on the street.
MATTHIAS. I was too shy, or too proud, to go into Your house, Iosagan:
among the children, it was, I found You.
IOSAGAN. There isn’t any place or time the children do be making fun to
themselves that I’m not with them. Times they see Me; other times they
don’t see Me.
MATTHIAS. I never saw You till lately.
IOSAGAN. All the grown people do be blind.
MATTHIAS. And it has been granted me to see You, Iosagan.
IOSAGAN. My Father gave Me leave to show Myself to you because you loved
His little children. (_The voices are heard of the people returning from
Mass._) I must go now from you.
MATTHIAS. Let me kiss the hem of Your coat.