Overview
- Female: 2
- Male: 0
Context
Anne Chute is engaged to her cousin Hardress Cregan, but she is really in love with Kyrle Daly. Kyrle has been hesitant to confess his love, so Anne rides to Muckross Head and the provincial village to seek out who he might be in love with. Anne meets Eily, and believes that Kyrle is actually secretly married to the common girl. However, Eily’s secret marriage is actually to Hardress, and she has no idea who Kyrle is. The scene itself is based on that misunderstanding, and has hints of comedy
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Eily is alone in the cottage, singing. Enter Anne Chute.
Anne: There she is.
Eily: (Sings till facing Anne—stops—they examine each other.)
Anne: My name is Anne Chute.
Eily: I am Eily O’Connor.
Anne: You are the Colleen Bawn—the pretty girl.
Eily: And you are the Colleen Ruaidh.
Anne: (Aside.) She is beautiful.
Eily: (Aside.) How lovely she is.
Anne: We are rivals.
Eily: I am sorry for it.
Anne: So am I, for I feel that I could have loved you.
Eily: That’s always the way of it; everybody wants to love me, but there’s something spoils them off.
Anne: (Showing letter.) Do you know that writing?
Eily: I do, ma’am, well, though I don’t know how you came by it.
Anne: I saw your signals last night—I saw his departure, and I have come here to convince myself of his falsehood to me. But now that I have seen you, you have no longer a rival in his love, for I despise him with all my heart, who could bring one so beautiful and simple as you are to ruin and shame!
Eily: He didn’t—no—I am his wife! Oh, what have I said!
Anne: What?
Eily: Oh, I didn’t mane to confess it—no, I didn’t! but you wrung it from me in defense of him.
Anne: You his wife? I can not believe this—show me your certificate.
Eily: Here it is.
Anne: Eily, forgive me for doubting your goodness, and your purity. I believe you. Let me take your hand. (Crosses to her.) While the heart of Anne Chute beats, you have a friend that won’t be spoiled off, but you have no longer a rival, mind that. All I ask of you is that you will never mention this visit to Mr. Daly.
Links
Full text of The Colleen Bawn: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/52924/52924-h/52924-h.htm
The 1911 silent film version of The Colleen Bawn: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwR94ukHDdQ
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