Complete Works of George Moore

by George Moore

  LABAN. That shield with the red otter is the shield of Fergus. He is taller than all the others, his hair and his beard are brown, and he wears a crimson cloak over a white tunic.

  GRANIA. Is he strong and stately? Would he make my heart beat?

  LABAN. He is strong and stately, but there is grey in his beard. That red shield with the white deer’s head painted upon it is the shield of Usheen. He has yellow hair, and he has long white hands, with fingers hard at the tips from plucking of harp strings, and they say that no woman has refused him her love.

  GRANIA. IS he young?

  LABAN. There are younger than he. That grey shield with the raven painted upon it, is the shield of Goll, the son of Morna. He is a great hunter, and his arms and legs are as strong as the posts of a door.

  GRANIA. IS there mirth in his eyes?

  LABAN. He has the quiet of the woods in his eyes. But I see your mind is not set upon one that is strong, but one that is young. That white shield with the green fish is the shield of Caoelte. They call him Caoelte the Swift-Footed, and he is young and a teller of battle tales. But that silver shield with the flying white heron upon it is the shield of Diarmuid. He is the youngest and comeliest of all. He has brown hair and blue eyes, and light limbs, and his skin is white but for freckles. He is courteous and he is merry with women. It is said of him that he will not be remembered for deeds of arms but as a true lover, and that he will die young.

  GRANIA. Diarmuid, Diarmuid, a pleasant sounding name... Diarmuid a sweet sounding name.

  LABAN. But, child, how think you that these things will come about?

  GRANIA. I believe in your soothsaying, Mother, that a man as young as I am will come and carry me away.

  LABAN. NO, no, Diarmuid will not break his oath to Finn. Diarmuid has saved Finn’s life three times and Finn has saved Diarmuid’s life once. They always stand together.

  GRANIA. YOU said his hair was brown, and his eyes blue, and his limbs light, and his skin white but for freckles. It was for such a man that

  I looked into the mist. But thinking of love makes the brain giddy.

  LABAN. What can he do? He cannot overthrow Finn and his army.

  GRANIA. [Waking from a reverie]. You must find a way, Mother, it is for you to find a way.

  LABAN. They would hang me from the rafters, child, they would hang me.

  GRANIA. YOU would baffle them: it would not be difficult for you.

  But how shall I escape from Finn’s marriage bed? Shall I run into the woods?

  LABAN. The woods are full of wolves.

  GRANIA. I do not fear the wolves.

  LABAN. They would follow you. You could not escape them. They would tear you to pieces.

  GRANIA. If you would not have me go into the woods, find a way of escape.

  LABAN. Why will you not marry Finn? You would be the greatest woman in Eri.

  GRANIA. I will not marry Finn; and you, Mother, who has taken care of me since you could carry me in your arms, you would not have me run alone into the woods.

  LABAN. The woods are lonely, Grania, you must not go. Hush! [Taking her aside]. Child, love has made you wise as the bird in the wood that seeks a mate. There is a way, listen! The greatest among the Fianna sit at table with Cormac and Finn; and Niall and another serving man will wait upon them... But do you say that you will pour out their ale for them, and let them not deny you this. You must say that there could be no denying you anything on your marriage night. Then come to me and I will find a way. Then I will bewitch the ale, and I will put a pale dust into it, and will make a spell over it. [Enter Cormac with two Councillors]. Hush, here is your father. [Laban sits down and begins to spin].

  CORMAC. This is the wisest marriage, though I might have made a greater one. I might have married her to the King of Alba, but this marriage will keep our kingdom safe. [He turns and sees Grania].

  My dear daughter, I have been looking for you. Let us sit together and talk to one another. To-night you go away from me, but you go with the chief man in Eri. [The Councillors withdraw]. Come, dear daughter, let us sit together. Why do you stand with fixed eyes, and I see you have not an ornament upon you.

  GRANIA. I have forgotten them.

  CORMAC. I should have wished to have seen you in your bracelets and your clasp with the emeralds. Will you wear them?

  GRANIA. I can send for them and wear them for you, but I am not minded to wear them.

  CORMAC. Why are you not minded to wear them? [Pause]. What has

  Laban told you? She was telling you something when I came in.

  GRANIA. Father you have often seen me wear my bracelets, and my clasp, and can love me without them, as can any other man. Father, listen, let us sit together, or let us talk as we walk hither and thither. I am going from this house where my mother lived and where I have always lived, with one you call the chief man in Eri, but whom

  I have never seen, so I have been questioning her spindle, and you know all that she finds in her spindle is true.

