BURKE--[Half springing to his feet--his fists clenched,] G.o.d blarst it!

[He sinks slowly back in his chair again, the knuckles showing white on his clenched hands, his face tense with the effort to suppress his grief and rage.]

CHRIS--[In a cry of horrified pain.] Anna!

ANNA--[To him--seeming not to have heard their interruptions.] That was why I run away from the farm. That was what made me get a yob as nurse girl in St. Paul. [With a hard, mocking laugh.] And you think that was a nice yob for a girl, too, don't you? [Sarcastically.] With all them nice inland fellers yust looking for a chance to marry me, I s'pose.

Marry me? What a chance! They wasn't looking for marrying. [As BURKE lets a groan of fury escape him--desperately.] I'm owning up to everything fair and square. I was caged in, I tell you--yust like in yail--taking care of other people's kids--listening to 'em bawling and crying day and night--when I wanted to be out--and I was lonesome--lonesome as h.e.l.l! [With a sudden weariness in her voice.] So I give up finally. What was the use? [She stops and looks at the two men. Both are motionless and silent. CHRIS seems in a stupor of despair, his house of cards fallen about him. BURKE's face is livid with the rage that is eating him up, but he is too stunned and bewildered yet to find a vent for it. The condemnation she feels in their silence goads ANNA into a harsh, strident defiance.] You don't say nothing--either of you--but I know what you're thinking. You're like all the rest! [To CHRIS--furiously.] And who's to blame for it, me or you? If you'd even acted like a man--if you'd even been a regular father and had me with you--maybe things would be different!

CHRIS--[In agony.] Don't talk dat vay, Anna! Ay go crazy! Ay von't listen! [Puts his hands over his ears.]

ANNA--[Infuriated by his action--stridently.] You will too listen! [She leans over and pulls his hands from his ears--with hysterical rage.]

You--keeping me safe inland--I wasn't no nurse girl the last two years--I lied when I wrote you--I was in a house, that's what!--yes, that kind of a house--the kind sailors like you and Mat goes to in port--and your nice inland men, too--and all men, G.o.d d.a.m.n 'em! I hate 'em! Hate 'em! [She breaks into hysterical sobbing, throwing herself into the chair and hiding her face in her hands on the table. The two men have sprung to their feet.]

CHRIS--[Whimpering like a child.] Anna! Anna! It's lie! It's lie! [He stands wringing his hands together and begins to weep.]

BURKE--[His whole great body tense like a spring--dully and gropingly.]

So that's what's in it!

ANNA--[Raising her head at the sound of his voice--with extreme mocking bitterness.] I s'pose you remember your promise, Mat? No other reason was to count with you so long as I wasn't married already. So I s'pose you want me to get dressed and go ash.o.r.e, don't you? [She laughs.] Yes, you do!

BURKE--[On the verge of his outbreak--stammeringly.] G.o.d stiffen you!

ANNA--[Trying to keep up her hard, bitter tone, but gradually letting a note of pitiful pleading creep in.] I s'pose if I tried to tell you I wasn't--that--no more you'd believe me, wouldn't you? Yes, you would!

And if I told you that yust getting out in this barge, and being on the sea had changed me and made me feel different about things,'s if all I'd been through wasn't me and didn't count and was yust like it never happened--you'd laugh, wouldn't you? And you'd die laughing sure if I said that meeting you that funny way that night in the fog, and afterwards seeing that you was straight goods stuck on me, had got me to thinking for the first time, and I sized you up as a different kind of man--a sea man as different from the ones on land as water is from mud--and that was why I got stuck on you, too. I wanted to marry you and fool you, but I couldn't. Don't you see how I'd changed? I couldn't marry you with you believing a lie--and I was shamed to tell you the truth--till the both of you forced my hand, and I seen you was the same as all the rest. And now, give me a bawling out and beat it, like I can tell you're going to. [She stops, looking at BURKE. He is silent, his face averted, his features beginning to work with fury. She pleads pa.s.sionately.] Will you believe it if I tell you that loving you has made me--clean? It's the straight goods, honest! [Then as he doesn't reply--bitterly.] Like h.e.l.l you will! You're like all the rest!

BURKE--[Blazing out--turning on her in a perfect frenzy of rage--his voice trembling with pa.s.sion.] The rest, is it? G.o.d's curse on you!

Clane, is it? You s.l.u.t, you, I'll be killing you now! [He picks up the chair on which he has been sitting and, swinging it high over his shoulder, springs toward her. CHRIS rushes forward with a cry of alarm, trying to ward off the blow from his daughter. ANNA looks up into BURKE'S eyes with the fearlessness of despair. BURKE checks himself, the chair held in the air.]

CHRIS--[Wildly.] Stop, you crazy fool! You vant for murder her!

ANNA--[Pushing her father away brusquely, her eyes still holding BURKE'S.] Keep out of this, you! [To BURKE--dully.] Well, ain't you got the nerve to do it? Go ahead! I'll be thankful to you, honest. I'm sick of the whole game.

BURKE--[Throwing the chair away into a corner of the room--helplessly.]

I can't do it, G.o.d help me, and your two eyes looking at me.

