Three Wonder Plays. Lady Gregory

the Royal school. But wait, now, there is a plan coming into my mind.

      Nurse: There must surely be some way!

      Queen: It is likely a king's daughter the beast— if there is a beast—will come questioning after, and not after a king's wife.

      Dall Glic: That is according to custom.

      Queen: That's what I am saying. What we have to do is to join Nuala with a man of a husband, and she will be safe from the danger ahead of her. In all the inventions made by poets, for to put terror on children or to knock laughter out of fools, did any of you ever hear of a Dragon swallowing the wedding ring?

      All: We never did.

      Queen: It's easy enough so. There must be no delay till Nuala will be married and wed with someone that will bring her away out of this, and let the Dragon go hungry home!

      Nurse: That she may! Isn't it a pity now she being so hard to please!

      Queen: Young people are apt to be selfish and to have no thought but for themselves. She must not be hard to please when it will be to save and to serve her family and to keep up respect for their name. Here she is coming.

      Nurse: Ah, you would not tell her! You would not put the dear child under the shadow of such a terror and such a threat!

      King: She must not be told. I never could bear up against it.

      (Nuala comes in.)

      Queen: Look now at your father the way he is.

      Princess: (Touching his hand.) What is fretting you?

      Queen: His heart as weighty as that the chair near broke under him.

      Princess: I never saw you this way before.

      Queen: And all on the head of yourself!

      Princess: I am sorry, and very sorry, for that.

      Queen: He is loth to say it to you, but he is tired and wore out waiting for you to settle with some match. See what a troubled look he has on his face.

      Princess: (To King.) Is it that you want me to leave you? (He gives a sob.) (To Dall Glic.) Is it the Queen urged him to this?

      Dall Glic: If she did, it was surely for your good.

      Nurse: Oh, my child and my darling, let you strive to take a liking to some good man that will come!

      Princess: Are you going against me with the rest?

      Nurse: You know well I would never do that!

      Princess: Do you, father, urge me to go?

      King: They are in too big a hurry why wouldn't they wait a while, for a quarter, or three-quarters of a year.

      Princess: Is that all the delay I am given, and the term is set for me, like a servant that would be banished from the house?

      King: That's not it. That's not right. I would never give in to let you go … if it wasn't …

      Princess: I know. (Stands up.) For my own good!

      (Trumpet outside.)

      Gatekeeper: (Coming in.) There is company at the door.

      Queen: Who is it?

      Gatekeeper: Servants, and a company of women, and one that would seem to be a Prince, and young.

      Princess: Then he is come asking me in marriage.

      Dall Glic: Who is he at all?

      Gatekeeper: They were saying he is the son of the King of the Marshes.

      King: Go bring him in.

      (Gatekeeper goes.)

      Dall Glic: That's right! He has great riches and treasure. There are some say he is the first match in Ireland.

      Nurse: He is not. If his father has a copper crown, and our own King a silver one, it is the King of Sorcha has a crown of gold! The young King of Sorcha that is the first match.

      Dall Glic: If he is, this one is apt to be the second first.

      Queen: Do you hear, Nuala, what luck is flowing to you?

      Dall Glic: Do not now be turning your back on him as you did to so many.

      Princess: No; whoever he is, it is likely I will not turn away from this one.

      Queen: Go now and ready yourself to meet him.

      Princess: Am I not nice enough the way I am?

      Queen: You are not. The King of Alban's daughter has hair as smooth as if a cow had licked it.

      (Princess goes.)

      Gatekeeper: Here is the Prince of the Marshes!

      (Enter Prince, very young and timid, an old lady on each side slightly in advance of him.)

      King: A great welcome before you. … And who may these be?

      Prince: Seven aunts I have. …

      First Aunt: (Interrupting.) If he has, there are but two of us have come along with him.

      Second Aunt: For to care him and be company for him on his journey, it being the first time he ever quitted home.

      Queen: This is a great honour. Will you take a chair?

      First Aunt: Leave that for the Prince of the Marshes. It is away from the draught of the window.

      Second Aunt: We ourselves are in charge of his health. I have here his eel-skin boots for the days that will be wet under foot.

      First Aunt: And I have here my little bag of cures, with a cure in it that would rise the body out of the grave as whole and as sound as the time you were born.

      (Lays it down.)

      King: (To Prince.) It is many a day your father and myself were together in our early time. What way is he? He was farther out in age than myself.

      Prince: He is …

      First Aunt: (Interrupting.) He is only middling these last years. The doctors have taken him in hand.

      King: He was more for fowling, and I was more for horses—before I increased so much in girth. Is it for horses you are, Prince?

      Prince: I didn't go up on one up to this.

      First Aunt: Kings and princes are getting scarce. They are the most class is wearing away, and it is right for them keep in mind their safety.

      Second Aunt: The Prince has no need to go upon a horse, where he has always a coach at his command.

      King: It is fowling that suits you so?

      Prince: I would be well pleased …

      First Aunt: There is great danger going out fowling with a gun that might turn on you after and take your life.

      Second Aunt: Why would the Prince go into danger, having servants that will go following after birds?

      Queen: He is likely waiting till his enemies will make an attack upon the country to defend it.

      First Aunt: There is a good dyke around about the marshes, and a sort of quaking bog. It is not likely war will come till such time as it will be made by the birds of the air.

      King: Well, we must strive to knock out some sport or