A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953)

A Moon for the Misbegotten is published herewith with no revisions or deletions. It is an exact reproduction of the original manuscript which I delivered to Random House, Inc., on completing the play in 194 . It has never been presented on the !ew "or# stage nor are there outstanding rights or plans for its production. $ince I cannot presently give it the attention re%uired for appropriate presentation, I have decided to ma#e it available in boo# form. April, 1952 &. '(!. )H*R*)+&R$ ,'$I& H'-*! .HI/ H'-*!, her father 0I1& H'-*!, her brother ,*0&$ +"R'!&, ,R. +. $+&20*! H*R2&R $)&!&$ *)+ '!& +he farmhouse. *round noon. &arly $eptember, 193 . *)+ +4' +he same, but with the interior of sitting room revealed5511 o(cloc# that night. *)+ +HR&& +he same as *ct 'ne. !o time elapses between *cts +wo and +hree. *)+ 6'7R +he same552awn of the following morning.

$)&!& '6 +H& ./*" +he play ta#es place in )onnecticut at the home of tenant farmer, .hil Hogan, between the hours of noon on a day in early $eptember, 193 , and sunrise of the following day. +he house is not, to spea# mildly, a fine example of !ew &ngland architecture, placed so perfectly in its setting that it appears a harmonious part of the landscape, rooted in the earth. It has been moved to its present site, and loo#s it. *n old boxli#e, clapboarded affair, with a shingled roof and bric# chimney, it is propped up about two feet above ground by layers of timber bloc#s. +here are two windows on the lower floor of this side of the house which faces front, and one window on the floor above. +hese windows have no shutters, curtains or shades. &ach has at least one pane missing, a s%uare of cardboard ta#ing its place. +he house had once been painted a repulsive yellow with brown trim, but the walls now are a blac#ened and weathered gray, fla#ed with strea#s and splotches of dim lemon. ,ust around the left corner of the house, a flight of steps leads to the front door. +o ma#e matters worse, a one5story, one5room addition has been tac#ed on at right. *bout twelve feet long by six high, this room, which is ,osie Hogan(s bedroom, is evidently homemade. Its walls and sloping roof are covered with tar paper, faded to dar# gray. )lose to where it 8oins the house, there is a door with a flight of three unpainted steps leading to the ground. *t right of door is a small window. 6rom these steps there is a footpath going around an old pear tree, at right5rear, through a field of hay stubble to a patch of woods. +he same path also extends left to 8oin a dirt road which leads up from the county highway 9about a hundred yards off left: to the front door of the house, and thence bac# through a scraggly orchard of apple trees to the barn. )lose to the house, under the window next to ,osie(s bedroom, there is a big boulder with a flat5top.

ACT ONE
$)&!&55As described. It is just before noon. The day is clear and hot. The door of Josie s bedroo! opens and she co!es out on the steps, bending to a"oid bu!ping her head.Josie is t#enty$eight. %he is so o"ersi&e for a #o!an that she is al!ost a frea'$$fi"e feet ele"en in her stoc'ings and #eighs around one hundred and eighty. (er sloping shoulders are broad, her chest deep #ith large, fir! breasts, her #aist #ide but slender by contrast #ith her hips and thighs. %he has long s!ooth ar!s, i!!ensely strong, although no !uscles sho#. The sa!e is true of her legs.%he is !ore po#erful than any but an e)ceptionally strong !an, able to do the !anual labor of t#o ordinary !en. *ut there is no !annish +uality about her. %he is all #o!an.The !ap of Ireland is sta!ped on her face, #ith its long upper lip and s!all nose, thic' blac' eyebro#s, blac' hair as coarse as a horse s !ane, frec'led, sunburned fair s'in, high chee'bones and hea"y ja#. It is not a pretty face, but her large dar'$blue eyes gi"e it a note of beauty, and her s!ile, re"ealing e"en #hite teeth, gi"es it char!.%he #ears a cheap, slee"eless, blue cotton dress. (er feet are bare, the soles earth$stained and tough as leather.%he co!es do#n the steps and goes left to the corner of the house and peers around it to#ard the barn. Then she !o"es s#iftly to the right of the house and loo's bac'.

,'$I&55*h, than# -od. 9%he goes bac' to#ard the steps as her brother, Mi'e, appears hurrying up fro! right$rear.: 9Mi'e (ogan is t#enty, about four inches shorter than his sister. (e is sturdily built, but see!s al!ost puny co!pared to her. (e has a co!!on Irish face, its e)pression sullen, or slyly cunning, or pri!ly self$righteous. (e ne"er forgets that he is a good ,atholic, faithful to all the obser"ances, and so is one of the -lite of Al!ighty .od in a #orld of da!ned sinners co!posed of /rotestants and bad ,atholics. In brief, Mi'e is a 0e# 1ngland Irish ,atholic /uritan, .rade *, and an e)tre!ely irritating youth to ha"e around. 9Mi'e #ears dirty o"eralls, a s#eat$stained bro#n shirt. (e carries a pitchfor'.: ,'$I&55;ad luc# to you for a slowpo#e. 2idn(t I tell you half5past eleven< 0I1&55How could I snea# here sooner with him pee#ing round the corner of the barn to catch me if I too# a minute(s rest, the way he always does< I had to wait till he went to the pig pen. 9(e adds "iciously: 4here he belongs, the old hog= 9Josie s right ar! stri'es #ith surprising s#iftness and her big hand lands on the side of his ja#. %he !eans it to be only a slap, but his head jer's bac' and he stu!bles, dropping the pitchfor', and pleads cringingly: 2on(t hit me, ,osie= 2on(t, now= ,'$I&559+uietly: +hen #eep your tongue off him. He(s my father, too, and I li#e him, if you don(t.

0I1&559out of her reach$$sullenly: "ou(re two of a #ind, and a bad #ind. ,'$I&559good$naturedly: I(m proud of it. *nd I didn(t hit you, or you(d be flat on the ground. It was only a love tap to wa#en your wits, so you(ll use them. If he catches you running away, he(ll beat you half to death. -et your bag now. I(ve pac#ed it. It(s inside the door of my room with your coat laid over it. Hurry now, while I see what he(s doing. 9%he !o"es +uic'ly to peer around the corner of the house at left. (e goes up the steps into her roo! and returns carrying an old coat and a cheap bulging satchel. %he co!es bac'.: +here(s no sight of him. 9Mi'e drops the satchel on the ground #hile he puts on the coat.: I put everything in the bag. "ou can change to your $unday suit in the can at the station or in the train, and don(t forget to wash your face. I #now you want to loo# your best when our brother, +homas, sees you on his doorstep. 9(er tone beco!es derisi"ely a!used.: *nd him way up in the world, a noble sergeant of the ;ridgeport police. 0aybe he(ll get you on the force. It(d suit you. I can see you leading drun#s to the loc#up while you give them a lecture on temperance. 'r if +homas can(t get you a 8ob, he(ll pass you along to our brother, ,ohn, the noble bar#eep in 0eriden. He(ll teach you the trade. "ou(ll ma#e a nice one, who(ll never steal from the till, or drin#, and who(ll tell customers they(ve had enough and better go home 8ust when they(re beginning to feel happy. 9%he sighs regretfully.: *h, well, 0i#e, you was born a priest(s pet, and there(s no help for it. 0I1&55+hat(s right= 0a#e fun of me again, because I want to be decent. ,'$I&55"ou(re worse than decent. "ou(re virtuous. 0I1&554ell, that(s a thing nobody can say about559(e stops, a bit asha!ed, but !ostly afraid to finish.: ,'$I&559a!used: *bout me< !o, and what(s more, they don(t. 9%he s!iles !oc'ingly.: I #now what a trial it(s been to you, 0i#e, having a sister who(s the scandal of the neighborhood. 0I1&55It(s you that(s saying it, not me. I don(t want to part with hard feelings. *nd I(ll #eep on praying for you. ,'$I&559roughly: 'ch= +o hell with your prayers= 0I1&559stiffly: I(m going. 9(e pic's up his bag.: ,'$I&559her !anner softening: 4ait. 9%he co!es to hi!.: 2on(t mind my rough tongue, 0i#e. I(m sorry to see you go, but it(s the best thing for you. +hat(s why I(m helping you, the same as I helped +homas and ,ohn. "ou can(t stand up to the 'ld 0an any more than +homas or ,ohn could, and the old divil would always #eep you a slave. I wish you all the luc# in the world, 0i#e. I #now you(ll get on55and -od bless you. 9(er "oice has softened, and she blin's bac' tears. %he 'isses hi!$$then fu!bling in the poc'et of her dress, pulls out a little roll of one$dollar bills and presses it in his hand.: Here(s a little present over your fare. I too# it from his little green bag, and won(t he be wild when he finds out= ;ut I can handle him.

0I1&559en"iously: "ou can. "ou(re the only one. 9gratefully !o"ed for a second: +han# you, ,osie. "ou(ve a #ind heart. 9then "irtuously: ;ut I don(t li#e ta#ing stolen money. ,'$I&552on(t be a bigger 8ac#ass than you are already. +ell your conscience it(s a bit of the wages he(s never given you. 0I1&55+hat(s true, ,osie. It(s rightfully mine. 9(e sho"es the !oney into his poc'et.: ,'$I&55-et along now, so you won(t miss the trolley. *nd don(t forget to get off the train at ;ridgeport. -ive my love to +homas and ,ohn. !o, never mind. +hey(ve not written me in years. -ive them a boot in the tail for me. 0I1&55+hat(s nice tal# for a woman. "ou(ve a tongue as dirty as the 'ld 0an(s. ,'$I&559i!patiently: 2on(t start preaching, li#e you love to, or you(ll never go. 0I1&55"ou(re as bad as he is, almost. It(s his influence made you what you are, and him always scheming how he(ll cheat people, selling them a bro#en5down nag or a sic# cow or pig that he(s doctored up to loo# good for a day or two. It(s no better than stealing, and you help him. ,'$I&55I do. $ure, it(s grand fun. 0I1&55"ou ought to marry and have a home of your own away from this shanty and stop your shameless ways with men. 9(e adds, not #ithout !oral satisfaction: +hough it(d be hard to find a decent man who(d have you now. ,'$I&55I don(t want a decent man, than# you. +hey(re no fun. +hey(re all stic#s li#e you. *nd I wouldn(t marry the best man on earth and be tied down to him alone. 0I1&559#ith a cunning leer: !ot even ,im +yrone, I suppose< 9%he stares at hi!.: "ou(d li#e being tied to money, I #now that, and he(ll be rich when his mother(s estate is settled. 9sarcastically: I suppose you(ve never thought of that< 2on(t tell me= I(ve watched you ma#ing sheep(s eyes at him. ,'$I&559conte!ptuously: $o I(m leading ,im on to propose, am I< 0I1&55I #now it(s cra>y, but maybe you(re hoping if you got hold of him alone when he(s mad drun#55*nyway, tal# all you please to put me off, I(ll bet my last penny you(ve coo#ed up some scheme to hoo# him, and the 'ld 0an put you up to it. 0aybe he thin#s if he caught you with ,im and had witnesses to prove it, and his shotgun to scare him55 ,'$I&559controlling her anger: "ou(re full of bright thoughts. I wouldn(t strain my brains any more, if I was you. 0I1&554ell, I wouldn(t put it past the 'ld 0an to try any tric#. *nd I wouldn(t put it past you, -od forgive you. "ou(ve never cared about your virtue, or what man you

went out with. "ou(ve always been bra>en as brass and proud of your disgrace. "ou can(t deny that, ,osie. ,'$I&55I don(t. 9then o!inously: "ou(d better shut up now. I(ve been holding my temper, because we(re saying good5bye. 9%he stands up.: ;ut I(m losing patience. 0I1&559hastily: 4ait till I finish and you won(t be mad at me. I was going to say I wish you luc# with your scheming, for once. I hate ,im +yrone(s guts, with his %uotin( /atin and his high5toned ,esuit )ollege education, putting on airs as if he was too good to wipe his shoes on me, when he(s nothing but a drun#en bum who never done a tap of wor# in his life, except acting on the stage while his father was alive to get him the 8obs. 9"indicti"ely: I(ll pray you(ll find a way to nab him, ,osie, and s#in him out of his last nic#el= ,'$I&559!a'es a threatening !o"e to#ard hi!: 'ne more word out of you559then conte!ptuously: "ou(re a dirty tic# and it(d serve you right if I let you stay gabbing until 6ather came and beat you to a 8elly, but I won(t. I(m too anxious to be rid of you. 9roughly: -et out of here, now= 2o you thin# he(ll stay all day with the pigs, you gabbing fool< 9%he goes left to peer around the corner of the house$$#ith real alar!: +here he is, coming up to the barn. 9Mi'e grabs the satchel, terrified. (e slin's s#iftly around the corner and disappears along the path to the #oods, right$rear. %he 'eeps #atching her father and does not notice Mi'e s departure.: He(s loo#ing toward the meadow. He sees you(re not wor#ing. He(s running down there. He(ll come here next. "ou(d better run for your life= 9%he turns and sees he s gone$$conte!ptuously: I might have #nown. I(ll bet you(re a mile away by now, you rabbit= 9%he pee's around the corner again$$#ith a!used ad!iration: /oo# at my poor old father pelt. He(s as spry on his stumpy legs as a yearling55and as full of rage as a nest of wasps= 9%he laughs and co!es bac' to loo' along the path to the #oods.: 4ell, that(s the last of you, 0i#e, and good riddance. It was the little boy you used to be that I had to mother, and not you, I stole the money for. 9This dis!isses hi!. %he sighs.: 4ell, himself will be here in a minute. I(d better be ready. 9%he reaches in her bedroo! corner by the door and ta'es out a sa#ed$off broo! handle.: !ot that I need it, but it saves his pride. 9%he sits on the steps #ith the broo! handle propped against the steps near her right hand. A !o!ent later, her father, /hil (ogan, co!es running up fro! left$rear and charges around the corner of the house, his ar!s pu!ping up and do#n, his fists clenched, his face full of fighting fury.: 9(ogan is fifty$fi"e, about fi"e feet si). (e has a thic' nec', lu!py, sloping shoulders, a barrel$li'e trun', stu!py legs, and big feet. (is ar!s are short and !uscular, #ith large hairy hands. (is head is round #ith thinning sandy hair. (is face is fat #ith a snub nose, long upper lip, big !outh, and little blue eyes #ith bleached lashes and eyebro#s that re!ind one of a #hite pig s. (e #ears hea"y brogans, filthy o"eralls, and a dirty short$slee"ed undershirt. Ar!s and face are sunburned and frec'led. 2n his head is an old #ide$bri!!ed hat of coarse stra# that #ould loo' !ore beco!ing on a horse. (is "oice is high$pitched #ith a pronounced brogue.: H'-*!559stops as he turns the corner and sees her$$furiously: 4here is he< Is he hiding in the house< I(ll wipe the floors with him, the la>y bastard= 9turning his anger against her: Haven(t you a tongue in your head, you great slut you<

,'$I&559#ith pro"o'ing cal!: 2on(t be calling me names, you bad5tempered old hornet, or maybe I(ll lose my temper, too. H'-*!55+o hell with your temper, you overgrown cow= ,'$I&55I(d rather be a cow than an ugly little buc# goat. "ou(d better sit down and cool off. 'ld men shouldn(t run around raging in the noon sun. "ou(ll get sunstro#e. H'-*!55+o hell with sunstro#e= Have you seen him< ,'$I&55Have I seen who< H'-*!550i#e= 4ho else would I be after, the .ope< He was in the meadow, but the minute I turned my bac# he snea#ed off. 9(e sees the pitchfor'.: +here(s his pitchfor#= 4ill you stop your lying= ,'$I&55I haven(t said I didn(t see him. H'-*!55+hen don(t try to help him hide from me, or554here is he< ,'$I&554here you(ll never find him. H'-*!554e(ll soon see= I(ll bet he(s in your room under the bed, the cowardly lump= 9(e !o"es to#ard the steps.: ,'$I&55He(s not. He(s gone li#e +homas and ,ohn before him to escape your slave5 driving. H'-*!559stares at her incredulously: "ou mean he(s run off to ma#e his own way in the world< ,'$I&55He has. $o ma#e up your mind to it, and sit down. H'-*!559baffled, sits on the boulder and ta'es off his hat to scratch his head$$#ith a faint trace of grudging respect: I(d never dream he had that much spun#. 9his te!per rising again: *nd I #now damned well he hadn(t, not without you to give him the guts and help him, li#e the great soft fool you are= ,'$I&55!ow don(t start raging again, 6ather. H'-*!559seething: "ou(ve stolen my satchel to give him, I suppose, li#e you did before for +homas and ,ohn< ,'$I&55It was my satchel, too. 2idn(t I help you in the trade for the horse, when you got the )rowleys to throw in the satchel for good measure< I was up all night fixing that nag(s forelegs so his #nees wouldn(t buc#le together till after the )rowleys had him a day or two.

H'-*!559forgets his anger to grin re!iniscently: "ou(ve a wonderful way with animals, -od bless you. *nd do you remember the two )rowleys came bac# to give me a beating, and I lic#ed them both< ,'$I&559#ith calculating flattery: "ou did. "ou(re a wonderful fighter. $ure, you could give ,ac# 2empsey himself a run for his money. H'-*!559#ith sharp suspicion: I could, but don(t try to change the sub8ect and fill me with blarney. ,'$I&55*ll right. I(ll tell the truth then. +hey were getting the best of you till I ran out and #noc#ed one of them tail over tin cup against the pigpen. H'-*!559outraged: "ou(re a liar= +hey was begging for mercy before you came. 9furiously: "ou thief, you= "ou stole my fine satchel for that lump= *nd I(ll bet that(s not all. I(ll bet, li#e when +homas and ,ohn snea#ed off, you559(e rises fro! the boulder threateningly.: /isten, ,osie, if you found where I hid my little green bag, and stole my money to give to that lousy altar boy, I(ll55 ,'$I&559rises fro! the steps #ith the broo! handle in her right hand: 4ell, I did. $o now what(ll you do< 2on(t be threatening me. "ou #now I(ll beat better sense in your s#ull if you lay a finger on me. H'-*!55I never yet laid hands on a woman55not when I was sober55but if it wasn(t for that club559bitterly: * fine curse -od put on me when he gave me a daughter as big and strong as a bull, and as vicious and disrespectful. 9%uddenly his eyes t#in'le and he grins ad!iringly.: ;e -od, loo# at you standing there with the club= If you ain(t the damnedest daughter in )onnecticut, who is< 9(e chuc'les and sits on the boulder again.: ,'$I&559laughs and sits on the steps, putting the club a#ay: *nd if you ain(t the damnedest father in )onnecticut, who is< H'-*!559ta'es a clay pipe and plug of tobacco and 'nife fro! his poc'et. (e cuts the plug and stuffs his pipe$$#ithout rancor: How much did you steal, ,osie< ,'$I&55$ix dollars only. H'-*!552nly3 4ell, -od grant someone with wits will see that dopey gander at the depot and sell him the railroad for the six. 9gru!bling: It isn(t the money I mind, ,osie55 ,'$I&55I #now. $ure, what do you care for money< "ou(d give your last penny to the first beggar you met55if he had a shotgun pointed at your heart= H'-*!552on(t be teasing. "ou #now what I mean. It(s the thought of that pious lump having my money that maddens me. I wouldn(t put it past him to drop it in the collection plate next $unday, he(s that big a 8ac#ass.

,'$I&55I #new when you(d calmed down you(d thin# it worth six dollars to see the last of him. H'-*!559finishes filling his pipe: 4ell, maybe I do. +o tell the truth, I never li#ed him. 9(e stri'es a !atch on the seat of his o"eralls and lights his pipe.: *nd I never li#ed +homas and ,ohn, either. ,'$I&559a!used: "ou(ve the same bad luc# in sons I have in brothers. H'-*!559puffs ru!inati"ely: +hey all ta#e after your mother(s family. $he was the only one in it had spirit, -od rest her soul. +he rest of them was a pious lousy lot. +hey wouldn(t dare put food in their mouths before they said grace for it. +hey was too busy preaching temperance to have time for a drin#. +hey spent so much time confessing their sins, they had no chance to do any sinning. 9(e spits disgustedly.: +he scum of the earth= +han# -od, you(re li#e me and your mother. ,'$I&55I don(t #now if I should than# -od for being li#e you. $ure, everyone says you(re a wic#ed old tic#, as croo#ed as a cor#screw. H'-*!55I #now. +hey(re an envious lot, -od forgive them. 9They both chuc'le. (e pulls on his pipe reflecti"ely.: "ou didn(t get much than#s from 0i#e, I(ll wager, for your help. ,'$I&55'h, he than#ed me #indly. *nd then he started to preach about my sins55and yours. H'-*!55'ho, did he< 9e)ploding: 6or the love of -od, why didn(t you hold him till I could give him one good #ic# for a father(s parting blessing= ,'$I&55I near gave him one myself. H'-*!554hen I thin# your poor mother was #illed bringing that crummy calf into life= 9"indicti"ely: I(ve never set foot in a church since, and never will. 9A pause. (e spea's #ith a surprising sad gentleness.: * sweet woman. 2o you remember her, ,osie< "ou were only a little thing when she died. ,'$I&55I remember her well. 9#ith a, teasing s!ile #hich is half sad: $he was the one could put you in your place when you(d come home drun# and want to tear down the house for the fun of it. H'-*!559#ith ad!iring appreciation: "es, she could do it, -od bless her. I only raised my hand to her once558ust a slap because she told me to stop singing, it was after daylight. +he next moment I was on the floor thin#ing a mule had #ic#ed me. 9(e chuc'les.: $ince you(ve grown up, I(ve had the same trouble. +here(s no liberty in my own home. ,'$I&55+hat(s luc#y55or there wouldn(t be any home. H'-*!559after a pause of puffing on his pipe: 4hat did that don#ey, 0i#e, preach to you about<

,'$I&55'h, the same as ever55that I(m the scandal of the countryside, carrying on with men without a marriage license. H'-*!559gi"es her a strange, e!barrassed glance and then loo's a#ay. (e does not loo' at her during the follo#ing dialogue. (is !anner is casual.: Hell roast his soul for saying it. ;ut it(s true enough. ,'$I&559defiantly: It is, and what of it< I don(t care a damn for the scandal. H'-*!55!o. "ou do as you please and to hell with everyone. ,'$I&55"es, and that goes for you, too, if you are my father. $o don(t you start preaching too. H'-*!550e, preach< $ure, the divil would die laughing. 2on(t bring me into it. I learned long since to let you go your own way because there(s no controlling you. ,'$I&55I do my wor# and I earn my #eep and I(ve a right to be free. H'-*!55"ou have. I(ve never denied it. ,'$I&55!o. "ou(ve never. I(ve often wondered why a man that li#es fights as much as you didn(t grab at the excuse of my disgrace to beat the lights out of the men. H'-*!554ouldn(t I loo# a great fool, when everyone #nows any man who tried to ma#e free with you, and you not willing, would be carried off to the hospital< *nyway, I wouldn(t want to fight an army. "ou(ve had too many sweethearts. ,'$I&559#ith a proud toss of her head$$boastfully: +hat(s because I soon get tired of any man and give him his wal#ing papers. H'-*!55I(m afraid you were born to be a terrible wanton woman. ;ut to tell the truth, I(m well satisfied you(re what you are, though I shouldn(t say it, because if you was the decent #ind, you(d have married some fool long ago, and I(d have lost your company and your help on the farm. ,'$I&559#ith a trace of bitterness: /eave it to you to thin# of your own interest. H'-*!559puffs on his pipe: 4hat else did my beautiful son, 0i#e, say to you< ,'$I&55'h, he was full of stupid gab, as usual. He gave me good advice55 H'-*!559gri!ly: +hat was #ind of him. It must have been good55 ,'$I&55I ought to marry and settle down55if I could find a decent man who(d have me, which he was sure I couldn(t. H'-*!559beginning to boil: I tell you, ,osie, it(s going to be the saddest memory of my life I didn(t get one last swipe at him=

,'$I&55$o the only hope, he thought, was for me to catch some indecent man, who(d have money coming to him I could steal. H'-*!559gi"es her a +uic', probing side glance$$casually: He meant ,im +yrone< ,'$I&55He did. *nd the dirty tic# accused you and me of ma#ing up a foxy scheme to trap ,im. I(m to get him alone when he(s cra>y drun# and lead him on to marry me. 9%he adds in a hard, scornful tone: *s if that would ever wor#. $ure, all the pretty little tarts on ;roadway, !ew "or#, must have had a try at that, and much good it did them. H'-*!559again #ith a +uic' side glance$$casually: +hey must have, surely. ;ut that(s in the city where he(s suspicious. "ou never can tell what he mightn(t do here in the country, where he(s innocent, with a moon in the s#y to fill him with poetry and a %uart of bad hootch inside of him. ,'$I&559turns on hi! angrily: *re you ta#ing 0i#e(s scheme seriously, you old goat< H'-*!55I(m not. I only thought you wanted my opinion. 9%he regards hi! suspiciously, but his face is blan', as if he hadn t a thought beyond enjoying his pipe.: ,'$I&559turning a#ay: *nd if that didn(t wor#, 0i#e said maybe we had a scheme that I(d get ,im in bed with me and you(d come with witnesses and a shotgun, and catch him there. H'-*!556aith, me darlin( son never learnt that from his prayer boo#= He must have improved his mind on the sly. ,'$I&55+he dirty tic#= H'-*!552on(t call him a tic#. I don(t li#e tic#s but I(ll say this for them, I never pic#ed one off me yet was a hypocrite. ,'$I&55Him daring to accuse us of planning a rotten tric# li#e that on ,im= H'-*!559as if he !isunderstood her !eaning: "es, it(s as old as the hills. &veryone(s heard of it. ;ut it still wor#s now and again, I(m told, and sometimes an old tric# is best because it(s so ancient no one would suspect you(d try it. ,'$I&559staring at hi! resentfully: +hat(s enough out of you, 6ather. I never can tell to this day, when you put that dead mug on you, whether you(re 8o#ing or not, but I don(t want to hear any more55 H'-*!559!ildly: I thought you wanted my honest opinion on the merits of 0i#e(s suggestion. ,'$I&55'ch, shut up, will you< I #now you(re only trying to ma#e game of me. "ou li#e ,im and you(d never play a dirty tric# on him, not even if I was willing. H'-*!55!o55not unless I found he was playing one on me.

