Three Plays: The Fiddler's House, The Land, Thomas Muskerry Part 19

MARTIN DOURAS Ay, with Murtagh.

ELLEN G.o.d be with you, father. _(She goes out)_

MARTIN DOURAS What purchase are you thinking of offering, Murtagh?

MURTAGH COSGAR Twenty years.

MARTIN DOURAS It's fair enough. Oh, it's a great day for the country, no matter what our own troubles may be.

_Matt has taken down the harness. He takes some of it up and goes out to yard._

MURTAGH COSGAR _(with some contempt)_ It's a pity you haven't a share in the day after all.

MARTIN DOURAS Ay, it's a pity indeed.

_Murtagh goes to the door._

MURTAGH COSGAR _(with suppressed enthusiasm)_ From this day out we're planted in the soil.

MARTIN DOURAS Ay, we're planted in the soil.

MURTAGH COSGAR G.o.d, it's a great day.

_Cornelius comes back._

CORNELIUS This is a memorial occasion, Murtagh Cosgar, and I wish you the felicitations of it. I met the delegates and I coming in, and I put myself at the head of them. It's the day of the redemption, Murtagh Cosgar.

_Murtagh, without speaking, goes up to the room._

CORNELIUS He's gone up to get the papers. Father, we must give the men understanding for this business. They must demand the mineral rights. Here they are. Men of Ballykillduff, I greet your entrance.

_Six men enter discussing._

FIRST MAN We'll leave it to Murtagh Cosgar. Murtagh Cosgar isn't a grazier or a shopkeeper.

SECOND MAN It's the graziers and shopkeepers that are putting a business head on this.

THIRD MAN If we're all on the one offer, we can settle it at the lawyer's.

FOURTH MAN Sure it's settled for twenty years on the first-term rents.

FIFTH MAN There are some here that would let it go as high as twenty-three.

SIXTH MAN What does Murtagh Cosgar say?

SOME OF THE MEN Well take the word from him.

MARTIN DOURAS He mentioned twenty years.

SECOND MAN Not as a limit, surely?

OTHER MEN We're not for any higher offer.

SECOND MAN Well, men, this is all I have to say. If you can get it for twenty, take it, and my blessing with it. But I want to be dealing with the Government, and not with landlords and agents. To have a straight bargain between myself and the Government, I'd put it up to twenty-three, ay, up to twenty-five years' purchase.

THIRD MAN More power to you, Councillor. There's some sense in that.

SIXTH MAN I'm with the Councillor.

FIRST MAN It's all very well for graziers and shopkeepers to talk, but what about the small farmer?

FOURTH MAN The small farmer. That's the man that goes under.

FIFTH MAN _(knocking at the table)_ Murtagh Cosgar! Murtagh Cosgar!

CORNELIUS I tell you, men, that Murtagh Cosgar is in agreement with myself.

Twenty years, I say, first term, no more. Let my father speak.

MARTIN DOURAS There's a great deal to be said on both sides, men.

FIRST MAN Here's Murtagh now.

MURTAGH COSGAR Twenty years first term, that's what I agreed to.

SECOND MAN And if they don't rise to that, Murtagh?

MURTAGH COSGAR Let them wait. We can wait. I won't be going with you, men. I had a few words with the agent about the turbary this morning, and maybe you're better without me.

FIRST MAN All right, Murtagh. We can wait.

FOURTH MAN We know our own power now.

FIFTH MAN Come on, men.

MURTAGH COSGAR If they don't rise to it, bide a while. We can make a new offer.

SECOND MAN We want to be settled by the Fall.

THIRD MAN The Councillor is right. We must be settled by the Fall.

SIXTH MAN A man who's a farmer only has little sense for a business like this.

SECOND MAN We'll make the offer, Murtagh Cosgar, and bide a while. But we must be settled this side of the Fall. We'll offer twenty years first term.

MURTAGH COSGAR Do, and G.o.d speed you.

CORNELIUS _(to the men going out)_ I told you Murtagh Cosgar and myself are on the one offer. And Murtagh is right again when he says that you can bide your time. But make sure of the mineral rights, men; make sure of the mineral rights.