It is
a long climb to the vineyards of Eden.
a long climb to the vineyards of Eden.
Yeats
_Beggars_ come back with a
shout. _
JOHNNY.
We have done for them, they will not meddle with you again.
PAUDEEN.
Oh, he is down!
FATHER JOHN.
He is shot through the breast. Oh, who has dared meddle with a soul
that was in the tumults on the threshold of sanctity?
JOHNNY.
It was that gun went off and I striking it from the constable's hand.
MARTIN.
[_Looking at his hand, on which there is blood. _]
Ah, that is blood! I fell among the rocks. It is a hard climb.
It is
a long climb to the vineyards of Eden. Help me up. I must go on. The
Mountain of Abiegnos is very high--but the vineyards--the vineyards!
[_He falls back dead. The men uncover their heads. _
PAUDEEN [_to BIDDY_].
It was you misled him with your foretelling that he was coming within
the best day of his life.
JOHNNY.
Madness on him or no madness, I will not leave that body to the law to
be buried with a dog's burial or brought away and maybe hanged upon a
tree. Lift him on the sacks, bring him away to the quarry; it is there
on the hillside the boys will give him a great burying, coming on
horses and bearing white rods in their hands.
[_NANNY lays the velvet cloak over him. _
_They lift him and carry the body away singing:_
Our hope and our darling, our heart dies with you,
You to have failed us, we are foals astray!
FATHER JOHN.
He is gone and we can never know where that vision came from. I cannot
know--the wise Bishops would have known.
shout. _
JOHNNY.
We have done for them, they will not meddle with you again.
PAUDEEN.
Oh, he is down!
FATHER JOHN.
He is shot through the breast. Oh, who has dared meddle with a soul
that was in the tumults on the threshold of sanctity?
JOHNNY.
It was that gun went off and I striking it from the constable's hand.
MARTIN.
[_Looking at his hand, on which there is blood. _]
Ah, that is blood! I fell among the rocks. It is a hard climb.
It is
a long climb to the vineyards of Eden. Help me up. I must go on. The
Mountain of Abiegnos is very high--but the vineyards--the vineyards!
[_He falls back dead. The men uncover their heads. _
PAUDEEN [_to BIDDY_].
It was you misled him with your foretelling that he was coming within
the best day of his life.
JOHNNY.
Madness on him or no madness, I will not leave that body to the law to
be buried with a dog's burial or brought away and maybe hanged upon a
tree. Lift him on the sacks, bring him away to the quarry; it is there
on the hillside the boys will give him a great burying, coming on
horses and bearing white rods in their hands.
[_NANNY lays the velvet cloak over him. _
_They lift him and carry the body away singing:_
Our hope and our darling, our heart dies with you,
You to have failed us, we are foals astray!
FATHER JOHN.
He is gone and we can never know where that vision came from. I cannot
know--the wise Bishops would have known.
