Scene II An Apartment in the Castle
ARKËL, GOLAUD, and the PHYSICIAN discovered in one corner of the room. MÉLISANDE is stretched upon her bed.
THE PHYSICIAN.
It cannot be of that little wound she is dying; a bird would not have died of it…. It is not you, then, who have killed her, good my lord; do not be so disconsolate…. She could not have lived…. She was born without reason … to die; and she dies without reason…. And then, it is not sure we shall not save her….
Arkël
No, no; it seems to me we keep too silent, in spite of ourselves, in her room…. It is not a good sign…. Look how she sleeps … slowly, slowly;… it is as if her soul was cold forever….
Golaud
I have killed her without cause! I have killed her without cause!… Is it not enough to make the stones weep?… They had kissed like little children…. They had simply kissed…. They were brother and sister…. And I, and I at once!… I did it in spite of myself, look you…. I did it in spite of myself….
The Physician
Stop; I think she is waking….
Mélisande
Open the window;… open the window….
Arkël
Shall I open this one, Mélisande?
Mélisande
No, no; the great window … the great window…. It is to see….
Arkël
Is not the sea air too cold to-night? Do it; do it….
Mélisande
Thanks…. Is it sunset?
Arkël
Yes; it is sunset on the sea; it is late.—How are you, Mélisande?
Mélisande
Well, well.—Why do you ask that? I have never been better.—And yet it seems to me I know something….
Arkël
What sayest thou?—I do not understand thee….
Mélisande
Neither do I understand all I say, you see…. I do not know what I am saying…. I do not know what I know…. I no longer say what I would….
Arkël
Why, yes! why, yes!… I am quite happy to hear thee speak so; thou hast raved a little these last days, and one no longer understood thee…. But now all that is far away….
Mélisande
I do not know….—Are you all alone in the room, grandfather?
Arkël
No; there is the physician, besides, who cured thee….
Mélisande
Ah!…
Arkël
And then there is still some one else….
Mélisande
Who is it?
Arkël
It is … thou must not be frightened…. He does not wish thee the least harm, be sure…. If thou’rt afraid, he will go away…. He is very unhappy….
Mélisande
Who is it?
Arkël
It is thy … thy husband…. It is Golaud….
Mélisande
Golaud is here? Why does he not come by me?
GOLAUD (dragging himself toward the bed.)
Mélisande … Mélisande….
Mélisande
Is it you, Golaud? I should hardly recognize you any more…. It is the evening sunlight in my eyes…. Why look you on the walls? You have grown thin and old…. Is it a long while since we saw each other?
GOLAUD (to ARKËL and the PHYSICIAN).
Will you withdraw a moment, if you please, if you please?… I will leave the door wide open…. One moment only…. I would say something to her; else I could not die…. Will you?—Go clear to the end of the corridor; you can come back at once, at once…. Do not refuse me this…. I am a wretch…. [Exit ARKËL and the PHYSICIAN.]—Mélisande, hast thou pity on me, as I have pity on thee?… Mélisande?… Dost thou forgive me, Mélisande?…
Mélisande
Yes, yes, I do forgive thee…. What must I forgive?…
Golaud
I have wrought thee so much ill, Mélisande…. I cannot tell thee the ill I have wrought thee…. But I see it, I see it so clearly to-day … since the first day…. And all I did not know till now leaps in my eyes to-night…. And it is all my fault, all that has happened, all that will happen…. If I could tell it, thou wouldst see as I do!… I see all! I see all!… But I loved thee so!… I loved thee so!… But now there is some one dying…. It is I who am dying…. And I would know…. I would ask thee…. Thou’lt bear me no ill-will…. I would…. The truth must be told to a dying man…. He must know the truth, or else he could not sleep…. Swearest thou to tell me the truth?
Mélisande
Yes.
Golaud
Didst thou love Pélléas?
Mélisande
Why, yes; I loved him.—Where is he?
Golaud
Thou dost not understand me?—Thou wilt not understand me?—It seems to me … it seems to me…. Well, then, here: I ask thee if thou lovedst him with a forbidden love?… Wert thou … were you guilty? Say, say, yes, yes, yes!…
Mélisande
No, no; we were not guilty.—Why do you ask that?
Golaud
Mélisande!… tell me the truth, for the love of God!
Mélisande
Why have I not told the truth?
Golaud
Do not lie so any more, at the moment of death!
Mélisande
Who is dying?—Is it I?
Golaud
Thou, thou! and I, I too, after thee!… And we must have the truth…. We must have the truth at last, dost thou understand?… Tell me all! Tell me all! I forgive thee all!…
Mélisande
Why am I going to die?—I did not know it….
