the sticks?

MARTIN DOUL. It's hard set I am to know what would be right.
And isn't it a poor thing to be blind when you can't run off

itself, and you fearing to see?
MARY DOUL -- [nearly in tears.] -- It's a poor thing, God help

us, and what good'll our gray hairs be itself, if we have our
sight, the way we'll see them falling each day, and turning dirty

in the rain?
[The bell sounds nearby.]

MARTIN DOUL -- [in despair.] -- He's coming now, and we won't get
off from him at all.

MARY DOUL. Could we hide in the bit of a briar is growing at the
west butt of the church?

MARTIN DOUL. We'll try that, surely. (He listens a moment.) Let
you make haste; I hear them trampling in the wood. [They grope

over to church.]
MARY DOUL. It's the words of the young girls making a great stir

in the trees. (They find the bush.) Here's the briar on my left,
Martin; I'll go in first, I'm the big one, and I'm easy to see.

MARTIN DOUL -- [turning his head anxiously.] -- It's easy heard
you are; and will you be holding your tongue?

MARY DOUL -- [partly behind bush.] -- Come in now beside of me.
(They kneel down, still clearly visible.) Do you think they can

see us now, Martin Doul?
MARTIN DOUL. I'm thinking they can't, but I'm hard set to know;

for the lot of them young girls, the devil save them, have sharp,
terrible eyes, would pick out a poor man, I'm thinking, and he

lying below hid in his grave.
MARY DOUL. Let you not be whispering sin, Martin Doul, or maybe

it's the finger of God they'd see pointing to ourselves.
MARTIN DOUL. It's yourself is speakingmadness, Mary Doul;

haven't you heard the Saint say it's the wicked do be blind?
MARY DOUL. If it is you'd have a right to speak a big, terrible

word would make the water not cure us at all.
MARTIN DOUL. What way would I find a big, terrible word, and I

shook with the fear; and if I did itself, who'd know rightly if
it's good words or bad would save us this day from himself?

MARY DOUL. They're coming. I hear their feet on the stones.
[The Saint comes in on right, with Timmy and Molly Byrne in

holiday clothes, the others as before.]
TIMMY. I've heard tell Martin Doul and Mary Doul were seen this

day about on the road, holy father, and we were thinking you'd
have pity on them and cure them again.

SAINT. I would, maybe, but where are they at all? I have little
time left when I have the two of you wed in the church.

MAT SIMON -- [at their seat.] -- There are the rushes they do
have lying round on the stones. It's not far off they'll be,

surely.
MOLLY BYRNE -- [pointing with astonishment.] -- Look beyond,

Timmy. [They all look over and see Martin Doul.]
TIMMY. Well, Martin's a lazy fellow to be lying in there at the

height of the day. (He goes over shouting.) Let you get up out
of that. You were near losing a great chance by your sleepiness

this day, Martin Doul. . . . The two of them's in it, God help us
all!

MARTIN DOUL -- [scrambling up with Mary Doul.] -- What is it you
want, Timmy, that you can't leave us in peace?

TIMMY. The Saint's come to marry the two of us, and I'm after
speaking a word for yourselves, the way he'll be curing you now;

for if you're a foolish man itself, I do be pitying you, for I've
a kind heart, when I think of you sitting dark again, and you

after seeing a while and working for your bread. [Martin Doul
takes Mary Doul's hand and tries to grope his way off right; he

has lost his hat, and they are both covered with dust and grass
seeds.]

PEOPLE. You're going wrong. It's this way, Martin Doul.
[They push him over in front of the Saint, near centre. Martin

Doul and Mary Doul stand with piteous hang-dog dejection.]
SAINT. Let you not be afeard, for there's great pity with the

Lord.
MARTIN DOUL. We aren't afeard, holy father.

SAINT. It's many a time those that are cured with the well of
the four beauties of God lose their sight when a time is gone,

but those I cure a second time go on seeing till the hour of
death. (He takes the cover from his can.) I've a few drops only

left of the water, but, with the help of God, It'll be enough for
the two of you, and let you kneel down now upon the road. [Martin

Doul wheels round with Mary Doul and tries to get away.
SAINT. You can kneel down here, I'm saying, we'll not trouble

this time going to the church.
TIMMY -- [turning Martin Doul round, angrily.] -- Are you going

mad in your head, Martin Doul? It's here you're to kneel. Did
you not hear his reverence, and he speaking to you now?

