The Indian Princess Part 14

O holy Spirit! thou whom my dear lover Has taught me to adore and think most merciful, Wing with thy lightning's speed my flying feet!

[_Music. Exit PRINCESS._

SCENE III. _Near Jamestown._

_Enter LARRY, and KATE as a page._

LARRY. Nine ships, five hundred men, and a lord governor! Och! St.

Patrick's blessing be upon them; they'll make this land flow with b.u.t.termilk like green Erin. What say you, master page, isn't this a nice neat patch to plant potatoes--I mean, to plant a nation in?

KATE. There's but one better.

LARRY. And which might that be?

KATE. E'en little green Erin that you spoke of.

LARRY. And were you ever--och, give me your fist--were you ever in Ireland?

KATE. It's there I was born--

LARRY. I saw its bloom on your cheek.

KATE. And bred.

LARRY. I saw it in your manners.

KATE. Oh, your servant, sir. [_Bows._] And there, too, I fell in love.

LARRY. And, by the powers, so did I; and if a man don't fall into one of the beautiful bogs that Cupid has digged there, faith he may stand without tumbling, though he runs over all the world beside. Och, the creatures, I can see them now--

KATE. Such sparkling eyes--

LARRY. Rosy cheeks--

KATE. Pouting lips--

LARRY. Tinder hearts! Och, sweet Ireland!

KATE. Aye, it was there that I fixed my affections after all my wanderings.

_Song._--KATE.

Young Edward, through many a distant place, Had wandering pa.s.s'd, a thoughtless ranger; And, cheer'd by a smile from beauty's face, Had laugh'd at the frowning face of danger.

Fearless Ned, Careless Ned, Never with foreign dames was a stranger; And huff, Bluff, He laugh'd at the frowning face of danger.

But journeying on to his native place, Through Ballinamone pa.s.s'd the stranger; Where, fix'd by the charms of Katy's face, He swore he'd no longer be a ranger, Pretty Kate, Witty Kate, Vow'd that no time could ever change her; And kiss, Bliss-- O, she hugg'd to her heart the welcome stranger.

LARRY. How's that? Ballinamone, Kate, did you say, Kate?

KATE. Aye, Katy Maclure; as neat a little wanton t.i.t--

LARRY. My wife a wanton t.i.t!--Hark ye, master Whippersnapper, do you pretend--

KATE. Pretend! no, faith, sir, I scorn to _pretend_, sir; I am above boasting of ladies' favours, unless I receive 'em. Pretend, quotha!

LARRY. Fire and f.a.ggots! Favours!--

KATE. You seem to know the girl, mister--a--

LARRY. Know her! she's my wife.

KATE. Your wife! Ridiculous! I thought, by your pother, that she had been _your friend's wife_, or your mistress. Hark ye, mister--a--cuckoo--

LARRY. Cuckoo!

KATE. Your ear. Your wife loved me as she did herself.

LARRY. She did?

KATE. Couldn't live without me; all day we were together.

LARRY. You were!

KATE. As I'm a cavalier; and all night--we lay----

LARRY. How?

KATE. How! why, close as two twin potatoes; in the same bed, egad!

LARRY. Tunder and turf! I'll split you from the c.o.xcomb to the----

KATE. Ay, do split the twin potato asunder, do.

[_Discovers herself._

LARRY. It is--no--what! Och, is it n.o.body but yourself? O my darling!--[_Catches her in his arms._] And so--But how did you?--And where--and what--O boderation! [_Kisses._] And how d' ye do? and how's your mother? and the pigs and praties, and--kiss me, Kate. [_Kiss._

KATE. So; now may I speak?

LARRY. Aye, do be telling me--but stop every now and then, that I may point your story with a grammatical kiss.

KATE. Oh, hang it! you'll be for putting nothing but periods to my discourse.

LARRY. Faith, and I should be for counting--[_Kisses._]--four.--Arrah!

there, then; I've done with that sentence.

KATE. You remember what caused me to stay behind, when you embarked for America?