,'$I&554hich he(d never. H'-*!55!o, I wouldn(t thin# it, but my motto in life is never trust anyone too far, not even myself. ,'$I&55"ou(ve reason for the last. I(ve often suspected you snea# out of bed in the night to pic# your own poc#ets. H'-*!55I wouldn(t call it a dirty tric# on him to get you for a wife. ,'$I&559e)asperatedly: -od save us, are you off on that again< H'-*!554ell, you(ve put marriage in my head and I can(t help considering the merits of the case, as they say. $ure, you(re two of a #ind, both great disgraces. +hat would help ma#e a happy marriage because neither of you could loo# down on the other. ,'$I&55,im mightn(t thin# so. H'-*!55"ou mean he(d thin# he was marrying beneath his station< He(d be a damned fool if he had that notion, for his 'ld 0an who(d wor#ed up from nothing to be rich and famous didn(t give a damn about station. 2idn(t I often see him wor#ing on his grounds in clothes I wouldn(t put on a scarecrow, not caring who saw him< 9#ith ad!iring affection: -od rest him, he was a true Irish gentleman. ,'$I&55He was, and didn(t you swindle him, and ma#e me help you at it< I remember when I was a slip of a girl, and you(d get a letter saying his agent told him you were a year behind in the rent, and he(d be damned if he(d stand for it, and he was coming here to settle the matter. "ou(d ma#e me dress up, with my hair brushed and a ribbon in it, and leave me to soften his heart before he saw you. $o I(d s#ip down the path to meet him, and ma#e him a courtesy, and hold on to his hand, and bat my eyes at him and lead him in the house, and offer him a drin# of the good whis#ey you didn(t #eep for company, and gape at him and tell him he was the handsomest man in the world, and the fierce expression he(d put on for you would go away. H'-*!559chuc'les: "ou did it wonderful. "ou should have gone on the stage. ,'$I&559dryly: "es, that(s what he(d tell me, and he(d reach in his poc#et and ta#e out a half dollar, and as# me if you hadn(t put me up to it. $o I(d say yes, you had. H'-*!559sadly: I never #new you were such a blac# traitor, and you only a child. ,'$I&55*nd then you(d come and before he could get a word out of him, you(d tell him you(d vacate the premises unless he lowered the rent and painted the house. H'-*!55;e -od, that used to stop him in his trac#s. ,'$I&55It didn(t stop him from saying you were the damnedest croo# ever came out of Ireland.

H'-*!55He said it with admiration. *nd we(d start drin#ing and telling stories, and singing songs, and by the time he left we were both too busy cursing &ngland to worry over the rent. 9(e grins affectionately.: 'h, he was a great man entirely. ,'$I&55He was. He always saw through your tric#s. H'-*!552idn(t I #now he would< $ure, all I wanted was to give him the fun of seeing through them so he couldn(t be hard5hearted. +hat was the real tric#. ,'$I&559stares at hi!: "ou old divil, you(ve always a tric# hidden behind your tric#s, so no one can tell at times what you(re after. H'-*!552on(t be so suspicious. $ure, I(d never try to fool you. "ou #now me too well. ;ut we(ve gone off the trac#. It(s ,im we(re discussing, not his father. I was telling you I could see the merit in your marrying him. ,'$I&559e)asperatedly: 'ch, a cow must have #ic#ed you in the head this morning. H'-*!55I(d never give it a thought if I didn(t #now you had a soft spot in your heart for him. ,'$I&559resentfully: 4ell, I haven(t= I li#e him, if that(s what you mean, but it(s only to tal# to, because he(s educated and %uiet5spo#en and has politeness even when he(s drun#est, and doesn(t roar around cursing and singing, li#e some I could name. H'-*!55If you could see the light in your eyes when he blarneys you55 ,'$I&559roughly: +he light in me foot= 9scornfully: I(m in love with him, you(ll be saying next= H'-*!559ignores this: *nd another merit of the case is, he li#es you. ,'$I&55;ecause he #eeps dropping in here lately< $ure, it(s only when he gets sic# of the drun#s at the Inn, and it(s more to 8o#e with you than see me. H'-*!55It(s your happiness I(m considering when I recommend your using your wits to catch him, if you can. ,'$I&559jeeringly: If= H'-*!554ho #nows< 4ith all the sweethearts you(ve had, you must have a catching way with men. ,'$I&559boastfully: 0aybe I have. ;ut that doesn(t mean55 H'-*!55If you got him alone tonight55there(ll be a beautiful moon to fill him with poetry and loneliness, and55 ,'$I&55+hat(s one of 0i#e(s dirty schemes.

H'-*!550i#e be damned= $ure, that(s every woman(s scheme since the world was created. 4ithout it there(d be no population. 9persuasi"ely: +here(d be no harm trying it, anyway. ,'$I&55*nd no use, either. 9bitterly: 'ch, 6ather, don(t play the 8ac#ass with me. "ou #now, and I #now, I(m an ugly overgrown lump of a woman, and the men that want me are no better than stupid bulls. ,im can have all the pretty, painted little ;roadway girls he wants55and dancers on the stage, too55when he comes into his estate. +hat(s the #ind he li#es. H'-*!55I notice he(s never married one. 0aybe he(d li#e a fine strong handsome figure of a woman for a change, with beautiful eyes and hair and teeth and a smile. ,'$I&559pleased, but jeering: +han# you #indly for your compliments. !ow I #now a cow #ic#ed you in the head. H'-*!55If you thin# ,im hasn(t been ta#ing in your fine points, you(re a fool. ,'$I&55"ou mean you(ve noticed him< 9suddenly furious: $top your lying= H'-*!552on(t fly in a temper. *ll I(m saying is, there may be a chance in it to better yourself. ,'$I&559scornfully: ;etter myself by being tied down to a man who(s drun# every night of his life< !o, than# you= H'-*!55$ure, you(re strong enough to reform him. * taste of that club you(ve got, when he came home to you paraly>ed, and in a few wee#s you(d have him a dirty prohibitionist. ,'$I&559seriously: It(s true, if I was his wife, I(d cure him of drin#ing himself to death, if I had to #ill him. 9then angrily: 'ch, I(m sic# of your cra>y gab, 6ather= /eave me alone= H'-*!554ell, let(s put it another way. 2on(t tell me you couldn(t learn to love the estate he(ll come into. ,'$I&559resentfully: *h, I(ve been waiting for that. +hat(s what 0i#e said, again. !ow we(ve come to the truth behind all your blather of my li#ing him or him li#ing me. 9her !anner changing$$defiantly: *ll right, then. 'f course I(d love the money. 4ho wouldn(t< *nd why shouldn(t I get my hands on it, if I could< He(s bound to be swindled out of it, anyway. He(ll go bac# to the ;roadway he thin#s is heaven, and by the time the pretty little tarts, and the barroom sponges and racetrac# touts and gamblers are through with him he(ll be pic#ed clean. I(m no saint, -od #nows, but I(m decent and deserving compared to those scum. H'-*!559eagerly: ;e -od, now you(re using your wits. *nd where there(s a will there(s a way. "ou and me have never been beat when we put our brains together. I(ll #eep thin#ing it over, and you do the same.

,'$I&559#ith illogical anger: 4ell, I won(t= *nd you #eep your mad scheming to yourself. I won(t listen to it. H'-*!559as if he #ere angry, too: *ll right. +he divil ta#e you. It(s all you(ll hear from me. 9(e pauses$$then #ith great seriousness, turning to#ard her: &xcept one thing559as she starts to shut hi! up$$sharply: I(m serious, and you(d better listen, because it(s about this farm, which is home to us. ,'$I&559surprised, stares at hi!: 4hat about the farm< H'-*!552on(t forget, if we have lived on it twenty years, we(re only tenants and we could be thrown out on our nec#s any time. 9+uic'ly: 0ind you, I don(t say ,im would ever do it, rent or no rent, or let the executors do it, even if they wanted, which they don(t, #nowing they(d never find another tenant. ,'$I&554hat(s worrying you, then< H'-*!55+his. I(ve been afraid lately the minute the estate is out of probate, ,im will sell the farm. ,'$I&559e)asperatedly: 'f course he will= Hasn(t he told us and promised you can buy it on easy time payments at the small price you offered< H'-*!55,im promises whatever you li#e when he(s full of whis#ey. He might forget a promise as easy when he(s drun# enough. ,'$I&559indignantly: He(d never= *nd who(d want it except us< !o one ever has in all the years55 H'-*!55$omeone has lately. +he agent got an offer last month, ,im told me, bigger than mine. ,'$I&55'ch, ,im loves to try and get your goat. He was #idding you. H'-*!55He wasn(t. I can tell. He said he told the agent to tell whoever it was the place wasn(t for sale. ,'$I&55'f course he did. 2id he say who(d made the offer< H'-*!55He didn(t #now. It came through a real5estate man who wouldn(t tell who his client was. I(ve been trying to guess, but I can(t thin# of anyone cra>y enough unless it(d be some damn fool of a millionaire buying up land to ma#e a great estate for himself, li#e our beautiful neighbor, Harder, the $tandard 'il thief, did years ago. 9(e adds #ith bitter fer"ency: 0ay he roast in hell and his /imey superintendent with him= ,'$I&55*men to that. 9then scornfully: +his land for an estate< *nd if there was an offer, ,im(s refused it, and that ends it. He wouldn(t listen to any offer, after he(s given his word to us.

H'-*!552id I say he would55when he(s in his right mind< 4hat I(m afraid of is, he might be led into it sometime when he has one of his sneering bitter drun#s on and tal#s li#e a ;roadway croo# himself, saying money is the only thing in the world, and everything and anyone can be bought if the price is big enough. "ou(ve heard him. ,'$I&55I have. ;ut he doesn(t fool me at all. He only acts li#e he(s hard and shameless to get bac# at life when it(s tormenting him55and who doesn(t< 9(e gi"es her a +uic', curious side glance #hich she doesn t notice.: H'-*!55'r ta#e the other #ind of %ueer drun# he gets on sometimes when, without any reason you can see, he(ll suddenly turn strange, and loo# sad, and stare at nothing as if he was mourning over some ghost inside him, and55 ,'$I&55I thin# I #now what comes over him when he(s li#e that. It(s the memory of his mother comes bac# and his grief for her death. 9pityingly: .oor ,im. H'-*!559ignoring this: *nd whis#ey seems to have no effect on him, li#e water off a duc#(s bac#. He(ll #eep acting natural enough, and you(d swear he wasn(t bad at all, but the next day you find his brain was so paraly>ed he don(t remember a thing until you remind him. He(s done a lot of mad things, when he was that way, he was sorry for after. ,'$I&559scornfully: 4hat drun# hasn(t< ;ut he(d never559resentfully: I won(t have you suspecting ,im without any cause, d(you hear me= H'-*!55I don(t suspect him. *ll I(ve said is, when a man gets as %ueer drun# as ,im, he doesn(t #now himself what he mightn(t do, and we(d be damned fools if we didn(t fear the possibility, however small it is, and do all we can to guard against it. ,'$I&55+here(s no possibility= *nd how could we guard against it, if there was< H'-*!554ell, you can put yourself out to be extra nice to him, for one thing. ,'$I&55How nice is extra nice< H'-*!55"ou ought to #now. ;ut here(s one tip. I(ve noticed when you tal# rough and bra>en li#e you do to other men, he may grin li#e they do, as if he en8oyed it, but he don(t. $o watch your tongue. ,'$I&559#ith a defiant toss of her head: I(ll tal# as I please, and if he don(t li#e it he can lump it= 9scornfully: I(m to pretend I(m a pure virgin, I suppose< +hat would fool him, wouldn(t it, and him hearing all about me from the men at the Inn< 9%he gets to her feet, abruptly changing the subject.: 4e(re wasting the day, blathering. 9then her face hardening: If he ever went bac# on his word, no matter how drun# he was, I(d be with you in any scheme you made against him, no matter how dirty. 9hastily: ;ut it(s all your nonsense. I(d never believe it. 9%he co!es and pic's up the pitchfor'.: I(ll go to the meadow and finish 0i#e(s wor#. "ou needn(t fear you(ll miss his help on the farm.

H'-*!55* hell of a help= * wea# la>y bac# and the appetite of a drove of starving pigs= 9as she turns to go$$suddenly bellicose: /eaving me, are you< 4hen it(s dinner time< 4here(s my dinner, you la>y cow< ,'$I&55+here(s stew on the stove, you bad5tempered runt. -o in and help yourself. I(m not hungry. "our gab has bothered my mind. I need hard wor# in the sun to clear it. 9%he starts to go off to#ard rear$right.: H'-*!559glancing do#n the road, off left$front: "ou(d better wait. +here(s a caller coming to the gate55and if I(m not mista#en, it(s the light of your eyes himself. ,'$I&559angrily: $hut up= 9%he stares off$$her face softens and gro#s pitying.: /oo# at him when he thin#s no one is watching, with his eyes on the ground. /i#e a dead man wal#ing slow behind his own coffin. 9then roughly: 6aith, he must have a hangover. He sees us now. /oo# at the bluff he puts up, straightening himself and grinning. 9resentfully: I don(t want to meet him. /et him ma#e 8o#es with you and play the old game about a drin# you both thin# is such fun. +hat(s all he comes for, anyway. 9%he starts off again.: H'-*!55*re you running away from him< $ure, you must be afraid you(re in love. 9Josie halts instantly and turns bac' defiantly. (e goes on.: -o in the house now, and wash your face, and tidy your dress, and give a touch to your hair. "ou want to loo# decent for him. ,'$I&559angrily: I(ll go in the house, but only to see the stew ain(t burned, for I suppose you(ll have the foxiness to as# him to have a bite to eat to #eep in his good graces. H'-*!554hy shouldn(t I as# him< I #now damned well he has no appetite this early in the day, but only a thirst. ,'$I&55'ch, you ma#e me sic#, you sly miser= 9%he goes in through her bedroo!, sla!!ing the door behind her. (ogan refills his pipe, pretending he doesn t notice Tyrone approaching, his eyes bright #ith droll e)pectation. Ji! Tyrone enters along the road fro! the high#ay, left.: 9Tyrone is in his early forties, around fi"e feet nine, broad$shouldered and deep$ chested. (is naturally fine physi+ue has beco!e soft and soggy fro! dissipation, but his face is still good$loo'ing despite its unhealthy puffiness and the bags under the eyes. (e has thinning dar' hair, parted and brushed bac' to co"er a bald spot. (is eyes are bro#n, the #hites congested and yello#ish. (is nose, big and a+uiline, gi"es his face a certain Mephistophelian +uality #hich is accentuated by his habitually cynical e)pression. *ut #hen he s!iles #ithout sneering, he still has the ghost of a for!er youthful, irresponsible Irish char!$$that of the beguiling ne er$do$#ell, senti!ental and ro!antic. It is his hu!or and char! #hich ha"e 'ept hi! attracti"e to #o!en, and popular #ith !en as a drin'ing co!panion. (e is dressed in an e)pensi"e dar'$bro#n suit, tight$fitting and dra#n in at the #aist, dar'$bro#n !ade$ to$order shoes and sil' soc's, a #hite sil' shirt, sil' hand'erchief in breast poc'et, a dar' tie. This get$up suggests that he follo#s a style set by #ell$groo!ed *road#ay ga!blers #ho #ould li'e to be !ista'en for 4all %treet bro'ers.

9(e has had enough pic'$!e$ups to reco"er fro! !orning$after nausea and steady his ner"es. 5uring the follo#ing dialogue, he and (ogan are li'e players at an old fa!iliar ga!e #here each 'no#s the other s !o"es, but #hich still a!uses the!.: +"R'!&559approaches and stands regarding (ogan #ith sardonic relish. (ogan scratches a !atch on the seat of his o"eralls and lights his pipe, pretending not to see hi!. Tyrone recites #ith feeling: ?6ortunate senex, ergo tua rura manebunt, et tibi magna satis, %uamvis lapis omnia nudus.? H'-*!559!utters: It(s the landlord again, and my shotgun not handy. 9(e loo's up at Tyrone.: Is it 0ass you(re saying, ,im< +hat was /atin. I #now it by ear. 4hat the hell55insult does it mean< +"R'!&55+ranslated very freely into Irish &nglish, something li#e this. 9(e i!itates (ogan s brogue.: ?*in(t you the luc#y old bastard to have this beautiful farm, if it is full of nude roc#s.? H'-*!55I li#e that part about the roc#s. If cows could eat them this place would ma#e a grand dairy farm. 9(e spits.: It(s easy to see you(ve a fine college education. It must be a big help to you, conversing with whores and bar#eeps. +"R'!&55"es, a very valuable worldly asset. I was once offered a 8ob as office boy55until they discovered I wasn(t %ualified because I had no ;achelor of *rts diploma. +here had been a slight misunderstanding 8ust before I was to graduate. H'-*!55;etween you and the 6athers< I(ll wager= +"R'!&55I made a bet with another $enior I could get a tart from the Haymar#et to visit me, introduce her to the ,ebs as my sister55and get away with it. H'-*!55;ut you didn(t< +"R'!&55*lmost. It was a memorable day in the halls of learning. *ll the students were wise and I had them rolling in the aisles as I showed $ister around the grounds, accompanied by one of the ,ebs. He was a bit suspicious at first, but 2utch 0aisie55 her professional name55had no ma#e5up on, and was dressed in blac#, and had eaten a pound of $en5$en to #ill the gin on her breath, and seemed such a devout girl that he forgot his suspicions. 9(e pauses.: "es, all would have been well, but she was a mischievous minx, and had her own ideas of improving on my 8o#e. 4hen she was saying goodbye to 6ather 6uller, she added innocently@ ?)hrist, 6ather, it(s nice and %uiet out here away from the damned $ixth *venue &l. I wish to hell I could stay here=? 9dryly: ;ut she didn(t, and neither did I. H'-*!559chuc'les delightedly: I(ll bet you didn(t= -od bless 2utch 0aisie= I(d li#e to have #nown her. +"R'!&559sits do#n on the steps$$#ith a change of !anner: 4ell, how(s the 2u#e of 2onegal this fine day<

H'-*!55!ever better. +"R'!&55$laving and toiling as usual, I see. H'-*!55Hasn(t a poor man a right to his noon rest without being sneered at by his rich landlord< +"R'!&55?Rich? is good. I would be, if you(d pay up your bac# rent. H'-*!55"ou ought to pay me, instead, for occupying this roc#pile, miscalled a farm. 9his eyes t#in'ling: ;ut I have fine reports to give you of a promising harvest. +he mil#weed and the thistles is in thriving condition, and I never saw the poison ivy so bounteous and beautiful. 9Tyrone laughs. 4ithout their noticing, Josie appears in the door#ay behind Tyrone. %he has tidied up and arranged her hair. %he s!iles do#n at Ji!, her face softening, pleased to hear hi! laugh.: +"R'!&55"ou win. 4here did ,osie go, .hil< I saw her here55 H'-*!55$he ran in the house to ma#e herself beautiful for you. ,'$I&559brea's in roughly: "ou(re a liar. 9to Tyrone, her !anner one of bold, free$ and$easy fa!iliarity: Hello, ,im. +"R'!&559starts to stand up: Hello, ,osie. ,'$I&559puts a hand on his shoulder and pushes hi! do#n: 2on(t get up. $ure, you #now I(m no lady. 9%he sits on the top step$$banteringly: How(s my fine ,im this beautiful day< "ou don(t loo# so bad. "ou must have stopped at the Inn for an eye5 opener55or ten of them. +"R'!&55I(ve felt worse. 9(e loo's up at her sardonically.: *nd how(s my Airgin Bueen of Ireland< ,'$I&55"ours, is it< $ince when< *nd don(t be miscalling me a virgin. "ou(ll ruin my reputation, if you spread that lie about me. 9%he laughs. Tyrone is staring at her. %he goes on +uic'ly.: How is it you(re around so early< I thought you never got up till afternoon. +"R'!&55)ouldn(t sleep. 'ne of those heebie58eebie nights when the boo>e #eeps you awa#e instead of559(e catches her gi"ing hi! a pitying loo'$$irritably: ;ut what of it= ,'$I&550aybe you had no woman in bed with you, for a change. It(s a terrible thing to brea# the habit of years. +"R'!&559shrugs his shoulders: 0aybe. ,'$I&554hat(s the matter with the tarts in town, they let you do it< I(ll bet the ones you #now on ;roadway, !ew "or#, wouldn(t neglect their business.

+"R'!&559pretends to ya#n boredly: 0aybe not. 9then irritably: )ut out the #idding, ,osie. It(s too early. H'-*!559#ho has been ta'ing e"erything in #ithout see!ing to: I told you not to annoy the gentleman with your rough tongue. ,'$I&55$ure I thought I was doing my duty as hostess ma#ing him feel at home. +"R'!&559stares at her again: 4hy all the interest lately in the ladies of the profession, ,osie< ,'$I&55'h, I(ve been considering 8oining their union. It(s easier living than farming, I(m sure. 9then resentfully: "ou thin# I(d starve at it, don(t you, because your fancy is for dainty dolls of women< ;ut other men li#e55 +"R'!&559#ith sudden re"ulsion: 6or -od(s sa#e, cut out that #ind of tal#, ,osie= It sounds li#e hell. ,'$I&559stares at hi! startledly$$then resentfully: 'h, it does, does it< 9forcing a scornful s!ile: I(m shoc#ing you, I suppose< 9(ogan is #atching the! both, not !issing anything in their faces, #hile he see!s intent on his pipe.: +"R'!&559loo'ing a bit sheepish and annoyed at hi!self for his interest$$shrugs his shoulders: !o. Hardly. 6orget it. 9(e s!iles 'iddingly.: *nyway, who told you I fall for the dainty dolls< +hat(s all a thing of the past. I li#e them tall and strong and voluptuous, now, with beautiful big breasts. 9%he blushes and loo's confused and is furious #ith herself for doing so.: H'-*!55+here you are, ,osie, darlin(. $ure he couldn(t spea# fairer than that. ,'$I&559reco"ers herself: He couldn(t, indeed. 9%he pats Tyrone s head$$playfully: "ou(re a terrible blarneying liar, ,im, but than# you 8ust the same. 9Tyrone turns his attention to (ogan. (e #in's at Josie and begins in an e)aggeratedly casual !anner.: +"R'!&55I don(t blame you, 0r. Hogan, for ta#ing it easy on such a bla>ing hot day. H'-*!559doesn t loo' at hi!. (is eyes t#in'le.: Hot, did you say< I find it cool, meself. +a#e off your coat if you(re hot, 0ister +yrone. +"R'!&55'ne of the most stifling days I(ve ever #nown. Isn(t it, ,osie< ,'$I&559s!iling: +errible. I #now you must be perishing. H'-*!55I wouldn(t call it a damned bit stifling. +"R'!&55It parches the membranes in your throat. H'-*!55+he what< !ever mind. I can(t have them, for my throat isn(t parched at all. If yours is, 0ister +yrone, there(s a well full of water at the bac#.

