[SHALE comes in. HUFF glares at him speechless, but with wrath evidently working.]
Shale:
Where"s the joker? You, is it? Here"s hot news You"ve brought us; all the valley"s hissing aloud, And makes as much of you falling into it As a pail of water would of a glowing coal.
Sollers:
Don"t you start burbling too, Shale.
Shale:
That"s the word!
Burbling, simmering, ay and b.u.mpy-boiling: All the women are mobbed together close Under the witan-trees, and their full minds Boil like so many pans slung on a fire.
Why, starlings trooping in a copse in fall Could make no scandal like it.
Merrick:
What is it, man?
Shale:
End of the World! The flying star! End of the World!
Sollers:
They don"t believe it though?
Shale:
What? the whole place Has gone just randy over it!
Merrick:
Hold your noise!
Sollers:
I shall be daft if this goes on.
Shale:
Ay, so?
The End of the World"s been here? You look as though You"d startled lately. And there"s the virtuous man!
How would End of the World suit our good Huff, Our old crab-verjuice Huff?
HUFF (seizing the DOWSER and bringing him up in front of SHALE):
Look at him there!
This is the man I told you of when you Were talking small of sin. You made it out, Did you, a fool"s mere nasty game, like dogs That snuggle in muck, and grin and roll themselves With snorting pleasure? Ah, but you are wrong.
"Tis something that goes thrusting dreadfully Its wilful bravery of evil against The worth and right of goodness in the world: Ay, do you see how his face still brags at me?
And long it has been, the time he"s had to walk Lording about me with his wickedness.
Do you know what he dared? I had a wife, A flighty pretty linnet-headed girl, But mine: he practised on her with his eyes; He knew of luring glances, and she went After his calling l.u.s.t: and all since then They"ve lived together, fleering in my face, Pleased in sight of the windows of my house With doing wrong, and making my disgrace.
O but wait here with me; wait till your news Is not to be mistaken, for the way The earth buckles and singes like hot boards: You"ll surely see how dreadful sin can be Then, when you mark these two running about, With raging fear for what they did against me Buzzing close to their souls, stinging their hearts, And they like scampering beasts when clegs are fierce, Or flinging themselves low as the ground to writhe, Their arms hugging their desperate heads. And then You"ll see what "tis to be an upright man, Who keeps a patient anger for his wrongs Thinking of judgment coming--you will see that When you mark how my looks hunt these wretches, And smile upon their groans and posturing anguish.
O watch how calm I"ll be, when the blazing air Judges their wickedness; you watch me then Looking delighted, like a n.o.bleman Who sees his horse winning an easy race.
Merrick:
You fool, Huff, you believe it now!
Huff:
You fool, Merrick, how should I not believe a thing That calls aloud on my mind and spirit, and they Answer to it like starving conquering soldiers Told to break out and loot?
Shale:
You vile old wasp!
Sollers:
We"ve talkt enough: let"s all go home and sleep; There might be a fiend in the air about us, one Who pours his will into our minds to see How we can frighten one another.
Huff:
A fiend!
Shale will soon have the flapping wings of a fiend, And flaming wings, beating about his head.
There"ll be no air for Shale, very soon now, But the breathing of a fiend: the star"s coming!
The star that breathes a horrible fury of fire Like glaring fog into the empty night; And in the gust of its wrath the world will soon Shrivel and spin like paper in a furnace.
I knew they both would have to pay me at last With sight of their d.a.m.ned souls for all my wrong!
Shale: