And so you trade once more? FIRST MERCHANT. In spite of you. What brings you here, saint with the sapphire eyes? CATHLEEN. I come to barter a soul for a great price. FIRST MERCHANT. What matter if the soul be worth the price? CATHLEEN. The people starve, therefore the people go Thronging to you. I hear a cry come from them, And it is in my ears by night and day; And I would have five hundred thousand crowns, That I may feed them till the dearth go by; And have the wretched spirits you have bought For your gold crowns released and sent to God. The soul that I would barter is my soul. A PEASANT. Do not, do not; the souls of us poor folk Are not precious to God as your soul is. O! what would heaven do without you, lady? ANOTHER PEASANT. Look how their claws clutch in their leathern gloves. FIRST MERCHANT. Five hundred thousand crowns; we give the price, The gold is here; the spirits, while you speak, Begin to labour upward, for your face Sheds a great light on them and fills their hearts With those unveilings of the fickle light, Whereby our heavy labours have been marred Since first His spirit moved upon the deeps And stole them from us; even before this day The souls were but half ours, for your bright eyes Had pierced them through and robbed them of content. But you must sign, for we omit no form In buying a soul like yours; sign with this quill; It was a feather growing on the cock That crowed when Peter dared deny his Master, And all who use it have great honour in Hell. [_CATHLEEN leans forward to sign._ ALEEL. [_Rushing forward and snatching the parchment from her._] Leave all things to the builder of the heavens. CATHLEEN. I have no thoughts: I hear a cry—a cry. ALEEL. [_Casting the parchment on the ground._] I had a vision under a green hedge, A hedge of hips and haws—men yet shall hear The archangels rolling Satan’s empty skull Over the mountain-tops. FIRST MERCHANT. Take him away. [_TEIG and SHEMUS drag him roughly away so that he falls upon the floor among the peasants. CATHLEEN picks up the parchment and signs, and then turns towards the peasants._ CATHLEEN. Take up the money; and now come with me. When we are far from this polluted place I will give everybody money enough. [_She goes out, the peasants crowding round her and kissing her dress. ALEEL and the TWO MERCHANTS are left alone._ SECOND MERCHANT. Now are our days of heavy labour done. FIRST MERCHANT. We have a precious jewel for Satan’s crown. SECOND MERCHANT. We must away, and wait until she dies, Sitting above her tower as two gray owls, Watching as many years as may be, guarding Our precious jewel; waiting to seize her soul. FIRST MERCHANT.