FOURTH ACT.
SCENE I.
(A passage way in the Castle).
Pelléas.
Where go you? I must speak to you this evening. Shall I see you?
Melisande.
Yes.
Pelléas.
I am just leaving my father's room. He is better. The physician has told us that he is safe. He knew me. He took my hand and said to me with that strange expression he has assumed since he is ill: "Is it you, Pelléas? Ah, I had never remarked it, but you have the grave and friendly face of those who will not live long. You must travel; you must travel…" It is strange; I am about to obey him… My mother listened to him and wept with joy. You have not perceived it? The whole house seems to revive already, one hears people breathe, one hears them walk… Listen, I hear talking behind this door. Quick, quick, answer quickly, where will I see you?
Melisande.
Where would you?
Pelléas.
In the park; near the fountain of the blind? Will you, will you come?
Melisande.
Yes.
Pelléas.
It will be the last evening. I am about to travel as my father said. You will see me no more…
Melisande.
Do not say that, Pelléas… I will see you always; I will look on you always…
Pelléas.
You will look in vain… I shall be so far that you will be unable to see me more.
Melisande.
What has happened, Pelléas? I no longer understand what you say…
Pelléas.
Go away, go away. Let us separate. I hear talking behind this door.
Arkel.
Now that the father of Pelléas is saved, and that sickness, the old maid-servant of death, has left the Castle, a little joy and a little sun are at last to re-enter the house… It was time! For since your coming, we have lived here only in whispering around a closed room… And really I pitied you, Melisande… I observed you, you were there, careless, perhaps, but with the strange and wild air of someone who awaited always a great misfortune, by sunlight, in a beautiful garden… I cannot explain… But I was sad to see you thus; for you are too young and too handsome to live thus, day and night, under the breath of death… But at present all will be changed. At my age,—and there, perhaps, is the surest fruitage of my life,—at my age, I have acquired, I know not what faith in the truth of events, and I have always seen that every being, young and handsome, created about itself events that were young, handsome and happy… And it is you, now, who will open the door to the new era that I foresee… Come here; why do you remain there without answering and without lifting your eyes?—I have kissed you thus far only once, the day you came; and yet, old men want to touch sometimes with their lips, the forehead of a woman or the cheek of a child, to still believe in the freshness of life and to put farther away the threat of death. Are you afraid of my old lips? How I pitied you these past months…
Melisande.
Grandfather. I was not unhappy…
Arkel.
Let me look at you, quite near, a moment…one has so much need of beauty by the side of death…
Golaud.
Pelléas goes away to-night.
Arkel.
You have blood on your forehead.—What have you done?
Golaud.
Nothing, nothing… I passed through a hedge of thorns.
Melisande.
Bend your head a little, lord… I will wipe your forehead…
Golaud. (pushing her off).
I do not want you to touch me, do you hear? Go away, go away! I do not address you.—Where is my sword?—I came to get my sword…
Melisande.
Here; on the praying stall.
Golaud.
Bring it. (to Arkel.) They have just found the body of a peasant, starved to death, on the seashore. One would think they all wanted to die under our eyes.—(to Melisande.) Well, my sword?—Why do you tremble thus?—I am not going to kill you. I simply wanted to examine the blade. I do not use a sword for these purposes. Why do you examine me like a pauper?—I do not come to beg of you. You hope to see something in my eyes without my seeing anything in yours? Do you think that I know anything? (to Arkel.) Do you see these big eyes? One would imagine they were proud to be rich…
Arkel.
I only see a great innocence…
Golaud.
A great innocence! They are bigger than innocence! They are purer than the eyes of a lamb… They would give God lessons in innocence.—A great innocence! Listen: I am so near that I feel the freshness of their lashes when they blink; and yet, I am less far from the great secrets of the other world than from the little secret of these eyes!… A great innocence!… More than innocence! One would think that the angels of heaven were there ceaselessly celebrating a baptism! I know them, these eyes! I have seen them at work. Close them, close them! or I shall close them for a long time… Do not put your hand in that way to your throat; I say a very simple thing… I have no hidden thoughts… If I had a hidden thought, why should I not speak it? Ah, ah !—do not attempt to fly!—Here!—Give me this hand! Ah, your hands are too hot… Go away! Your flesh disgusts me! It is not, at present, a question of escape… (He seizes her by the hair.) You must follow me on your knees!—On your knees!—On your knees before me!—Ah, ah, your long hair at last serves some purpose!… To the right and now to the left!—To the left and now to the right!—Absalom! Absalom!—Front! now back! Down to the ground! down to the ground… You see, you see, I laugh like an old man…
Arkel. (running forward).
Golaud!…
Golaud (affecting a sudden calm).
You will do as you like, do you see. I do not attach any importance to that.—I am too old; and then, I am not a spy. I shall await chance; and then…oh, then; simply because it is the custom; simply because it is the custom…
Arkel.
What ails him?—He is drunk.
Melisande.