  CORMAC. And she has told you?

  GRANIA. Only that I am going away into the woods.

  CORMAC. You are troubled, my daughter, a woman is always troubled when her marriage is at hand. Maybe you think Finn too rough a man to marry — I might have married you to the King of Alba who is a man of peace: he sent messengers, but Finn is more worthy to be your husband.

  GRANIA. I have not seen Finn.

  CORMAC. The enemies of Eri have seen him; you know how he has held its borders against them. Finn and his Fianna have made Eri great, as when the Red Branch was at Emain Macha.

  GRANIA. YOU wish me to marry as kings and queens marry, but I...

  CORMAC. [Suspiciously]. You have set your heart upon some boy.

  GRANIA. The Fianna are coming. I shall wed this night him who is the chief man among them in my eyes.

  CORMAC. That is well, Finn is the chief man of Eri after the high king.

  [A sound of trumpets outside. The Councillors of Cormac and the servants enter. The servants open the door. Niall stands by the door].

  NIALL. Way for Finn and his Council.

  [Enter Finn, Usheen, Caoelte, Diarmuid etc.].

  CORMAC. Finn is welcome to my house.

  FINN. AS the marriage law is, I declare the bride price upon the threshold. I give my word to guard this kingdom against all cattle spoilers, that are of the kingdom of Eri, and to guard it before my own country from the men of Lochland and the men of Mona; and I give my word to overthrow all kings of Eri that raise their hand against the high king. I cannot give a king’s gift for the Fianna have neither sheep nor cattle, nor towns nor villages, nor great store of silver and gold.

  CORMAC. The bride price is worthy of Finn and of my daughter.

  [Cormac takes Finn across the stage and presents him to Grania].

  DIARMUID. [At the door]. And this is Grania.

  USHEEN. Do not look at her, Diarmuid, king’s daughters are not for us.

  NIALL. [In a loud voice]. Let the hot meats be brought in, way for the heads of the four troops of the Fianna...

  [Enter a number of men, they stand about the door, Cormac leaves Finn and Grania and goes towards the door to welcome the Fianna].

  GRANIA. There is a scar upon your cheek. That is the scar made by the sword of Forgael, when you overthrew the men of Aidne.

  FINN. Has the tale of that battle come so far?

  GRANIA. I have listened all my life to tales of your battles. [Taking his hand in both her hands]. This hand has overthrown many kings.

  FINN. Grania must not praise me if she would not take my luck away.

  GRANIA. Some day you will tell me about your battles.

  [She turns away as if already weary of him].

  FINN. Are my battles more to you than my love?

  [Cormac brings Caoelte, Usheen and Diarmuid towards

  Grania — Cormac and Finn go up the stage].

  GRANIA. Ah, this is Usheen, I knew him by his harp of red yew. Will you sing us love so
ngs to-night?

  CAOELTE. I am Caoelte, and this is Diarmuid.

  GRANIA. Welcome Caoelte, teller of battle tales. There is a tale you tell... [She stands looking at Diarmuid, forgetful of everything].

  And this is Diarmuid. Has Diarmuid nothing to say to me?

  DIARMUID. What should I say to you? I see you on your wedding night, Grania.

  GRANIA. The wedding feast is spread and I shall be wedded and bedded before dawn if someone does not carry me away.

  DIARMUID. If someone does not carry you away!

  GRANIA. I know your shield Diarmuid. It has a flying white heron upon it, and this is your sword.

  [He gives her his sword and they stand looking at each other].

  USHEEN. Diarmuid!

  [Grania gives back Diarmuid’s sword].

  NIALL. The King and Finn son of Cool are seated, the guests at this table are Usheen, Caoelte, Goll son of Morna, Diarmuid, Fergus, Fathna. The tables for the rest of the Fianna are spread beyond the arras of the western hall.

  [The Fianna and serving men withdraw leaving Niall and one serving man to wait at the king’s table].

  CORMAC. My daughter, why do you not take your place beside Finn son of Cool?

  GRANIA. Every night, father, I have poured out your ale, I would do so this the last time, and this night pour out my husband’s for the first time.

  CORMAC. Grania must not pour out our ale.

  FINN. But if this be her wish?

  GRANIA. It is the first favour I have asked.

  FINN. All here will remember this as an honour.