SAINT. Kneel down, I'm saying, the ground's dry at your feet.
MARTIN DOUL -- [with distress.] -- Let you go on your own way,

holy father. We're not calling you at all.
SAINT. I'm not saying a word of pen- ance, or fasting itself,

for I'm thinking the Lord has brought you great teaching in the
blindness of your eyes; so you've no call now to be fearing me,

but let you kneel down till I give you your sight.
MARTIN DOUL -- [more troubled.] -- We're not asking our sight,

holy father, and let you walk on your own way, and be fasting, or
praying, or doing anything that you will, but leave us here in

our peace, at the crossing of the roads, for it's best we are
this way, and we're not asking to see.

SAINT -- [to the People.] -- Is his mind gone that he's no wish
to be cured this day, or to be living or working, or looking on

the wonders of the world?
MARTIN DOUL. It's wonders enough I seen in a short space for the

life of one man only.
SAINT -- [severely.] -- I never heard tell of any person wouldn't

have great joy to be looking on the earth, and the image of the
Lord thrown upon men.

MARTIN DOUL -- [raising his voice.] -- Them is great sights, holy
father. . . . What was it I seen when I first opened my eyes but

your own bleeding feet, and they cut with the stones? That was a
great sight, maybe, of the image of God. . . . And what was it I

seen my last day but the villainy of hell looking out from the
eyes of the girl you're coming to marry -- the Lord forgive you

-- with Timmy the smith. That was a great sight, maybe. And
wasn't it great sights I seen on the roads when the north winds

would be driving, and the skies would be harsh, till you'd see
the horses and the asses, and the dogs itself, maybe, with their

heads hanging, and they closing their eyes --.
SAINT. And did you never hear tell of the summer, and the fine

spring, and the places where the holy men of Ireland have built
up churches to the Lord? No man isn't a madman, I'm thinking,

would be talking the like of that, and wishing to be closed up
and seeing no sight of the grand glittering seas, and the furze

that is opening above, and will soon have the hills shining as if
it was fine creels of gold they were, rising to the sky.

MARTIN DOUL. Is it talking now you are of Knock and Ballavore?
Ah, it's ourselves had finer sights than the like of them, I'm

telling you, when we were sitting a while back hearing the birds
and bees humming in every weed of the ditch, or when we'd be

smelling the sweet, beautiful smell does be rising in the warm
nights, when you do hear the swift flying things racing in the

air, till we'd be looking up in our own minds into a grand sky,
and seeing lakes, and big rivers, and fine hills for taking the

plough.
SAINT -- [to People.] -- There's little use talking with the like

of him.
MOLLY BYRNE. It's lazy he is, holy father, and not wanting to

work; for a while before you had him cured he was always talking,
and wishing, and longing for his sight.

MARTIN DOUL -- [turning on her.] -- I was longing, surely for
sight; but I seen my fill in a short while with the look of my

wife, and the look of yourself, Molly Byrne, when you'd the queer
wicked grin in your eyes you do have the time you're making game

with a man.
MOLLY BYRNE. Let you not mind him, holy father; for it's bad

things he was saying to me a while back -- bad things for a
married man, your reverence -- and you'd do right surely to leave

him in darkness, if it's that is best fitting the villainy of his
heart.

TIMMY -- [to Saint.] -- Would you cure Mary Doul, your reverence,
who is a quiet poor woman, never did hurt to any, or said a hard

word, saving only when she'd be vexed with himself, or with young
girls would be making game of her below?

SAINT -- [to Mary Doul.] -- If you have any sense, Mary, kneel
down at my feet, and I'll bring the sight again into your eyes.

MARTIN DOUL -- [more defiantly.] -- You will not, holy father.
Would you have her looking on me, and saying hard words to me,

till the hour of death?
SAINT -- [severely.] -- If she's wanting her sight I wouldn't

have the like of you stop her at all. (To Mary Doul.) Kneel
down, I'm saying.

