There are some men who hold they have wolves' heads, And say their limbs--dried by the infinite flame-- Have all the speed of storms; others, again, Say they are gross and little; while a few Will have it they seem much as mortals are, But tall and brown and travelled--like us, lady-- Yet all agree a power is in their looks That makes men bow, and flings a casting-net About their souls, and that all men would go And barter those poor vapours, were it not You bribe them with the safety of your gold. CATHLEEN Praise be to God, to Mary, and the angels That I am wealthy! Wherefore do they sell? FIRST MERCHANT As we came in at the great door we saw Your porter sleeping in his niche--a soul Too little to be worth a hundred pence, And yet they buy it for a hundred crowns. But for a soul like yours, I heard them say, They would give five hundred thousand crowns and more. CATHLEEN How can a heap of crowns pay for a soul? Is the green grave so terrible a thing? FIRST MERCHANT Some sell because the money gleams, and some Because they are in terror of the grave, And some because their neighbours sold before, And some because there is a kind of joy In casting hope away, in losing joy, In ceasing all resistance, in at last Opening one's arms to the eternal flames, In casting all sails out upon the wind; To this--full of the gaiety of the lost-- Would all folk hurry if your gold were gone. CATHLEEN There is a something, Merchant, in your voice That makes me fear. When you were telling how A man may lose his soul and lose his God Your eyes were lighted up, and when you told How my poor money serves the people, both-- Merchants forgive me--seemed to smile. FIRST MERCHANT I laugh To think that all these people should be swung As on a lady's shoe-string,--under them The glowing leagues of never-ending flame. CATHLEEN There is a something in you that I fear; A something not of us; were you not born In some most distant corner of the world? (_The_ SECOND MERCHANT, _who has been listening at the door, comes forward, and as he comes a sound of voices and feet is heard_.) SECOND MERCHANT Away now--they are in the passage--hurry, For they will know us, and freeze up our hearts With Ave Marys, and burn all our skin With holy water. FIRST MERCHANT Farewell; for we must ride Many a mile before the morning come; Our horses beat the ground impatiently. (_They go out._ _A number of_ PEASANTS _enter by other door_.) FIRST PEASANT Forgive us, lady, but we heard a noise. SECOND PEASANT We sat by the fireside telling vanities. FIRST PEASANT We heard a noise, but though we have searched the house We have found nobody. CATHLEEN