Brian Friel Plays 2 (35 page)

O’Neill
Let’s go upstairs.

Mabel
I’m in pieces, I am! Hugh O’Donnell and a popish priest all in a couple of minutes! Did you not see my hand? – it was shaking!

O’Neill
I want to devour you.

Mabel
Our Henry calls him the Butcher O’Donnell. He says he strangles young lambs with his bare hands.

O’Neill
That’s true.

Mabel
Oh God! Are you serious?

O’Neill
And eats them raw.

Mabel
Oh God! – you’re not serious?

O’Neill
We all do that here.

Mabel
Stop it, Hugh. And he speaks so funny! Why doesn’t he speak like you?

O’Neill
How do I speak?

Mabel
‘How do I speak?’ – like those Old English nobs in Dublin.

O’Neill
(
Tyrone
accent
)
That’s why you’re fair dying about me.

Mabel
And I met a popish priest, Hugh! That’s the first
time in my life I ever even
saw
one of them! And I said, ‘I’m pleased to meet you’! Oh, my God, wait till my sister Mary hears this!

O’Neill
And your brother Henry.

Mabel
Our Henry would shoot me, Hugh!

O’Neill
Would he?

Mabel
You know he would! I shook the hand of a popish priest!

O’Neill
An archbishop.

Mabel
Is that worse?

O’Neill
Much worse. And look at it.

Mabel
At what?

O’Neill
Your hand.

She
looks
at
her
hand.

It’s turning black.

Mabel
It’s –?! (
She
suddenly
realizes
she
has
been
fooled.
She
gives
a
great
whoop
of
laughter
and
punches
him.
) Oh, my God, I actually looked! You’re a bastard, Hugh O’Neill – that’s what you are – a real bastard! (
She
laughs
again,
this
time
on
the
point
of
tears.
)
Oh, my God, it’s a bit too much, Hugh … I think maybe – I think maybe I’m going to cry – and the stupid thing is that I never ever cry … All that secrecy – running away – the wedding ceremony – all the excitement – being here – meeting those people … (
now
crying
)
They weren’t very welcoming, Hugh – were they? I mean they couldn’t even speak to me – could they?

O’Neill
Give them time.

Mabel
Just when I was riding away from home I turned
round and there was my father looking out the landing window. And he smiled and waved – he had no idea I was running away. And he’ll never understand why I did. He’s a good man and a fair-minded man and he’ll try; but it will never make sense to him. And he’s going to be puzzled and hurt for the rest of his life.

O’Neill
Shhhh.

Mabel
I’m all right. Just a little bit confused, Hugh. Just a little bit nervous. Everything’s so different here. I knew it would be strange – I knew that. But I didn’t think it would be so … foreign. I’m only fifty miles from home but I feel very far away from everything I know.

O’Neill
Give me your hand.

Mabel
It’s not black. I’ll be all right, Hugh. Just give me time. We’re a tough breed, the Upstarts.

O’Neill
I have a present for you.

Mabel
Yes?

O’Neill
It’s a new invention – a time-piece you carry around with you. It’s called a watch.

Mabel
A what?

O’Neill
A watch. You wear it on your finger just like a ring.

Mabel
Where did you get that thing?

O’Neill
I had it made for you in London; specially.

Mabel
Oh, Hugh –

O’Neill
The only other person I know who has one is Queen Elizabeth.

Mabel
It’s a beautiful thing, Hugh, really beautiful.

O’Neill
Elizabeth wears it on this finger.

Mabel
The Queen has one! And I have the only other one! Queen Elizabeth and Countess Mabel – why not?

O’Neill
Why not indeed?

Mabel
It really is beautiful. Thank you. Thank you very much. (
She
kisses
him
.) I’m sorry, Hugh. I’ll never cry like that again. That’s a promise. Never again. Ever. We’re a tough breed, the O’Neills.

Quick
black.

Mabel
(
at
exit
)
Shut up out there! D’you hear me? Just
shut up! If you want to behave like savages, go on back to the bogs! (
She
is
suddenly
aware
–
and
embarrassed
–
that
Mary
has
overheard
her
outburst
.)
Just horseplay. You would think they were killing each other, wouldn’t you? And I’m wasting my breath because they don’t understand a word of English. (
There
is
an
awkward
silence.
Mabel
picks
up
her
lacework
.)

Mary
They’re getting my carriage ready. It’s a long way back to Newry.

Mabel
It’s only fifty miles.

Mary
I suppose that’s all.

Mabel
(
impulsively
)
Stay the night, Mary.

