Song,Eily—“Cruiskeen Lawn.”
Let the farmer praise his grounds,As the huntsman doth his hounds,And the shepherd his fresh and dewy morn;But I, more blest than they,Spend each night and happy day.With my smilin’ little Crusikeen Lawn, Lawn, Lawn.Chorus[Repeat.] Gramachree, mavourneen, slanta gal avourneen,Gramachree ma Cruiskeen Lawn, Lawn, Lawn,With my smiling little Cruiskeen Lawn.
Let the farmer praise his grounds,As the huntsman doth his hounds,And the shepherd his fresh and dewy morn;But I, more blest than they,Spend each night and happy day.With my smilin’ little Crusikeen Lawn, Lawn, Lawn.Chorus[Repeat.] Gramachree, mavourneen, slanta gal avourneen,Gramachree ma Cruiskeen Lawn, Lawn, Lawn,With my smiling little Cruiskeen Lawn.
Let the farmer praise his grounds,As the huntsman doth his hounds,And the shepherd his fresh and dewy morn;But I, more blest than they,Spend each night and happy day.With my smilin’ little Crusikeen Lawn, Lawn, Lawn.Chorus[Repeat.] Gramachree, mavourneen, slanta gal avourneen,Gramachree ma Cruiskeen Lawn, Lawn, Lawn,With my smiling little Cruiskeen Lawn.
Let the farmer praise his grounds,
As the huntsman doth his hounds,
And the shepherd his fresh and dewy morn;
But I, more blest than they,
Spend each night and happy day.
With my smilin’ little Crusikeen Lawn, Lawn, Lawn.
Chorus[Repeat.] Gramachree, mavourneen, slanta gal avourneen,
Gramachree ma Cruiskeen Lawn, Lawn, Lawn,
With my smiling little Cruiskeen Lawn.
[Chorused byMyles,Father T.,andSheelah.
Myles.
And when grim Death appears,In long and happy years,To tell me that my glass is run,I’ll say, begone you slave,For great Bacchus gave me laveTo have another Cruiskeen Lawn—Lawn—Lawn.
And when grim Death appears,In long and happy years,To tell me that my glass is run,I’ll say, begone you slave,For great Bacchus gave me laveTo have another Cruiskeen Lawn—Lawn—Lawn.
And when grim Death appears,In long and happy years,To tell me that my glass is run,I’ll say, begone you slave,For great Bacchus gave me laveTo have another Cruiskeen Lawn—Lawn—Lawn.
And when grim Death appears,
In long and happy years,
To tell me that my glass is run,
I’ll say, begone you slave,
For great Bacchus gave me lave
To have another Cruiskeen Lawn—Lawn—Lawn.
Chorus.—Repeat.
Gramachree, &c., &c.
Gramachree, &c., &c.
Gramachree, &c., &c.
Gramachree, &c., &c.
Hard[Without,L. U. E.] Ho! Sheelah—Sheelah!
Sheelah[Rising.] Whist! it’s the master.
Eily[Frightened.] Hardress! oh, my! what will he say if he finds us here—run, Myles—quick, Sheelah—clear away the things.
Father THurry now, or we’ll get Eily in throuble.
[Takes keg—Mylestakes jugs—Sheelahkettle.
HardSheelah, I say!
[ExeuntFather TomandMyles,R. U. E.,quickly.
SheelahComin’, Sir, I’m puttin’ on my petticoat.
[ExitSheelah,R. U. E.,quickly.
EnterHardressandDanny,L. U. E.opening—Dannyimmediately goes off,R. U. E.
Eily[C.] Oh, Hardress, asthore?
Hard[L. C.] Don’t call me by those confounded Irish words—what’s the matter? you’re trembling like a bird caught in a trap.
EilyAm I, mavou—no I mean—is it tremblin’ I am, dear?
HardWhat a dreadful smell of tobacco there is here, and the fumes of whisky punch, too; the place smells like a shebeen. Who has been here?
EilyThere was Father Tom, an’ Myles dhropped in.
HardNice company for my wife—a vagabond.
EilyAh! who made him so but me, dear? Before I saw you, Hardress, Myles coorted me, and I was kindly to the boy.
HardDamn it, Eily, why will you remind me that my wife was ever in such a position?
EilyI won’t see him again—if yer angry, dear, I’ll tell him to go away, and he will, because the poor boy loves me.
HardYes, better than I do you mean?
EilyNo, I don’t—oh! why do you spake so to your poor Eily!
HardSpake so! Can’t you say speak?