+"R'!&554ater< +hat(s something people wash with, isn(t it< I mean, some people. H'-*!55$o I(ve heard. ;ut, li#e you, I find it hard to believe. It(s a dirty habit. +hey must be foreigners. +"R'!&55*s I was saying, my throat is parched after the long dusty wal# I too# 8ust for the pleasure of being your guest. H'-*!55I don(t remember inviting you, and the road is hard macadam with divil a spec of dust, and it(s less than a %uarter mile from the Inn here. +"R'!&55I didn(t have a drin# at the Inn. I was waiting until I arrived here, #nowing that you55 H'-*!551nowing I(d what< +"R'!&55"our reputation as a generous host55 H'-*!55+he world must be full of liars. $o you didn(t have a drin# at the Inn< +hen it must be the air itself smells of whis#ey today, although I didn(t notice it before you came. "ou(ve gone on the water5wagon, I suppose< 4ell, that(s fine, and I as# pardon for mis8udging you. +"R'!&55I(ve wanted to go on the wagon for the past twenty5five years, but the doctors have strictly forbidden it. It would be fatal55with my wea# heart. H'-*!55$o you(ve a wea# heart< 4ell, well, and me thin#ing all along it was your head. I(m glad you told me. I was 8ust going to offer you a drin#, but whis#ey is the worst thing55 +"R'!&55+he 2ocs say it(s a matter of life and death. I must have a stimulant55one big drin#, at least, whenever I strain my heart wal#ing in the hot sun. H'-*!554al# bac# to the Inn, then, and give it a good strain, so you can buy yourself two big drin#s. ,'$I&559laughing: *in(t you the fools, playing that old game between you, and both of you pleased as punch= +"R'!&559gi"es up #ith a laugh: Hasn(t he ever been #nown to loosen up, ,osie< ,'$I&55"ou ought to #now. If you need a drin# you(ll have to buy it from him or die of thirst. +"R'!&554ell, I(ll bet this is one time he(s going to treat. H'-*!55;e -od, I(ll ta#e that bet= +"R'!&55*fter you(ve heard the news I(ve got for you, you(ll be so delighted you won(t be able to drag out the old bottle %uic# enough.

H'-*!55I(ll have to be insanely delighted. ,'$I&559full of curiosity: $hut up, 6ather. 4hat news, ,im< +"R'!&55I have it off the grapevine that a certain exalted personage will drop in on you before long. H'-*!55It(s the sheriff again. I #now by the pleased loo# on your mug. +"R'!&55!ot this time. 9(e pauses tantali&ingly.: ,'$I&55;ad luc# to you, can(t you tell us who< +"R'!&55* more eminent grafter than the sheriff559sneeringly: * leading aristocrat in our /and of the 6ree and -et5Rich5Buic#, whose boots are lic#ed by one and all55 one of the 1ings of our Republic by 2ivine Right of Inherited $wag. In short, I refer to your good neighbor, +. $tedman Harder, $tandard 'il(s sappiest child, whom I #now you both love so dearly. 9There is a pause after this announce!ent. (ogan and Josie stiffen, and their eyes begin to glitter. *ut they can t belie"e their luc' at first.: H'-*!559in an o!inous #hisper: 2id you say Harder is coming to call on us, ,im< ,'$I&55It(s too good to be true. +"R'!&559#atching the! #ith a!use!ent: !o #idding. +he great 0r. Harder intends to stop here on his way bac# to lunch from a horsebac# ride. ,'$I&55How do you #now< +"R'!&55$impson told me. I ran into him at the Inn. H'-*!55+hat &nglish scum of a superintendent= +"R'!&55He was laughing himself sic#. He said he suggested the idea to Harder55 told him you(d be overwhelmed with awe if he deigned to interview you in person. H'-*!55'verwhelmed isn(t the word. Is it, ,osie< ,'$I&55It isn(t indeed, 6ather. +"R'!&556or once in his life, $impson is cheering for you. He doesn(t li#e his boss. In fact, he as#ed me to tell you he hopes you #ill him. H'-*!559disdainfully: +o hell with the /imey(s good wishes. I(d li#e both of them to call together. ,'$I&55*h, well, we can(t have everything. 9to Tyrone: 4hat(s the reason 0r. Harder decided to notice poor, humble scum the li#e of us<

+"R'!&559grinning: +hat(s right, ,osie. ;e humble. He(ll expect you to #now your place. H'-*!554ill he now< 4ell, well. 9#ith a great happy sigh: +his is going to be a beautiful day entirely. ,'$I&55;ut what(s Harder(s reason, ,im< +"R'!&554ell, it seems he has an ice pond on his estate. H'-*!55'ho= $o that(s it= +"R'!&55"es. +hat(s it. Harder li#es to #eep up the good old manorial customs. He clings to his ice pond. *nd your pigpen isn(t far from his ice pond. H'-*!55* nice little stroll for the pigs, that(s all. +"R'!&55*nd somehow Harder(s fence in that vicinity has a habit of brea#ing down. H'-*!556ences are %ueer things. "ou can(t depend on them. +"R'!&55$impson says he(s had it repaired a do>en times, but each time on the following night it gets bro#en down again. ,'$I&554hat a strange thing= It must be the bad fairies. I can(t imagine who else could have done it. )an you, 6ather< H'-*!55I can(t, surely. +"R'!&554ell, $impson can. He #nows you did it and he told his master so. H'-*!559disdainfully: 0aster is the word. $ure, the &nglish can(t live unless they have a lord(s bac#side to #iss, the dirty slaves. +"R'!&55+he result of those brea#s in the fence is that your pigs stroll55as you so gracefully put it55stroll through to wallow happily along the shores of the ice pond. H'-*!554ell, why not< $ure, they(re fine ambitious *merican5born pigs and they don(t miss any opportunities. +hey(re li#e Harder(s father who made the money for him. +"R'!&55I agree, but for some strange reason Harder doesn(t loo# forward to the taste of pig in next summer(s ice water. H'-*!55He must be delicate. Remember he(s delicate, ,osie, and leave your club in the house. 9(e bursts into joyful !enacing laughter.: 'h, be -od and be )hrist in the mountains= I(ve pined to have a %uiet word with 0r. Harder for years, watching him ride past in his big shiny automobile with his snoot in the air, and being tormented always by the complaints of his /imey superintendent. 'h, won(t I welcome him=

,'$I&554on(t #e, you mean. $ure, I love him as much as you. H'-*!55I(d #iss you, ,im, for this beautiful news, if you wasn(t so damned ugly. 0aybe ,osie(ll do it for me. $he has a stronger stomach. ,'$I&55I will= He(s earned it. 9%he pulls Tyrone s head bac' and laughingly 'isses hi! on the lip. (er e)pression changes. %he loo's startled and confused, stirred and at the sa!e ti!e frightened. %he forces a scornful laugh.: 'ch, there(s no spirit in you= It(s li#e #issing a corpse. +"R'!&559gi"es her a strange surprised loo'$$!oc'ingly: "es< 9turning to (ogan: 4ell, how about that drin#, .hil< I(ll leave it to ,osie if drin#s aren(t on the house. H'-*!55I won(t leave it to ,osie. $he(s pre8udiced, being in love. ,'$I&559angrily: $hut up, you old liar= 9then guiltily, forcing a laugh: 2on(t tal# nonsense to snea# out of treating ,im. H'-*!559sighing: *ll right, ,osie. -o get the bottle and one small glass, or he(ll never stop nagging me. I can turn my bac#, so the sight of him drin#ing free won(t brea# my heart. 9Josie gets up, laughing, and goes in the house. (ogan peers at the road off left.: 'n his way bac# to lunch, you said< +hen it(s time559fer"ently: ' Holy ,oseph, don(t let the bastard change his mind= +"R'!&559beginning to ha"e +ual!s: /isten, .hil. 2on(t get too enthusiastic. He has a big drag around here, and he(ll have you pinched, sure as hell, if you beat him up. H'-*!55'ch, I(m no fool. 9Josie co!es out #ith a bottle and a tu!bler.: 4ill you listen to this, ,osie. He(s warning me not to give Harder a beating55as if I(d dirty my hands on the scum. ,'$I&55*s if we(d need to. $ure, all we want is a %uiet chat with him. H'-*!55+hat(s all. *s neighbor to neighbor. ,'$I&559hands Tyrone the bottle and tu!bler: Here you are, ,im. 2on(t stint yourself. H'-*!559!ournfully: * fine daughter= I tell you a small glass and you give him a buc#et= 9As Tyrone pours a big drin', grinning at hi!, he turns a#ay #ith a co!ic shudder.: +hat(s a fifty5dollar drin#, at least. +"R'!&55Here(s luc#, .hil. H'-*!55I hope you drown. 9Tyrone drin's and !a'es a #ry face.: +"R'!&55+he best chic#en medicine I(ve ever tasted. H'-*!55+hat(s gratitude for you= Here, pass me the bottle. * drin# will warm up my welcome for His 0a8esty. 9(e ta'es an enor!ous s#ig fro! the bottle.:

,'$I&559loo'ing off left: +here(s two horsebac# riders on the county road now. H'-*!55.raise be to -od= It(s him and a groom. 9(e sets the bottle on top of the boulder.: ,'$I&55+hat(s 0c)abe. *n old sweetheart of mine. 9%he glances at Tyrone pro"o'ingly$$then suddenly #orried and protecti"e: "ou get in the house, ,im. If Harder sees you here, he(ll lay the whole blame on you. +"R'!&55!ix, ,osie. "ou don(t thin# I(m going to miss this, do you< ,'$I&55"ou can sit inside by my window and ta#e in everything. )ome on, now, don(t be stubborn with me. 9%he puts her hands under his ar!s and lifts hi! to his feet as easily as if he #as a child$$banteringly: -o into my beautiful bedroom. It(s a nice place for you. +"R'!&559'iddingly: ,ust what I(ve been thin#ing for some time, ,osie. ,'$I&559boldly: $ure, you(ve never given me a sign of it. )ome up tonight and we(ll spoon in the moonlight and you can tell me your thoughts. +"R'!&55+hat(s a date. Remember, now. ,'$I&55It(s you who(ll forget. -et inside now, before it(s too late. 9%he gi"es hi! a sho"e inside and closes the door.: H'-*!559has been #atching the "isitor approach: He(s dismounting55as graceful as a scarecrow, and his poor horse longing to give him a #ic#. /oo# at 0ac grinning at us. $it down, ,osie. 9%he sits on the steps, he on the boulder.: .retend you don(t notice him. 9T. %ted!an (arder appears at left. They act as if they didn t see hi!. (ogan 'noc's out his pipe on the pal! of his hand.: 9(arder is in his late thirties but loo's younger because his face is un!ar'ed by #orry, a!bition, or any of the co!!on ha&ards of life. 0o !atter ho# long he li"es, his four undergraduate years #ill al#ays be for hi! the !ost significant in his life, and the !o!ent of his highest achie"e!ent the ti!e he #as tapped for an e)clusi"e %enior %ociety at the I"y uni"ersity to #hich his father had gi"en !illions. %ince that day he has felt no need for further aspiring, no urge to do anything e)cept settle do#n on his estate and li"e the life of a country gentle!an, !ildly interested in saddle horses and sport !odels of foreign auto!obiles. (e is not the blatantly silly, playboy heir to !illions #hose antics !a'e ne#spaper headlines. (e doesn t drin' !uch e)cept #hen he attends his class reunion e"ery spring$$the !ost e)citing episode of each year for hi!. (e doesn t gi"e #ild parties, doesn t chase after !usical$co!edy cuties, is a !ildly contented husband and father of three children. A not unpleasant !an, affable, good$loo'ing in an ordinary #ay, sunburnt and healthy, beginning to ta'e on fat, he is si!ply i!!ature, naturally lethargic, a bit stupid. ,oddled fro! birth, e"erything arranged and !ade easy for hi!, deferred to because of his #ealth, he usually has the self$confident attitude of ac'no#ledged superiority, but assu!es a supercilious, insecure air #hen dealing #ith people beyond his 'en. (e is dressed in

a beautifully tailored 1nglish t#eed coat and #hipcord riding breeches, i!!aculately polished 1nglish riding boots #ith spurs, and carries a riding crop in his hand. 9It #ould be hard to find anyone !ore ill$e+uipped for co!bat #ith the (ogans. (e has ne"er co!e in contact #ith anyone li'e the!. To !a'e !atters easier for the! he is deliberate in his speech, slo# on the upta'e, and has no sense of hu!or. The e)perienced strategy of the (ogans in "erbal battle is to ta'e the offensi"e at once and ne"er let an opponent get set to hit bac'. Also, they use a beautifully co$ ordinated, be#ildering change of pace, s#itching suddenly fro! jarring shouts to lo#, confidential "ituperation. And they e)aggerate their Irish brogues to confuse an ene!y still further.: H*R2&R559#al's to#ard (ogan$$stiffly: -ood morning. I want to see the man who runs this farm. H'-*!559sur"eys hi! deliberately, his little pig eyes glea!ing #ith !alice: "ou do, do you< 4ell, you(ve seen him. $o run along now and play with your horse, and don(t bother me. 9(e turns to Josie, #ho is staring at (arder, !uch to his disco!fiture, as if she had disco"ered a coc'roach in her soup.: 2(you see what I see, ,osie< ;e -od, you(ll have to give that damned cat of yours a span#ing for bringing it to our doorstep. H*R2&R559deter!ined to be authoritati"e and co!!and respect$$curtly: *re you Hogan< H'-*!559insultingly: I am Mister .hilip Hogan55to a gentleman. ,'$I&559glares at (arder: 4here(s your manners, you spindle5shan#ed 8oc#ey< 4ere you brought up in a stable< H*R2&R559does not fight #ith ladies, and especially not #ith this lady$$ignoring her: 0y name is Harder. 9(e ob"iously e)pects the! to be i!!ediately i!pressed and apologetic.: H'-*!559conte!ptuously: 4ho as#ed you your name, me little man< ,'$I&55$ure, who in the world cares who the hell you are< H'-*!55;ut if you want to play politeness, we(ll play with you. /et me introduce you to my daughter, Harder550iss ,osephine Hogan. ,'$I&559petulantly: I don(t want to meet him, 6ather. I don(t li#e his silly sheep(s face, and I(ve no use for 8oc#eys, anyway. I(ll wager he(s no damned good to a woman. 96ro! inside her bedroo! co!es a burst of laughter. This re"elation of an unseen audience startles (arder. (e begins to loo' e)tre!ely unsure of hi!self.: H'-*!55I don(t thin# he(s a 8oc#ey. It(s only the funny pants he(s wearing. I(ll bet if you as#ed his horse, you(d find he(s no cowboy either. 9to (arder, jeeringly: )ome, tell us the truth, me honey. 2on(t you #iss your horse each time you mount and beg him, please don(t throw me today, darlin(, and I(ll give you an extra buc#et of oats.

9(e bursts into an e)tra"agant roar of laughter, slapping his thigh, and Josie guffa#s #ith hi!, #hile they #atch the disconcerting effect of this theatrical !irth on (arder.: H*R2&R559beginning to lose his te!per: /isten to me, Hogan= I didn(t come here55 9(e is going to add 7to listen to your da!ned jo'es7 or so!ething li'e that, but (ogan silences hi!.: H'-*!559shouts: 4hat< 4hat(s that you said< 9(e stares at the du!bfounded (arder #ith droll a!a&e!ent, as if he couldn t belie"e his ears.: "ou didn(t come here< 9(e turns to Josie$$in a #hisper: 2id you hear that, ,osie< 9(e ta'es off his hat and scratches his head in co!ic be#ilder!ent.: 4ell, that(s a pu>>le, surely. How d(you suppose he got here< ,'$I&550aybe the stor# brought him, bad luc# to it for a dirty bird. 9Again Tyrone s laughter is heard fro! the bedroo!.: H*R2&R559so off balance no# he can only repeat angrily: I said I didn(t come here55 H'-*!559shouts: 4ait= 4ait, now= 9threateningly: 4e(ve had enough of that. $ay it a third time and I(ll send my daughter to telephone the asylum. H*R2&R559forgetting he s a gentle!an: 2amn you, I(m the one who(s had enough55= ,'$I&559shouts: Hold your dirty tongue= I(ll have no foul language in my presence. H'-*!55'ch, don(t mind him, ,osie. He(s said he isn(t here, anyway, so we won(t tal# to him behind his bac#. 9(e regards (arder #ith pitying conte!pt.: $ure, ain(t you the poor cra>y creature< 2o you want us to believe you(re your own ghost< H*R2&R559notices the bottle on the boulder for the first ti!e$$tries to be conte!ptuously tolerant and e"en to s!ile #ith condescending disdain: *h= I understand now. "ou(re drun#. I(ll come bac# sometime when you(re sober55or send $impson559(e turns a#ay, glad of an e)cuse to escape.: ,'$I&559ju!ps up and ad"ances on hi! !enacingly: !o, you don(t= "ou(ll apologi>e first for insulting a lady55insinuating I(m drun# this early in the day55or I(ll #noc# some good breeding in you= H*R2&R559actually frightened no#: I55I said nothing about you55 H'-*!559gets up to co!e bet#een the!: *isy now, ,osie. He didn(t mean it. He don(t #now what he means, the poor loon. 9to (arder$$pityingly: Run home, that(s a good lad, before your #eeper misses you. H*R2&R559hastily: -ood day. 9(e turns eagerly to#ard left but suddenly (ogan grabs his shoulder and spins hi! around$$then shifts his grip to the lapel of (arder s coat.:

H'-*!559gri!ly: 4ait now, me Honey ;oy. I(ll have a word with you, if you pla>e. I(m beginning to read some sense into this. "ou mentioned that &nglish bastard, $impson. I #now who you are now. H*R2&R559outraged: +a#e your hands off me, you drun#en fool. 9(e raises his riding crop.: ,'$I&559grabs it and tears it fro! his hand #ith one po#erful t#ist$$fiercely: 4ould you stri#e my poor infirm old father, you coward, you= H*R2&R559calling for help: 0c)abe= H'-*!552on(t thin# 0c)abe will hear you, if you blew -abriel(s horn. He #nows I or ,osie can lic# him with one hand. 9sharply: ,osie= $tand between us and the gate. 9Josie ta'es her stand #here the path !eets the road. %he turns her bac' for a !o!ent, sha'ing #ith suppressed laughter, and #a"es her hand at Mc,abe and turns bac'. (ogan releases his hold on (arder s coat.: +here now. 2on(t try running away or my daughter will #noc# you senseless. 9(e goes on gri!ly before (arder can spea'.: "ou(re the blac#guard of a millionaire that owns the estate next to ours, ain(t you< I(ve been meaning to call on you, for I(ve a bone to pic# with you, you bloody tyrant= ;ut I couldn(t bring myself to set foot on land bought with $tandard 'il money that was stolen from the poor it ground in the dust beneath its dirty heel55land that(s watered with the tears of starving widows and orphans559(e abruptly s#itches fro! this elo+uence to a !atter$of$fact tone.: ;ut never mind that, now. I won(t waste words trying to reform a born croo#. 9fiercely, sho"ing his dirty unsha"en face al!ost into (arder s: 4hat I want to #now is, what the hell d(you mean by your contemptible tric# of brea#ing down your fence to entice my poor pigs to ta#e their death in your ice pond< 9There is a shout of laughter fro! Josie s bedroo!, and Josie doubles up and holds her sides. (arder is so flabbergasted by this !ad accusation he cannot e"en sputter. *ut (ogan acts as if he d denied it$$sa"agely: 2on(t lie, now= !one of your damned $tandard 'il excuses, or be ,aysus, I(ll brea# you in half= Haven(t I mended that fence morning after morning, and seen the footprints where you had snea#ed up in the night to pull it down again. How many times have I mended that fence, ,osie< ,'$I&55If it(s once, it(s a hundred, 6ather. H'-*!55/isten, me little millionaire= I(m a peaceful, mild man that believes in live and let live, and as long as the neighboring scum leave me alone, I(ll let them alone, but when it comes to standing by and seeing my poor pigs murthered one by one55= ,osie= How many pigs is it caught their death of cold in his damned ice pond and died of pneumonia< ,'$I&55+en of them, 6ather. *nd ten more died of cholera after drin#ing the dirty water in it. H'-*!55*ll pri>e pigs, too= I was offered two hundred dollars apiece for them. +wenty pigs at two hundred, that(s four thousand. *nd a thousand to cure the sic# and cover funeral expenses for the dead. )all it four thousand you owe me. 9furiously: *nd you(ll pay it, or I(ll sue you, so help me )hrist= I(ll drag you in every court in the

land= I(ll paste your ugly mug on the front page of every newspaper as a pig5 murdering tyrant= ;efore I(m through with you, you(ll thin# you(re the 1ing of &ngland at an Irish wa#e= 9#ith a +uic' change of pace to a #heedling confidential tone: +ell me now, if it isn(t a secret, whatever made you ta#e such a savage grudge against pigs< $ure, it isn(t reasonable for a $tandard 'il man to hate hogs. H*R2&R559!anages to get in three sputtering #ords: I(ve had enough55= H'-*!559#ith a grin: ;e -od, I believe you= 9s#itching to fierceness and grabbing his lapel again: /oo# out, now= 1eep your place and be soft5spo#en to your betters= "ou(re not in your shiny automobile now with your funny nose coc#ed so you won(t smell the poor people. 9(e gi"es hi! a sha'e.: *nd let me warn you= I have to put up with a lot of pests on this heap of boulders some 8o#er once called a farm. +here(s a cruel s#inflint of a landlord who swindles me out of my last drop of whis#ey, and there(s poison ivy, and tic#s and potato bugs, and there(s sna#es and s#un#s= ;ut, be -od, I draw the line somewhere, and I(ll be damned if I(ll stand for a $tandard 'il man trespassing= $o will you #indly get the hell out of here before I plant a #ic# on your bac#side that(ll land you in the *tlantic 'cean= 9(e gi"es (arder a sho"e.: ;eat it now= 9(arder tries to !a'e so!e sort of disdainfully dignified e)it. *ut he has to get by Josie.: ,'$I&559leers at hi! idiotically: $ure, you wouldn(t go without a word of good5bye to me, would you, darlin(< 2on(t scorn me 8ust because you have on your 8oc#ey(s pants. 9in a hoarse #hisper: 0eet me tonight, as usual, down by the pigpen. 9(arder s retreat beco!es a rout. (e disappears on left, but a second later his "oice, tre!bling #ith anger, is heard calling bac' threateningly.: H*R2&R55If you dare touch that fence again, I(ll put this matter in the hands of the police= H'-*!559shouts derisi"ely: *nd I(ll put it in my lawyer(s hands and in the newspapers= 9(e doubles up #ith glee.: /oo# at him fling himself on his nag and spur the poor beast= *nd loo# at 0c)abe behind him= He can hardly stay in the saddle for laughing= 9(e slaps his thigh.: ' ,aysus, this is a great day for the poor and oppressed= I(ll do no more wor#= I(ll go down to the Inn and spend money and get drun# as 0oses= ,'$I&55$mall blame to you. "ou deserve it. ;ut you(ll have your dinner first, to give you a foundation. )ome on, now. 9They turn bac' to#ard the house. 6ro! inside another burst of laughter fro! Tyrone is heard. Josie s!iles.: /isten to ,im still in stitches. It(s good to hear him laugh as if he meant it. 9Tyrone appears in the door#ay of her bedroo!.: +"R'!&55' -od, my sides are sore. 9They all laugh together. (e joins the! at the left corner of the house.: ,'$I&55It(s dinner time. 4ill you have a bit to eat with us, ,im< I(ll boil you some eggs.