Mary
I can’t.

Mabel
Please. For my sake. Please.

Mary
I’d like to, Mabel; you know I would but –

Mabel
Just one night.

Mary
If I’m not home before dark – you know our Henry – he’d be worried sick.

Mabel
Let him worry about you for a change.

Mary
I really can’t, Mabel. Not this time. Anyhow you and I always fight after a few hours.

Mabel
Do we?

Mary
Well … sometimes.

Mabel
In that case.

Mary
Next time … maybe.

Mabel
Next time.

Mary
That’s a promise.

Another
brief
burst
of
shrieking
and
horseplay
off.
The
sisters
smile
uneasily
at
each
other.
Pause.

I left a box of nectarine and quince in your pantry. And a few jars of honey. Last year’s, I’m afraid. If it crystallizes just dip it in warm water.

Mabel
Thank you.

Pause.

Mary
They have no bees here, have they?

Mabel
No, we haven’t.

Mary
I’ve finally persuaded our Henry to move his hives away from the house, thank heavens. Do you remember – just beyond the vegetable garden? – where Father built the fishpond? – that’s where they are now. In a semicircle round the pond.

Mabel
Yes.

Mary
He has over a hundred hives now.

Mabel
Has he?

Mary
Maybe more.

Mabel
Really?

Mary
We sold about four thousand pounds of honey last year. To the army mostly. They would buy all he can produce but they don’t always pay him. (
Pause
.)
And do you remember that bog land away to the left of the pond? Well, you wouldn’t recognize that area now. We drained it and ploughed it and fenced it; and then planted a thousand trees there in four separate areas: apple and plum and damson and pear. Henry had them sent over from Kent. They’re doing beautifully.

Mabel
Good.

Mary
They have no orchards here, have they?

Mabel
No, we haven’t.

Mary
Mostly vegetable growing, is it?

Mabel
We go in for pastoral farming – not husbandry; cattle, sheep, horses. We have two hundred thousand head of cattle here at the moment – as you have heard. Did you say something about a herb garden?

Mary
Oh, that’s a great success. That little square where we used to have the see-saw – do you remember that patch outside the kitchen window?

Mabel
I’m not gone a year, Mary.

Mary
Sorry. I’ve brought you some seeds. (
She
produces
envelopes
from
her
bag
.)
I’ve labelled them for you. (
She
reads:
)
Fennel. Lovage. Tarragon. Dill. Coriander. Borage. I had tansy, too, but I’m afraid it died on me. Do you remember every Easter we used to make tansy pudding and leave it – sorry. Don’t plant the fennel near the dill or the two will cross-fertilize.

Mabel
Is that bad?

Mary
You’ll end up with a seed that’s neither one thing or the other. Borage likes the sun but it will survive wherever you plant it – it’s very tough. I should have some valerian seeds later in the year. I’ll send you some. Are you still a bad sleeper?

Mabel
Was father conscious at the end?

Mary
Father? Conscious? You should have heard him! Leaving personal messages for everybody –

Mabel
Messages?

Mary
And detailed instructions about everything. The west door of the fort needs new hinges. The last
consignment of muskets has defective hammers. Never depend totally on London because they don’t really understand the difficult job we’re doing over here.

Mabel
Personal messages?

Mary
He forgot nobody. I’m to take up book-binding if you don’t mind! Henry spends too much time at paperwork and not enough at soldiering. Old Tom, the gardener, should rub beeswax into his arthritic joints. Give a new Bible to the two maids from Tandragee. Half an hour before he died he asked what price we were getting for our eggs! Wonderful, wasn’t it?

Mabel
Yes.

Mary
I miss him terribly, Mabel. I know he had a hard life but it was a very full life. You forget that almost single-handed he tamed the whole of County Down and County Armagh and brought order and prosperity to them. And God blessed his great endeavours; and Dad knew that, too. And that was a great consolation to him at the end. (
Pause
.)
To all of us. (
Pause
.)
So. (
Pause
.)
I miss you so much, Mabel.

Mabel
I miss you, too.

Mary
I locked your bedroom door the day you left and it hasn’t been opened since. But the house seems to be getting even bigger and emptier.

Mabel
You enjoy the garden, don’t you?

Mary
Henry says I should get out more – meet more people. Where am I supposed to go out to? We’re surrounded by the Irish. And every day more and more of their hovels spring up all along the perimeter of our lands.

Mabel
You visit the Freathys, don’t you?

Mary
They left. Months ago. Back to Cornwall.

Mabel
Why?

