Part 4 (2/2)

_Charlie Ward._ Stop. I won't have you talking about that story here.

Why would they think so much of the curse of one saint, and saints so plenty?

_Paddy c.o.c.kfight._ Where's the good of a gentleman being here? He'll be breaking down on the road. It's on the a.s.s-cart he'll be wanting to sit.

_Tommy the Song._ Indeed, I don't think he'll stand the hards.h.i.+p.

_Paul Ruttledge._ Oh, I'll stand it well enough.

_Tommy the Song._ You're not like us that were reared to it. You were not born like us with wandering in the heart.

_Paul Ruttledge._ Oh yes, I have wandering in the heart. I got sick of these lighted rooms you were talking of just now.

_Charlie Ward._ That might be so. It's the dark is welcome to a man sometimes.

_Paul Ruttledge._ The dark. Yes, I think that is what I want. [_Stands up._] The dark, where there is nothing that is anything, and n.o.body that is anybody; one can be free there, where there is nothing. Well, if you let me stay with you, I don't think you will hear any complaints from me. Charlie Ward, Paddy, and the rest of you, I want you to understand that from this out I am one of yourselves. I'll live as you live and do as you do.

[JOHNEEN _and other children come running in._

_Johneen._ I was on the top of the bank and I seen a priest coming down the cross-road with his a.s.s. It's collecting he is. We're going to set ourselves here to beg something from him.

_Another Child._ [_Breathlessly._] And he has a whole lot of things on the a.s.s. A whole lot of things up behind him.

_Another Child._ O boys, O boys, we'll have our dealing trick out of them yet. The best way'll be---- [_He suddenly catches sight of_ PAUL RUTTLEDGE.] Whist, ye divils ye, don't you see the new gentleman?

_Paul Ruttledge._ Speak out, boys; don't be afraid of me; I'm one of yourselves now.

_Child._ Oh! but we were going to---- But I won't tell you. [_To the other_ children.] Come away here, and we'll not tell him what we'll do.

_Paul Ruttledge._ [_To_ CHARLIE WARD.] What are they going to do?

They're putting their heads together.

_Charlie Ward._ They're going to put a bush across the road, and when the friar gets down to pull it out of the way they'll snap what they can off the a.s.s, and away with them.

_Paul Ruttledge._ And why wouldn't they tell me that? Am I not one of yourselves?

_Charlie Ward._ Ah! It's likely they'll never trust you.

_Paul Ruttledge._ But they will soon see that I am one of themselves.

_Charlie Ward._ No; but that's the very thing, you're not one of ourselves. You were not born on the road, reared on the road, married on the road like us.

_Paul Ruttledge._ Well, it's too late for me to be reared on the road, but I don't see why I shouldn't marry on the road like you. I certainly would do it if it would make me one of you.

_Charlie Ward._ It might make you one of us, there's no doubt about that. It's the only thing that would do it.

_Paul Ruttledge._ Well, find a wife for me.

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