Golaud
Thou knowest it now!… It is time! It is time!… Quick! quick!… The truth! the truth!…
Mélisande
The truth … the truth….
Golaud
Where art thou?—Mélisande!—Where art thou?—It is not natural! Mélisande! Where art thou?—Where goest thou? [Perceiving ARKËL and the PHYSICIAN at the door of the room.]— Yes, yes; you may come in…. I know nothing; it is useless…. It is too late; she is already too far away from us…. I shall never know!… I shall die here like a blind man!…
Arkël
What have you done? You will kill her….
Golaud
I have already killed her….
Arkël
Mélisande….
Mélisande
Is it you, grandfather?
Arkël
Yes, my daughter…. What would you have me do?
Mélisande
Is it true that the winter is beginning?…
Arkël
Why dost thou ask?
Mélisande
Because it is cold, and there are no more leaves….
Arkël
Thou art cold?—Wilt thou have the windows closed?
Mélisande
No, no,… not till the sun be at the bottom of the sea.—It sinks slowly; then it is the winter beginning?
Arkël
Yes.—Thou dost not like the winter?
Mélisande
Oh! no. I am afraid of the cold.—I am so afraid of the great cold….
Arkël
Dost thou feel better?
Mélisande
Yes, yes; I have no longer all those qualms….
Arkël
Wouldst thou see thy child?
Mélisande
What child?
Arkël
Thy child.—Thou art a mother…. Thou hast brought a little daughter into the world….
Mélisande
Where is she?
Arkël
Here….
Mélisande
It is strange…. I cannot lift my arms to take her….
Arkël
Because you are still very weak…. I will hold her myself; look….
Mélisande
She does not laugh…. She is little…. She is going to weep too…. I pity her….
[The room has been invaded, little by little, by the women servants of the castle, who range themselves in silence along the walls and wait]
GOLAUD (rising abruptly).
What is the matter?—What are all these women coming here for?…
The Physician
It is the servants….
Arkël
Who was it called them?
The Physician
It was not I….
Golaud
Why do you come here?—No one has asked for you…. What come you here to do?—But what is it, then?—Answer me!… [The servants make no answer.
Arkël
Do not speak too loud…. She is going to sleep; she has closed her eyes….
Golaud
It is not…?
The Physician
No, no; see, she breathes….
Arkël
Her eyes are full of tears.—It is her soul weeping now…. Why does she stretch her arms out so?—What would she?
The Physician
It is toward the child, without doubt…. It is the straggle of motherhood against…
Golaud
At this moment?—At this moment?—You must say. Say! Say!…
The Physician
Perhaps.
Golaud
At once?… Oh! oh! I must tell her….—Mélisande! Mélisande!… Leave me alone! leave me alone with her!…
Arkël
No, no; do not come near…. Trouble her not…. Speak no more to her…. You know not what the soul is….
Golaud
It is not my fault!… It is not my fault!
Arkël
Hush!… Hush!… We must speak softly now.—She must not be disturbed…. The human soul is very silent…. The human soul likes to depart alone…. It suffers so timorously…. But the sadness, Golaud … the sadness of all we see!… Oh! oh! oh!… [At this moment, all the servants fall suddenly on their knees at the back of the chamber.]
ARKËL (turning).
What is the matter?
THE PHYSICIAN (approaching the bed and feeling the body).
They are right…. [A long silence.
Arkël
I saw nothing.—Are you sure?…
The Physician
Yes, yes.
Arkël
I heard nothing…. So quick, so quick!… All at once!… She goes without a word….
GOLAUD (sobbing).
Oh! oh! oh!
Arkël
Do not stay here, Golaud…. She must have silence now…. Come, come…. It is terrible, but it is not your fault…. ’T was a little being, so quiet, so fearful, and so silent…. ’T was a poor little mysterious being, like everybody…. She lies there as if she were the big sister of her child…. Come, come…. My God! My God!… I shall never understand it at all…. Let us not stay here.—Come; the child most not stay here in this room…. She must live now in her place…. It is the poor little one’s turn…. [They go out in silence.
[CURTAIN.]
Alladine and Palomides.
To Camille Mauclair.
Persons.
Ablamore
Astolaine, daughter of Ablamore.
Alladine
Palomides
The Sisters of Palomides
A Physician
[NOTE: The translation of Ablamore’s song is taken from the version of this play made by the editors of “Poet-lore.” R.H.]
Alladine and Palomides.