[Furiously.] Though I do be thinking I'd have a good right to smash your skull like a rotten egg. Was there iver a woman in the world had the rottenness in her that you have, and was there iver a man the like of me was made the fool of the world, and me thinking thoughts about you, and having great love for you, and dreaming dreams of the fine life we'd have when we'd be wedded! [His voice high pitched in a lamentation that is like a keen]. Yerra, G.o.d help me! I'm destroyed entirely and my heart is broken in bits! I'm asking G.o.d Himself, was it for this He'd have me roaming the earth since I was a lad only, to come to black shame in the end, where I'd be giving a power of love to a woman is the same as others you'd meet in any hooker-shanty in port, with red gowns on them and paint on their grinning mugs, would be sleeping with any man for a dollar or two!

ANNA--[In a scream.] Don't, Mat! For Gawd's sake! [Then raging and pounding on the table with her hands.] Get out of here! Leave me alone!

Get out of here!

BURKE--[His anger rushing back on him.] I'll be going, surely! And I'll be drinking sloos of whiskey will wash that black kiss of yours off my lips; and I'll be getting dead rotten drunk so I'll not remember if 'twas iver born you was at all; and I'll be shipping away on some boat will take me to the other end of the world where I'll never see your face again! [He turns toward the door]

CHRIS--[Who has been standing in a stupor--suddenly grasping BURKE by the arm--stupidly] No, you don't go. Ay tank maybe it's better Anna marry you now.

BURKE--[Shaking CHRIS off--furiously] Lave go of me, ye old ape! Marry her, is it? I'd see her roasting in h.e.l.l first! I'm shipping away out of this, I'm telling you! [Pointing to Anna--pa.s.sionately] And my curse on you and the curse of Almighty G.o.d and all the Saints! You've destroyed me this day and may you lie awake in the long nights, tormented with thoughts of Mat Burke and the great wrong you've done him!

ANNA--[In anguish] Mat! [But he turns without another word and strides out of the doorway. ANNA looks after him wildly, starts to run after him, then hides her face in her outstretched arms, sobbing. CHRIS stands in a stupor, staring at the floor.]

CHRIS--[After a pause, dully.] Ay tank Ay go ash.o.r.e, too.

ANNA--[Looking up, wildly.] Not after him! Let him go! Don't you dare--

CHRIS--[Somberly.] Ay go for gat drink.

ANNA--[With a harsh laugh.] So I'm driving you to drink, too, eh? I s'pose you want to get drunk so's you can forget--like him?

CHRIS--[Bursting out angrily.] Yes, Ay vant! You tank Ay like hear dem tangs. [Breaking down--weeping.] Ay tank you vasn't dat kind of gel, Anna.

ANNA--[Mockingly.] And I s'pose you want me to beat it, don't you? You don't want me here disgracing you, I s'pose?

CHRIS--No, you stay here! [Goes over and pats her on the shoulder, the tears running down his face.] Ain't your fault, Anna, Ay know dat. [She looks up at him, softened. He bursts into rage.] It's dat ole davil, sea, do this to me! [He shakes his fist at the door.] It's her dirty tricks! It vas all right on barge with yust you and me. Den she bring dat Irish fallar in fog, she make you like him, she make you fight with me all time! If dat Irish fallar don't never come, you don't never tal me dem tangs, Ay don't never know, and every tang's all right. [He shakes his fist again,] Dirty ole davil!

ANNA--[With spent weariness.] Oh, what's the use? Go on ash.o.r.e and get drunk.

CHRIS--[Goes into room on left and gets his cap. He goes to the door, silent and stupid--then turns.] You vait here, Anna?

ANNA--[Dully] Maybe--and maybe not. Maybe I'll get drunk, too. Maybe I'll--But what the h.e.l.l do you care what I do? Go on and beat it.

[CHRIS turns stupidly and goes out. ANNA sits at the table, staring straight in front of her.]

[The Curtain Falls]

ACT IV

SCENE--Same as Act Three, about nine o'clock of a foggy night two days later. The whistles of steamers in the harbor can be heard. The cabin is lighted by a small lamp on the table. A suitcase stands in the middle of the floor. ANNA is sitting in the rocking-chair. She wears a hat, is all dressed up as in Act One. Her face is pale, looks terribly tired and worn, as if the two days just past had been ones of suffering and sleepless nights. She stares before her despondently, her chin in her hands. There is a timid knock on the door in rear. ANNA jumps to her feet with a startled exclamation and looks toward the door with an expression of mingled hope and fear.

ANNA--[Faintly.] Come in. [Then summoning her courage--more resolutely.] Come in. [The door is opened and CHRIS appears in the doorway. He is in a very bleary, bedraggled condition, suffering from the after effects of his drunk. A tin pail full of foaming beer is in his hand. He comes forward, his eyes avoiding ANNA'S. He mutters stupidly.] It's foggy.

ANNA--[Looking him over with contempt.] So you come back at last, did you? You're a fine looking sight! [Then jeeringly.] I thought you'd beaten it for good on account of the disgrace I'd brought on you.

CHRIS--[Wincing-faintly.] Don't say dat, Anna, please! [He sits in a chair by the table, setting down the can of beer, holding his head in his hands]

ANNA--[Looks at him with a certain sympathy.] What's the trouble?

Feeling sick?

CHRIS--[Dully.] Inside my head feel sick.

ANNA--Well, what d'you expect after being soused for two days?

[Resentfully.] It serves you right. A fine thing--you leaving me alone on this barge all that time!

CHRIS--[Humbly.] Ay'm sorry, Anna.

ANNA--[Scornfully] Sorry!

CHRIS--But Ay'm not sick inside head vay you mean. Ay'm sick from tank too much about you, about me.

ANNA--And how about me? D'you suppose I ain't been thinking, too?