Ireland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction; Short stories, Irish
"The sun has gone out of the sky," she heard him exalt. "The day of
wrath is on us. The God of the Hebrews will judge the just and the
unjust. O Philistines, your day has come. The sun has gone out of the
sky."
She flew to him, her feet hardly touching the grass.
"The sun has gone out of the sky," he chanted; "now is silence, but
soon the mountains will rend, the cliffs fall, and the Lord God of
Hosts will appear in thunder!"
"Oh, Samson, Samson!" Her face was a wet mask of tears. Her arms went
quickly about him. "Listen, Samson!"
"Delilah, the sun has gone out of the sky!"
"Samson, Samson, you are great, you are big, you are brave. Be brave
now, heart of hearts--"
"The Day of Days is here. The sun has gone out of the sky."
"Worse, my darling, worse. Worse than that the sun should be gone from
the sky. The sun, Samson, the sun--the sun has gone out of your eyes!"
VI
"Then I am blind," he said quietly, after a little while.
"Dearest, I shall be eyes for you, watching, wary. Oh, poor, poor
Samson, put your head on my shoulder, your eyes close to my heart. You
shall see with my heart. I give it to you to see with.... Cry,
Samson, if you must, cry on my shoulder." She sought to draw him
closer to the haven of her breast. But he had stiffened, and his great
hand and arm had stiffened. He just moved her ponderously aside....
He raised his head to the autumn sky, and a great bellow came from his
chest.
"The Philistines are upon me. They have put out my eyes."
"Samson! Dear heart, listen--"
"They have shaven the seven locks of my head. They have taken my
strength from me. They have put out my eyes."
"Samson, Samson, listen. It is I, Delilah. Don't you know me?"
His great roar had brought out the household, and men from the
hillside, and stopped folk on the road. And they all came running now
thinking some murder was being done.
"I know you, Delilah. I know you well. The Lords of the Philistines
gave you silver to entice me. I knew you, and the Lord departed from
me."
"Samson, don't! Don't, Samson!"
"Away, harlot!" And he struck at her blindly. Only the tips of his
fingers touched her shoulder, but the force of them sent her to the
ground. Her household crouched to spring.
"For God's sake, no!" she almost screamed at them.
"The Philistines are upon me. They have put out my eyes!" he roared.
He went stumbling piteously through the orchard, the trunks of the
trees hurtling him, the branches striking his defenseless face.
Somehow he gained the road: "Delilah, the great whore, enticed me, and
the Lords of the Philistines put out my eyes--" his piteous bellow was
like the crying of some stricken animal. Delilah called a serving-lad.
"Go after my lord Samson," she said, "and lead him whithersoever he
wishes."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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