Mary
Couldn’t take any more, I suppose. The nearest neighbour we have now is Patrick Barnewall of Rathfriland and that’s fifteen miles away.

Mabel
But think of the welcome you always get from Young Patrick! Remember the day he said to you: (
lisping
)
‘Mith Mary, come down to the old millhouse with me.’ God, we laughed at that for weeks. Do you remember?

Mary
Yes.

Mabel
It became a kind of catchphrase with us – ‘Mith Mary’ – do you remember?

Mary
cries
quietly
.

Here. Come on. We’ll have none of that.

Mary
He was sixty-five last week, Young Patrick Barnewall.

Mabel
Are you all right, Mary?

Mary
He wants to marry me, Mabel. I told him I’d think about it.

Mabel
Oh, Mary, you –!

Mary
And I
am
thinking seriously about it.

Mabel
Mary, he’s an old –!

Mary
I promised him I’d give him my answer next month. Our Henry thinks very highly of him.

Mabel
Mary, you can’t marry Patrick Barnewall.

Mary
We’ll see. I’m not sure yet. I think I will.

Mabel
The man’s an old fool, Mary! He was always a fool! He has been a joke to us all our years!

Mary
He’s still one of us, Mabel. And whatever about his age, he’s a man of great honour. (
now
formal
and
distant
) Once more – it’s time I was going. I’ve left nothing behind me, have I? Did you see my new horses? Of course you did. Aren’t they handsome? Henry got them from Wales for my birthday. They’re very sure-footed and they have tremendous stamina. You’ll give my regards to Hugh?

Mabel
I don’t know where he’s got to. He’ll be sorry to have missed you.

Mary
No, he won’t. The twice we met we fought bitterly. I’ll try to come again, Mabel – if I get a chance. But you know how angry Henry is.

Mabel
Is he still?

Mary
He still talks about taking you home by force.

Mabel
This is my home, Mary.

The
sudden
shrieking
as
before
.
Mary
moves
beside
her
and
speaks
with
concern
and
passion
.

Mary
No, it’s not. This can never be your home. Come away with me now, Mabel.

Mabel
Please, Mary –

Mary
Yes, I know they have their colourful rituals and their interesting customs and their own kind of law. But they are not civilized, Mabel. And you can never trust them – you must know that now – how treacherous and treasonable they are – and steeped in religious superstition.

Mabel
That’s enough, Mary.

Mary
You talk about ‘pastoral farming’ – what you really mean is no farming – what you really mean is neglect of the land. And a savage people who refuse to
cultivate the land God gave us have no right to that land.

Mabel
Stop that at once, Mary!

Mary
I’m sure some of them are kind and decent and trustworthy. Of course they are. And yes – I know – Hugh is different – Hugh was educated in England. But his people are doomed in spite of their foreign friends and their popish plotting because their way of life is doomed. And they are doomed because civility is God’s way, Mabel, and because superstition must yield before reason. You know in your heart what I’m saying is true.

Mabel
I became a Roman Catholic six months ago.

Mary
Oh God, Mabel, how could –?!

Mabel
Out of loyalty to Hugh and to his people. As for civility I believe that there is a mode of life here that is at least as honourable and as cultivated as the life I’ve left behind. And I imagine the Cistercian monks in Newry didn’t think our grandfather an agent of civilization when he routed them out of their monastery and took it over as our home.

Mary
Hugh has two mistresses! – here! – now! Under this roof! Is that part of his religion?

Mabel
That is part of his culture.

Mary
For God’s sake! Is it part of his culture that he bows and scrapes before the Lord Deputy in Dublin and promises obedience and loyalty for life – and the very next day he’s plotting treason with Spain?

Mabel
That is politics.

Mary
‘Politics’! Listen to yourself. You’re becoming slippery like them! You’re beginning to talk like them, to think like them! Hugh is a traitor, Mabel – to the Queen, to her Deputy, to everything you and I were brought up to
believe in. Do you know what our people call him? The Northern Lucifer – the Great Devil – Beelzebub! Hugh O’Neill is evil incarnate, Mabel! You tell me he has twenty gold and velvet suits – but I have seen him eating with his bare hands! You tell me that he speaks three or four languages and that every leader in Europe respects him – but I can tell you that –

She
breaks
off
because
O
’
Neill
enters
with
Harry
.

Harry
The consignment of lead has arrived from England.

O’Neill
Have you got the import licence?

Harry
Here.

O’Neill
Check the order forms against the customs papers and see that – Mary!

Mary
Hello, Hugh.

O’Neill
When did you arrive?