ANNA--[Dully.] Where's this ship going to?

CHRIS--Cape Town. Dat's in South Africa. She's British steamer called Londonderry. [He stands hesitatingly--finally blurts out.] Anna--you forgive me sure?

ANNA--[Wearily.] Sure I do. You ain't to blame. You're yust--what you are--like me.

CHRIS--[Pleadingly.] Den--you lat me kiss you again once?

ANNA--[Raising her face--forcing a wan smile.] Sure. No hard feelings.

CHRIS--[Kisses her--brokenly.] Anna lilla! Ay--[He fights for words to express himself, but finds none--miserably--with a sob.] Ay can't say it. Good-night, Anna.

ANNA--Good-night. [He picks up the can of beer and goes slowly into the room on left, his shoulders bowed, his head sunk forward dejectedly. He closes the door after him. ANNA turns over the pages of the magazine, trying desperately to banish her thoughts by looking at the pictures.

This fails to distract her, and flinging the magazine back on the table, she springs to her feet and walks about the cabin distractedly, clenching and unclenching her hands. She speaks aloud to herself in a tense, trembling voice.] Gawd, I can't stand this much longer! What am I waiting for anyway?--like a d.a.m.n fool! [She laughs helplessly, then checks herself abruptly, as she hears the sound of heavy footsteps on the deck outside. She appears to recognize these and her face lights up with joy. She gasps:] Mat! [A strange terror seems suddenly to seize her. She rushes to the table, takes the revolver out of drawer and crouches down in the corner, left, behind the cupboard. A moment later the door is flung open and MAT BURKE appears in the doorway. He is in bad shape--his clothes torn and dirty, covered with sawdust as if he had been grovelling or sleeping on barroom floors. There is a red bruise on his forehead over one of his eyes, another over one cheekbone, his knuckles are skinned and raw--plain evidence of the fighting he has been through on his "bat." His eyes are bloodshot and heavy-lidded, his face has a bloated look. But beyond these appearances--the results of heavy drinking--there is an expression in his eyes of wild mental turmoil, of impotent animal rage baffled by its own abject misery.]

BURKE--[Peers blinkingly about the cabin--hoa.r.s.ely.] Let you not be hiding from me, whoever's here--though 'tis well you know I'd have a right to come back and murder you. [He stops to listen. Hearing no sound, he closes the door behind him and comes forward to the table. He throws himself into the rocking-chair--despondently.] There's no one here, I'm thinking, and 'tis a great fool I am to be coming. [With a sort of dumb, uncomprehending anguish.] Yerra, Mat Burke, 'tis a great jacka.s.s you've become and what's got into you at all, at all? She's gone out of this long ago, I'm telling you, and you'll never see her face again. [ANNA stands up, hesitating, struggling between joy and fear. BURKE'S eyes fall on ANNA'S bag. He leans over to examine it.]

What's this? [Joyfully.] It's hers. She's not gone! But where is she?

Ash.o.r.e? [Darkly.] What would she be doing ash.o.r.e on this rotten night?

[His face suddenly convulsed with grief and rage.] 'Tis that, is it?

Oh, G.o.d's curse on her! [Raging.] I'll wait 'till she comes and choke her dirty life out. [ANNA starts, her face grows hard. She steps into the room, the revolver in her right hand by her side.]

ANNA--[In a cold, hard tone.] What are you doing here?

BURKE--[Wheeling about with a terrified gasp] Glory be to G.o.d! [They remain motionless and silent for a moment, holding each other's eyes.]

ANNA--[In the same hard voice] Well, can't you talk?

BURKE--[Trying to fall into an easy, careless tone] You've a year's growth scared out of me, coming at me so sudden and me thinking I was alone.

ANNA--You've got your nerve b.u.t.ting in here without knocking or nothing. What d'you want?

BURKE--[Airily] Oh, nothing much. I was wanting to have a last word with you, that's all. [He moves a step toward her.]

ANNA--[Sharply--raising the revolver in her hand.] Careful now! Don't try getting too close. I heard what you said you'd do to me.

BURKE--[Noticing the revolver for the first time.] Is it murdering me you'd be now, G.o.d forgive you? [Then with a contemptuous laugh.] Or is it thinking I'd be frightened by that old tin whistle? [He walks straight for her.]

ANNA--[Wildly.] Look out, I tell you!

BURKE--[Who has come so close that the revolver is almost touching his chest.] Let you shoot, then! [Then with sudden wild grief.] Let you shoot, I'm saying, and be done with it! Let you end me with a shot and I'll be thanking you, for it's a rotten dog's life I've lived the past two days since I've known what you are, 'til I'm after wishing I was never born at all!

ANNA--[Overcome--letting the revolver drop to the floor, as if her fingers had no strength to hold it--hysterically.] What d'you want coming here? Why don't you beat it? Go on! [She pa.s.ses him and sinks down in the rocking-chair.]

