Three Plays: The Fiddler's House, The Land, Thomas Muskerry Part 40

TOURNOUR Them that had the power.

MUSKERRY I would not have done it, Tournour.

TOURNOUR No. And still, d'ye see, I'm up and not down. Well, I'll be going.

MUSKERRY Come back here, Tournour. I made it a rule that no Ward-master should let drink be brought in to the paupers.

TOURNOUR It's a pity you're not Master still!

MUSKERRY What are you saying?

TOURNOUR It's a pity that you're not still the Master over us.

MUSKERRY Tournour, you're forgetting yourself.

TOURNOUR Well, maybe you are still the Master.

MUSKERRY How dare you speak to me with such effrontery? How dare you?

TOURNOUR I dunno. I'm going away now, if your _honour_ has nothing more to say to me. _(He turns to go)_

MUSKERRY You shall not. You shall not, I say.

TOURNOUR What?

MUSKERRY You shall not go away until you've apologised to me.

TOURNOUR Don't be talking, Thomas Muskerry. You're not Master over me.

MUSKERRY Not the Master over you?

TOURNOUR No. There's an end to your sway, Mr. Muskerry.

MUSKERRY Go out of the house. No, stay here. You think I'm out of the Workhouse. No. That's not so. I've claims, great claims, on it still. Not for nothing was I there for thirty years, the pattern for the officials of Ireland.

TOURNOUR Twenty-nine years, I'm telling you.

MUSKERRY The Guardians will take account of me.

TOURNOUR And maybe they would, too.

MUSKERRY What's that you're saying?

TOURNOUR The Guardians might take an account of Thomas Muskerry in a way he mightn't like. _(He goes to door)_

MUSKERRY Come back here, Felix Tournour.

TOURNOUR I'm not your sub-servant.

MUSKERRY Stand here before me.

TOURNOUR You and your before me! Your back to heaven and your belly to h.e.l.l.

MUSKERRY Go away. Go away out of this.

TOURNOUR Don't try to down-face me. I know something about you.

MUSKERRY About me!

TOURNOUR Aye, you and your fifty tons of coal. _(Muskerry goes back from him)_ Great claims on the Workhouse have you. The Guardians will take account of you. Will they? Talk to them about the fifty tons of coal. Go and do that, my pattern of the officials of Ireland!

_Tournour goes out by shop. Muskerry stands with his hands on the arm chair_.

MUSKERRY This minute I'll go down to the Guardians and make my complaint. _(He notices his appearance)_ I'm going about all day with my boots unlaced. I'm falling into bad ways, bad, slovenly ways.

And my coat needs brus.h.i.+ng, too. _(He takes off his coat and goes to window and brushes it)_ That's Myles Gorman going back to the Workhouse. I couldn't walk with my head held as high as that. In this house I am losing my uprightness. I'll do more than lace my boots and brush my coat. I'll go down to the Guardians and I'll pay them back their fifty pounds.

_Anna Crilly comes in from left with a bowl of soup_.

ANNA Here's your soup, grandpapa.

MUSKERRY I can't take it now, Anna. _(He puts on his coat)_

ANNA Are you going out, grandpapa?

MUSKERRY I'm going before the meeting of the Board of Guardians.

ANNA Are you, grandpapa?

MUSKERRY Yes, Anna, I am. I'm going to pay them back their fifty pounds.

ANNA And have you the fifty pounds?

MUSKERRY Your mother has it for me.

ANNA Sit down, grandpapa, and take your soup.

MUSKERRY No, Anna, I won't take anything until my mind is at rest about the coal. A certain person has spoken to me in a way I'll never submit to be spoken to again.

_Mrs. Crilly comes in_.

MRS. CRILLY What has happened to you?

MUSKERRY Felix Tournour knows about the coal, Marianne. He can disgrace me before the world.

ANNA And grandpapa wants to go before the Guardians and pay them back the fifty pounds.

MRS. CRILLY Wait until we consult Mr. Scollard.