Three Plays: The Fiddler's House, The Land, Thomas Muskerry Part 18

CORNELIUS And are you not thinking about the school at all, Ellen?

ELLEN I'll hear about it some time, I suppose.

MARTIN DOURAS You're right to take it that way, Ellen. School doesn't mean scholarship now. Many's the time I'm telling Cornelius that a man farming the land, with a few books on his shelf and a few books in his head, has more of the scholar's life about him than the young fellows who do be teaching in schools and teaching in colleges.

CORNELIUS That's all very well, father. School and scholarship isn't the one. But think of the word "Constantinople!" I could leave off herding and digging every time I think on that word!

MARTIN DOURAS Ah, it's a great word. A word like that would make you think for days. And there are many words like that.

ELLEN It's not so much the long words that we've to learn and teach now. When will you be home, father? Will Cornelius be with you?

MARTIN DOURAS Ellen, I have news for you. There is a school in Leitrim that Father Bartley can let you have.

ELLEN In Leitrim! Did you tell Matt about it?

MARTIN DOURAS I did not.

_Sally is heard calling "Cornelius." Cornelius goes to the door._

CORNELIUS Here's Matt now. The benefit of the day to you, Matt.

_He stands aside to let Matt enter. Matt Cosgar is a young peasant of about twenty-eight. He is handsome and well-built. He is dressed in a trousers, shirt, and coat, and has a felt hat on. Cornelius goes out._

MATT _(going to Ellen)_ You're welcome, Ellen. Good morrow, Martin.

It's a great day for the purchase, Martin.

MARTIN DOURAS A great day, indeed, thank G.o.d.

MATT Ah, it's a great thing to feel the ownership of the land, Martin.

MARTIN DOURAS I don't doubt but it is.

MATT Look at the young apple-trees, Ellen. Walking up this morning, I felt as glad of them as a young man would be glad of the sweetheart he saw coming towards him.

ELLEN Ay, there's great gladness and shine in the day.

MATT It seems to trouble you.

ELLEN It does trouble me.

MATT Why?

ELLEN Everything seems to be saying, "There's something here, there's something going."

MATT Ay, a day like this often makes you feel that way. It's a great day for the purchase though. How many years ought we to offer, Ellen?

_Martin goes out_.

ELLEN Twenty years, I suppose---_(suddenly)_ Matt!

MATT What is it, Ellen?

ELLEN I have got an offer of a school in the County Leitrim.

MATT I wish they'd wait, Ellen. I wish they'd wait till I had something to offer you.

ELLEN I'm a long time waiting here, Matt.

MATT Sure we're both young.

ELLEN This is summer now. There will be autumn in a month or two.

The year will have gone by without bringing me anything.

MATT He'll be letting me have my own way soon, my father will.

ELLEN Murtagh Cosgar never let a child of his have their own way.

MATT When the land's bought out, he'll be easier to deal with.

ELLEN When he owns the land, he'll never let a son of his marry a girl without land or fortune.

MATT Ellen, Ellen, I'd lose house and land for you. Sure you know that, Ellen. My brothers and sisters took their freedom. They went from this house and away to the ends of the world. Maybe I don't differ from them so much. But I've put my work into the land, and I'm beginning to know the land. I won't lose it, Ellen. Neither will I lose you.

ELLEN O Matt, what's the land after all? Do you ever think of America?

The streets, the shops, the throngs?

MATT The land is better than that when you come to know it, Ellen.

ELLEN May be it is.

MATT I've set my heart on a new house. Ay and he'll build one for us when he knows my mind.

ELLEN Do you think he'd build a new house for us, Matt? I could settle down if we were by ourselves. Maybe it's true that there are things stirring and we could begin a new life, even here.

MATT We can, Ellen, we can. Hush! father's without.

_Martin Douras and Murtagh Cosgar are heard exchanging greetings.

Then Murtagh comes in, Martin behind him. Murtagh Cosgar is about sixty. He is a hard, strong man, seldom-spoken, but with a flow of words and some satirical power. He is still powerful, mentally and physically. He is clean shaven, and wears a sleeved waistcoat, heavy boots, fell hat. He goes towards Ellen._

MURTAGH Good morrow to you. _(Turning to Matt)_ When I get speaking to that Sally again, she'll remember what I say. Giving cabbage to the pigs, and all the bad potatoes in the house. And I had to get up in the clouds of the night to turn the cows out of the young meadow.

No thought, no care about me. Let you take the harness outside and put a thong where there's a strain in it.

_Murtagh goes to the fire. Matt goes to the harness-rack. Martin Douras and Ellen are at the door._

MARTIN DOURAS Ellen, I'll have news for you when I see you again.

I've made up my mind to that.

ELLEN Are you going to the fair, father?