SARAH Manus . . . Manus, I . . . [MANUS hears SARAH but makes no acknowledgement. He gathers up his belongings.
OWEN reappears with the bag he had on his arrival.] OWEN Take this one?I'm finished with it anyway. And it's supposed to keep out the rain.
[MANUS transfers his few belongings, OWEN drifts back to his task. The packing is now complete.]
MANUS You'll be here for a while? For a week or two anyhow? OWEN Yes. MANUS You're not leaving with the army? OWEN I haven't made up my mind. Why? MANUS Those Inis Meadhon men will be back to see why I haven't turned
up. Tell them?tell them I'll write to them as soon as I can. Tell them I still
want the job but that it might be three or four months before I'm free to go. OWEN You're being damned stupid, Manus. MANUS Will you do that for me? OWEN Clear out now and Lancey'll think you're involved somehow. MANUS Will you do that for me? OWEN Wait a couple of days even. You know George?he's a bloody roman
tic?maybe he's gone out to one of the islands and he'll suddenly reappear tomorrow morning. Or maybe the search party'11 find him this evening lying drunk somewhere in the sandhills. You've seen him drinking that poteen? doesn't know how to handle it. Had he drink on him last night at the dance? MANUS I had a stone in my hand when I went out looking for him?I was
going to fell him. Th e lame scholar turned violent. OWEN Did anybody see you? MANUS [Again close to tears.] But when I saw him standing there at the side
of the road?smiling?and her face buried in his shoulder?I couldn't even go close to them. I just shouted something stupid?something like, 'You're a bastard, Yolland.' If I'd even said it in English . . . 'cos he kept saying 'Sorry-sorry?' Th e wrong gesture in the wrong language.
OWEN And you didn't see him again? MANUS 'Sorry?' OWEN Before you leave tell Lancey that?just to clear yourself. MANUS Wha t have I to say to Lancey? You'll give that message to the island-
men? OWEN I'm warning you: run away now and you're bound to be . . . MANUS [To SARAH.] Will you give that message to the Inis Meadhon men? SARAH I will.
.
FRIEL: TRANSLATIONS, ACT 3 / 25 11
[MANUS picks tip an old sack and throws it across his shoulders.]
OWEN Have you any idea where you're going?
MANUS Mayo, maybe. I remember Mother saying she had cousins somewhere away out in the Erris Peninsula.8 [He picks up his hag.] Tell father I took only the Virgil and the Caesar and the Aeschylus9 because they're mine anyway?I bought them with the money I get for that pet lamb I reared? do you remember that pet lamb? And tell him that Nora Dan never returned the dictionary and that she still owes him two-and-six1 for last quarter's reading?he always forgets those things.
OWEN Yes.
MANUS And his good shirt's ironed and hanging up in the press and his clean
socks are in the butter-box under the bed. OWEN Alright. MANUS And tell him I'll write. OWEN If Maire asks where you've gone . . . ? MANUS He'll need only half the amount of milk now, won't he? Even less
than half?he usually takes his tea black. [Pause.] And when he comes in at night?you'll hear him; he makes a lot of noise?I usually come down and give him a hand up. Those stairs are dangerous without a banister. Maybe before you leave you'd get Big Ned Frank to put up some sort of a handrail. [Pause.] And if you can bake, he's very fond of soda bread.
OWEN I can give you money. I'm wealthy. Do you know what they pay me? Two shillings a day for this?this?this?
[MANUS rejects the offer by holding out his hand.]
Goodbye, Manus.
[MANUS and OWEN shake hands.
Then MANUS picks up his bag briskly and goes towards the door. He stops a few paces beyond SARAH, turns, comes back to her. He addresses her as he did in Act One but now without warmth or concern for her.]
MANUS What is your name? [Pause.] Come on. What is your name? SARAH My name is Sarah. MANUS Just Sarah? Sarah what? [Pause.] Well? SARAH Sarah Johnny Sally. MANUS And where do you live? Come on. SARAH I live in Bun na hAbhann. [She is now crying quietly.] MANUS Very good, Sarah Johnny Sally. There's nothing to stop you now?
nothing in the wide world. [Pause. He looks down at her.] It's alright?it's alright?you did no harm?you did no harm at all. [He stoops over her and kisses the top of her head?as if in absolution. Then briskly to the door and
off-]
OWEN Good luck, Manus!
SARAH [Quietly.] I'm sorry . . . I'm sorry . . . I'm so sorry, Manus . . . [OWEN tries to work but cannot concentrate. He begins folding up the map. As he does.]
OWEN Is there class this evening?
[SARAH nods: yes. ]
I suppose Father knows. Where is he anyhow?
8. Northwest comer of County Mayo, south of statesman Julius Caesar (100?4 4 B.C.E) are his Donegal. military commentaries. 9 . Ancient Greek playwright (525^15 6 B.C.E.). 1. Two shillings and sixpence?thirty pennies?in The surviving works of the Roman general and the old British currency.