H'-*!55'ch, why do you have to mention eggs< 2on(t you #now it(s the one thing he might eat< 4ell, no matter. *nything goes today. 9(e gets the bottle of #his'ey.: )ome in, ,im. 4e(ll have a drin# while ,osie(s fixing the grub. 9They start to go in the front door, (ogan in the lead.: +"R'!&559suddenly$$#ith sardonic a!use!ent: 4ait a minute. /et us pause to ta#e a loo# at this very valuable property. 2on(t you notice the change, .hil< &very boulder on the place has turned to solid gold. H'-*!554hat the hell55< "ou didn(t get the 2.+.(s from my whis#ey, I #now that. +"R'!&55!o 2.+.(s about it. +his farm has suddenly become a gold mine. "ou #now that offer I told you about< 4ell, the agent did a little detective wor# and he discovered it came from Harder. He doesn(t want the damned place but he disli#es you as a neighbor and he thin#s the best way to get rid of you would be to become your landlord. H'-*!55+he snea#ing s#un#= I(m sorry I didn(t give him that #ic#. +"R'!&55"es. $o am I. +hat would have made the place even more valuable. ;ut as it is, you did nobly. I expect him to double or triple his first offer. In fact, I(ll bet the s#y is the limit now. H'-*!559gi"es Josie a !eaningful loo': I see your point= ;ut we(re not worrying you(d ever forget your promise to us for any price. +"R'!&55.romise< 4hat promise< "ou #now what 1ipling wrote@ 9paraphrasing the 78hy!e of the Three %ealers7: +here(s never a promise of -od or man goes north of ten thousand buc#s. H'-*!552(you hear him, ,osie< 4e can(t trust him. ,'$I&55'ch, you #now he(s #idding. H'-*!55I don(t= I(m becoming suspicious. +"R'!&559a trace of bitterness beneath his a!used tone: +hat(s wise dope, .hil. +rust and be a suc#er. If I were you, I(d be seriously worried. I(ve always wanted to own a gold mine55so I could sell it. ,'$I&559bursts out: 4ill you shut up your rotten ;roadway blather= +"R'!&559stares at her in surprise: 4hy so serious and indignant, ,osie< "ou 8ust told your unworthy 'ld 0an I was #idding. 9to (ogan: *t last, I(ve got you by the ears, .hil. 4e must have a serious chat about when you(re going to pay that bac# rent. H'-*!559groans: * landlord who(s a blac#mailer= Holy -od, what next= 9Josie is s!iling #ith relief no#.:

+"R'!&55*nd you, ,osie, please remember when I #eep that moonlight date tonight I expect you to be very sweet to me. ,'$I&559#ith a bold air: $ure, you don(t have to blac#mail me. I(d be that to you, anyway. H'-*!55*re you laying plots in my presence to seduce my only daughter< 9then philosophically: 4ell, what can I do< I(ll be drun# at the Inn, so how could I prevent it< 9(e goes up the steps.: /et(s eat, for the love of -od. I(m starving. 9(e disappears inside the house.: ,'$I&559#ith an a#'#ard playful gesture, ta'es Tyrone by the hand: )ome along, ,im. +"R'!&559s!iles 'iddingly: *fraid you(ll lose me< $well chance= 9(is eyes fi) on her breasts$$#ith genuine feeling: "ou have the most beautiful breasts in the world, do you #now it, ,osie< ,'$I&559pleased$$shyly: I don(t55but I(m happy if you thin#559then +uic'ly: ;ut I(ve no time now to listen to your #idding, with my mad old father waiting for his dinner. $o come on. 9%he tugs at his hand and he follo#s her up the steps. (er !anner changes to #orried solicitude.: .romise me you(ll eat something, ,im. "ou(ve got to eat. "ou can(t go on the way you are, drin#ing and never eating, hardly. "ou(re #illing yourself. +"R'!&559sardonically: +hat(s right. 0other me, ,osie, I love it. ,'$I&559bullyingly: I will, then. "ou need one to ta#e care of you. 9They disappear inside the house.:

9,urtain:

ACT TWO
$)&!&55The sa!e, #ith the #all of the li"ing roo! re!o"ed. It is a clear #ar! !oonlight night, around ele"en o cloc'.Josie is sitting on the steps before the front door. %he has changed to her %unday best, a cheap dar'$blue dress, blac' stoc'ings and shoes. (er hair is carefully arranged, and by #ay of adorn!ent a #hite flo#er is pinned on her boso!. %he is hunched up, elbo#s on 'nees, her chin in her hands. There is an e)pression on her face #e ha"e not seen before, a loo' of sadness and loneliness and hu!iliation.%he sighs and gets slo#ly to her feet, her body stiff fro! sitting long in the sa!e position. %he goes into the li"ing roo!, fu!bles around for the bo) of !atches, and lights a 'erosene la!p on the table.The li"ing roo! is s!all, lo#$ceilinged, #ith faded, fly$spec'ed #allpaper, a floor of bare boards. It is cluttered up #ith furniture that loo's as if it had been pic'ed up at a fire sale. There is a table at center, a disreputable old Morris chair beside it9 t#o ugly sideboards, one at left, the other at right$rear9 a porch roc'ing$chair, painted green, #ith a hole in its cane botto!9 a bureau against the rear #all, #ith t#o chairs on either side of a door to the 'itchen. 2n the bureau is an alar! cloc' #hich sho#s the ti!e to be fi"e past ele"en. At right$front is the door to Josie s bedroo!.

,'$I&559loo's at the cloc'$$dully: 6ive past eleven, and he said he(d be here around nine. 9%uddenly in a burst of hu!iliated anger, she tears off the flo#er pinned to her boso! and thro#s it in the corner.: +o hell with you, ,im +yrone= 96ro! do#n the road, the +uiet of the night is shattered by a burst of !elancholy song. It is un!ista'ably (ogan s "oice #ailing an old Irish la!ent at the top of his lungs. Josie starts$$then fro#ns irritably.: 4hat(s bringing him home an hour before the Inn closes< He must be more paraly>ed than ever I(ve #nown him. 9%he listens to the singing$$gri!ly: *h, here you come, do you, as full as a tic#= I(ll give you a welcome, if you start cutting up= I(m in no mood to put up with you. 9%he goes into her bedroo! and returns #ith her broo!stic' club. 2utside the singing gro#s louder as (ogan approaches the house. (e only re!e!bers one "erse of the song and he has been repeating it.: H'-*!55 'h the praties they grow small 'ver here, over here, 'h, the praties they grow small 'ver here. 'h the praties they grow small *nd we dig them in the fall *nd we eat them s#ins and all 'ver here, over here.

9(e enters left$front, #ea"ing and lurching a bit. *ut he is not as drun' as he appears. 2r rather, he is one of those people #ho can drin' an enor!ous a!ount and be absolutely plastered #hen they #ant to be for their o#n pleasure, but at the sa!e ti!e are able to pull the!sel"es together #hen they #ish and be cunningly clear$ headed. Just no#, he is letting hi!self go and getting great satisfaction fro! it. (e pauses and bello#s belligerently at the house: Hurroo= 2own with all tyrants, male and female= +o hell with &ngland, and -od damn $tandard 'il= ,'$I&559shouts bac': $hut up your noise, you cra>y old billy goat= H'-*!559hurt and !ournful: * sweet daughter and a sweet welcome home in the dead of night. 9beginning to boil: 'ld goat= +here(s respect for you= 9angrily$$starting for the front door: )ra>y billy goat, is it< ;e -od, I(ll learn you manners= 9(e pounds on the door #ith his fist.: 'pen the door= 'pen this door, I(m saying, before I drive a fist through it, or #ic# it into flinders= 9(e gi"es it a 'ic'.: ,'$I&55It(s not loc#ed, you drun#en old loon= 'pen it yourself= H'-*!559turns the 'nob and sta!ps in: 2run#en old loon, am I< Is that the way to address your father< ,'$I&55!o. It(s too damned good for him. H'-*!55It(s time I taught you a lesson. ;e ,aysus, I(ll ta#e you over my #nee and span# your tail, if you are as big as a cow= 9(e !a'es a lunge to grab her.: ,'$I&554ould you, though= +a#e that, then= 9%he raps hi! s!artly, but lightly, on his bald spot #ith the end of her broo! handle.: H'-*!559#ith an e)aggerated ho#l of pain: 'w= 9(is anger e"aporates and he rubs the top of his head ruefully$$#ith bitter co!plaint: -od forgive you, it(s a great shame to me I(ve raised a daughter so cowardly she has to use a club. ,'$I&559puts her club on the table$$gri!ly: !ow I(ve no club. H'-*!559e"ades the challenge: I never thought I(d see the day when a daughter of mine would be such a coward as to threaten her old father when he(s helpless drun# and can(t hit bac#. 9(e slu!ps do#n on the Morris chair.: ,'$I&55*h, that(s better. !ow that little game is over. 9then angrily: /isten to me, 6ather. I have no patience left, so get up from that chair, and go in your room, and go to bed, or I(ll ta#e you by the scruff of your nec# and the seat of your pants and throw you in and loc# the door on you= I mean it, now= 9on the "erge of angry tears: I(ve had all I can bear this night, and I want some peace and sleep, and not to listen to an old lush= H'-*!559appears drun'er, his head #agging, his "oice thic', his tal' ra!bling: +hat(s right. 6ight with me. 0y own daughter has no feelings or sympathy. *s if I hadn(t enough after what(s happened tonight.

,'$I&559#ith angry disgust: 'ch, don(t try559then curiously: 4hat(s happened< I thought something must be %ueer, you coming home before the Inn closed, but then I thought maybe for once you(d drun# all you could hold. 9scathingly: *nd, -od pity you, if you ain(t that full, you(re damned close to it. H'-*!55-o on. 0a#e fun of me. 'ld lush= "ou wouldn(t feel so comical, if559(e stops, !u!bling to hi!self.: ,'$I&55If what< H'-*!55!ever mind. !ever mind. I didn(t come home to fight, but see# comfort in your company. *nd if I was singing coming along the road, it was only because there(s times you have to sing to #eep from crying. ,'$I&55I can see you crying= H'-*!55"ou will. *nd you(ll see yourself crying, too, when559(e stops again and !u!bles to hi!self.: ,'$I&554hen what< 9e)asperatedly: 4ill you stop your whis#ey drooling and tal# plain< H'-*!559thic'ly: !o matter. !o matter. /eave me alone. ,'$I&559angrily: +hat(s good advice. +o hell with you= I #now your game. !othing at all has happened. *ll you want is to #eep me up listening to your guff. -o to your room, I(m saying, before55 H'-*!55I won(t. I couldn(t sleep with my thoughts tormented the way they are. I(ll stay here in this chair, and you go to your room and let me be. ,'$I&559snorts: *nd have you singing again in a minute and smashing the furniture55 H'-*!55$ing, is it< *re you ma#ing fun again< I(d give a #een of sorrow or howl at the moon li#e an old mangy hound in his sadness if I #new how, but I don(t. $o rest aisy. "ou won(t hear a sound from me. -o on and snore li#e a pig to your heart(s content. 9(e !ourns drun'enly: * fine daughter= I(d get more comfort from strangers. ,'$I&55'ch, for -od(s sa#e, dry up= "ou(ll sit in the dar# then. I won(t leave the lamp lit for you to tip over and burn down the house. 9%he reaches out to turn do#n the la!p.: H'-*!559thic'ly: /et it burn to the ground. * hell of a lot I care if it burns. ,'$I&559in the act of turning do#n the la!p, stops and stares at hi!, pu&&led and uneasy: I never heard you tal# that way before, no matter how drun# you were. 9(e !u!bles. (er tone beco!es persuasi"e.: 4hat(s happened to you, 6ather< H'-*!559bitterly: *h it(s ?6ather? now, is it, not old billy goat< 4ell, than# -od for small favors. 9#ith hea"y sarcas!: 'h, nothing(s happened to me at all, at all. * trifle,

only. I wouldn(t waste your time mentioning it, or #eep you up when you want sleep so bad. ,'$I&559angrily: 'ch, you old loon, I(m sic# of you. $leep it off till you get some sense. 9%he reaches for the la!p again.: H'-*!55$leep it off< 4e(ll see if you(ll sleep it off when you #now559(e lapses into drun'en !u!bling.: ,'$I&559again stares at hi!: 1now what, 6ather< H'-*!559!u!bles: +he son of a bitch= ,'$I&559trying a light tone: $ure, there(s a lot of those in the neighborhood. 4hich one do you mean< Is Harder on your mind again< H'-*!559thic'ly: He(s one and a pri>e one, but I don(t mean him. I(ll say this for Harder, you #now what to expect from him. He(s no wolf in sheep(s clothing, nor a treacherous sna#e in the grass who stabs you in the bac# with a #nife55 ,'$I&559apprehensi"e no#$$forces a jo'e: $ure, if you(ve found a sna#e who can stab you with a #nife, you(d better 8oin the circus with him and ma#e a pile of money. H'-*!559bitterly: 0a#e 8o#es, -od forgive you= "ou(ll soon laugh from the wrong end of your mouth= 9(e !u!bles: .retending he(s our friend= +he lying bastard= ,'$I&559bristles resentfully: Is it ,im +yrone you(re calling hard names< H'-*!55+hat(s right. 2efend him, you big soft fool= 6aith, you(re a pri>e dunce= "ou(ve had a good taste of believing his word, waiting hours for him dressed up in your best li#e a poor sheep without pride or spirit55 ,'$I&559stung: $hut up= I was calling him a lying bastard myself before you came, and saying I(d never spea# to him again. *nd I #new all along he(d never remember to #eep his date after he got drun#. H'-*!55He(s not so drun# he forgot to attend to business. ,'$I&559as if she hadn t heard$$defiantly: I(d have stayed up anyway a beautiful night li#e this to en8oy the moonlight, if there wasn(t a ,im +yrone in the world. H'-*!559#ith hea"y sarcas!: In your best shoes and stoc#ings< 4ell, well. $ure, the moon must feel flattered by your attentions. ,'$I&559furiously: "ou won(t feel flattered if I #noc# you tail over tincup out of that chair= *nd stop your whis#ey gabble about ,im. I see what you(re driving at with your dar# hints and curses, and if you thin# I(ll believe559#ith forced assurance: $ure, I #now what(s happened as well as if I(d been there. ,im saw you(d got drun#er than usual and you were an easy mar# for a 8o#e, and he(s made a goat of you=

H'-*!559bitterly: -oat, again= 9(e struggles fro! his chair and stands s#aying unsteadily$$#ith offended dignity: *ll right, I won(t say another word. +here(s no use telling the truth to a bad5tempered woman in love. ,'$I&55/ove be damned= I hate him now= H'-*!55;e )hrist, you have me stumped. * great proud slut who(s played games with half the men around here, and now you act li#e a numbs#ull virgin that can(t believe a man would tell her a lie= ,'$I&559threateningly: If you(re going to your room, you(d better go %uic#= H'-*!559fi)es his eyes on the door at rear$$#ith dignity: +hat(s where I(m going, yes55to tal# to meself so I(ll #now someone with brains is listening. -ood night to you, 0iss Hogan. 9(e starts$$s#er"es left$$tries to correct this and lurches right and bu!ps against her, clutching the supporting ar! she stretches out.: ,'$I&55-od help you, if you try to go upstairs now, you(ll end up in the cellar. H'-*!559hanging on to her ar! and shoulder$$!audlinly affectionate no#: "ou(re right. 2on(t listen to me. I(m wrong to bother you. "ou(ve had sorrow enough this night. Have a good sleep, while you can, ,osie, darlin(55and good night and -od bless you. 9(e tries to 'iss her, but she #ards hi! off and steers hi! bac' to the chair.: ,'$I&55$it down before you split in pieces on the floor and I have to get the wheelbarrow to collect you. 9%he du!ps hi! in the chair #here he spra#ls li!ply, his chin on his chest.: H'-*!559!u!bles dully: It(s too late. It(s all settled. 4e(re helpless, entirely. ,'$I&559really #orried no#: How is it all settled< If you(re helpless, I(m not. 9then as he doesn t reply$$scornfully: It(s the first time I ever heard you admit you were lic#ed. *nd it(s the first time I ever saw you so paraly>ed you couldn(t sha#e the whis#ey from your brains and get your head clear when you wanted. $ure, that(s always been your pride55and now loo# at you, the stupid ob8ect you are, mumbling and drooling= H'-*!559struggles up in his chair$$angrily: $hut up your insults= ;e -od, I can get my head clear if I li#e= 9(e sha'es his head "iolently.: +here= It(s clear. I can tell you each thing that happened tonight as clear as if I(d not ta#en a drop, if you(ll listen and not #eep calling me a liar. ,'$I&55I(ll listen, now I see you have hold of your wits. H'-*!55*ll right, then. I(ll begin at the beginning when him and me left here, and you gave him a sweet smile, and rolled your big beautiful cow(s eyes at him, and wiggled your bac#side, and stuc# out your beautiful breasts you #now he admires, and said in a sic# sheep(s voice@ ?2on(t forget our moonlight date, ,im.? ,'$I&559#ith suppressed fury: "ou(re a55= I never55= "ou old55=

H'-*!55*nd he said@ ?"ou bet I won(t forget, ,osie.? ,'$I&55+he lying croo#= H'-*!559(is "oice begins to sin' into a dejected !onotone.: 4e went to the Inn and started drin#ing whis#ey. *nd I got drun#. ,'$I&559e)asperatedly: I guessed that= *nd ,im got drun#, too. *nd then what< H'-*!559dully: 4ho #nows how drun# he got< He had one of his %ueer fits when you can(t tell. He(s the way I told you about this morning, when he tal#s li#e a ;roadway croo#, who(d sell his soul for a price, and there(s a sneering divil in him, and he loves to pic# out the wea#ness in people and say cruel, funny things that flay the hide off them, or play cruel 8o#es on them. 9#ith sudden rage: -od(s curse on him, I(ll wager he(s laughing to himself this minute, thin#ing it(s the cutest 8o#e in the world, the fools he(s made of us. "ou in particular. ;e -od, I had my suspicions, at least, but your head was stuffed with mush and love, and you wouldn(t55 ,'$I&559furiously: "ou(ll tell that lie about my love once too often= *nd I(ll play a 8o#e on him yet that(ll ma#e him sorry he55 H'-*!559sun' in drun'en defeatis! again: It(s too late. "ou shouldn(t have let him get away from you to the Inn. "ou should have #ept him here. +hen maybe, if you(d got him drun# enough you could have559his head nodding, his eyes blin'ing$$thic'ly: ;ut it(s no good tal#ing now55no good at all55no good55 ,'$I&559gi"es hi! a sha'e: 1eep hold of your wits or I(ll give you a cuff on both ears= 4ill you stop blathering li#e an old woman and tell me plainly what he(s done= H'-*!55He(s agreed to sell the farm, that(s what= $impson came to the Inn to see him with a new offer from Harder. +en thousand, cash. ,'$I&559o"er#hel!ed: +en thousand= $ure, three is all it(s worth at most. *nd two was what you offered that ,im promised55 H'-*!554hat(s money to Harder< *fter what we did to him, all he wants is revenge. *nd here(s where he(s foxy. $impson must have put him up to it #nowing how ,im hates it here living on a small allowance, and he longs to go bac# to ;roadway and his whores. ,im won(t have to wait for his half of the cash till the estate(s settled. Harder offers to give him five thousand cash as a loan against the estate the second the sale is made. ,im can ta#e the next train to !ew "or#. ,'$I&559tensely, on the "erge of tears: *nd ,im accepted< I don(t believe it= H'-*!552on(t then. ;e -od, you(ll believe it tomorrow= Harder proposed that he meet with ,im and the executors in the morning and settle it, and ,im promised $impson he would. ,'$I&559desperately: 0aybe he(ll get so drun# he(ll never remember55

H'-*!55He won(t. Harder(s coming in his automobile to pic# him up and ma#e sure of him. *nyway don(t thin# because he forgot you were waiting55in the moonlight, eating your heart out, that he(d ever miss a date with five thousand dollars, and all the pretty whores of ;roadway he can buy with it. ,'$I&559distractedly: 4ill you shut up= 9angrily: *nd where were you when all this happened< )ouldn(t you do anything to stop it, you old loon< H'-*!55I couldn(t. $impson came and sat at the table with us55 ,'$I&55*nd you let him= H'-*!55,im invited him. *nyway, I wanted to find out what tric# he had up his sleeve, and what ,im would do. 4hen it was all over, I got up and too# a swipe at $impson, but I missed him. 9#ith drun'en sadness: I was too drun#55too drun#55too drun#55I missed him, -od forgive me= 9(is chin sin's on his chest and his eyes shut.: ,'$I&559sha'es hi!: If you don(t #eep awa#e, be -od, I won(t miss you= H'-*!55I was going to ta#e a swipe at ,im, too, but I couldn(t do it. 0y heart was too bro#en with sorrow. I(d come to love him li#e a son55a real son of my heart=55to ta#e the place of that 8ac#ass, 0i#e, and me two other 8ac#asses. ,'$I&559her face hard and bitter: I thin# now 0i#e was the only one in this house with sense. H'-*!55I was too drowned in sorrow by his betraying me55and you he(d pretended to li#e so much. $o I only called him a dirty lying s#un# of a treacherous bastard, and I turned my bac# on him and left the Inn, and I made myself sing on the road so he(d hear, and they(d all hear in the Inn, to show them I didn(t care a damn. ,'$I&559scathingly: $ure, wasn(t you the hero= * hell of a lot of good55 H'-*!55*h, well, I suppose the temptation was too great. He(s wea#, with one foot in the grave from whis#ey. 0aybe we shouldn(t blame him. ,'$I&559her eyes flashing: !ot blame him< 4ell, I blame him, -od damn him= *re you ma#ing excuses for him, you old fool= H'-*!55I(m not. He(s a dirty sna#e= ;ut I was thin#ing how do I #now what I wouldn(t do for five thousand cash, and how do you #now what you wouldn(t do< ,'$I&55!othing could ma#e me betray him= 9(er face gro#s hard and bitter.: 'r it couldn(t before. +here(s nothing I wouldn(t do now. 9(ogan suddenly begins to chuc'le.: 2o you thin# I(m lying< ,ust give me a chance55 H'-*!55I remembered something. 9(e laughs drun'enly.: ;e )hrist, ,osie, for all his ;roadway wisdom about women, you(ve made a pri>e damned fool of him and that(s some satisfaction=

,'$I&559be#ildered: How(d you mean< H'-*!55"ou(ll never believe it. !either did I, but he #ept on until, be -od, I saw he really meant it. ,'$I&550eant what< H'-*!55It was after he(d turned %ueer55early in the night before $impson came. He started tal#ing about you, as if you was on his mind, worrying him55and before he finished I ta#e my oath I began to hope you could really wor# 0i#e(s first scheme on him, if you got him alone in the moonlight, because all his gab was about his great admiration for you. ,'$I&55'ch= +he liar= H'-*!55He said you had great beauty in you that no one appreciated but him. ,'$I&559sha'enly: "ou(re lying. H'-*!55-reat strength you had, and great pride, he said55and great goodness, no less= ;ut here(s where you(ve made a pri>e 8ac#ass of him, li#e I said. 9#ith a drun'en leer: /isten now, darlin(, and don(t drop dead with ama>ement. 9(e leans to#ard her and #hispers: He believes you(re a virgin= 9Josie stiffens as if she d been insulted. (ogan goes on.: He does, so help me= He means it, the poor dunce= He thin#s you(re a poor innocent virgin= He thin#s it(s all boasting and pretending you(ve done about being a slut. 9(e chuc'les.: * virgin, no less= "ou= ,'$I&559furiously: $top saying it= ;oasting and pretending, am I< +he dirty liar= H'-*!556aith, you don(t have to tell me. 9Then he loo's at her in drun'en surprise$$ thic'ly: *re you ta#ing it as an insult< 4hy the hell don(t you laugh< ;e -od, you ought to see what a stupid sheep that ma#es him. ,'$I&559forces a laugh: I do see it. H'-*!559chuc'ling drun'enly: 'h, be -od, I(ve 8ust remembered another thing, ,osie. I #now why he didn(t #eep his date with you. It wasn(t that he(d forgot. He remembered well enough, for he tal#ed about it55 ,'$I&55"ou mean he deliberately, #nowing I(d be waiting559fiercely: -od damn him= H'-*!55He as much as told me his reason, though he wouldn(t come out with it plain, me being your father. His conscience was tormenting him. He(s going to leave you alone and not see you again55for your sa#e, because he loves you= 9(e chuc'les.: ,'$I&559loo's stric'en and be#ildered$$her "oice tre!bling: /oves me< "ou(re ma#ing it up. H'-*!55I(m not. I #now it sounds cra>y but55

