Всего за 5.99 руб. Купить полную версию
to-morrow?
[He looks at the clothes and turns towards the inner room, but stops at the sound of cheering outside.
[Neighbours come crowding in, PATRICK and DELIA with them.
[PETER takes his pipe from his mouth and his hat off and stands up. The clothes slip from MICHAELS arm.
[She drops his arm. BRIDGET goes over towards her.
[She puts her arms about him, he turns towards her as if about to yield.
[MICHAEL breaks away from DELIA, stands for a second at the door, then rushes out, following the OLD WOMANS voice. BRIDGET takes DELIA, who is crying silently, into her arms.
THE GOLDEN HELMET
PERSONS IN THE PLAY
Leagerie
Conal
Emer, Cuchulains wife
Leageries Wife
Conals Wife
Laeg, Cuchulains chariot-driver
Red Man
Horseboys and Scullions
Three Black Men
THE GOLDEN HELMET
A house made of logs. There are two windows at the back and a door which cuts off one of the corners of the room. Through the door one can see rocks, which make the ground outside the door higher than it is within, and the sea. Through the windows one can see nothing but the sea. There are three great chairs at the opposite side to the door, with a table before them. There are cups and a flagon of ale on the table.At the Abbey Theatre the house is orange red, and the chairs, tables and flagons black, with a slight purple tinge which is not clearly distinguishable from the black. The rocks are black, with a few green touches. The sea is green and luminous, and all the characters, except the RED MAN and the Black Men are dressed in various tints of green, one or two with touches of purple which looks nearly black. The Black Men are in dark purple and the RED MAN is altogether dressed in red. He is very tall and his height is increased by horns on the Golden Helmet. The Helmet has in reality more dark green than gold about it. The Black Men have cats heads painted on their black cloth caps. The effect is intentionally violent and startling.
a sail, not a wave, and if the sea were not purring a little like a cat, not a sound. There is no danger yet. I can see a long way for the moonlight is on the sea.
[A horn sounds.
[A YOUNG MAN covered by a long cloak is standing upon the rocks outside door.
[He struggles with CONAL and shoves past into the house.
[The YOUNG MAN seizes LEAGERIES arm, and thrusting it up, passes him, and puts his shield over the chair where there is an empty place.
is no fit house to welcome you, for it is a disgraced house.
[A MAN dressed in red, with a great sword and red ragged hair, and having a Golden Helmet on his head, is standing on the threshold.
back into the sea, old red head! If you will take off heads, take off the head of the sea turtle of Muirthemne, or of the pig of Connaught that has a moon in his belly, or of that old juggler Manannan, son of the sea, or of the red man of the Boyne, or of the King of the Cats, for they are of your own sort, and it may be they understand your ways. Go, I say, for when a mans head is off it does not grow again. What are you standing there for? Go down, I say. If I cannot harm you with the sword I will put you down into the sea with my hands. Do you laugh at me, old red head? Go down before I lay my hands upon you.
[He goes out.
[The Scullions and the Horseboys point at LAEG and cry, He began it. They keep up an all but continual murmur through what follows.
man with a red beard came where we were sitting, and as he passed me he cried out that they were taking a golden helmet or some such thing from you and denying you the championship of Ireland. I stood up on that and I cried out that you were the best of the men of Ireland. But the others cried for Leagerie or Conal, and because I have a big voice they got down the horns to drown my voice, and as neither I nor they would keep silent we have come here to settle it. I demand that the Helmet be taken from Conal and be given to you.