MARY DOUL -- [doubtfully.] -- Let us be as we are, holy father,
and then we'll be known again in a short while as the people is

happy and blind, and be having an easy time, with no trouble to
live, and we getting halfpence on the road.

MOLLY BYRNE. Let you not be a raving fool, Mary Doul. Kneel
down now, and let him give you your sight, and himself can be

sitting here if he likes it best, and taking halfpence on the
road.

TIMMY. That's the truth, Mary; and if it's choosing a wilful
blindness you are, I'm thinking there isn't anyone in this place

will ever be giving you a hand's turn or a hap'orth of meal, or
be doing the little things you need to keep you at all living in

the world.
MAT SIMON. If you had your sight, Mary, you could be walking up

for him and down with him, and be stitching his clothes, and
keeping a watch on him day and night the way no other woman would

come near him at all.
MARY DOUL -- [half persuaded.] -- That's the truth, maybe.

SAINT. Kneel down now, I'm saying, for it's in haste I am to be
going on with the marriage and be walking my own way before the

fall of night.
THE PEOPLE. Kneel down, Mary! Kneel down when you're bid by the

Saint!
MARY DOUL -- [looking uneasily towards Martin Doul.] -- Maybe

it's right they are, and I will if you wish it, holy father.
[She kneels down. The Saint takes off his hat and gives it to

some one near him. All the men take off their hats. He goes
forward a step to take Martin Doul's hand away from Mary Doul.]

SAINT -- [to Martin Doul.] -- Go aside now; we're not wanting you
here.

MARTIN DOUL -- [pushes him away roughly, and stands with his left
hand on Mary Doul's shoulder.] -- Keep off yourself, holy father,

and let you not be taking my rest from me in the darkness of my
wife. . . . What call has the like of you to be coming between

married people -- that you're not understanding at all -- and be
making a great mess with the holy water you have, and the length

of your prayers? Go on now, I'm saying, and leave us here on the
road.

SAINT. If it was a seeing man I heard talking to me the like of
that I'd put a black curse on him would weigh down his soul till

it'd be falling to hell; but you're a poor blind sinner, God
forgive you, and I don't mind you at all. (He raises his can.)

Go aside now till I give the blessing to your wife, and if you
won't go with your own will, there are those standing by will

• wicked [´wikid] a.邪恶的；不道德的 (初中英语单词)
• working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)
• forgive [fə´giv] vt.原谅，谅解，宽恕 (初中英语单词)
• opening [´əupəniŋ] n.开放；开端 a.开始的 (初中英语单词)
• blessing [´blesiŋ] n.祝福 (初中英语单词)
• standing [´stændiŋ] n.持续 a.直立的 (初中英语单词)
• madness [´mædnis] n.疯狂；狂热 (高中英语单词)
• seeing [si:iŋ] see的现在分词 n.视觉 (高中英语单词)
• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)
• reverence [´revərəns] n.尊敬；敬畏；尊严 (高中英语单词)
• hanging [´hæŋiŋ] n.绞刑 a.悬挂着的 (高中英语单词)
• ireland [´aiələnd] n.爱尔兰 (高中英语单词)
• hearing [´hiəriŋ] n.听力；听证会；审讯 (高中英语单词)
• longing [´lɔŋiŋ] n.&a.渴望(的) (高中英语单词)
• roughly [´rʌfli] ad.粗糙地；毛糙地 (高中英语单词)
• rightly [´raitli] ad.正义地；正确地 (英语四级单词)
• sinner [´sinə] n.罪人 (英语四级单词)
• holding [´həuldiŋ] n.保持，固定，存储 (英语六级单词)
• speaking [´spi:kiŋ] n.说话 a.发言的 (英语六级单词)
• calling [´kɔ:liŋ] n.点名；职业；欲望 (英语六级单词)
• madman [´mædmən] n.疯子；狂人 (英语六级单词)
• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)
• wanting [´wɔntiŋ, wɑ:n-] a.短缺的；不足的 (英语六级单词)
• fitting [´fitiŋ] a.适当的 n.试衣 (英语六级单词)
• uneasily [ʌn´i:zili] ad.不安地；局促地 (英语六级单词)