The Collected Works in Verse and Prose of William Butler Yeats. Volume 4 of 8. The Hour-glass. Cathleen ni Houlihan. The Golden Helmet. The Irish Dramatic Movement

DELIA

Michael! [He takes no notice.] Michael! [He turns towards her.] Why do you look at me like a stranger?

    [She drops his arm. BRIDGET goes over towards her.

PATRICK

The boys are all hurrying down the hill-sides to join the French.

DELIA

Michael won’t be going to join the French.

BRIDGET [to PETER]

Tell him not to go, Peter.

PETER

It’s no use. He doesn’t hear a word we’re saying.

BRIDGET

Try and coax him over to the fire.

DELIA

Michael, Michael! You won’t leave me! You won’t join the French, and we going to be married!

    [She puts her arms about him, he turns towards her as if about to yield.

OLD WOMAN’S voice outside

They shall be speaking for ever,
The people shall hear them for ever.

[MICHAEL breaks away from DELIA, stands for a second at the door, then rushes out, following the OLD WOMAN’S voice. BRIDGET takes DELIA, who is crying silently, into her arms.

PETER

[To PATRICK, laying a hand on his arm.]

Did you see an old woman going down the path?

PATRICK

I did not, but I saw a young girl, and she had the walk of a queen.

THE GOLDEN HELMET

PERSONS IN THE PLAY

Cuchulain

Leagerie

Conal

Emer, Cuchulain’s wife

Leagerie’s Wife

Conal’s Wife

Laeg, Cuchulain’s chariot-driver

Red Man

Horseboys and Scullions

Three Black Men

THE GOLDEN HELMET

A house made of logs. There are two windows at the back and a door which cuts off one of the corners of the room. Through the door one can see rocks, which make the ground outside the door higher than it is within, and the sea. Through the windows one can see nothing but the sea. There are three great chairs at the opposite side to the door, with a table before them. There are cups and a flagon of ale on the table.

At the Abbey Theatre the house is orange red, and the chairs, tables and flagons black, with a slight purple tinge which is not clearly distinguishable from the black. The rocks are black, with a few green touches. The sea is green and luminous, and all the characters, except the RED MAN and the Black Men are dressed in various tints of green, one or two with touches of purple which looks nearly black. The Black Men are in dark purple and the RED MAN is altogether dressed in red. He is very tall and his height is increased by horns on the Golden Helmet. The Helmet has in reality more dark green than gold about it. The Black Men have cats’ heads painted on their black cloth caps. The effect is intentionally violent and startling.

CONAL

Not a sail, not a wave, and if the sea were not purring a little like a cat, not a sound. There is no danger yet. I can see a long way for the moonlight is on the sea.

    [A horn sounds.

LEAGERIE

Ah, there is something.

CONAL

It must be from the land, and it is from the sea that danger comes. We need not be afraid of anything that comes from the land. [Looking out of door.] I cannot see anybody, the rocks and the trees hide a great part of the pathway upon that side.

LEAGERIE [sitting at table]

It sounded like Cuchulain’s horn, but that’s not possible.

CONAL