,'$I&554hat did he mean, for my sa#e< H'-*!55)an(t you see< "ou(re a pure virgin to him, but all the same there(s things besides your beautiful soul he feels drawn to, li#e your beautiful hair and eyes, and55 ,'$I&559stric'enly: 'ch, don(t, 6ather= "ou #now I(m only a big55 H'-*!559as if she hadn t spo'en: $o he(ll #eep away from temptation because he can(t trust himself, and it(d be a sin on his conscience if he was to seduce you. 9(e laughs drun'enly.: 'h, be -od= If that ain(t rich= ,'$I&559(er "oice tre!bles.: $o that was his reason559then angrily: $o he thin#s all he has to do is croo# a finger and I(ll fall for him, does he, the vain ;roadway croo#= H'-*!559chuc'ling: ;e ,aysus, it was the maddest thing in the world, him gabbing li#e a soft loon about you55and there at the bar in plain sight was two of the men you(ve been out with, the gardener at $mith(s and Regan, the chauffeur for 2riggs, having a drin# together= ,'$I&559#ith a t#itching s!ile: It must have been mad, surely. I wish I(d been there to laugh up my sleeve. 9angry: ;ut what(s all his cra>y lying blather got to do with him betraying us and selling the place< H'-*!559at once hopelessly dejected again: !othing at all. I only thought you(d li#e to #now you(d had that much revenge. ,'$I&55* hell of a revenge= I(ll have a better one than that on him55or I(ll try to= I(m not li#e you, owning up I(m beaten and crying wurra5wurra li#e a coward and getting hopeless drun#= 9%he gi"es hi! a sha'e.: -et your wits about you and answer me this@ 2id $impson get him to sign a paper< H'-*!55!o, but what good is that< In the morning he(ll sign all they shove in front of him. ,'$I&55It(s this good. It means we still have a chance. 'r I have. H'-*!554hat chance< *re you going to beg him to ta#e pity on us< ,'$I&55I(ll see him in hell first= +here(s another chance, and a good one. ;ut I(ll need your help559angrily: *nd loo# at you, your brains drowned in whis#ey, so I can(t depend on you= H'-*!559rousing hi!self: "ou can, if there(s any chance. ;e -od, I(ll ma#e myself as sober as a 8udge for you in the win# of an eye= 9then dejectedly: ;ut what can you do now, darlin(< "ou haven(t even got him here. He(s down at the Inn sitting alone, drin#ing and dreaming of the little whores he(ll be with tomorrow night on ;roadway. ,'$I&55I(ll get him here= I(ll humble my pride and go down to the Inn for him= *nd if he doesn(t want to come I(ve a way to ma#e him. I(ll raise a scene and pretend I(m in a rage because he forgot his date. I(ll disgrace him till he(ll be glad to come with me to

shut me up. I #now his wea#ness, and it(s his vanity about his women. If I was a dainty, pretty tart he(d be proud I(d raise a rumpus about him. ;ut when it(s a big, ugly hul# li#e me559%he falters and forces herself to go on.: If he ever was tempted to want me, he(d be ashamed of it. +hat(s the truth behind the lies he told you of his conscience and his fear he might ruin me, -od damn him= H'-*!55!o, he meant it, ,osie. ;ut never mind that now. /et(s say you(ve got him here. +hen what will you do< ,'$I&55I told you this morning if he ever bro#e his promise to us I(d do anything and not mind how croo#ed it was. *nd I will= "our part in it is to come at sunrise with witnesses and catch us in559%he falters.: H'-*!55In bed, is it< +hen it(s 0i#e(s second scheme you(re thin#ing about< ,'$I&55I told you I didn(t care how dirty a tric#559#ith a hard bitter laugh: +he dirtier the better now= H'-*!55;ut how(ll you get him in bed, with all his honorable scruples, thin#ing you(re a virgin< ;ut I(m forgetting he stayed away because he was afraid he(d be tempted. $o maybe55 ,'$I&559tensely: 6or the love of -od, don(t harp on his lies. He won(t be tempted at all. ;ut I(ll get him so drun# he(ll fall asleep and I(ll carry him in and put him in bed55 H'-*!55;e -od, that(s the way= ;ut you(ll have to get a pile of whis#ey down him. "ou(ll never do it unless you(re more sociable and stop loo#ing at him, the way you do, whenever he ta#es a drin#, as if you was praying *lmighty -od to forgive a poor drun#ard. "ou(ve got to encourage him. +he best way would be for you to drin# with him. It would put him at his ease and unsuspecting, and it(d give you courage, too, so you(d act bold for a change instead of giving him bra>en tal# he(s tired of hearing, while you act shy as a mouse. ,'$I&559gi"es her father a bitter, resentful loo': "ou(re full of sly advice all of a sudden, ain(t you< "ou dirty little tic#= H'-*!559angrily: 2idn(t you tell me to get hold of my wits< ;e -od, if you want me drun#, I(ve only to let go. +hat(d suit me. I want to forget my sorrow, and I(ve no faith in your scheme because you(ll be too full of scruples. /i#e the drin#ing. "ou(re such a virtuous teetotaller55 ,'$I&55I(ve told you I(d do anything now= 9then confusedly: *ll I meant was, it(s not right, a father to tell his daughter how to559then angrily: I don(t need your advice. Haven(t I had every man I want around here< H'-*!55*h, than# -od, that sounds natural= ;e -od, I thought you(d started playing virgin with me 8ust because that ;roadway suc#er thin#s you(re one. ,'$I&559furiously: $hut up= I(m not playing anything. *nd don(t worry I can(t do my part of the tric#.

H'-*!55+hat(s the tal#= ;ut let me get it all clear. I come at sunrise with my witnesses, and you(ve forgot to loc# your door, and we wal# in, and there(s the two of you in bed, and I raise the roof and threaten him if he don(t marry you55 ,'$I&550arry him< *fter what he(s done to us< I wouldn(t marry him now if he was the last man on earth= *ll we want is a paper signed by him with witnesses that he(ll sell the farm to you for the price you offered, and not to Harder. H'-*!554ell, that(s 8ustice, but that(s all it is. I thought you wanted to ma#e him pay for his blac# treachery against us, the dirty bastard= ,'$I&55I do want= 9%he again gi"es hi! a bitter resentful glance.: It(s the estate money you(re thin#ing of, isn(t it< /eave it to you= 9hastily: 4ell, so am I= I(d li#e to get my hoo#s on it= 9#ith a hard, bra&en air: ;e -od, if I(m to play whore, I deserve my pay= 4e(ll ma#e him sign a paper he owes me ten thousand dollars the minute the estate is settled. 9%he laughs.: How(s that< I(ll bet none of his tarts on ;roadway ever got a thousandth part of that out of him, no matter how dainty and pretty= 9laughing again: *nd here(s what(ll be the greatest 8o#e to teach him a lesson. He(ll pay it for nothing= I(ll get him in bed but I(ll never let him55 H'-*!559#ith delighted ad!iration: 'ch, by ,aysus, ,osie, that(s the best yet= 9(e slaps his thigh enthusiastically.: 'h, that(ll teach him to double5cross his friends= +hat(ll show him two can play at tric#s= *nd him believing you so innocent= ;e -od, you(ll ma#e him the pri>e suc#er of the world= 4on(t I roar inside me when I see his face in the morning= 9(e bursts into coarse laughter.: ,'$I&559again #ith illogical resent!ent: $top laughing= "ou(re letting yourself be drun# again. 9then #ith a hard, business$li'e air: 4e(ve done enough tal#ing. /et(s start55 H'-*!554ait, now. +here(s another thing. ,ust what do you want me to threaten him with when I catch you< +hat we(ll sue him for outraging your virtue< $ure, his lawyer would have all your old flames in the witness box, till the 8ury would thin# you(d been faithful to the male inhabitants of *merica. $o what threat55I can(t thin# of any he wouldn(t laugh at. ,'$I&559tensely: 4ell, I can= 2o I have to tell you his wea#ness again< It(s his vanity about women, and his ;roadway pride he(s so wise no woman could fool him. It(s the disgrace to his vanity55being caught with the li#es of me559falteringly, but forcing herself to go on: 0y mug beside his in all the newspapers55the !ew "or# papers, too55he(ll see the whole of ;roadway splitting their sides laughing at him55and he(ll give anything to #eep us %uiet, I tell you. He will= I #now him= $o don(t worry559%he ends up on the "erge of bitter hu!iliated tears.: H'-*!559#ithout loo'ing at her$$enthusiastic again: ;e -od, you(re right= ,'$I&559gi"es hi! a bitter glance$$fiercely: +hen get the hell out of that chair and let(s start it= 9(e gets up. %he sur"eys hi! resentfully.: "ou(re steady on your pins, ain(t you, you scheming old thief, now there(s the smell of money around= 9+uic'ly: 4ell, I(m glad. I #now I can depend on you now. "ou(ll wal# down to the Inn with me

and hide outside until you see me come out with him. +hen you can snea# in the Inn yourself and pic# the witnesses to stay up with you. ;ut mind you don(t get drun# again, and let them get too drun#. H'-*!55I won(t, I ta#e my oath= 9(e pats her on the shoulder appro"ingly.: ;e -od, you(ve got the proud, fighting spirit in you that never says die, and you ma#e me ashamed of my wea#ness. "ou(re that eager now, be damned if I don(t almost thin# you(re glad of the excuse= ,'$I&559stiffens: &xcuse for what, you old55 H'-*!55+o show him no man can get the best of you55what else<55li#e you showed all the others. ,'$I&55I(ll show him to his sorrow= 9then abruptly, starting for the screen door at left: )ome on. 4e(ve no time to waste. 9*ut #hen she gets to the door, she appears suddenly hesitant and ti!id$$hurriedly: 4ait. I(d better give a loo# at myself in the mirror. 9in a bra&en tone: $ure, those in my trade have to loo# their best= 9%he hurries bac' across the roo! into her bedroo! and closes the door. (ogan stares after her. Abruptly he ceases to loo' li'e a drun' #ho, by an effort, is 'eeping hi!self half$ sober. (e is a !an #ho has been drin'ing a lot but is still clear$headed and has co!plete control of hi!self.: H'-*!559#atches the crac' under Josie s door and spea's half$aloud to hi!self, sha'ing his head pityingly: * loo# in the mirror and she(s forgot to light her lamp= 9re!orsefully: -od forgive me, it(s bitter medicine. ;ut it(s the only way I can see that has a chance now. 9Josie s door opens. At once, he is as he #as. %he co!es out, a fi)ed s!ile on her lips, her head high, her face set defiantly. *ut she has e"idently been crying.: ,'$I&559bra&enly: +here, now. 2on(t I loo# ten thousand dollars( worth to any drun#< H'-*!55"ou loo# a million, darlin(= ,'$I&559goes to the screen door and pushes it open #ith the !anner of one #ho has burned all bridges: )ome along, then. 9%he goes out. (e follo#s close on her heels. %he stops abruptly on the first step$$startledly: /oo#= +here(s someone on the road55 H'-*!559pushes past her do#n the steps$$peering off left$front$$as if aloud to hi!self, in dis!ay: ;e -od, it(s him= I never thought55 ,'$I&559as if aloud to herself: $o he didn(t forget55 H'-*!559+uic'ly: 4ell, it proves he can(t #eep away from you, and that(ll ma#e it easier for you559then furiously: 'h, the dirty, double5crossing bastard= +he nerve of him= )oming to call on you, after ma#ing you wait for hours, thin#ing you don(t #now what he(s done to us this night, and it(ll be a fine cruel 8o#e to blarney you in the moonlight, and you trusting him li#e a poor sheep, and never suspecting55

,'$I&559stung: $hut up= I(ll teach him who(s the 8o#er= I(ll let him go on as if you hadn(t told me what he(s done55 H'-*!55"es, don(t let him suspect it, or you wouldn(t fool him. He(d #now you were after revenge. ;ut he can see me here now. I can(t snea# away or he(d be suspicious. 4e(ve got to thin# of a new scheme %uic# to get me away55 ,'$I&559+uic'ly: I #now how. .retend you(re as drun# as when you came. 0a#e him believe you(re so drun# you don(t remember what he(s done, so he can(t suspect you told me. H'-*!55I will. ;e -od, ,osie, damned if I don(t thin# he(s so %ueer drun# himself he don(t remember, or he(d never come here. ,'$I&55+he drun#er he is the better= 9lo#ering her "oice$$+uic'ly: He(s turned in the gate where he can hear us. .retend we(re fighting and I(m driving you off till you(re sober. $ay you won(t be bac# tonight. It(ll ma#e him sure he(ll have the night alone with me. "ou start the fight. H'-*!559beco!es at once "ery drun'. (e shouts: .ut me out of my own home, will you, you undutiful slut= ,'$I&55)elebration or not, I(ll have no drun#s cursing and singing all night. -o bac# to the Inn. H'-*!55I will= I(ll get a room and two bottles and stay drun# as long as I please= ,'$I&552on(t come bac# till you(ve slept it off, or I(ll wipe the floor with you= 9Tyrone enters, left$front. (e does not appear to be drun'$$that is, he sho#s none of the usual sy!pto!s. (e see!s !uch the sa!e as in Act 2ne. The only perceptible change is that his eyes ha"e a peculiar fi)ed, gla&ed loo', and there is a certain "ague +uality in his !anner and speech, as if he #ere a bit ha&y and absent$!inded.: +"R'!&559dryly: ,ust in time for the ;ig ;out. 'r is this the final round< H'-*!559#hirls on hi! unsteadily: 4ho the hell559peering at hi!: 'h, it(s you, is it< +"R'!&554hat was the big idea, .hil, leaving me flat< H'-*!55/eave you flat< ;e ,aysus, that reminds me I owe you a swipe on the 8aw for something. 4hat was it< ;e -od, I(m too drun# to remember. ;ut here it is, anyway. 9(e turns loose a round$house s#ing that !isses Tyrone by a couple of feet, and reels a#ay. Tyrone regards hi! #ith "ague surprise.: ,'$I&55$top it, you damned old fool, and get out of here= H'-*!55+a#ing his side against your poor old father, are you< * hell of a daughter= 9(e dra#s hi!self up #ith drun'en dignity.: 2on(t expect me home tonight, 0iss Hogan, or tomorrow either, maybe. "ou can ta#e your bad temper out on your

sweetheart here. 9(e starts off do#n the road, left$front, #ith a last #ord o"er his shoulder.: ;ad luc# to you both. 9(e disappears. A !o!ent later he begins to ba#l his !ournful Irish song.: ?'h, the praties they grow small, 'ver here, over here,? etc. 95uring a part of the follo#ing scene the song continues to be heard at inter"als, receding as he gets farther off on his #ay to the Inn.: ,'$I&554ell, than# -od. +hat(s good riddance. 9%he co!es to Tyrone, #ho stands staring after (ogan #ith a pu&&led loo'.: +"R'!&55I(ve never seen him that stin#o before. 0ust have got him all of a sudden. He didn(t seem so lit up at the Inn, but I guess I wasn(t paying much attention. ,'$I&559forcing a playful air: I should thin#, if you were a real gentleman, you(d be apologi>ing to me, not thin#ing of him. 2on(t you #now you(re two hours and a half late< I oughtn(t to spea# to you, if I had any pride. +"R'!&559stares at her curiously: "ou(ve got too damn much pride, ,osie. +hat(s the trouble. ,'$I&55*nd 8ust what do you mean by that, ,im< +"R'!&559shrugs his shoulders: !othing. 6orget it. I do apologi>e, ,osie. I(m damned sorry. Haven(t any excuse. )an(t thin# up a lie. 9staring at her curiously again: 'r, now I thin# of it, I had a damned good honorable excuse, but559(e shrugs.: !uts. 6orget it. ,'$I&55Holy ,oseph, you(re full of riddles tonight. 4ell, I don(t need excuses. I forgive you, anyway, now you(re here. 9%he ta'es his hand$$playfully: )ome on now and we(ll sit on my bedroom steps and be romantic in the moonlight, li#e we planned to. 9%he leads hi! there. (e goes along in an auto!atic #ay, as if only half$conscious of #hat he is doing. %he sits on the top step and pulls hi! do#n on the step beneath her. A pause. (e stares "aguely at nothing. %he bends to gi"e hi! an uneasy appraising glance.: +"R'!&559suddenly, begins to tal' !echanically: Had to get out of the damned Inn. I was going batty alone there. +he old heebie58eebies. $o I came to you. 9(e pauses$$ then adds #ith strange, #ondering sincerity: I(ve really begun to love you a lot, ,osie. ,'$I&559blurts out bitterly: "es, you(ve proved that tonight, haven(t you< 9hurriedly regaining her playful tone: ;ut never mind. I said I(d forgive you for being so late. $o go on about love. I(m all ears. +"R'!&559as if he hadn t listened: I thought you(d have given me up and gone to bed. I remember I had some nutty idea I(d get in bed with you558ust to lie with my head on your breast. ,'$I&559!o"ed in spite of herself$$but 'eeps her bold, playful tone: 4ell, maybe I(ll let you559hurriedly: /ater on, I mean. +he night(s young yet, and we(ll have it all to ourselves. 9boldly again: ;ut here(s for a starter. 9%he puts her ar!s around hi! and dra#s hi! bac' till his head is on her breast.: +here, now.

+"R'!&559rela)es$$si!ply and gratefully: +han#s, ,osie. 9(e closes his eyes. 6or a !o!ent, she forgets e"erything and stares do#n at his face #ith a passionate, possessi"e tenderness. A pause. 6ro! far$off on the road to the Inn, (ogan s !ournful song drifts bac' through the !oonlight +uiet: ?'h, the praties they grow small, 'ver here, over here.? Tyrone rouses hi!self and straightens up. (e acts e!barrassed, as if he felt he d been !a'ing a fool of hi!self$$!oc'ingly: Har#, Har#, the 2onegal lar#= ?+hou wast not born for death, immortal bird.? )an(t .hil sing anything but that damned dirge, ,osie< 9%he doesn t reply. (e goes on ha&ily.: $till, it seems to belong tonight55in the moonlight55or in my mind559(e +uotes: ?!ow more than ever seems it rich to die, +o cease upon the midnight with no pain, In such an ecstasy=? 9(e has recited this #ith deep feeling. 0o# he sneers: -ood -od= 'de to .hil the Irish !ightingale= I must have the 2.+.(s. ,'$I&559her face gro#n bitter: 0aybe it(s only your bad conscience. +"R'!&559starts guiltily and turns to stare into her face$$suspiciously: 4hat put that in your head< )onscience about what< ,'$I&559+uic'ly: How would I #now, if you don(t< 9forcing a playful tone: 6or the sin of wanting to be in bed with me. 0aybe that(s it. +"R'!&559#ith strange relief: 'h. 9a bit sha!efacedly: 6orget that stuff, ,osie. I was half nutty. ,'$I&559bitterly: 'ch, for the love of -od, don(t apologi>e as if you was ashamed of55 9%he catches herself.: +"R'!&559#ith a +uic' glance at her face: *ll right. I certainly won(t apologi>e55if you(re not #ic#ing. I was afraid I might have shoc#ed your modesty. ,'$I&559roughly: My modesty< ;e -od, I didn(t #now I had any left. +"R'!&559dra#s a#ay fro! her$$irritably: !ix, ,osie. /ay off that line, for tonight at least. 9(e adds slo#ly: I(d li#e tonight to be different. ,'$I&552ifferent from what< 9(e doesn t ans#er. %he forces a light tone.: *ll right. I(ll be as different as you please. +"R'!&559si!ply: +han#s, ,osie. ,ust be yourself. 9again as if he #ere asha!ed, or afraid he had re"ealed so!e #ea'ness$$off$handedly: +his being out in the moonlight instead of the lousy Inn isn(t a bad bet, at that. I don(t #now why I hang out in that dump, except I(m even more bored in the so5called good hotels in this hic# town. ,'$I&559trying to e)a!ine his face #ithout his 'no#ing: 4ell, you(ll be bac# on ;roadway soon now, won(t you<

+"R'!&55I hope so. ,'$I&55+hen you(ll have all the pretty little tarts to comfort you when you get your sorrowful spell on. +"R'!&55'h, to hell with the rough stuff, ,osie= "ou promised you(d can it tonight. ,'$I&559tensely: "ou(re a fine one to tal# of promises= +"R'!&559"aguely surprised by her tone: 4hat(s the matter< $till sore at me for being late< ,'$I&559+uic'ly: I(m not. I was teasing you. +o prove there(s no hard feelings, how would you li#e a drin#< ;ut I needn(t as#. 9%he gets up.: I(ll get a bottle of his best. +"R'!&559!echanically: 6ine. 0aybe that will have some #ic#. +he boo>e at the Inn didn(t wor# tonight. ,'$I&554ell, this(ll wor#. 9%he starts to go into her bedroo!. (e sits hunched up on the step, staring at nothing. %he pauses in the door#ay to glance bac'. The hard, calculating e)pression on her face softens. 6or a second she stares at hi!, be#ildered by her conflicting feelings. Then she goes inside, lea"ing the door open. %he opens the door fro! her roo! to the lighted li"ing roo!, and is seen going to the 'itchen on the #ay to the cellar. %he has left the door fro! the li"ing roo! to her bedroo! open and the light re"eals a section of the bedroo! fra!ed in the door#ay behind Tyrone. The foot of the bed #hich occupies !ost of the roo! can be seen, and that is all e)cept that the #alls are unpainted pine boards. Tyrone continues to stare at nothing, but beco!es restless. (is hands and !outh t#itch.: +"R'!&559suddenly, #ith intense hatred: "ou rotten bastard= 9(e springs to his feet$$fu!bles in his poc'ets for cigarettes$$stri'es a !atch #hich lights up his face, on #hich there is no# an e)pression of !iserable guilt. (is hand is tre!bling so "iolently he cannot light the cigarette.:

9,urtain:

ACT THREE
$)&!&55The li"ing$roo! #all has been replaced and all #e see no# of its lighted interior is through the t#o #indo#s. 2ther#ise, e"erything is the sa!e, and this Act follo#s the preceding #ithout any lapse of ti!e. Tyrone is still trying #ith sha'ing hands to get his cigarette lighted. 6inally he succeeds, and ta'es a deep inhale, and starts pacing bac' and forth a fe# steps, as if in a cell of his o#n thought. (e s#ears defensi"ely. -od damn it. "ou(ll be crying in your beer in a minute. 9(e begins to sing sneeringly half under his breath a snatch fro! an old sob song, popular in the 0ineties.: ?*nd baby(s cries can(t wa#en her In the baggage coach ahead.? 9(is sneer changes to a loo' of stric'en guilt and grief.: )hrist= 9(e see!s about to brea' do#n and sob but he fights this bac'.: )ut it out, you drun#en fool= 9Josie can be seen through the #indo#s, returning fro! the 'itchen. (e turns #ith a loo' of relief and escape.: +han# -od= 9(e sits on the boulder and #aits. Josie stops by the table in the li"ing roo! to turn do#n the la!p until only a di! light re!ains. %he has a +uart of #his'ey under her ar!, t#o tu!blers, and a pitcher of #ater. %he goes through her bedroo! and appears in the outer door#ay. Tyrone gets up.: *h= *t last the old boo>e= 9(e relie"es her of the pitcher and tu!blers as she co!es do#n the steps.: ,'$I&559#ith a fi)ed s!ile: "ou(d thin# I(d been gone years. "ou didn(t seem so perishing for a drin#. +"R'!&559in his usual, easy, 'idding #ay: It(s you I was perishing for. I(ve been dying of loneliness55 ,'$I&55"ou(ll die of lying some day. ;ut I(m glad you(re alive again. I thought when I left you really were dying on me. +"R'!&55!o such luc#. ,'$I&55'ch, don(t tal# li#e that. )ome have a drin#. 4e(ll use the boulder for a table and I(ll be bar#eep. 9(e puts the pitcher and tu!blers on the boulder and she uncor's the bottle. %he ta'es a +uic' glance at his face$$startledly: 4hat(s come over you, ,im< "ou loo# as if you(ve seen a ghost. +"R'!&559loo's a#ay$$dryly: I have. 0y own. He(s pun# company. ,'$I&55"es, it(s the worst ghost of all, your own. 2on(t I #now< ;ut this will #eep it in its place. 9%he pours a tu!bler half full of #his'ey and hands it to hi!.: Here. ;ut wait till I 8oin you. 9%he pours the other tu!bler half full.: +"R'!&559surprised: Hello= I thought you never touched it.

