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Then he interrupts the chantymans tirade by a sharpcommand.
She looks wildly at
Lavinias frozen accusing face. She even followed me toNew York, when I went to
see your sick grandfather, to spy on me.
Their voices are heard and amoment
later they enter on the poop deck, from left. There is a chair by the dead mans
head, at front of bier. Theyre not fur sailormen likeyou an me, less were
lookin fur sorrow!
Ill tell you thejoke about that heroic deed.
Vinnie suspects
me of having poisoned your father! And allthe mothers and wives and sisters and
girls did the same! And toimagine for a moment, if he were, hed ever come here
to visit! The breaking of the waves was your voice. I happened to meet him and
heasked me to go with him to call on his daughter.
Even if you convinced him I
poisoned your father, youcouldnt!
You must be damned anxious to getrid of me
again!
I tell you, Orin, you cant realize how sheschanged while youve been
away!
He hurries along the deck anddisappears off left to meet her. They dont
knowIve gone and even after theyve found out they cant prove where Iwent.
Orinis holding in a savage, revengeful rage.
Christine beginsto speak in a low
voice, coolly defiant, almost triumphant. He wears a long cloak over his
uniform and has a slouchhat pulled down over his eyes.
She stands by the headof
the bier and faces him. You cant get him to go to the police foryou.
Ill have
you declared insane by DoctorBlake and put away in an asylum!
Dont you realize
he was your father and he isdead? If you knew all the hell Ive been through!
Her lips open as if tospeak but she closes them again. I was always
volunteering for extradanger.
Steer clear o gals or theyll skin your hide off
an use itfur a carpet!
So early in the morning The sailor likes his bottle
oh!
I tell you, Orin, you cant realize how sheschanged while youve been
away!
He burstsagain into his mournful dirge, his voice receding. And do you
remember how you usedto let me brush your hair and how I loved to? If
thatstrue, she ought to be put in an asylum!
All issunk but honor, as the
feller says, an theres damn little o thatafloat! Sometimein some war they ought
to make the women take the mens place for amonth or so. There is a chair by the
dead mans head, at front of bier.
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