  [The King signs to the serving men to withdraw, Grania returns to Laban].

  GRANIA. Has this been done well? Give me the ale.

  LABAN. Here are two flagons that I have made sleepy... but no,

  I will make a spell over them.

  Do all that I bid you

  Pour sleep in the ale horns

  That all that have drunk them

  May sleep as on pillows

  Till cock crow at morning.

  Give them this ale and they will sleep till cockcrow. Give it to all but Caoelte and Usheen and Diarmuid.

  [Laban goes out. Grania passes along the table filling the cups and horns. Caoelte and Usheen are the last who should be served. When she comes to Diarmuid she stands looking at him].

  CORMAC. Why do you not fill Diarmuid’s cup?

  [Grania drops the flagon],

  GRANIA. The ale is all spilled; I will bring another flagon.

  CORMAC. Daughter, I do not like the spilling of ale at a marriage feast.

  CONAN. It never happens but it brings ill luck.

  DIARMUID. Conan sees ill luck everywhere. When will Finn take away his favour from Conan, and let the Fianna give him his deserts?

  FINN. Tell us a story Caoelte, and put the spilling of the ale out of our minds.

  [Caoelte rises from his place, and takes his harp. He stands touching his harp as if uncertain what story he is going to tell]. Tell us the story of the house of the quicken trees.

  CAOELTE. Yes, I will tell you the story of the house of the quicken trees. [A pause]. It is gone, it went out of my mind of a sudden. A new story is coming to me... it is coming to me... I see a man lying dead and his wife going away with another.

  FINN. What quarrel have you with me, Caoelte, that you tell such a story at my marriage?

  CAOELTE. There is fear on me, Finn, for I saw beyond the world suddenly and clearly.

  USHEEN. Let us hear the story of the quicken trees. Tell it to us, Caoelte. Or shall we ask Goll to tell it to us? [He tries to rouse Goll], Goll is sleepy.

  CONAN. You have no need to tell your stories to make men sleepy.

  The names of them are enough.

  FINN. Let us drink and forget our thoughts of ill luck.

  CONAN. The Fianna have had their share of good luck. To-day the ale has been spilt, and a strange tale put into Caoelte’s mind.

  DIARMUID. I am weary of Conan’s bitter tongue, Finn. I would beat him from the table.

  FINN. It would be worst of all for blows to be struck at my marriage feast. Conan and Diarmuid, I will have peace.

  CORMAC. [Trying to rouse himself]. Let Conan tell his story or let

  Usheen tell us a story; I am growing sleepy.

  USHEEN. I cannot remember any story — I too have had my thoughts taken away.

  CONAN. Diarmuid, Caoelte, and Usheen have forgotten their boasting stories, but Conan has many a pleasant story and no one asks him for one. I will tell a pleasant story. I will tell of the death of Diarmuid.

  FINN. I will have no tale of death at my marriage feast. To speak of

  Diarmuid’s death may be to bring death upon him. Be silent or you may take his luck away.

  GRANIA. [Coming nearer to the table]. Will Diarmuid die by sword or will he be made captive?

  FINN. I forbid this story.

  DIARMUID. The story of my death is an old story, and it no longer makes me afeared. Tell on.

  CONAN. [Obsequiously. Coming from the table]. Oh, my beautiful

  Grania, this is the way it was. Diarmuid was put out to foster with a shepherd, and no one was so beautiful as Diarmuid when he was a child, except the shepherd’s son. The shepherd’s son was much more beautiful than Diarmuid and his beauty made Diarmuid’s father jealous and one day he crushed the shepherd’s son to death between his knees.

  GRANIA. Tell me of Diarmuid, tell me of Diarmuid.

  CONAN. The shepherd wept and wept. Oh, how he wept. And after a while he took his second son into the woods, and made a spell over him with a Druid hazel stick, and changed him into a black and bristleless boar. And some day that boar is to break out of the woods and to kill many men and many women. All the Fianna are to gather for the hunting of him; they are to hunt him round Eri and through Eri and from kingdom to kingdom. Oh what a hunting, oh, what a hunting!

  GRANIA. Tell me more of Diarmuid. Tell me quickly.