,'$I&559glibly: I have on occasion. *nd this is one. I don(t want to be left out altogether from celebrating our victory over Harder. 9%he gi"es hi! a sharp bitter glance. Meeting his eyes, #hich are regarding her #ith pu&&led #onder, she forces a laugh.: 2on(t loo# at me as if I was up to some game. * drin# or two will ma#e me better company, and help me en8oy the moon and the night with you. Here(s luc#. 9%he touches his glass #ith hers.: +"R'!&559shrugs his shoulders: *ll right. Here(s luc#. 9They drin'. %he gags and sputters. (e pours #ater in her glass. %he drin's it. (e puts his glass and the pitcher bac' on the boulder. (e 'eeps staring at her #ith a pu&&led fro#n.: ,'$I&55$ome of it went down the wrong way. +"R'!&55$o I see. +hat(ll teach you to pour out baths instead of drin#s. ,'$I&55It(s the first time I ever heard you complain a drin# was too big. +"R'!&55"ours was too big. ,'$I&55I(m my father(s daughter. I(ve a strong head. $o don(t worry I(ll pass out and you(ll have to put me to bed. 9%he gi"es a little bold laugh.: $ure, that(s a beautiful notion. I(ll have to pretend I(m55 +"R'!&559irritably: !ix on the raw stuff, ,osie. Remember you said55 ,'$I&559resent!ent in her 'idding: I(d be different< +hat(s right. I(m forgetting it(s your pleasure to have me pretend I(m an innocent virgin tonight. +"R'!&559in a strange tone that is al!ost threatening: If you don(t loo# out, I(ll call you on that bluff, ,osie. 9(e stares at her #ith a deliberate sensualist s loo' that undresses her.: I(d li#e to. "ou #now that, don(t you< ,'$I&559boldly: I don(t at all. "ou(re the one who(s bluffing. +"R'!&559grabs her in his ar!s$$#ith genuine passion: ,osie= 9Then as suddenly he lets her go.: !ix. /et(s cut it out. 9(e turns a#ay. (er face betrays the confused conflict #ithin her of fright, passion, happiness, and bitter resent!ent. (e goes on #ith an abrupt change of tone.: How about another drin#< +hat(s honest5to5-od old bonded ;ourbon. How the devil did .hil get hold of it< ,'$I&55+om /ombardo, the bootlegger, gave him a case for letting him hide a truc#load in our barn when the agents were after him. He stole it from a warehouse on fa#ed permits. 9%he pours out drin's as she spea's, a half tu!blerful for hi!, a s!all one for herself.: Here you are. 9%he gi"es hi! his drin'$$s!iles at hi! co+uettishly, beginning to sho# the effect of her big drin' by her increasingly bold !anner.: /et(s sit down where the moon will be in our eyes and we(ll see romance. 9%he ta'es his ar! and leads hi! to her bedroo! steps. %he sits on the top step, pulling hi! do#n beside her but on the one belo#. %he raises her glass.: Here(s hoping before the night(s out you(ll have more courage and #iss me at least.

+"R'!&559fro#ns$$then 'iddingly: +hat(s a promise. Here(s how. 9(e drains his tu!bler. %he drin's half of hers. (e puts his glass on the ground beside hi!. A pause. %he tries to read his face #ithout his noticing. (e see!s to be lapsing again into "ague preoccupation.: ,'$I&55!ow don(t sin# bac# half5dead5and5alive in dreams the way you were before. +"R'!&559+uic'ly: I(m not. I had a good final dose of heebie58eebies when you were in the house. +hat(s all for tonight. 9(e adds a bit !audlinly, his t#o big drin's beginning to affect hi!: /et the dead past bury its dead. ,'$I&55+hat(s the tal#. +here(s only tonight, and the moon, and us55and the bonded ;ourbon. Have another drin#, and don(t wait for me. +"R'!&55!ot now, than#s. +hey(re coming too fast. 9(e gi"es her a curious, cynically a!used loo'.: +rying to get me soused, ,osie< ,'$I&559starts$$+uic'ly: I(m not. 'nly to get you feeling happy, so you(ll forget all sadness. +"R'!&559'iddingly: I might forget all my honorable intentions, too. $o loo# out. ,'$I&55I(ll loo# forward to it55and I hope that(s another promise, li#e the #iss you owe me. If you(re suspicious I(m trying to get you soused55well, here goes. 9%he drin's #hat is left in her glass.: +here, now. I must be scheming to get myself soused, too. +"R'!&550aybe you are. ,'$I&559resentfully: If I was, it(d be to ma#e you feel at home. 2on(t all the pretty little ;roadway tarts get soused with you< +"R'!&559irritably: +here you go again with that old line= ,'$I&55*ll right, I won(t= 9forcing a laugh: I must be eaten up with 8ealousy for them, that(s it. +"R'!&55"ou needn(t be. +hey don(t belong. ,'$I&55*nd I do< +"R'!&55"es. "ou do. ,'$I&556or tonight only, you mean< +"R'!&554e(ve agreed there is only tonight55and it(s to be different from any past night55for both of us. ,'$I&559in a forced, 'idding tone: I hope it will be. I(ll try to control my envy for your ;roadway flames. I suppose it(s because I have a picture of them in my mind as small and dainty and pretty55

+"R'!&55+hey(re 8ust gold5digging tramps. ,'$I&559as if he hadn t spo'en: 4hile I(m only a big, rough, ugly cow of a woman. +"R'!&55$hut up= "ou(re beautiful. ,'$I&559jeeringly, but her "oice tre!bles: -od pity the blind= +"R'!&55"ou(re beautiful to me. ,'$I&55It must be the ;ourbon55 +"R'!&55"ou(re real and healthy and clean and fine and warm and strong and #ind55 ,'$I&55I have a beautiful soul, you mean< +"R'!&554ell, I don(t #now much about ladies( souls559(e ta'es her hand.: ;ut I do #now you(re beautiful. 9(e 'isses her hand.: *nd I love you a lot55in my fashion. ,'$I&559sta!!ers: ,im559hastily forcing her playful tone: $ure, you(re full of fine compliments all of a sudden, and I ought to show you how pleased I am. 9%he pulls his head bac' and 'isses hi! on the lips$$a +uic', shy 'iss.: +hat(s for my beautiful soul. +"R'!&559The 'iss arouses his physical desire. (e pulls her head do#n and stares into her eyes.: "ou have a beautiful strong body, too, ,osie55and beautiful eyes and hair, and a beautiful smile and beautiful warm breasts. 9(e 'isses her on the lips. %he pulls bac' frightenedly for a second$$then returns his 'iss. %uddenly he brea's a#ay$$ in a tone of guilty irritation: !ix= !ix= 2on(t be a fool, ,osie. 2on(t let me pull that stuff. ,'$I&559triu!phant for a second: "ou meant it= I #now you meant it= 9then #ith resentful bitterness$$roughly: ;e -od, you(re right I(m a damned fool to let you ma#e me forget you(re the greatest liar in the world= 9+uic'ly: I mean, the greatest #idder. *nd now, how about another drin#< +"R'!&559staring at nothing$$"aguely: "ou don(t get me, ,osie. "ou don(t #now55 and I hope you never will #now55 ,'$I&559blurts out bitterly: 0aybe I #now more than you thin#. +"R'!&559as if she hadn t spo'en: +here(s always the aftermath that poisons you. I don(t want you to be poisoned55 ,'$I&550aybe you #now what you(re tal#ing about55 +"R'!&55*nd I don(t want to be poisoned myself55not again55not with you. 9(e pauses$$slo#ly: +here have been too many nights55and dawns. +his must be different. I want559(is "oice trails off into silence.:

,'$I&559trying to read his face$$uneasily: 2on(t get in one of your %ueer spells, now. 9%he gi"es his shoulder a sha'e$$forcing a light tone: $ure, I don(t thin# you #now what you want. &xcept another drin#. I(m sure you want that. *nd I want one, too. +"R'!&559reco"ering hi!self: 6ine= -rand idea. 9(e gets up and brings the bottle fro! the boulder. (e pic's up his tu!bler and pours a big drin'. %he is holding out her tu!bler but he ignores it.: ,'$I&55"ou(re not polite, pouring your own first. +"R'!&55I said a drin# was a grand idea55for me. !ot for you. "ou s#ip this one. ,'$I&559resentfully: 'h, I do, do I< *re you giving me orders< +"R'!&55"es. +a#e a big drin# of moonlight instead. ,'$I&559angrily: "ou(ll pour me a drin#, if you please, ,im +yrone, or55 +"R'!&559stares at her$$then shrugs his shoulders: *ll right, if you want to ta#e it that way, ,osie. It(s your funeral. 9(e pours a drin' into her tu!bler.: ,'$I&559asha!ed but defiant$$stiffly: +han# you #indly. 9%he raises her glass$$ !oc'ingly: Here(s to tonight. 9Tyrone is staring at her, a strange bitter disgust in his eyes. %uddenly he slaps at her hand, 'noc'ing the glass to the ground.: +"R'!&559his "oice hard #ith repulsion: I(ve slept with drun#en tramps on too many nights= ,'$I&559stares at hi!, too startled and be#ildered to be angry. (er "oice tre!bles #ith surprising !ee'ness.: *ll right, ,im, if you don(t want me to55 +"R'!&559no# loo's as be#ildered by his action as she does: I(m sorry, ,osie. 2on(t #now what the drin# got into me. 9(e pic's up her glass.: Here. I(ll pour you another. ,'$I&559still !ee': !o, than# you. I(ll s#ip this one. 9%he puts the glass on the ground.: ;ut you drin# up. +"R'!&55+han#s. 9(e gulps do#n his drin'. Mechanically, as if he didn t 'no# #hat he #as doing, he pours another. %uddenly he blurts out #ith guilty loathing: +hat fat blonde pig on the train55I got her drun#= +hat(s why559(e stops guiltily.: ,'$I&559uneasily: 4hat are you tal#ing about< 4hat train< +"R'!&55!o train. 2on(t mind me. 9(e gulps do#n the drin' and pours another #ith the sa!e strange air of acting unconsciously.: 0aybe I(ll tell you55later, when I(m55+hat(ll cure you55for all time= 9Abruptly he reali&es #hat he is saying. (e gi"es the characteristic shrug of shoulders$$cynically: !uts= +he ;roo#lyn boys are tal#ing again. I guess I(m more stewed than I thought55in the center of the old bean, at least. 9dully: I better beat it bac# to the Inn and go to bed and stop bothering you, ,osie.

,'$I&559bullyingly$$and pityingly: 4ell, you won(t, not if I have to hold you. )ome on now, bring your drin# and sit down li#e you were before. 9(e does so. %he pats his chee'$$forcing a playful air: +hat(s a good boy. *nd I won(t ta#e any more whis#ey. I(ve all the effect from it I want already. &verything is far away and doesn(t matter55 except the moon and its dreams, and I(m part of the dreams55and you are, too. 9%he adds #ith a rueful little laugh: I #eep forgetting the thing I(ve got to remember. I #eep hoping it(s a lie, even though I #now I(m a damned fool. +"R'!&559ha&ily: 2amned fool about what< ,'$I&55!ever mind. 9forcing a laugh: I(ve 8ust had a thought. If my poor old father had seen you #noc#ing his pri>e whis#ey on the ground55Holy ,oseph, he(d have had three paralytic stro#es= +"R'!&559grins: "es, I can picture him. 9(e pauses$$#ith a!used affection: ;ut that(s all a fa#e. He loves to play tightwad, but the people he li#es #now better. He(d give them his shirt. He(s a grand old scout, ,osie. 9a bit !audlin: +he only real friend I(ve got left55except you. I love his guts. ,'$I&559tensely$$sic'ened by his hypocrisy: 'ch, for the love of -od55= +"R'!&559shrugs his shoulders: "es, I suppose that does sound li#e moaning5at5 the5bar stuff. ;ut I mean it. ,'$I&552o you< 4ell, I #now my father(s virtues without you telling me. +"R'!&55"ou ought to appreciate him because he worships the ground you wal# on55and he #nows you a lot better than you thin#. 9(e turns to s!ile at her teasingly.: *s well as I do55almost. ,'$I&559defensi"ely: +hat(s not saying much. 0aybe I can guess what you thin# you #now559forcing a conte!ptuous laugh: If it(s that, -od pity you, you(re a terrible fool. +"R'!&559teasingly: If it(s what< I haven(t said anything. ,'$I&55"ou(d better not, or I(ll die laughing at you. 9%he changes the subject abruptly.: 4hy don(t you drin# up< It ma#es me nervous watching you hold it as if you didn(t #now it was there. +"R'!&55I didn(t, at that. 9(e drin's.: ,'$I&55*nd have another. +"R'!&559a bit drun'enly: 4ill a whore go to a picnic< Real bonded ;ourbon. +hat(s my dish. 9(e goes to the boulder for the bottle. (e is as steady on his feet as if he #ere co!pletely sober.: ,'$I&559in a light tone: ;ring the bottle bac# so it(ll be handy and you won(t have to leave me. I miss you.

+"R'!&559co!es bac' #ith the bottle. (e s!iles at her cynically.: $till trying to get me soused, ,osie< ,'$I&55I(m not such a fool55with your capacity. +"R'!&55"ou better watch your step. It might wor#55and then thin# of how disgusted you(d feel, with me lying beside you, probably snoring, as you watched the dawn come. "ou don(t #now55 ,'$I&559defiantly: +he hell I don(t= Isn(t that the way I(ve felt with every one of them, after< +"R'!&559as if he hadn t heard$$bitterly: ;ut ta#e it from me, I #now. I(ve seen too -od5damned many dawns creeping grayly over too many dirty windows. ,'$I&559ignores this$$boldly: ;ut it might be different with you. /ove could ma#e it different. *nd I(ve been head over heels in love ever since you said you loved my beautiful soul. 9Again he doesn t see! to ha"e heard$$resentfully: 2on(t stand there li#e a loon, mourning over the past. 4hy don(t you pour yourself a drin# and sit down< +"R'!&559loo's at the bottle and tu!bler in his hands, as if he d forgotten the!$$ !echanically: $ure thing. Real bonded ;ourbon. I ought to #now. If I had a dollar for every drin# of it I had before .rohibition, I(d hire our dear bully, Harder, for a valet. 9Josie stiffens and her face hardens. Tyrone pours a drin' and sets the bottle on the ground. (e loo's up suddenly into her eyes$$#arningly: "ou(d better remember I said you had beautiful eyes and hair55and breasts. ,'$I&55I remember you did. 9%he tries to be calculatingly enticing.: $o sit down and I(ll let you lay your head55 +"R'!&55!o. If you won(t watch your step, I(ve got to. 9(e sits do#n but doesn t lean bac'.: *nd don(t let me get away with pretending I(m so soused I don(t #now what I(m doing. I always #now. 'r part of me does. +hat(s the trouble. 9(e pauses$$ then bursts out in a strange threatening tone: "ou better loo# out, ,osie. $he was tic#led to death to get me pie5eyed. Had an idea she could roll me, I guess. $he wasn(t so tic#led about it55later on. ,'$I&554hat she< 9(e doesn t reply. %he forces a light tone.: I hope you don(t thin# I(m scheming to roll you. +"R'!&559"aguely: 4hat< 9co!ing to$$indignantly: 'f course not. 4hat are you tal#ing about< 6or -od(s sa#e, you(re not a tart. ,'$I&559roughly: !o, I(m a fool. I(m always giving it away. +"R'!&559angrily: +hat lousy bluff again, eh< "ou(re a liar= 6or )hrist sa#e, %uit the smut stuff, can(t you= ,'$I&559stung: /isten to me, ,im= 2run# or not, don(t you tal# that way to me or55

+"R'!&55How about your not tal#ing the old smut stuff to me< "ou promised you(d be yourself. 9pauses$$"aguely: "ou don(t get it, ,osie. "ou see, she was one of the smuttiest tal#ing pigs I(ve ever listened to. ,'$I&554hat she< 2o you mean the blonde on the train< +"R'!&559starts$$sharply: +rain< 4ho told you55< 9+uic'ly: 'h55that(s right55I did say559"aguely: 4hat blonde< 4hat(s the difference< )oming bac# from the )oast. It was long ago. ;ut it seems li#e tonight. +here is no present or future55only the past happening over and over again55now. "ou can(t get away from it. 9abruptly: !uts= +o hell with that crap. ,'$I&55"ou came bac# from the )oast about a year ago after559%he chec's herself.: +"R'!&559dully: "es. *fter 0ama(s death. 9+uic'ly: ;ut I(ve been to the )oast a lot of times during my career as a third5rate ham. I don(t remember which time55or anything much55except I was pie5eyed in a drawing room the whole four days. 9abruptly: 4hat were we tal#ing about before< 4hat a grand guy .hil is. "ou ought to be glad you(ve got him for a father. 0ine was an old bastard. ,'$I&55He wasn(t= He was one of the finest, #indest gentlemen ever lived. +"R'!&559sneeringly: 'utside the family, sure. Inside, he was a lousy tightwad bastard. ,'$I&559repelled: "ou ought to be ashamed= +"R'!&55+o spea# ill of the dead< !uts= He can(t hear, and he #nows I hated him, anyway55as much as he hated me. I(m glad he(s dead. $o is he. 'r he ought to be. &veryone ought to be, if they have any sense. 'ut of a bum rac#et. *t peace. 9(e shrugs his shoulders.: !uts= 4hat of it< ,'$I&559tensely: 2on(t ,im. I hate you when you tal# li#e that. 9forcing a light tone: 2o you want to spoil our beautiful moonlight night< *nd don(t be telling me of your old flames, on trains or not. I(m too 8ealous. +"R'!&559#ith a shudder of disgust: 'f that pig< 9(e drin's his #his'ey as if to #ash a bad taste fro! his !outh$$then ta'es one of her hands in both of his$$si!ply: "ou(re a fool to be 8ealous of anyone. "ou(re the only woman I care a damn about. ,'$I&559deeply stirred, in spite of herself$$her "oice tre!bling: ,im, don(t559forcing a tense little laugh: *ll right, I(ll try and believe that55for tonight. +"R'!&559si!ply: +han#s, ,osie. 9A pause. (e spea's in a tone of rando! curiosity.: 4hy did you say a while ago I(d be leaving for !ew "or# soon< ,'$I&559stiffens$$her face hardening: 4ell, I was right, wasn(t I< 9;nconsciously she tries to pull her hand a#ay.: +"R'!&554hy are you pulling your hand away<

,'$I&559stops: 4as I< 9forcing a s!ile: I suppose because it seems cra>y for you to hold my big ugly paw so tenderly. ;ut you(re welcome to it, if you li#e. +"R'!&55I do li#e. It(s strong and #ind and warm55li#e you. 9(e 'isses it.: ,'$I&559tensely: 'ch, for the love of -od55= 9%he jer's her hand a#ay$$then hastily forces a jo'ing tone.: 4asting #isses on my hand= $ure, even the moon is laughing at us. +"R'!&55!uts for the moon= I(d rather have one light on ;roadway than all the moons since Rameses was a pup. 9(e ta'es cigarettes fro! his poc'et and lights one.: ,'$I&559her eyes searching his face, lighted up by the !atch: "ou(ll be ta#ing a train bac# to your dear old ;roadway tomorrow night, won(t you< +"R'!&559still holding the burning !atch, stares at her in surprise: +omorrow night< 4here did you get that< ,'$I&55* little bird told me. +"R'!&559blo#s out the !atch in a cloud of s!o'e: "ou(d better give that bird the bird. ;y the end of the wee#, is the right dope. .hil got his dates mixed. ,'$I&559+uic'ly: He didn(t tell me. He was too drun# to remember anything. +"R'!&55He was sober when I told him. I called up the executors when we reached the Inn after leaving here. +hey said the estate would be out of probate within a few days. I told .hil the glad tidings and bought drin#s for all and sundry. +here was %uite a celebration. 6unny, .hil wouldn(t remember that. ,'$I&559be#ildered$$not 'no#ing #hat to belie"e: It is55funny. +"R'!&559shrugs his shoulders: 4ell, he(s stewed to the ears. +hat always explains anything. 9then strangely: 'nly sometimes it doesn(t. ,'$I&55!o55sometimes it doesn(t. +"R'!&559goes on #ithout real interest, tal'ing to 'eep fro! thin'ing: .hil certainly has a pri>e bun on tonight. He never too# a punch at me before. *nd that drivel he tal#ed about owing me one554hat got into his head, I wonder. ,'$I&559tensely: How would I #now, if you don(t< +"R'!&554ell, I don(t. !ot unless55I remember I did try to get his goat. $impson sat down with us. Harder sent him to see me. "ou remember after Harder left here I said the 8o#e was on you, that you(d made this place a gold mine. I was #idding, but I had the right dope. 4hat do you thin# he told $impson to offer< +en grand= 'n the level, ,osie. ,'$I&559tense: $o you accepted<

+"R'!&55I told $impson to tell Harder I did. I decided the best way to fix him was to let him thin# he(d got away with it, and then when he comes tomorrow morning to drive me to the executor(s office, I(ll tell him what he can do with himself, his ban#roll, and tin oil tan#s. ,'$I&559'no#s he is telling the truth$$so relie"ed she can only sta!!er stupidly: $o that(s55the truth of it. +"R'!&559s!iles: 'f course, I did it to #id .hil, too. He was right there, listening. ;ut I #now I didn(t fool him. ,'$I&559#ea'ly: 0aybe you did fool him, for once. ;ut I don(t #now. +"R'!&55*nd that(s why he too# a swing at me< 9(e laughs, but there is a forced note to it.: 4ell, if so, it(s one hell of a 8o#e on him. 9(is tone beco!es hurt and bitter.: *ll the same, I(ll be good and sore, ,osie. I promised this place wouldn(t be sold except to him. 4hat the hell does he thin# I am< He ought to #now I wouldn(t double5cross you and him for ten million= ,'$I&559gi"ing a#ay at last to her relief and joy: 2on(t I #now= 'h, ,im, darling= 9%he hugs hi! passionately and 'isses hi! on the lips.: I #new you(d never55I told him559%he 'isses hi! again.: 'h, ,im, I love you. +"R'!&559again #ith a strange, si!ple gratitude: +han#s, ,osie. I mean, for not believing I(m a rotten louse. &veryone else believes it55including myself55for a damned good reason. 9abruptly changing the subject: I(m a fool to let this stuff about .hil get under my s#in, but554hy, I remember telling him tonight I(d even written my brother and got his o#ay on selling the farm to him. *nd .hil than#ed me. He seemed touched and grateful. "ou wouldn(t thin# he(d forget that. ,'$I&559her face hard and bitter: I wouldn(t, indeed. +here(s a lot of things he(ll have to explain when he comes at sun559hastily: 4hen he comes bac#. 9%he pauses$$then bursts out: +he damned old schemer, I(ll teach him to559again chec'ing herself: to act li#e a fool. +"R'!&559s!iles: "ou(ll get out the old club, eh< 4hat a bluff you are, ,osie. 9teasingly: "ou and your lovers, 0essalina55when you(ve never55 ,'$I&559#ith a faint spar' of her old defiance: "ou(re a liar. +"R'!&55?.ride is the sin by which the angels fell.? *re you going to #eep that up55 with me< ,'$I&559feebly: "ou thin# I(ve never because no one would55because I(m a great ugly cow55 +"R'!&559gently: !uts= "ou could have had any one of them. "ou #idded them till you were sure they wanted you. +hat was all you wanted. *nd then you slapped them groggy when they tried for more. ;ut you had to #eep convincing yourself55

,'$I&559tor!entedly: 2on(t, ,im. +"R'!&55"ou can ta#e the truth, ,osie55from me. ;ecause you and I belong to the same club. 4e can #id the world but we can(t fool ourselves, li#e most people, no matter what we do55nor escape ourselves no matter where we run away. 4hether it(s the bottom of a bottle, or a $outh $ea Island, we(d find our own ghosts there waiting to greet us55?sleepless with pale commemorative eyes,? as Rossetti wrote. 9(e sneers to hi!self: +he old poetic bull, eh< )rap= 9re"erting to a teasing tone: "ou don(t as# how I saw through your bluff, ,osie. "ou pretend too much. *nd so do the guys. I(ve listened to them at the Inn. +hey all lie to each other. !o one wants to admit all he got was a slap in the puss, when he thin#s a lot of other guys made it. "ou can(t blame them. *nd they #now you don(t give a damn how they lie. $o55 ,'$I&556or the love of -od, ,im= 2on(t= +"R'!&55.hil is wise to you, of course, but although he #new I #new, he would never admit it until tonight. ,'$I&559startled$$"indicti"ely: $o he admitted it, did he< 4ait till I get hold of him= +"R'!&55He(ll never admit it to you. He(s afraid of hurting you. ,'$I&55He is, is he< 4ell559al!ost hysterically: 6or the love of -od, can(t you shut up about him= +"R'!&559glances up at her, surprised$$then shrugs his shoulders: 'h, all right. I wanted to clear things up, that(s all55for .hil(s sa#e as well as yours. "ou have a hell of a license to be sore. He(s the one who ought to be. 2on(t you reali>e what a lousy position you(ve put him in with your bra>en5trollop act< ,'$I&559tensely: !o. He doesn(t care, except to use me in his scheming. He55 +"R'!&552on(t be a damned fool. 'f course he cares. *nd so do I. 9(e turns and pulls her head do#n and 'isses her on the lips.: I care, ,osie. I love you. ,'$I&559#ith pitiful longing: 2o you, ,im< 2o you< 9%he forces a tre!bling s!ile$$ faintly: +hen I(ll confess the truth to you. I(ve been a cra>y fool. I am a virgin. 9%he begins to sob #ith a strange forlorn sha!e and hu!iliation.: *nd now you(ll never55 and I want you to55now more than ever55because I love you more than ever, after what(s happened559%uddenly she 'isses hi! #ith fierce passion.: ;ut you will= I(ll ma#e you= +o hell with your honorable scruples= I #now you want me= I couldn(t believe that until tonight55but now I #now. It(s in your #isses= 9%he 'isses hi! again$$ #ith passionate tenderness: 'h, you great fool= *s if I gave a damn what happened after= I(ll have had tonight and your love to remember for the rest of my days= 9%he 'isses hi! again.: 'h, ,im darling, haven(t you said yourself there(s only tonight< 9%he #hispers tenderly: )ome. )ome with me. 9%he gets to her feet, pulling at his ar!$$#ith a little self$!oc'ing laugh: ;ut I(ll have to ma#e you leave before sunrise. I mustn(t forget that.

