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have you seen nobody？
oona ochone！
that my good mistress should lose all this money。
cathleen。 let those among you？？not too old to ride？？
get horses and search all the country round；
ill give a farm to him who finds the thieves。
（a man with keys at his girdle has e in while she speaks。 there is a general murmur of the porter！ the
porter！〃）
porter。 demons were here。 i sat beside the door
in my stone niche； and two owls passed me by；
whispering with human voices。
old peasant。 god forsakes us。
cathleen。 old man； old man； he never closed a door
unless one opened。 i am desolate；
for a most sad resolve wakes in my heart
but i have still my faith； therefore be silent
for surely he does not forsake the world；
but stands before it modelling in the clay
and moulding there his image。 age by age
the clay wars with his fingers and pleads hard
for its old； heavy； dull and shapeless ease；
but sometimes？？though his hand is on it still？？
it moves awry and demon hordes are born。
（peasants cross themselves。）
yet leave me now； for i am desolate；
i hear a whisper from beyond the thunder。
（she es from the oratory door。）
yet stay an instant。 when we meet again
i may have grown forgetful。 oona； take
these two？？the larder and the dairy keys。
（to the porter。）
but take you this。 it opens the small room
of herbs for medicine； of hellebore；
of vervain； monkshood； plantain； and self？heal。
the book of cures is on the upper shelf。
porter。 why do you do this； lady； did you see
your coffin in a dream？
cathleen。 ah； no； not that。
a sad resolve wakes in me。 i have heard
a sound of wailing in unnumbered hovels；
and i must go down； down？？i know not where？？
pray for all men and women mad from famine；
pray； you good neighbours。
（the peasants all kneel。 countess cathleen ascends the steps to the door of the oratory； and
turning round stands there
motionless for a little； and then cries in a loud voice ：）
mary； queen of angels；
and all you clouds on clouds of saints； farewell！
end of scene 3。
．．
SCENE 4
a wood near the castle； as in scene 2。 the spirits pass one by one carrying bags。
first spirit。 ill never dance another step； not one。
second spirit。 are all the thousand years of dancing done？
third spirit。 how can we dance after so great a sorrow？
fourth spirit。 but how shall we remember it to？morrow？
fifth spirit。 to think of all the things that we forget。
sixth spirit。 thats why we groan and why our lids are wet。
（the spirits go out。 a group of peasants pass。）
first peasant。 i have seen silver and copper； but not gold。
second peasant。 its yellow and it shines。
first peasant。 its beautiful。
the most beautiful thing under the sun； thats what ive heard。
third peasant。 i have seen gold enough。
fourth peasant。 i would not say that its so beautiful。
first peasant。 but doesnt a gold piece glitter like the sun？ thats what my father； whod seen better days；
told me when i was but a little boy？？
so high？？so high； its shining like the sun；
round and shining； that is what he said。
second peasant。 theres nothing in the world it cannot buy；
first peasant。 theyve bags and bags of it。
（they go out。 the two merchants follow silently。）
end of scene 4
．．
SCENE 5
生小说＿网
the house of shemus rua。
there is an alcove at the back with curtains； in it a bed； and on the
bed is the body of mary with candles round it。 the two merchants while they speak put a large book
upon a table； arrange money； and so on。
first merchant。 thanks to that lie i told about her ships
and that about the herdsman lying sick；
we shall be too much thronged with souls to？morrow。
second merchant。 what has she in her coffers now but mice？
first merchant。 when the night fell and i had shaped myself into the image of the man？headed owl；
i hurried to the cliffs of donegal；
and saw with all their canvas full of wind
and rushing through the parti？coloured sea
those ships that bring the woman grain and meal。
theyre but three days from us。
second merchant。 when the dew rose
i hurried in like feathers to the east；
and saw nine hundred oxen driven through meath
with goads of iron； theyre but three days from us。
first merchant。 three days for traffic。
（peasants crowd in with teig and shemus。）
shemus。 e in； e in； you are wele。
that is my wife。 she mocked at my great masters；
and would not deal with them。 now there she is；
she does not even know she was a fool；
so great a fool she was。
teig。 she would not eat
one crumb of bread bought with our masters money；
but lived on nettles； dock； and dandelion。
shemus。 theres nobody could put into her head
that death is the worst thing can happen us。
though that sounds simple； for her tongue grew rank
with all the lies that she had heard in chapel。
draw to the curtain。
（teig draws it。）
youll not play the fool
while these good gentlemen are there to save you。
second merchant。
since the drought came they drift about in a throng；
like autumn leaves blown by the dreary winds。
e； deal？？e； deal。
first merchant。 who will e deal with us？
shemus。 they are out of spirit； sir； with lack of food；
save four or five。 here； sir； is one of these；
the others will gain courage in good time。
middle？aged？man。 i e to deal？？if you give honest price。
first merchant （reading in a book）
john maher； a man of substance； with dull mind；
and quiet senses and unventurous heart。
the angels think him safe。〃 two hundred crowns；
all for a soul； a little breath of wind。
the man。 i ask three hundred crowns。 you have read there
that no mere lapse of days can make me yours。
first merchant。
there is something more writ here？？〃often at night
he is wakeful from a dread of growing poor；
and thereon wonders if theres any man
that he could rob in safety。〃
a peasant。 whod have thought it？
and i was once alone with him at midnight。
another peasant。 i will not trust my mother after this。
first merchant。 there is this crack in you？？two hundred crowns。
a peasant。 thats plenty for a rogue。
another peasant。 id give him nothing。
shemus。 youll get no more？？so take whats offered you。
（a general murmur； during which the middle？aged？man takes money； and slips into background；
where he sinks on to a seat。）
first merchant。 has no one got a better soul than that？
if only for the credit of your parishes； traffic with us。
a woman。 what will you give for mine？
first merchant （reading in book）
〃soft； handsome； and still young 〃？？not much； i think。〃
its certain that the man shes married to
knows nothing of whats hidden in the jar
between the hour？glass and the pepper？pot。〃
the woman。 the scandalous book。
first merchant。 〃nor how when hes away
at the horse fair the hand that wrote whats hid
will tap three times upon the window？pane。〃
the woman。 and if there is a letter； that is no reason
why i should have less money than the others。
first merchant。 youre almost safe； i give you fifty crowns
（she turns to go。）
a hundred； then。
shemus。 woman； have sense？e； e。
is this a time to haggle at the price？
there； take it up。 there； there。 thats right。
（she takes them and goes into the crowd。）
first merchant。 e； deal； deal； deal。 it is but for charity we buy such souls at all； a thousand sins
made them our masters long before we came。
（aleel enters。）
aleel。 here； take my soul； for i am tired of it。
i do not ask a price。
shemus。 not ask a price？
how can you sell your soul without a price？
i would not listen to his broken wits；
his love for countess cathleen has so crazed him
he hardly understands what he is saying。
aleel。 the trouble that has e on countess cathleen；
the sorrow that is in her wasted face；
the burden in her eyes； have broke my wits；
and yet i know id have you take my soul。
first merchant。 we cannot take your soul； for it is hers。
aleel。 no。 but you must。 seeing it cannot help her
i have grown tired of it。
fi