登陆注册
5697600000020

第20章 ACT III(5)

LARRY [coming down on Mat promptly].I'll tell you,Mat.I always thought it was a stupid,lazy,good-for-nothing sort of thing to leave the land in the hands of the old landlords without calling them to a strict account for the use they made of it,and the condition of the people on it.I could see for myself that they thought of nothing but what they could get out of it to spend in England;and that they mortgaged and mortgaged until hardly one of them owned his own property or could have afforded to keep it up decently if he'd wanted to.But I tell you plump and plain,Mat,that if anybody thinks things will be any better now that the land is handed over to a lot of little men like you,without calling you to account either,they're mistaken.

MATTHEW [sullenly].What call have you to look down on me?Isuppose you think you're everybody because your father was a land agent.

LARRY.What call have you to look down on Patsy Farrell?Isuppose you think you're everybody because you own a few fields.

MATTHEW.Was Patsy Farrll ever ill used as I was ill used?tell me dhat.

LARRY.He will be,if ever he gets into your power as you were in the power of your old landlord.Do you think,because you're poor and ignorant and half-crazy with toiling and moiling morning noon and night,that you'll be any less greedy and oppressive to them that have no land at all than old Nick Lestrange,who was an educated travelled gentleman that would not have been tempted as hard by a hundred pounds as you'd be by five shillings?Nick was too high above Patsy Farrell to be jealous of him;but you,that are only one little step above him,would die sooner than let him come up that step;and well you know it.

MATTHEW [black with rage,in a low growl].Lemme oura this.[He tries to rise;but Doran catches his coat and drags him down again]I'm goin,I say.[Raising his voice]Leggo me coat,Barney Doran.

DORAN.Sit down,yowl omadhaun,you.[Whispering]Don't you want to stay an vote against him?

FATHER DEMPSEY [holding up his finger]Mat![Mat subsides].Now,now,now!come,come!Hwats all dhis about Patsy Farrll?Hwy need you fall out about HIM?

LARRY.Because it was by using Patsy's poverty to undersell England in the markets of the world that we drove England to ruin Ireland.And she'll ruin us again the moment we lift our heads from the dust if we trade in cheap labor;and serve us right too!

If I get into parliament,I'll try to get an Act to prevent any of you from giving Patsy less than a pound a week [they all start,hardly able to believe their ears]or working him harder than you'd work a horse that cost you fifty guineas.

DORAN.Hwat!

CORNELIUS [aghast].A pound a--God save us!the boy's mad.

Matthew,feeling that here is something quite beyond his powers,turns openmouthed to the priest,as if looking for nothing less than the summary excommunication of Larry.

LARRY.How is the man to marry and live a decent life on less?

FATHER DEMPSEY.Man alive,hwere have you been living all these years?and hwat have you been dreaming of?Why,some o dhese honest men here can't make that much out o the land for themselves,much less give it to a laborer.

LARRY [now thoroughly roused].Then let them make room for those who can.Is Ireland never to have a chance?First she was given to the rich;and now that they have gorged on her flesh,her bones are to be flung to the poor,that can do nothing but suck the marrow out of her.If we can't have men of honor own the land,lets have men of ability.If we can't have men with ability,let us at least have men with capital.Anybody's better than Mat,who has neither honor,nor ability,nor capital,nor anything but mere brute labor and greed in him,Heaven help him!

DORAN.Well,we're not all foostherin oul doddherers like Mat.

[Pleasantly,to the subject of this description]Are we,Mat?

LARRY.For modern industrial purposes you might just as well be,Barney.You're all children:the big world that I belong to has gone past you and left you.Anyhow,we Irishmen were never made to be farmers;and we'll never do any good at it.We're like the Jews:the Almighty gave us brains,and bid us farm them,and leave the clay and the worms alone.

FATHER DEMPSEY [with gentle irony].Oh!is it Jews you want to make of us?I must catechize you a bit meself,I think.The next thing you'll be proposing is to repeal the disestablishment of the so-called Irish Church.

LARRY.Yes:why not?[Sensation].

MATTHEW [rancorously].He's a turncoat.

LARRY.St Peter,the rock on which our Church was built,was crucified head downwards for being a turncoat.

FATHER DEMPSEY [with a quiet authoritative dignity which checks Doran,who is on the point of breaking out].That's true.You hold your tongue as befits your ignorance,Matthew Haffigan;and trust your priest to deal with this young man.Now,Larry Doyle,whatever the blessed St Peter was crucified for,it was not for being a Prodestan.Are you one?

LARRY.No.I am a Catholic intelligent enough to see that the Protestants are never more dangerous to us than when they are free from all alliances with the State.The so-called Irish Church is stronger today than ever it was.