BURKE--[Following her--mournfully.] 'Tis right you'd be asking why did I come. [Then angrily.] 'Tis because 'tis a great weak fool of the world I am, and me tormented with the wickedness you'd told of yourself, and drinking oceans of booze that'd make me forget. Forget?

Divil a word I'd forget, and your face grinning always in front of my eyes, awake or asleep, 'til I do be thinking a madhouse is the proper place for me.

ANNA--[Glancing at his hands and--face--scornfully] You look like you ought to be put away some place. Wonder you wasn't pulled in. You been sc.r.a.pping, too, ain't you?

BURKE--I have--with every scut would take off his coat to me!

[Fiercely.] And each time I'd be hitting one a clout in the mug, it wasn't his face I'd be seeing at all, but yours, and me wanting to drive you a blow would knock you out of this world where I wouldn't be seeing or thinking more of you.

ANNA--[Her lips trembling pitifully] Thanks!

BURKE--[Walking up and down--distractedly.] That's right, make game of me! Oh, I'm a great coward surely, to be coming back to speak with you at all. You've a right to laugh at me.

ANNA--I ain't laughing at you, Mat.

BURKE--[Unheeding.] You to be what you are, and me to be Mat Burke, and me to be drove back to look at you again! 'Tis black shame is on me!

ANNA--[Resentfully.] Then get out. No one's holding you!

BURKE--[Bewilderedly] And me to listen to that talk from a woman like you and be frightened to close her mouth with a slap! Oh, G.o.d help me, I'm a yellow coward for all men to spit at! [Then furiously] But I'll not be getting out of this 'till I've had me word. [Raising his fist threateningly] And let you look out how you'd drive me! [Letting his fist fall helplessly] Don't be angry now! I'm raving like a real lunatic, I'm thinking, and the sorrow you put on me has my brains drownded in grief. [Suddenly bending down to her and grasping her arm intensely] Tell me it's a lie, I'm saying! That's what I'm after coming to hear you say.

ANNA--[Dully] A lie? What?

BURKE--[With pa.s.sionate entreaty] All the badness you told me two days back. Sure it must be a lie! You was only making game of me, wasn't you? Tell me 'twas a lie, Anna, and I'll be saying prayers of thanks on my two knees to the Almighty G.o.d!

ANNA--[Terribly shaken--faintly.] I can't. Mat. [As he turns away--imploringly.] Oh, Mat, won't you see that no matter what I was I ain't that any more? Why, listen! I packed up my bag this afternoon and went ash.o.r.e. I'd been waiting here all alone for two days, thinking maybe you'd come back--thinking maybe you'd think over all I'd said--and maybe--oh, I don't know what I was hoping! But I was afraid to even go out of the cabin for a second, honest--afraid you might come and not find me here. Then I gave up hope when you didn't show up and I went to the railroad station. I was going to New York. I was going back--

BURKE--[Hoa.r.s.ely.] G.o.d's curse on you!

ANNA--Listen, Mat! You hadn't come, and I'd gave up hope. But--in the station--I couldn't go. I'd bought my ticket and everything. [She takes the ticket from her dress and tries to hold it before his eyes.] But I got to thinking about you--and I couldn't take the train--I couldn't!

So I come back here--to wait some more. Oh, Mat, don't you see I've changed? Can't you forgive what's dead and gone--and forget it?

BURKE--[Turning on her--overcome by rage again.] Forget, is it? I'll not forget 'til my dying day, I'm telling you, and me tormented with thoughts. [In a frenzy.] Oh, I'm wishing I had wan of them fornenst me this minute and I'd beat him with my fists 'till he'd be a b.l.o.o.d.y corpse! I'm wishing the whole lot of them will roast in h.e.l.l 'til the Judgment Day--and yourself along with them, for you're as bad as they are.

ANNA--[Shuddering.] Mat! [Then after a pause--in a voice of dead, stony calm.] Well, you've had your say. Now you better beat it.

BURKE--[Starts slowly for the door--hesitates--then after a pause.] And what'll you be doing?

ANNA--What difference does it make to you?

BURKE--I'm asking you!

ANNA--[In the same tone.] My bag's packed and I got my ticket. I'll go to New York to-morrow.

BURKE--[Helplessly.] You mean--you'll be doing the same again?

ANNA--[Stonily.] Yes.

BURKE--[In anguish.] You'll not! Don't torment me with that talk! 'Tis a she-divil you are sent to drive me mad entirely!

ANNA--[Her voice breaking.] Oh, for Gawd's sake, Mat, leave me alone!

Go away! Don't you see I'm licked? Why d'you want to keep on kicking me?

BURKE--[Indignantly.] And don't you deserve the worst I'd say, G.o.d forgive you?

ANNA--All right. Maybe I do. But don't rub it in. Why ain't you done what you said you was going to? Why ain't you got that ship was going to take you to the other side of the earth where you'd never see me again?