William Yeats - The Collected Works in Verse and Prose of William Butler Yeats. Volume 4 of 8. The Hour-glass. Cathleen ni Houlihan. The Golden Helmet. The Irish Dramatic Movement

[She puts them on his arm.

What wedding are you talking of? What clothes will I be wearing to-morrow?

These are the clothes you are going to wear when you marry Delia Cahel to-morrow.

I had forgotten that.

[He looks at the clothes and turns towards the inner room, but stops at the sound of cheering outside.

There is the shouting come to our own door. What is it has happened?

[Neighbours come crowding in, PATRICK and DELIA with them.

There are ships in the Bay; the French are landing at Killala!

[PETER takes his pipe from his mouth and his hat off and stands up. The clothes slip from MICHAEL’S arm.

Michael! [ He takes no notice. ] Michael! [ He turns towards her. ] Why do you look at me like a stranger?

[ She drops his arm. BRIDGET goes over towards her.

The boys are all hurrying down the hill-sides to join the French.

Michael won’t be going to join the French.

Tell him not to go, Peter.

It’s no use. He doesn’t hear a word we’re saying.

Try and coax him over to the fire.

Michael, Michael! You won’t leave me! You won’t join the French, and we going to be married!

[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 WOMAN’S voice. BRIDGET takes DELIA , who is crying silently, into her arms.

Did you see an old woman going down the path?

I did not, but I saw a young girl, and she had the walk of a queen.

Cuchulain

Leagerie

Conal

Emer, Cuchulain’s wife

Leagerie’s Wife

Conal’s Wife

Laeg, Cuchulain’s chariot-driver

Red Man

Horseboys and Scullions

Three Black Men

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.

Not 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.

Ah, there is something.

It must be from the land, and it is from the sea that danger comes. We need not be afraid of anything that comes from the land. [ Looking out of door. ] I cannot see anybody, the rocks and the trees hide a great part of the pathway upon that side.

It sounded like Cuchulain’s horn, but that’s not possible.

Yes, that’s impossible. He will never come home from Scotland. He has all he wants there. Luck in all he does. Victory and wealth and happiness flowing in on him, while here at home all goes to rack, and a man’s good name drifts away between night and morning.

I wish he would come home for all that, and put quiet and respect for those that are more than she is into that young wife of his. Only this very night your wife and my wife had to forbid her to go into the dining-hall before them. She is young, and she is Cuchulain’s wife, and so she must spread her tail like a peacock.

I can see the horn-blower now, a young man wrapped in a cloak.

Do not let him come in. Tell him to go elsewhere for shelter. This is no place to seek shelter in.

That is right. I will tell him to go away, for nobody must know the disgrace that is to fall upon Ireland this night.

Nobody of living men but us two must ever know that.

Go away, go away!

[ A YOUNG MAN covered by a long cloak is standing upon the rocks outside door.

I am a traveller, and I am looking for sleep and food.

A law has been made that nobody is to come into this house to-night.

Who made that law?

We two made it, and who has so good a right? for we have to guard this house and to keep it from robbery, and from burning and from enchantment.

Then I will unmake the law. Out of my way!

[ He struggles with CONAL and shoves past into the house.

I thought no living man but Leagerie could have stood against me; and Leagerie himself could not have shoved past me. What is more, no living man could if I were not taken by surprise. How could I expect to find so great a strength?

Go out of this: there is another house a little further along the shore; our wives are there with their servants, and they will give you food and drink.

It is in this house I will have food and drink.

Go out of this, or I will make you.

[ The YOUNG MAN seizes LEAGERIE’S arm, and thrusting it up, passes him, and puts his shield over the chair where there is an empty place.

It is here I will spend the night, but I won’t tell you why till I have drunk. I am thirsty. What, the flagon full and the cups empty and Leagerie and Conal there! Why, what’s in the wind that Leagerie and Conal cannot drink?

It is Cuchulain.

Better go away to Scotland again, or if you stay here ask no one what has happened or what is going to happen.

What more is there that can happen so strange as that I should come home after years and that you should bid me begone?

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