同类推荐
  • 诸佛集会陀罗尼经

    诸佛集会陀罗尼经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 旧京琐记

    旧京琐记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 青楼集

    青楼集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 玉堂闲话

    玉堂闲话

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 真武灵应真君增上佑圣尊号册文

    真武灵应真君增上佑圣尊号册文

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 娇滴小娘子

    娇滴小娘子

    梁可仪为了减轻家庭负担,决定弃学工作,她甚至连大学毕业证都没拿就闯进了社会。她天生比较幸运,在面试时,竟然被她蒙混过关,那里人才辈出,偏偏轮到她面试时却像传说中的‘如有神助’般顺利进入集团。直接将她从分公司调到总公司,这是很多分公司女人想不到的事情,她们天天盼望有朝一日可以接近这个‘白金’单身汉,却被梁可仪无意中得到,可是羡慕死那把为了大老板守身如玉的老姑婆了。这么出色的员工,加上梁可仪本来就长得出色,很快身边就围满了狂蜂浪蝶,更要命的是与古旭文拥有同样身家与势力的好友范德生也看中了这个可爱迷人的小女人,愿意娶她为妻。可是看到古旭文身边围着那么多环肥燕瘦的女人,她的心里很不是滋味,她有想过辞职的,可是又下不了手,终于人的忍耐是有限的,她也会发火,也会表示不满,也有埋怨,她决定不再等下去了,死就死吧,向他表白完毕如果他不接受,那她就自动离职好了。
  • 2008年中国微型小说精选

    2008年中国微型小说精选

    《2008年中国微型小说精选》的选本包括:中篇小说选(分上、下两卷)、短篇小说选、报告文学选、散文选、诗歌选、微型小说选和随笔选七种。力求选出该年度最有代表性的作品,力求选出精品和力作,力求能够反映该年度某个文体领域最主要的创作流派、题材热点、艺术形式上的微妙变化。同时,坚持风格、手法、形式、语言的充分多样化,注重作品的创新价值,注重满足广大读者的阅读期待,多选雅俗共赏的佳作。
  • 群众文化基础知识

    群众文化基础知识

    我国的群众文化基础理论是在20世纪50年代末初步建立,并在20世纪90年代完善相承的。进入21世纪,群众文化的实践有了很大的发展,特别是公共文化服务体系建设的方针政策和实践,极大地充实和丰富了群众文化的理论宝库。本教材就是承先人之积,取后贤之华,以《群众文化学》为基础,通过对群众文化实践的总结,对群众文化理论探索的归纳,并提升到理性认识的基础上编写的。
  • 拉·封丹寓言

    拉·封丹寓言

    《拉·封丹寓言》是世界上最早的诗体寓言集,是继《伊索寓言》之后,又一部经典寓言名著。拉·封丹的寓言大多取材于古希腊、罗马和古印度的寓言,以及中世纪和17世纪的民间故事,成功地塑造了贵族、教士、法官、商人、医生和农民等典型形象,涉及各个阶层和行业,深刻描绘了人间百态,因此是一面生动反映17世纪法国社会生活的镜子。一位法国作家曾打过这样一个美丽的比喻:“拉·封丹的寓言像一篮樱桃,如果我们要最美的,篮子就空了。”
  • 校花的贴身天医

    校花的贴身天医

    【2017年最火爆都市修仙文】张连峰一天突发奇想,将来我一旦修成大自在,身化数身,他们都应该有自己的美眉吗?一个在那儿搂着一个,环肥燕瘦的,这还是清纯的我吗?且看一名高中生穿越到未来,如何修真成圣,战天斗地,成为一名道业大亨。
  • 牧云和尚宗本投机颂

    牧云和尚宗本投机颂

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 重生之弃妇桃花开

    重生之弃妇桃花开

    不分日夜辛苦赚钱供养到大学毕业的丈夫背信弃义的另娶富家千金,一朝变成弃妇的苏袖被害得失去了七个月大的孩子,葬送了自己的命!带着尚未开启的金手指重生,苏袖咬紧牙关拼了命的往上爬,只为报复那些曾经伤害过她的人。复仇路上,所有阻挠她的障碍全都必须清除!
  • 我在你的爱情之外

    我在你的爱情之外

    苏夏爱傅斯琛,可当她背着他生下他的孩子时,孩子却被鉴定出不是他的。傅斯琛爱苏夏,但却只能用伤害的方式爱她……
  • 重生后我开起了黑店

    重生后我开起了黑店

    拿着炮灰女配剧本的司甜死了一回,表示自己已经大彻大悟、看破红尘,无心掺和男女主甜甜的恋爱,整个人只想搞钱!不过,系统出品的产品是不是太沙雕了?瘦身丝袜、防脱洗发水、养生保温杯、托福真题资料……系统:我相信你,你可以的!司甜:告辞!新文《修仙不如种树》连载中,无CP女强修仙,欢迎收藏养肥
  • 最强战神

    最强战神

    圣武大陆这是一个修炼元力、以武为尊的界面,陆奇出生在圣武大陆的大家族——陆家。偶的灵书为陆奇开启了一条不一样的人生之路。修炼的巅峰,最强的战神……