+"R'!&559A strange change has co!e o"er his face. (e loo's her o"er no# #ith a sneering cynical lust. (e spea's thic'ly as if he #as suddenly "ery drun'.: $ure thing, 1iddo. 4hat the hell else do you suppose I came for< I(ve been #idding myself. 9(e steps up beside her and puts his ar! around her and presses his body to hers.: "ou(re the goods, 1id. I(ve wanted you all along. /ove, nuts= I(ll show you what love is. I #now what you want, ;right &yes. 9%he is staring at hi! no# #ith a loo' of frightened horror. (e 'isses her roughly.: )ome on, ;aby 2oll, let(s hit the hay. 9(e pushes her bac' in the door#ay.: ,'$I&559stric'enly: ,im= 2on(t= 9%he pulls his ar!s a#ay so "iolently that he staggers bac' and #ould fall do#n the steps if she didn t grab his ar! in ti!e. As it is he goes do#n on one 'nee. %he is on the "erge of collapse herself$$bro'enly: ,im= I(m not a whore. +"R'!&559re!ains on one 'nee$$confusedly, as if he didn t 'no# #hat had happened: 4hat the hell< 4as I trying to rape you, ,osie< 6orget it. I(m drun#55not responsible. 9(e gets to his feet, staggering a bit, and steps do#n to the ground.: ,'$I&559co"ering her face #ith her hands: 'h, ,im= 9%he sobs.: +"R'!&559#ith "ague pity: 2on(t cry. !o harm done. "ou stopped me, didn(t you< 9%he continues to sob. (e !utters "aguely, as if tal'ing to hi!self: 0ust have drawn a blan# for a while. !uts= )ut out the fa#ing. I #new what I was doing. 9slo#ly, staring before hi!: ;ut it(s funny. I #as seeing things. +hat(s the truth, ,osie. 6or a moment I thought you were that blonde pig559hastily: +he old heebie58eebies. Hair of the dog. 9(e gropes around for the bottle and his glass.: I(ll have another shot55 ,'$I&559ta'es her hands fro! her face$$fiercely: .our the whole bottle down your throat, if you li#e= 'nly stop tal#ing= 9%he co"ers her face #ith her hands and sobs again.: +"R'!&559stares at her #ith a hurt and sad e)pression$$dully: )an(t forgive me, eh< "ou ought to. "ou ought to than# me for letting you see559(e pauses, as if #aiting for her to say so!ething but she re!ains silent. (e shrugs his shoulders, pours out a big drin' !echanically.: 4ell, here(s how. 9(e drin's and puts the bottle and glass on the ground$$dully: +hat was a nightcap. 'ur moonlight romance seems to be a flop, ,osie. I guess I(d better go. ,'$I&559dully: "es. "ou(d better go. -ood night. +"R'!&55!ot good night. -ood5bye. ,'$I&559lifts her head: -ood5bye< +"R'!&55"es. I won(t see you again before I leave for !ew "or#. I was a damned fool to come tonight. I hoped55;ut you don(t get it. How could you< $o what(s the good559(e shrugs his shoulders hopelessly and turns to#ard the road.: ,'$I&55,im=

+"R'!&559turning bac'$$bitter accusation in his tone no#: 4hore< 4ho said you were a whore< ;ut I warned you, didn(t I, if you #ept on554hy did you have to act li#e one, as#ing me to come to bed< +hat wasn(t what I came here for. *nd you promised tonight would be different. 4hy the hell did you promise that, if all you wanted was what all the others want, if that(s all love means to you< 9then guiltily: 'h, )hrist, I don(t mean that, ,osie. I #now how you feel, and if I could give you happiness55;ut it wouldn(t wor#. "ou don(t #now me. I(d poison it for myself and for you. I(ve poisoned it already, haven(t I, but it would be a million times worse after55 !o matter how I tried not to, I(d ma#e it li#e all the other nights55for you, too. "ou(d lie awa#e and watch the dawn come with disgust, with nausea retching your memory, and the wine of passion poets blab about, a sour aftertaste in your mouth of 2ago red in#= 9(e gi"es a sneering laugh.: ,'$I&559distractedly: 'h, ,im, don(t= .lease don(t= +"R'!&55"ou(d hate me and yourself55not for a day or two but for the rest of your life. 9#ith a per"erse, jeering note of "indicti"e boastfulness in his tone: ;elieve me, 1id, when I poison them, they stay poisoned= ,'$I&559#ith dull bitterness: -ood5bye, ,im. +"R'!&559!iserably hurt and sad for a second$$appealingly: ,osie559gi"es the characteristic shrug of his shoulders$$si!ply: -ood5bye. 9(e turns to#ard the road$$ bitterly: I(ll find it hard to forgive, too. I came here as#ing for love558ust for this one night, because I thought you loved me. 9dully: !uts. +o hell with it. 9(e starts a#ay.: ,'$I&559#atches hi! for a second, fighting the lo"e that, in spite of her, responds to his appeal$$then she springs up and runs to hi!$$#ith fierce, possessi"e, !aternal tenderness: )ome here to me, you great fool, and stop your silly blather. +here(s nothing to hate you for. +here(s nothing to forgive. $ure, I was only trying to give you happiness, because I love you. I(m sorry I was so stupid and didn(t see55;ut I see now, and you(ll find I have all the love you need. 9%he gi"es hi! a hug and 'isses hi!. There is passion in her 'iss but it is a tender, protecti"e !aternal passion, #hich he responds to #ith an instant grateful yielding.: +"R'!&559si!ply: +han#s, ,osie. "ou(re beautiful. I love you. I #new you(d understand. ,'$I&55'f course I do. )ome, now. 9%he leads hi! bac', her ar! around his #aist.: +"R'!&55I didn(t want to leave you. "ou #now that. ,'$I&55Indeed I #now it. )ome now. 4e(ll sit down. 9%he sits on the top step and pulls hi! do#n on the step belo# her.: +hat(s it55with my arm around you. !ow lay your head on my breast55the way you said you wanted to do559(e lets his head fall bac' on her breast. %he hugs hi!$$gently: +here, now. 6orget all about my being a fool and forgive559(er "oice tre!bles$$but she goes on deter!inedly.: 6orgive my selfishness, thin#ing only of myself. $ure, if there(s one thing I owe you tonight, after all my lying and scheming, it(s to give you the love you need, and it(ll be my pride and my 8oy559forcing a tre!bling echo of her playful tone: It(s easy enough, too, for I have

all #inds of love for you55and maybe this is the greatest of all55because it costs so much. 9%he pauses, loo'ing do#n at his face. (e has closed his eyes and his haggard, dissipated face loo's li'e a pale !as' in the !oonlight$$at peace as a death !as' is at peace. %he beco!es frightened.: ,im= 2on(t loo# li#e that= +"R'!&559opens his eyes$$"aguely: /i#e what< ,'$I&559+uic'ly: It(s the moonlight. It ma#es you loo# so pale, and with your eyes closed55 +"R'!&559si!ply: "ou mean I loo#ed dead< ,'$I&55!o= *s if you(d fallen asleep. +"R'!&559spea's in a tired, e!pty tone, as if he felt he ought to e)plain so!ething to her--so!ething #hich no longer interests hi!: /isten, and I(ll tell you a little story, ,osie. *ll my life I had 8ust one dream. 6rom the time I was a #id, I loved race5horses. I thought they were the most beautiful things in the world. I li#ed to gamble, too. $o the big dream was that some day I(d have enough dough to play a cagey system of betting on favorites, and follow the horses south in the winter, and come bac# north with them in the spring, and be at the trac# every day. It seemed that would be the ideal life55for me. 9(e pauses.: ,'$I&554ell, you(ll be able to do it. +"R'!&55!o. I won(t be able to do it, ,osie. +hat(s the 8o#e. I gave it a try5out before I came up here. I borrowed some money on my share of the estate, and started going to trac#s. ;ut it didn(t wor#. I played my system, but I found I didn(t care if I won or lost. +he horses were beautiful, but I found myself saying to myself, what of it< +heir beauty didn(t mean anything. I found that every day I was glad when the last race was over, and I could go bac# to the hotel55and the bottle in my room. 9(e pauses, staring into the !oonlight #ith "acant eyes.: ,'$I&559uneasily: 4hy did you tell me this< +"R'!&559in the sa!e listless !onotone: "ou said I loo#ed dead. 4ell, I am. ,'$I&55"ou(re not= 9%he hugs hi! protecti"ely.: 2on(t tal# li#e that= +"R'!&55&ver since 0ama died. ,'$I&559deeply !o"ed$$pityingly: I #now. I(ve felt all along it was that sorrow was ma#ing you559%he pauses$$gently: 0aybe if you tal#ed about your grief for her, it would help you. I thin# it must be all cho#ed up inside you, #illing you. +"R'!&559in a strange #arning tone: "ou(d better loo# out, ,osie. ,'$I&554hy<

+"R'!&559+uic'ly, forcing his cynical s!ile: I might develop a crying 8ag, and sob on your beautiful breast. ,'$I&559gently: "ou can sob all you li#e. +"R'!&552on(t encourage me. "ou(d be sorry. 9A deep conflict sho#s in his e)pression and tone. (e is dri"en to go on in spite of hi!self.: ;ut if you(re such a glutton for punishment55*fter all, I said I(d tell you later, didn(t I< ,'$I&559pu&&led: "ou said you(d tell me about the blonde on the train. +"R'!&55$he(s part of it. I lied about that. 9(e pauses$$then blurts out sneeringly: "ou won(t believe it could have happened. 'r if you did believe, you couldn(t understand or forgive559+uic'ly: ;ut you might. "ou(re the one person who might. ;ecause you really love me. *nd because you(re the only woman I(ve ever met who understands the lousy rotten things a man can do when he(s cra>y drun#, and draws a blan#55especially when he(s nutty with grief to start with. ,'$I&559hugging hi! tenderly: 'f course I(ll understand, ,im, darling. +"R'!&559stares into the !oonlight$$hauntedly: ;ut I didn(t draw a blan#. I tried to. I dran# enough to #noc# out ten men. ;ut it didn(t wor#. I #new what I was doing. 9(e pauses$$dully: !o, I can(t tell you, ,osie. "ou(d loathe my guts, and I couldn(t blame you. ,'$I&55!o= I(ll love you no matter what55 +"R'!&559#ith strange triu!phant harshness: *ll right= Remember that(s a promise= 9(e pauses$$starts to spea'$$pauses again.: ,'$I&559pityingly: 0aybe you(d better not55if it will ma#e you suffer. +"R'!&55+rying to welch now, eh< It(s too late. "ou(ve got me started. $uffer< )hrist, I ought to suffer= 9(e pauses. Then he closes his eyes. It is as if he had to hide fro! sight before he can begin. (e !a'es his face e)pressionless. (is "oice beco!es i!personal and objecti"e, as though #hat he told concerned so!e !an he had 'no#n, but had nothing to do #ith hi!. This is the only #ay he can start telling the story.: 4hen 0ama died, I(d been on the wagon for nearly two years. !ot even a glass of beer. Honestly. *nd I #now I would have stayed on. 6or her sa#e. $he had no one but me. +he 'ld 0an was dead. 0y brother had married55had a #id55had his own life to live. $he(d lost him. $he had only me to attend to things for her and ta#e care of her. $he(d always hated my drin#ing. $o I %uit. It made me happy to do it. 6or her. ;ecause she was all I had, all I cared about. ;ecause I loved her. 9(e pauses.: !o one would believe that now, who #new55;ut I did. ,'$I&559gently: I #now how much you loved her. +"R'!&554e went out to the )oast to see about selling a piece of property the 'ld 0an had bought there years ago. *nd one day she suddenly became ill. -ot rapidly worse. 4ent into a coma. ;rain tumor. +he docs said, no hope. 0ight never come out

of coma. I went cra>y. )ouldn(t face losing her. +he old boo>e yen got me. I got drun# and stayed drun#. *nd I began hoping she(d never come out of the coma, and see I was drin#ing again. +hat was my excuse, too55that she(d never #now. *nd she never did. 9(e pauses$$then sneeringly: !ix= 1idding myself again. I #now damned well 8ust before she died she recogni>ed me. $he saw I was drun#. +hen she closed her eyes so she couldn(t see, and was glad to die= 9(e opens his eyes and stares into the !oonlight as if he sa# this deathbed scene before hi!.: ,'$I&559soothingly: $sshh. "ou only imagine that because you feel guilty about drin#ing. +"R'!&559as if he hadn t heard, closes his eyes again: *fter that, I #ept so drun# I did draw a blan# most of the time, but I went through the necessary motions and no one guessed how drun#559(e pauses.: ;ut there are things I can never forget55the underta#ers, and her body in a coffin with her face made up. I couldn(t hardly recogni>e her. $he loo#ed young and pretty li#e someone I remembered meeting long ago. .ractically a stranger. +o whom I was a stranger. )old and indifferent. !ot worried about me any more. 6ree at last. 6ree from worry. 6rom pain. 6rom me. I stood loo#ing down at her, and something happened to me. I found I couldn(t feel anything. I #new I ought to be heartbro#en but I couldn(t feel anything. I seemed dead, too. I #new I ought to cry. &ven a crying 8ag would loo# better than 8ust standing there. ;ut I couldn(t cry. I cursed to myself, ?"ou dirty bastard, it(s 0ama. "ou loved her, and now she(s dead. $he(s gone away from you forever. !ever, never again55? ;ut it had no effect. *ll I did was try to explain to myself, ?$he(s dead. 4hat does she care now if I cry or not, or what I do< It doesn(t matter a damn to her. $he(s happy to be where I can(t hurt her ever again. $he(s rid of me at last. 6or -od(s sa#e, can(t you leave her alone even now< 6or -od(s sa#e, can(t you let her rest in peace<? 9(e pauses$$then sneeringly: ;ut there were several people around and I #new they expected me to show something. 'nce a ham, always a ham= $o I put on an act. I flopped on my #nees and hid my face in my hands and fa#ed some sobs and cried, ?0ama= 0ama= 0y dear mother=? ;ut all the time I #ept saying to myself, ?"ou lousy ham= "ou -od5damned lousy ham= )hrist, in a minute you(ll start singing (0other 0acree(=? 9(e opens his eyes and gi"es a tortured, sneering laugh, staring into the !oonlight.: ,'$I&559horrified, but still deeply pitying: ,im= 2on(t= It(s past. "ou(ve punished yourself. *nd you were drun#. "ou didn(t mean55 +"R'!&559again closes his eyes: I had to bring her body &ast to be buried beside the 'ld 0an. I too# a drawing room and hid in it with a case of boo>e. $he was in her coffin in the baggage car. !o matter how drun# I got, I couldn(t forget that for a minute. I found I couldn(t stay alone in the drawing room. It became haunted. I was going cra>y. I had to go out and wander up and down the train loo#ing for company. I made such a public nuisance of myself that the conductor threatened if I didn(t %uit, he(d #eep me loc#ed in the drawing room. ;ut I(d spotted one passenger who was used to drun#s and could pretend to li#e them, if there was enough dough in it. $he had parlor house written all over her55a blonde pig who loo#ed more li#e a whore than twenty5five whores, with a face li#e an overgrown doll(s and a come5on smile as cold as a polar bear(s feet. I bribed the porter to ta#e a message to her and that night she snea#ed into my drawing room. $he was bound for !ew "or#, too. $o every night55

for fifty buc#s a night559(e opens his eyes and no# he stares torturedly through the !oonlight into the dra#ing roo!.: ,'$I&559her face full of re"ulsion$$sta!!ers: 'h, how could you= 9Instincti"ely she dra#s a#ay, ta'ing her ar!s fro! around hi!.: +"R'!&55How could I< I don(t #now. ;ut I did. I suppose I had some mad idea she could ma#e me forget55what was in the baggage car ahead. ,'$I&552on(t. 9%he dra#s bac' again so he has to raise his head fro! her breast. (e doesn t see! to notice this.: +"R'!&55!o, it couldn(t have been that. ;ecause I didn(t seem to want to forget. It was li#e some plot I had to carry out. +he blonde55she didn(t matter. $he was only something that belonged in the plot. It was as if I wanted revenge55because I(d been left alone55because I #new I was lost, without any hope left55that all I could do would be drin# myself to death, because no one was left who could help me. 9(is face hardens and a loo' of cruel "indicti"eness co!es into it$$#ith a strange horrible satisfaction in his tone: !o, I didn(t forget even in that pig(s arms= I remembered the last two lines of a lousy tear58er#er song I(d heard when I was a #id #ept singing over and over in my brain. ?*nd baby(s cries can(t wa#en her In the baggage coach ahead.? ,'$I&559distractedly: ,im= +"R'!&55I couldn(t stop it singing. I didn(t want to stop it= ,'$I&55,im= 6or the love of -od. I don(t want to hear= +"R'!&559after a pause$$dully: 4ell, that(s all55except I was too drun# to go to her funeral. ,'$I&55'h= 9%he has dra#n a#ay fro! hi! as far as she can #ithout getting up. (e beco!es a#are of this for the first ti!e and turns slo#ly to stare at her.: +"R'!&559dully: 2on(t want to touch me now, eh< 9(e shrugs his shoulders !echanically.: $orry. I(m a damned fool. I shouldn(t have told you. ,'$I&559her horror ebbing as her lo"e and protecti"e co!passion returns$$!o"es nearer hi!$$haltingly: 2on(t, ,im. 2on(t say55I don(t want to touch you. It(s55a lie. 9%he puts a hand on his shoulder.: +"R'!&559as if she hadn t spo'en$$#ith hopeless longing: 4ish I could believe in the spiritualists( bun#. If I could tell her it was because I missed her so much and couldn(t forgive her for leaving me55 ,'$I&55,im= 6or the love of -od55=

+"R'!&559unheeding: $he(d understand and forgive me, don(t you thin#< $he always did. $he was simple and #ind and pure of heart. $he was beautiful. "ou(re li#e her deep in your heart. +hat(s why I told you. I thought559Abruptly his e)pression beco!es sneering and cynical$$harshly: 0y mista#e. !uts= 6orget it. +ime I got a move on. I don(t li#e your damned moon, ,osie. It(s an ad for the past. 9(e recites !oc'ingly: ?It is the very error of the moon@ $he comes more nearer earth than she was wont, *nd ma#es men mad.? 9(e !o"es.: I(ll grab the last trolley for town. +here(ll be a spea# open, and some drun# laughing. I need a laugh. 9(e starts to get up.: ,'$I&559thro#s her ar!s around hi! and pulls hi! bac'$$tensely: !o= "ou won(t go= I won(t let you= 9%he hugs hi! close$$gently: I understand now, ,im, darling, and I(m proud you came to me as the one in the world you #now loves you enough to understand and forgive55and I do forgive= +"R'!&559lets his head fall bac' on her breast$$si!ply: +han#s, ,osie. I #new you55 ,'$I&55*s she forgives, do you hear me= *s she loves and understands and forgives= +"R'!&559si!ply: "es, I #now she559(is "oice brea's.: ,'$I&559bends o"er hi! #ith a brooding !aternal tenderness: +hat(s right. 2o what you came for, my darling. It isn(t drun#en laughter in a spea#easy you want to hear at all, but the sound of yourself crying your heart(s repentance against her breast. 9(is face is con"ulsed. (e hides it on her breast and sobs rac'ingly. %he hugs hi! !ore tightly and spea's softly, staring into the !oonlight.: %he hears. I feel her in the moonlight, her soul wrapped in it li#e a silver mantle, and I #now she understands and forgives me, too, and her blessing lies on me. 9A pause. (is sobs begin to stop e)haustedly. %he loo's do#n at hi! again and spea's soothingly as she #ould to a child.: +here. +here, now. 9(e stops. %he goes on in a gentle, bullying tone.: "ou(re a fine one, wanting to leave me when the night I promised I(d give you has 8ust begun, our night that(ll be different from all the others, with a dawn that won(t creep over dirty windowpanes but will wa#e in the s#y li#e a promise of -od(s peace in the soul(s dar# sadness. 9%he s!iles a little a!used s!ile.: 4ill you listen to me, ,im= I must be a poet. 4ho would have guessed it< $ure, love is a wonderful mad inspiration= 9A pause. %he loo's do#n. (is eyes are closed. (is face against her breast loo's pale and haggard in the !oonlight. ,al! #ith the drained, e)hausted peace of death. 6or a second she is frightened. Then she reali&es and #hispers softly: *sleep. 9in a tender crooning tone li'e a lullaby: +hat(s right. $leep in peace, my darling. 9then #ith sudden anguished longing: 'h, ,im, ,im, maybe my love could still save you, if you could want it enough= 9%he sha'es her head.: !o. +hat can never be. 9(er eyes lea"e his face to stare up at the s'y. %he loo's #eary and stric'en and sad. %he forces a defensi"e, self$derisi"e s!ile.: -od forgive me, it(s a fine end to all my scheming, to sit here with the dead hugged to my breast, and the silly mug of the moon grinning down, en8oying the 8o#e=

ACT FO R
$)&!&55%a!e as Act Three. It is da#n. The first faint strea's of color, heralding the sunrise, appear in the eastern s'y at left. Josie sits in the sa!e position on the steps, as if she had not !o"ed, her ar!s around Tyrone. (e is still asleep, his head on her breast. (is face has the sa!e e)hausted, death$li'e repose. Josie s face is set in an e)pression of nu!bed, resigned sadness. (er body sags tiredly. In spite of her strength, holding herself li'e this for hours, for fear of #a'ing hi!, is beco!ing too !uch for her.The t#o !a'e a strangely tragic picture in the #an da#n light$$this big sorro#ful #o!an hugging a haggard$faced, !iddle$aged drun'ard against her breast, as if he #ere a sic' child.(ogan appears at left$rear, co!ing fro! the barn. (e approaches the corner of the house stealthily on tiptoe. 4isps of hay stic' to his clothes and his face is s#ollen and sleepy, but his little pig s eyes are sharply #ide a#a'e and sober. (e pee' around the corner, and ta'es in the t#o on the steps. (is eyes fi) on Josie s face in a long, probing stare. ,'$I&559spea's in a lo# gri! tone: $top hiding, 6ather. I heard you snea# up. 9(e co!es guiltily around the corner. %he 'eeps her "oice lo#, but her tone is co!!anding.: )ome here, and be %uiet about it. 9(e obeys !ee'ly, co!ing as far as the boulder silently, his eyes searching her face, his e)pression beco!ing guilty and !iserable at #hat he sees. %he goes on in the sa!e tone, #ithout loo'ing at hi!.: +al# low, now. I don(t want him wa#ened559%he adds strangely: !ot until the dawn has beauty in it. H'-*!559#orriedly: 4hat< 9(e decides it s better for the present to as' no +uestions. (is eyes fall on Tyrone s face. In spite of hi!self, he is startled$$in an a#ed, al!ost frightened #hisper: ;e -od, he loo#s dead= ,'$I&559strangely: 4hy wouldn(t he< He is. H'-*!55Is< ,'$I&552on(t be a fool. )an(t you see him breathing< 2ead asleep, I mean. 2on(t stand there gaw#ing. $it down. 9(e sits !ee'ly on the boulder. (is face betrays a guilty dread of #hat is co!ing. There is a pause in #hich she doesn t loo' at hi!, but he 'eeps glancing at her, gro#ing "isibly !ore uneasy. %he spea's bitterly.: 4here(s your witnesses< H'-*!559guiltily: 4itnesses< 9then forcing an a!used grin: 'h, be -od, if that ain(t a 8o#e on me= $ure, I got so blind drun# at the Inn I forgot all about our scheme and came home and went to sleep in the hayloft. ,'$I&559her e)pression harder and !ore bitter: "ou(re a liar.

