GOD OF MY FAITH A PLAY FOR PACIFISTS "If the God of my Faith be a liar THE PEOPLE IN THE PLAY NELSON DARTREY DERMOD GILRUTH The action passes in Dartrey's Chambers in the late Spring of (The lowering of the Curtain momentarily will denote the passing of several days.) GOD OF MY FAITH The curtain discloses a dark oak room. NELSON DARTREY is seated at a writing table studying maps. He is a man in the early thirties, prematurely worn and old. His face is burned a deep brick color and is sharpened by fatigue and loss of blood. His hair is sparse, dry and turning gray. Around the upper part of his head is a bandage covered largely by a black skull-cap. Of over average height the man is spare and muscular. The eye is keen and penetrating; his voice abrupt and authoritative. An occasional flash of humor brings an old-time twinkle to the one and heartiness to the other. He is wearing the undress uniform of a major in the British army. The door bell rings. With an impatient ejaculation he goes into the passage and opens the outer door. Standing outside cheerfully humming a tune is a large, forceful, breezy young man of twenty-eight. He is DERMOD GILRUTH. Splendid in physique, charming of manner, his slightly-marked Dublin accent lends a piquancy to his conversation. He has all the ease and poise of a traveled, polished young man of breeding. Dartrey's face brightens as he holds out a welcoming hand. Hello, Gil. DARTREY GILRUTH (Saluting him as he laughs genially) May I come into officers' quarters? DARTREY I'm glad to have you. I'm quite alone with hours on my hands. (He brings Gilruth into the room and wheels a comfortable leather arm chair in front of him) Sit down. GILRUTH Indeed I will not. Look at your desk there. I'll not interrupt your geography for more than a minute. DARTREY (Forces him into the chair) I'm glad to get away from it. Why, you look positively boyish. And why not? I am a boy. (Chuckles) GILRUTH DARTREY What are you so pleased with yourself about? GILRUTH The greatest thing in the world for youth and high-spirits. I'm Of course you don't know. You've never tried it. I should think not. DARTREY GILRUTH Well, I'm going to and I want you to father me. GILRUTH Well, I do want you to. DARTREY All right. GILRUTH You don't mind now? DARTREY My dear chap. It's charming of you to think of me. GILRUTH I've known you longer than any one over here. And I like you better. So there you are. (Laughing) DARTREY Poor old Dermod! Well, well! GILRUTH There's nothing to laugh at, or "well, well" about. She's never been over before. Everything will be new to her. I tell you it's going to be wonderful. I've planned out the most delightful trip through Ireland-she's Irish, too. Is she? DARTREY GILRUTH But, like me, born in America. She's crazy to see the old country. She's beautiful, she's brilliant: she's good-she's everything a man could wish. DARTREY That's the spirit. Will you make your home over here? GILRUTH No. We'll stay till the autumn. Then I must Then I must go back to America. But some day when all this fighting is over and people talk of something besides killing each other I want to have a home in Ireland. DARTREY I suppose most of you Irishmen in America want to do that? GILRUTH Indeed they do not. Once they get out to America and do well they stay there and become citizens. My father did. Do you think he'd live in Ireland now? Not he. He talks all the time about Ireland and the hated Sassenachs-that's what he calls you English—and he urges the fellows at home in the old country to fight for their rights. But since he made his fortune and became an American citizen the devil a foot has he ever put on Irish soil. He's always going, but he hasn't got there yet. And as for living there? Oh, no, America is good enough for him, because his interests are there. I want to live in Ireland because my heart is there. So was my poor mother's. |