  CONAN. I must drink again, I am thirsty again. [He drinks]. Diarmuid must go out against that boar and must be killed. It was to kill him that the shepherd made the spell over his second son. He shall be torn by the tusks, and his face shall be foul, because it will be bloody. I would that the women of Eri could see him when he is foul and bloody. [He staggers], I am growing sleepy, because I have to run the messages of the Fianna... [He recovers himself], I shall live to see him when the tusks have torn him, for it has been foretold of him also that he shall not live long. He shall not be remembered for the deeds of arms but as a lover of women. He shall live as a lover of women, and his life will soon be over. Who has put witchcraft in my ale? Who among the Fianna has done this?

  [He falls],

  USHEEN. He said there was witchcraft in the ale, and look, they are all sleeping. Who was it that put witchcraft into the ale, Grania?

  GRANIA. Laban, the Druidess has done this for me. I had never a mind to marry Finn. But why does not Diarmuid come to us? [Diarmuid comes from the table]. It was for you that I ordered witchcraft to be put into the ale.

  DIARMUID. For me, Grania?

  GRANIA. I had never a mind to marry Finn. I am going away with you to-night, we shall be far away before they awake.

  DIARMUID. You and I, and you did not see me before this night!

  GRANIA. I desired you and you were in my thoughts before I saw you, Diarmuid. You were in my thoughts, Diarmuid.

  [She takes him in her arms.]

  DIARMUID. I too desired you and you were in my thoughts — oh beautiful woman! You were in my thoughts, Grania. Let me look at you. Let me put back your hair. Your eyes are grey, Grania, your eyes are grey and your hands... But Finn, but Finn... Grania wife of Finn, why have you played with me?

  GRANIA. I am not the wife of Finn [She goes towards Diarmuid].

  And now I cannot be Finn’s wife for you have held me in your arms and you have kissed me.

  DIARMUID. What is this madness, Grania? Here, here this night and

  Finn sleepi
ng there.

  GRANIA. If he had loved me, his love would have been stronger than witchcraft. [A pause]. But why do you go away? Is not my hair soft, are not my cheeks red, is not my body shapely? You held my hair in your hands but now, and your lips were on my cheek and lips. Were not my lips soft? You see that he shrinks from me. It may be that no man will take me because he wants me, but only because I am a king’s daughter. Would you shrink from me,

  Caoelte, if it were you I had asked to go away with me. Would you, Usheen?

  CAOELTE. Look, Grania, at the sleeping man whose ale you have bewitched.

  USHEEN. If Finn were to wake, he would take some terrible vengeance for this.

  GRANIA. What is his vengeance to me now? I will go into the woods and will wander alone there till I die.

  FINN. [In his sleep], Diarmuid! Diarmuid!

  DIARMUID. When I looked into your eyes, Grania, it was as though I had come out of a cave into the dawn. But I cannot, I cannot, we have sworn an oath to Finn. We swore it upon the rock where the earth screamed under Con son of Filmy. If the oath were broken the earth would send famine, the corn would wither, the Fianna would be divided, an enemy would come.

  USHEEN. Take down your shield and begone from her Diarmuid.

  GRANIA. He looks at me because it has been foretold.

  DIARMUID. [Disengaging himself from Usheen and Caoelte]. What has been foretold? Who has foretold it?

  USHEEN. [Putting his hand on Diarmuid’s shoulder]. Diarmuid!

  CAOELTE. You will be the first of the Fianna to break his oath.

  DIARMUID. The fortune teller has lied, if she has said that I will break my oath to Finn. What did she tell you? What has she said?

  Has she said this?

  GRANIA. She spoke of a woman pledged to marry a man whom she did not love, and of a man who would come and take her away from that marriage bed. She foretold that the man would leave all things and that the woman would leave all things for love’s sake. She foretold that they would go away in the middle of the marriage feast, and wander in the unpeopled woods, and be happy by the rushy margin of many streams.

  DIARMUID. And the man is I, and the woman is you.

  GRANIA. She foretold that it shall seem as if all men had forgotten them, but the wild creatures shall not fly from them. They shall be happy under green boughs and become wise in all woodland wisdom, and as she spoke I too seemed to see them wandering on paths untrodden by the feet of the deer, where there are sudden odours of wild honey, and where they will often throw their arms about one another and kiss one another on the mouth. [She goes nearer to him]. And she told me, Diarmuid, that we should make our beds with the skins of deer under cromlechs and in caves, and awake from sleep we know not why, as though the dwarfs in the rocks had called to us, that we might see the starlight falling through the leaves. She told me the dwarfs of the rocks and the secret people of the trees should watch over us, and though all the men of Eri were our enemies they should not pluck us out of one another’s arms.