H'-*!55I(m not. I 8ust wo#e up. /oo# at the hay stic#ing to me. +hat(s proof. ,'$I&55I(m not thin#ing of that, and well you #now it. 9#ith bitter "oice: $o you 8ust wo#e up55did you<55and then came snea#ing here to see if the scheme behind your scheme had wor#ed= H'-*!559guiltily: I don(t #now what you mean. ,'$I&552on(t lie any more, 6ather. +his time, you(ve told one too many. 9(e starts to defend hi!self but the loo' on her face !a'es hi! thin' better of it and he re!ains uneasily silent. A pause.: H'-*!559finally has to blurt out: $ure, if I(d brought the witnesses, there(s nothing for them to witness that55 ,'$I&55!o. "ou(re right, there. +here(s nothing. !othing at all. 9%he s!iles strangely.: &xcept a great miracle they(d never believe, or you either. H'-*!554hat miracle< ,'$I&55* virgin who bears a dead child in the night, and the dawn finds her still a virgin. If that isn(t a miracle, what is< H'-*!559uneasily: $top tal#ing so %ueer. "ou give me the shivers. 9(e atte!pts a jo'ing tone.: Is it you who(s the virgin< 6aith, that #ould be a miracle, no less= 9(e forces a chuc'le.: ,'$I&55I told you to stop lying, 6ather. H'-*!554hat lie< 9(e stops and #atches her face #orriedly. %he is silent, as if she #ere not a#are of hi! no#. (er eyes are fi)ed on the #anton s'y.: ,'$I&559as if to herself: It(ll be beautiful soon, and I can wa#e him. H'-*!559can t retain his an)iety any longer: ,osie, darlin(= 6or the love of -od, can(t you tell me what happened to you< ,'$I&559her face hard and bitter again: I(ve told you once. !othing. H'-*!55!othing< If you could see the sadness in your face55 ,'$I&554hat woman doesn(t sorrow for the man she loved who has died< ;ut there(s pride in my heart, too. H'-*!559tor!entedly: 4ill you stop tal#ing as if you(d gone mad in the night= 9raising his "oice$$#ith re"engeful anger: /isten to me= If ,im +yrone has done anything to bring you sorrow559Tyrone stirs in his sleep and !oans, pressing his face against her breast as if for protection. %he loo's do#n at hi! and hugs hi! close.:

,'$I&559croons softly: +here, there, my darling. Rest in peace a while longer. 9turns on her father angrily and #hispers: 2idn(t I tell you to spea# low and not wa#e him= 9%he pauses$$then +uietly: He did nothing to bring me sorrow. It was my mista#e. I thought there was still hope. I didn(t #now he(d died already55that it was a damned soul coming to me in the moonlight, to confess and be forgiven and find peace for a night55 H'-*!55,osie= 4ill you stop= ,'$I&559after a pause$$dully: He(d never do anything to hurt me. "ou #now it. 9self$ !oc'ingly: $ure, hasn(t he told me I(m beautiful to him and he loves me55in his fashion. 9then !atter$of$factly: *ll that happened was that he got drun# and he had one of his cra>y notions he wanted to sleep the way he is, and I let him sleep. 9#ith forced roughness: *nd, be -od, the night(s over. I(m half dead with tiredness and sleepiness. It(s that you see in my face, not sorrow. H'-*!552on(t try to fool me, ,osie. I55 ,'$I&559her face hard and bitter$$gri!ly: 6ool you, is it< It(s you who made a fool of me with your lies, thin#ing you(d use me to get your dirty greasy paws on the money he(ll have= H'-*!55!o= I swear by all the saints55 ,'$I&55"ou(d swear on a ;ible while you were stealing it= 9gri!ly: /isten to me, 6ather. I didn(t call you here to answer %uestions about what(s none of your business. I called you here to tell you I(ve seen through all the lies you told last night to get me to559as he starts to spea': $hut up= I(ll do the tal#ing now. "ou weren(t drun#. "ou were only putting it on as part of your scheme55 H'-*!559+uietly: I wasn(t drun#, no. I admit that, ,osie. ;ut I(d had slews of drin#s and they were in my head or I(d never have the cra>y dreams55 ,'$I&559#ith biting scorn: 2reams, is it< +he only dream you(ve ever had, or will have, is of yourself counting a fistful of dirty money, and divil a care how you got it, or who you robbed or made suffer= H'-*!559#inces$$pleadingly: ,osie= ,'$I&55$hut up. 9scathingly: I(m sure you(ve made up a whole new set of lies and excuses. "ou(re that cunning and clever, but you can save your breath. +hey wouldn(t fool me now. I(ve been fooled once too often. 9(e gi"es her a frightened loo', as if so!ething he had dreaded has happened. %he goes on, gri!ly accusing.: "ou lied about ,im selling the farm. "ou #new he was #idding. "ou #new the estate would be out of probate in a few days, and he(d go bac# to ;roadway, and you had to do something %uic# or you(d lose the last chance of getting your greedy hoo#s on his money. H'-*!559!iserably: !o. It wasn(t that, ,osie.

,'$I&55"ou saw how hurt and angry I was because he(d #ept me waiting here, and you used that. "ou #new I loved him and wanted him and you used that. "ou used all you #new about me55'h, you did it clever= "ou ought to be proud= "ou wor#ed it so it was me who did all the dirty scheming55"ou #new I(d find out from ,im you(d lied about the farm, but not before your lie had done its wor#55made me go after him, get him drun#, get drun# myself so I could be shameless55and when the truth did come out, wouldn(t it ma#e me love him all the more and be more shameless and willing< 2on(t tell me you didn(t count on that, and you such a clever schemer= *nd if he once had me, #nowing I was a virgin, didn(t you count on his honor and remorse, and his loving me in his fashion, to ma#e him offer to marry me< $ure, why wouldn(t he, you thought. It wouldn(t hold him. He(d go bac# to ;roadway 8ust the same and never see me again. ;ut there(d be money in it, and when he(d finished #illing himself, I(d be his legal widow and get what(s left. H'-*!559!iserably: !o= It wasn(t that. ,'$I&55;ut what(s the good of tal#ing< It(s all over. I(ve only one more word for you, 6ather, and it(s this@ I(m leaving you today, li#e my brothers left. "ou can live alone and wor# alone your cunning schemes on yourself. H'-*!559after a pause$$slo#ly: I #new you(d be bitter against me, ,osie, but I too# the chance you(d be so happy you wouldn(t care how55 ,'$I&559as if she hadn t heard, loo'ing at the eastern s'y #hich is no# glo#ing #ith color: +han# -od, it(s beautiful. It(s time. 9to (ogan: -o in the house and stay there till he(s gone. I don(t want you around to start some new scheme. 9(e loo's !iserable, starts to spea', thin's better of it, and !ee'ly tiptoes past her up the steps and goes in, closing the door +uietly after hi!. %he loo's do#n at Tyrone. (er face softens #ith a !aternal tenderness$$sadly: I hate to bring you bac# to life, ,im, darling. If you could have died in your sleep, that(s what you would have li#ed, isn(t it< 9%he gi"es hi! a gentle sha'e.: 4a#e up, ,im. 9(e !oans in his sleep and presses !ore closely against her. %he stares at his face.: 2ear -od, let him remember that one thing and forget the rest. +hat will be enough for me. 9%he gi"es hi! a !ore "igorous sha'e.: ,im= 4a#e up, do you hear< It(s time. +"R'!&559half #a'ens #ithout opening his eyes$$!utters: 4hat the hell< 9di!ly conscious of a #o!an s body$$cynically: *gain, eh< $ame old stuff. 4ho the hell are you, sweetheart< 9irritably: 4hat(s the big idea, wa#ing me up< 4hat time is it< ,'$I&55It(s dawn. +"R'!&559still #ithout opening his eyes: 2awn< 9(e +uotes dro#sily:

?;ut I was desolate and sic# of an old passion, 4hen I awo#e and found the dawn was gray.?

9then #ith a sneer: +hey(re all gray. -o to sleep, 1id55and let me sleep. 9(e falls asleep again.: ,'$I&559tensely: +his one isn(t gray, ,im. It(s different from all the others559%he sees he is asleep$$bitterly: He(ll have forgotten. He(ll never notice. *nd I(m the whore on the train to him now, not559%uddenly she pushes hi! a#ay fro! her and sha'es hi! roughly.: 4ill you wa#e up, for -od(s sa#e= I(ve had all I can bear55 +"R'!&559still half asleep: Hey= )ut out the rough stuff, 1id. 4hat< 9a#a'e no#, blin'ing his eyes$$#ith da&ed surprise: ,osie. ,'$I&559still bitter: +hat(s who, and none of your damned tarts= 9%he pushes hi!.: -et up now, so you won(t fall asleep again. 9(e does so #ith difficulty, still in a sleepy da&e, his body stiff and cra!ped. %he con+uers her bitter resent!ent and puts on her old free$and$easy 'idding tone #ith hi!, but all the ti!e #aiting to see ho# !uch he #ill re!e!ber.: "ou(re stiff and cramped, and no wonder. I(m worse from holding you, if that(s any comfort. 9%he stretches and rubs her nu!bed ar!s, groaning co!ically.: Holy ,oseph, I(m a wrec# entirely. I(ll never be the same. 9gi"ing hi! a +uic' glance: "ou loo# as if you(d drawn a blan# and were wondering how you got here. I(ll bet you don(t remember a thing. +"R'!&559!o"ing his ar!s and legs gingerly$$sleepily: I don(t #now. 4ait till I(m sure I(m still alive. ,'$I&55"ou need an eye5opener. 9%he pic's up the bottle and glass and pours hi! a drin'.: Here you are. +"R'!&559ta'es the glass !echanically: +han#s, ,osie. 9(e goes and sits on the boulder, holding the drin' as if he had no interest in it.: ,'$I&559#atching hi!: 2rin# up or you(ll be asleep again. +"R'!&55!o, I(m awa#e now, ,osie. 6unny. 2on(t seem to want a drin#. 'h, I(ve got a head all right. ;ut no heebie58eebies55yet. ,'$I&55+hat(s fine. It must be a pleasant change55 +"R'!&55It is. I(ve got a nice, dreamy peaceful hangover for once55as if I(d had a sound sleep without nightmares. ,'$I&55$o you did. 2ivil a nightmare. I ought to #now. 4asn(t I holding you and #eeping them away< +"R'!&55"ou mean you559suddenly: 4ait a minute. I remember now I was sitting alone at a table in the Inn, and I suddenly had a cra>y notion I(d come up here and sleep with my head on your55$o that(s why I wo#e up in your arms. 9sha!efacedly: *nd you let me get away with it. "ou(re a nut, ,osie. ,'$I&55'h, I didn(t mind.

+"R'!&55"ou must have seen how blotto I was, didn(t you< ,'$I&55I did. "ou were as full as a tic#. +"R'!&55+hen why didn(t you give me the bum(s rush< ,'$I&554hy would I< I was glad to humor you. +"R'!&556or -od(s sa#e, how long was I cramped on you li#e that< ,'$I&55'h, a few hours, only. +"R'!&55-od, I(m sorry ,osie, but it(s your own fault for letting me55 ,'$I&55'ch, don(t be apologi>ing. I was glad of the excuse to stay awa#e and en8oy the beauty of the moon. +"R'!&55"es, I can remember what a beautiful night it was. ,'$I&55)an you< I(m glad of that, ,im. "ou seemed to en8oy it the while we were sitting here together before you fell asleep. +"R'!&55How long a while was that< ,'$I&55!ot long. /ess than an hour, anyway. +"R'!&55I suppose I bored the hell out of you with a lot of drun#en drivel. ,'$I&55!ot a lot, no. ;ut some. "ou were full of blarney, saying how beautiful I was to you. +"R'!&559earnestly: +hat wasn(t drivel, ,osie. "ou were. "ou are. "ou always will be. ,'$I&55"ou(re a wonder, ,im. !othing can stop you, can it< &ven me in the light of dawn, loo#ing li#e something you(d put in the field to scare the crows from the corn. "ou(ll #id at the 2ay of ,udgment. +"R'!&559i!patiently: "ou #now damned well it isn(t #idding. "ou(re not a fool. "ou can tell. ,'$I&$$9'iddingly: *ll right, then, I(m beautiful and you love me55in your fashion. +"R'!&55?In my fashion,? eh< 4as I reciting poetry to you< +hat must have been hard to ta#e. ,'$I&55It wasn(t. I li#ed it. It was all about beautiful nights and the romance of the moon.

+"R'!&554ell, there was some excuse for that, anyway. It sure was a beautiful night. I(ll never forget it. ,'$I&55I(m glad, ,im. +"R'!&554hat other bun# did I pull on you55or I mean, did old ,ohn ;arleycorn pull< ,'$I&55!ot much. "ou were mostly %uiet and sad55in a #ind of da>e, as if the moon was in your wits as well as whis#ey. +"R'!&55I remember I was having a grand time at the Inn, celebrating with .hil, and then suddenly, for no reason, all the fun went out of it, and I was more melancholy than ten Hamlets. 9(e pauses.: Hope I didn(t tell you the sad story of my life and weep on your bosom, ,osie. ,'$I&55"ou didn(t. +he one thing you tal#ed a lot about was that you wanted the night with me to be different from all the other nights you(d spent with women. +"R'!&559#ith re"ulsion: -od, don(t ma#e me thin# of those tramps now= 9then #ith deep, grateful feeling: It sure was different, ,osie. I may not remember much, but I #now how different it was from the way I feel now. !one of my usual morning5after stuff55the damned sic# remorse that ma#es you wish you(d died in your sleep so you wouldn(t have to face the rotten things you(re afraid you said and did the night before, when you were so drun# you didn(t #now what you were doing. ,'$I&55+here(s nothing you said or did last night for you to regret. "ou can ta#e my word for it. +"R'!&559as if he hadn t heard$$slo#ly: It(s hard to describe how I feel. It(s a new one on me. $ort of at peace with myself and this lousy life55as if all my sins had been forgiven559(e beco!es self$conscious$$cynically: !uts with that sin bun#, but you #now what I mean. ,'$I&559tensely: I do, and I(m happy you feel that way, ,im. 9A pause. %he goes on.: "ou tal#ed about how you(d watched too many dawns come creeping grayly over dirty windowpanes, with some tart snoring beside you55 +"R'!&559#inces: Have a heart. 2on(t remind me of that now, ,osie. 2on(t spoil this dawn= 9A pause. %he #atches hi! tensely. (e turns slo#ly to face the east, #here the s'y is no# glo#ing #ith all the colors of an e)ceptionally beautiful sunrise. (e stares, dra#ing a deep breath. (e is profoundly !o"ed but i!!ediately beco!es self$ conscious and tries to sneer it off$$cynically: -od seems to be putting on %uite a display. I li#e ;elasco better. Rise of curtain, *ct56our stuff. 9(er face has fallen into lines of bitter hurt, but he adds +uic'ly and angrily: -od damn it= 4hy do I have to pull that lousy stuff< 9#ith genuine deep feeling: -od, it(s beautiful, ,osie= I55I(ll never forget it55here with you. ,'$I&559her face clearing$$si!ply: I(m glad, ,im. I was hoping you(d feel beauty in it55by way of a to#en.

+"R'!&559#atching the sunrise$$!echanically: +o#en of what< ,'$I&55'h, I don(t #now. +o#en to me that55never mind. I forget what I meant. 9abruptly changing the subject: 2on(t thin# I wo#e you 8ust to admire the sunrise. "ou(re on a farm, not ;roadway, and it(s time for me to start wor#, not go to bed. 9%he gets to her feet and stretches. There is a gro#ing strain behind her free$and$easy !anner.: *nd that(s a hint, ,im. I can(t stay entertaining you. $o go bac# to the Inn, that(s a good boy. I #now you(ll understand the reason, and not thin# I(m tired of your company. 9%he forces a s!ile.: +"R'!&559gets up: 'f course, I understand. 9(e pauses$$then blurts out guiltily: 'ne more %uestion. "ou(re sure I didn(t get out of order last night55and try to ma#e you, or anything li#e that. ,'$I&55"ou didn(t. "ou #idded bac# when I #idded you, the way we always do. +hat(s all. +"R'!&55+han# -od for that. I(d never forgive myself if55I wouldn(t have as#ed you except I(ve pulled some pretty rotten stuff when I was drawing a blan#. 9(e beco!es conscious of the forgotten drin' he has in his hand.: 4ell, I might as well drin# this. +he bar at the Inn won(t be open for hours. 9(e drin's$$then loo's pleasantly surprised.: I(ll be damned= +hat isn(t .hil(s rotgut. +hat(s real, honest5to5-od bonded ;ourbon. 4here559This clic's in his !ind and suddenly he re!e!bers e"erything and Josie sees that he does. The loo' of guilt and sha!e and anguish settles o"er his face. Instincti"ely he thro#s the glass a#ay, his first reaction one of loathing for the drin' #hich brought bac' !e!ory. (e feels Josie staring at hi! and fights desperately to control his "oice and e)pression.: Real ;ourbon. I remember now you said a bootlegger gave it to .hil. 4ell, I(ll run along and let you do your wor#. $ee you later, ,osie. 9(e turns to#ard the road.: ,'$I&559stric'enly: !o= 2on(t, ,im= 2on(t go li#e that= "ou won(t see me later. "ou(ll never see me again now, and I #now that(s best for us both, but I can(t bear to have you ashamed you wanted my love to comfort your sorrow55when I(m so proud I could give it. 9pleadingly: I hoped, for your sa#e, you wouldn(t remember, but now you do, I want you to remember my love for you gave you peace for a while. +"R'!&559stares at her, fighting #ith hi!self. (e sta!!ers defensi"ely: I don(t #now what you(re tal#ing about. I don(t remember55 ,'$I&559sadly: *ll right, ,im. !either do I then. -ood5bye, and -od bless you. 9%he turns as if to go up the steps into the house.: +"R'!&559sta!!ers: 4ait, ,osie= 9co!ing to her: I(m a liar= I(m a louse= 6orgive me, ,osie. I do remember= I(m glad I remember= I(ll never forget your love= 9(e 'isses her on the lips.: !ever= 9'issing her again: !ever, do you hear= I(ll always love you, ,osie. 9(e 'isses her again.: -ood5bye55and -od bless you= 9(e turns a#ay and #al's +uic'ly do#n the road off left #ithout loo'ing bac'. %he stands, #atching hi! go, for a !o!ent, then she puts her hands o"er her face, her head bent, and sobs. (ogan co!es out of her roo! and stands on top of the steps. (e loo's after Tyrone and his face is hard #ith bitter anger.:

,'$I&559sensing his presence, stops crying and lifts her head$$dully: I(ll get your brea#fast in a minute, 6ather. H'-*!55+o hell with my brea#fast= I(m not a pig that has no other thought but eating= 9then pleadingly: /isten, darlin(. *ll you said about my lying and scheming, and what I hoped would happen, is true. ;ut it wasn(t his money, ,osie. I did see it was the last chance55the only one left to bring the two of you to stop your damned pretending, and face the truth that you loved each other. I wanted you to find happiness55by hoo# or croo#, one way or another, what did I care how< I wanted to save him, and I hoped he(d see that only your love could55It was his tal# of the beauty he saw in you that made me hope55*nd I #new he(d never go to bed with you even if you(d let him unless he married you. *nd if I gave a thought to his money at all, that was the least of it, and why shouldn(t I want to have you live in ease and comfort for a change, li#e you deserve, instead of in this shanty on a lousy farm, slaving for me< 9(e pauses$$!iserably: )an(t you believe that(s the truth, ,osie, and not feel so bitter against me< ,'$I&559her eyes still follo#ing Tyrone$$gently: I #now it(s the truth, 6ather. I(m not bitter now. 2on(t be afraid I(m going to leave you. I only said it to punish you for a while. H'-*!559#ith hu!ble gratitude: +han# -od for that, darlin(. ,'$I&559forces a teasing s!ile and a little of her old !anner: * ginger5haired, croo#ed old goat li#e you to be playing )upid= H'-*!559(is face lights up joyfully. (e is al!ost hi!self again$$ruefully: "ou had me punished, that(s sure. I was thin#ing after you(d gone I(d drown myself in Harder(s ice pond. +here was this consolation in it, I #new that the bastard would never loo# at a piece of ice again without remembering me. 9%he doesn t hear this. (er thoughts are on the receding figure of Tyrone again. (ogan loo's at her sad face #orriedly$$ gently: 2on(t, darlin(. 2on(t be hurting yourself. 9Then as she still doesn t hear, he puts on his old, fu!ing irascible tone.: *re you going to moon at the sunrise forever, and me with the sides of my stomach #noc#ing together< ,'$I&559gently: 2on(t worry about me, 6ather. It(s over now. I(m not hurt. I(m only sad for him. H'-*!556or him< 9(e bursts out in a fit of s!oldering rage.: 0ay the blac#est curse from the pit of hell55 ,'$I&559#ith an anguished cry: 2on(t, 6ather= I love him= H'-*!559subsides, but his face loo's sorro#ful and old$$dully: I didn(t mean it. I #now whatever happened he meant no harm to you. It was life I was cursing559#ith a trace of his natural !anner: *nd, be -od, that(s a waste of breath, if it does deserve it. 9then as she re!ains silent$$!iserably: 'r maybe I was cursing myself for a damned old scheming fool, li#e I ought to.

,'$I&559turns to hi!, forcing a teasing s!ile: /oo# out. I might say *men to that. 9gently: 2on(t be sad, 6ather. I(m all right55and I(m well content here with you. 9forcing her teasing !anner again: $ure, living with you has spoilt me for any other man, anyway. +here(d never be the same fun or excitement. H'-*!559plays up to this$$in his fu!ing !anner: +here(ll be excitement if I don(t get my brea#fast soon, but it won(t be fun, I(m warning you= ,'$I&559forcing her usual reaction to his threats: 'ch, don(t be threatening me, you bad5tempered old tic#. /et(s go in the house and I(ll get your damned brea#fast. H'-*!55!ow you(re tal#ing. 9(e goes in the house through her roo!. %he follo#s hi! as far as the door$$then turns for a last loo' do#n the road.: ,'$I&559her face sad, tender and pitying$$gently: 0ay you have your wish and die in your sleep soon, ,im, darling. 0ay you rest forever in forgiveness and peace. 9%he turns slo#ly and goes into the house.: