Hard Oh, mother, mother! what can be done? My marriage with Anne is impossible.
Danny [R. C.] Whisht, if ye plaze – ye’re talkin’ so loud she’ll hear ye say that – she’s comin’.
Mrs. C Has this fellow overheard us?
Hard If he has, he is mine, body and soul. I’d rather trust him with a secret than keep it myself.
Mrs. C [L. C.] I can not remain to see Anne; excuse me to my friends. The night perhaps will bring counsel, or at least resolution to hear the worst! Good night, my son.
Danny [R. C.] Oh, masther! she doesn’t know the worst! She doesn’t know that you are married to the Colleen Bawn.
Hard Hush! what fiend prompts you to thrust that act of folly in my face?
Danny Thrue for ye, masther! I’m a dirty mane scut to remind ye of it.
Hard What will my haughty, noble mother say, when she learns the truth! how can I ask her to receive Eily as a daughter? – Eily, with her awkward manners, her Kerry brogue, her ignorance of the usages of society. Oh, what have I done?
Danny Oh! vo – vo, has the ould family come to this! Is it the daughter of Mihil-na-Thradrucha, the old rope-maker of Garryowen, that ’ud take the flure as your wife?
Hard Be silent, scoundrel! How dare you speak thus of my love! – wretch that I am to blame her! – poor, beautiful, angel-hearted Eily.
Danny Beautiful is it! Och – wurra – wurra, deelish! The looking-glass was never made that could do her justice; and if St. Patrick wanted a wife, where would he find an angel that ’ud compare with the Colleen Bawn. As I row her on the lake, the little fishes come up to look at her; and the wind from heaven lifts up her hair to see what the divil brings her down here at all – at all.
Hard The fault is mine – mine alone – I alone will suffer!
Danny Why isn’t it mine? Why can’t I suffer for yez, masther dear? Wouldn’t I swally every tear in your body, every bit of bad luck in your life, and then wid a stone round my neck, sink myself and your sorrows in the bottom of the lower lake.
Hard [Placing hand on Danny.] Good Danny, away with you to the boat – be ready in a few moments; we will cross to Muckross Head. [Looks at light at back.
Danny Never fear, sir. Oh! it isn’t that spalpeen, Corrigan, that shall bring ruin on that ould place. Lave Danny alone. Danny, the fox, will lade yez round and about, and cross the scint. [Takes off his hat – sees letter.] Bedad, here’s the letter from the Colleen Bawn that I couldn’t find a while ago – it’s little use now. [Goes to lower window, and reads by light from house.] “Come to your own Eily, that has not seen you for two long days. Come, acushla agrah machree. I have forgotten how much you love me – Shule, shule agrah. – Colleen Bawn.” Divil an address is on it.
Anne [C.] Have they gone?
Kyrle [L. C.] It is nearly midnight.
Anne Before we go in, I insist on knowing who is this girl that possesses your heart. You confess that you are in love – deeply in love.
Kyrle I do confess it – but not even your power can extract that secret from me – do not ask me, for I could not be false, yet dare not be true. [Exit Kyrle into house, L.
Anne [L. C.] He loves me – oh! he loves me – the little bird is making a nest in my heart. Oh! I’m faint with joy.
Danny [As if calling after him.] Sir, sir!
Anne Who is that?
Danny I’m the boatman below, an’ I’m waitin for the gintleman.
Anne What gentleman?
Danny Him that’s jist left me, ma’am – I’m waitin’ on him.
Anne Does Mr. Kyrle Daly go out boating at this hour?
Danny It’s not for me to say, ma’am, but every night at twelve o’clock I’m here wid my boat under the blue rock below, to put him across the lake to Muckross Head. I beg your pardon, ma’am, but here’s a paper ye dropped on the walk beyant – if it’s no vally I’d like to light my pipe wid it. [Gives it.
Anne A paper I dropped! [Goes to window – reads.
Danny [Aside.] Oh, Misther Corrigan, you’ll ruin masther will ye? aisy now, and see how I’ll put the cross on ye.
Anne A love-letter from some peasant girl to Kyrle Daly! Can this be the love of which he spoke? have I deceived myself?
Danny I must be off, ma’am; here comes the signal. [Music.
Anne The signal?
Danny D’ye see yonder light upon Muckross Head? It is in a cottage windy; that light goes in and out three times winkin’ that way, as much as to say, “Are ye comin’?” Then if the light in that room there [points at house above,] answers by a wink, it manes No! but if it goes out entirely, his honor jumps from the parlor windy into the garden behind, and we’re off. Look! [Light in cottage disappears.] That’s one. [Light appears.] Now again. [Light disappears.] That’s two. [Light appears.] What did I tell you? [Light disappears.] That’s three, and here it comes again. [Light appears.] Wait now, and ye’ll see the answer. [Light disappears from window, L.] That’s my gentleman. [Music change.] You see he’s goin’ – good night, ma’am.
Anne Stay, here’s money; do not tell Mr. Daly that I know of this.
Danny Divil a word – long life t’ye. [Goes up.
Anne I was not deceived; he meant me to understand that he loved me! Hark! I hear the sound of some one who leaped heavily on the garden walk. [Goes to house L. —looking at back.
Danny [Going down, R. C.] All right, yer honor.
Anne [Hiding, L.] It is he, ’tis he.
Corrig From the rock above I saw the boat leave Torc Cregan. It is now crossing the lake to the cottage. Who is this girl? What is this mysterious misthress of young Cregan? – that I’ll find out.
“Oh! Charley Mount is a pretty place,
In the month of July – ”
Corrig Who’s that? – ’Tis that poaching scoundrel – that horse stealer, Myles na Coppaleen. Here he comes with a keg of illicit whisky, as bould as Nebuckadezzar.
Is that you, Myles?
Myles No! it’s my brother.
Corrig I know ye, my man.
Myles Then why the divil did ye ax?
Corrig You may as well answer me kindly – civility costs nothing.
Myles [L. C.] Ow now! don’t it? Civility to a lawyer manes six-and-eight-pence about.
Corrig [R. C.] What’s that on your shoulder?
Myles What’s