EilyI’ll thry, aroon—I’m sthrivin’—’tis mighty hard, but what wouldn’t I undert-tee-ta—undergo for your sa-se—for your seek.
HardSake—sake!
EilySake—seek—oh, it is to bother people entirely they mixed ’em up! Why didn’t they make them all one way?
Hard[Aside.] It is impossible! How can I present her as my wife? Oh! what an act of madness to tie myself to one so much beneath me—beautiful—good as sheis—
EilyHardress, you are pale—what has happened?
HardNothing—that is, nothing but what you will rejoice at.
EilyWhat d’ye mane?
HardWhat do I mane! Mean—mean!
EilyI beg your pardon, dear.
HardWell; I mean that after to-morrow there will be no necessity to hide our marriage, for I shall be a beggar, my mother will be an outcast, and amidst all the shame, who will care what wife a Cregan takes?
EilyAnd d’ye think I’d like to see you dhragged down to my side—ye don’t know me—see now—never call me wife again—don’t let on to mortal that we’re married—I’ll go as a servant in your mother’s house—I’ll work for the smile ye’ll give me in passing, and I’ll be happy, if ye’ll only let me stand outside and hear your voice.
HardYou’re a fool. I told you that I was bethrothed to the richest heiress in Kerry; her fortune alone can save us from ruin. To-night my mother discovered my visits here, and I told her who you were.
EilyOh! what did she say?
HardIt broke her heart.
EilyHardress! is there no hope?
HardNone. That is none—that—that I can name.
EilyThere is one—I see it.
HardThere is. We were children when we were married, and I could get no priest to join our hands but one, and he had been disgraced by his bishop. He is dead. There was no witness to the ceremony but Danny Mann—no proof but his word, and your certificate.
Eily[Takes paper from her breast.] This!
HardEily! if you doubt my eternal love, keep that security; it gives you the right to the shelter of my roof; but oh! if you would be content with the shelter of my heart.
EilyAnd will it save ye, Hardress? And will your mother forgive me?
HardShe will bless you—she will take you to her breast.
EilyBut you—another will take you to her breast.
HardOh, Eily, darling, d’ye think I could forget you, machree—forget the sacrifice more than blood you give me?
EilyOh! when you talk that way to me, ye might take my life, and heart, and all. Oh! Hardress, I love you—take the paper and tare it.[Hardresstakes paper.
EnterMylesC.,opening.
MylesNo. I’ll be damned if he shall.
HardScoundrel! you have been listening?
MylesTo every word. I saw Danny, wid his ear agin that dure, so as there was only one kay-hole, I adopted the windy. Eily, aroon, Mr. Cregan will giv’ ye back that paper; you can’t tare up an oath; will ye help him then to cheat this other girl, and to make her his mistress, for that’s what she’ll be if ye are his wife. An’ after all, what is there agin’ the crature? Only the money she’s got. Will you stop lovin’ him when his love belongs to another? No! I know it by myself; but if ye jine their hands together your love will be an adultry.
EilyOh, no!
HardVagabond! outcast! jail bird! dare you prate of honor to me?
Myles[C.] I am an outlaw, Mr. Cregan—a felon, may be—but if you do this thing to that poor girl that loves you so much—had I my neck in the rope—or my fut on the deck of a convict ship—I’d turn round and say to ye, “Hardress Cregan, I make ye a present of the contimpt of a rogue.”[Snaps fingers.
Music till end Act.—EnterFather Tom,SheelahandDanny,R. U. E.—Hardressthrows down paper—goes to table—takes hat.
HardBe it so, Eily, farewell! until my house is clear of these vermin—[Dannyappears at back]—you will see me no more.
[ExitHardress,L. C.,followed byDanny.
EilyHardress—Hardress! [Going up.] Don’t leave me, Hardress!
Father T[Intercepts her.] Stop, Eily![Dannyreturns and listens.
EilyHe’s gone—he’s gone!
Father TGive me that paper, Myles. [Mylespicks it up—gives it.] Kneel down there, Eily, before me—put that paper in your breast.
Eily[Kneeling.] Oh, what will I do—what will I do?
Father TPut your hand upon it now.
EilyOh, my heart—my heart!
Father TBe thee hush, and spake after me—by my mother that’s in heaven.
EilyBy my mother that’s in heaven.
Father TBy the light and the word.
EilyBy the light and the word.
Father TSleepin’ or wakin’.
EilySleepin’ or wakin’.
Father TThis proof of my truth.
EilyThis proof of my truth.
Father TShall never again quit my breast.
EilyShall never again quit my breast.
Eilyutters a cry and falls—Tableau.