No, no; but he loves me no more… I am not happy!…
Arkel.
Were I God, I would have pity for the hearts of men…
SCENE II.
Yniold.
Oh, this stone is heavy… It is heavier than I am. It is heavier than all the world.—It is heavier than everything.
I see my golden ball between the rock and this naughty stone and I cannot reach it… My little arm is not long enough—and this stone will not be lifted—One would think it had roots in the earth…
(The bleating of sheep is heard in the distance.)
Oh, oh! I hear the sheep cry.—Hallo, there is no more sun!—They come, the little sheep; they come…what a lot…what a lot! They are afraid of the dark… They press together…they press together! They cry…and they go quickly!… There are some would go to the right… they all want to go to the right. They cannot!… The shepherd throws earth at them!…Ah! ah!… They will pass this way… I will see them near by.—What a lot there are!…—Now, they are all quiet. Shepherd! Why do they speak no more?
The Shepherd (who is not seen).
Because it is not the way to the stable!—
Yniold.
Where go they? Shepherd? Shepherd? Where go they?… He hears me no longer. They are already too far…they make no more noise—It is not the way to the stable…Where will they sleep to-night?… Oh. oh! it is too dark… I will go and say something to somebody!
SCENE III.
Pelléas.
It is the last evening…the last evening… It is needful that everything end… I have played like a child around a thing that I did not suspect… I have played in a dream around the traps of destiny… Who has awakened me all of a sudden? I shall fly crying with joy and sorrow like a blind man who runs from his house on fire… I will tell her that I mean to fly… It is late; she does not come… I would do better by going away without seeing her… I must look at her well this time…There are things I no longer remember…one would think, at times that a hundred years had gone since I had seen her… And I have not yet looked at her look… There remains to me nothing if I go away thus. And all these memories… it is as if I carried away a little water in a muslin bag… I must look at her one last time, to the bottom of her heart… I must tell her all that I have not told her…
Melisande.
Pelléas?
Pelléas.
Melisande!—Is it you, Melisande?
Melisande.
Yes.
Pelléas.
Come here; do not remain on the edge of the moonlight.—Come here. We have so many things to say to one another. Come here in the shadow of the elm.
Melisande.
Let me remain in the light…
Pelléas.
They might see us from the windows of the tower. Come here; here, we have nothing to fear.—Take care; they might see us…
Melisande.
I want them to see me…
Pelléas.
What is the matter with you? You were able to come out without anyone seeing you?
Melisande.
Yes; your brother was sleeping.
Pelléas.
It is late.—In one hour they will close the gates. We must take care. Why are you come so late?
Melisande.
Your brother had a bad dream. And then my gown got caught on the nails of the gate. See, it is torn. I lost all this time and I ran…
Pelléas.
My poor Melisande!… I would be almost afraid to touch you… You are still out of breath like a hunted bird… It is for me, for me that you do all this? I hear your heart beat as if it were mine… Come here…nearer, nearer to me.
Melisande.
Why do you laugh?
Pelléas.
I do not laugh ; — or else I laugh for joy, without knowing it… There is rather cause for weeping…
Melisande.
We came here a long time ago… I recall it.
Pelléas.
Yes… Long months since.—Then, I did not know… Do you know why I asked you to come to-night?
Melisande.
No.
Pelléas.
It is perhaps the last time that I see you… It is necessary that I go away forever…
Melisande.
Why do you say that you are going away?…
Pelléas.
I am bound to say what you already know.—You do not know what I am about to say?
Melisande.
No, no; I know nothing…
Pelléas.
You do not know why I must go far away. (He embraces her brusquely.) You do not know it is because I love you…
Melisande (with lowered voice).
I love you, too.
Pelléas.
Oh! what have you said, Melisande? I almost failed to hear it… They have broken the ice with red hot irons!… You say that with a voice that comes from the end of the world… I almost failed to hear you… You love me?—You love me, too?… Since when do you love me?
Melisande.
Since always… Sirce I have seen you…
Pelléas.
Oh, how you say that!… One would say that your voice had passed over the sea in Springtime! I have never heard it up to now…one would think it had rained on my heart! You say it so frankly…like an angel who is questioned. I cannot believe it. Melisande! Why should you love me?—But why do you love me?—Is what you say true?—You do not deceive me?—You do lot lie a little, so as to make me smile?…
Melisande.
No; I never lie; I only lie to your brother…
Pelléas.
Oh how you say that!… Your voice, your voice! It is fresher and franker than water. One thinks of pure water on your lips. One would imagine pure water on my hands. Give me, give me, your hands… Oh, your hands are little!… I did not know you were so beautiful! I had, before you, never seen anything so beautiful… I was anxious, I sought everywhere in the house… I sought everywhere in the country…and I did not find beauty… And now I have found you…I have found you… I do not believe that on earth there is a woman more beautiful …Where are you?… I do not hear you breathe any more…
Melisande.
It is that I look at you…
Pelléas.
Why do you look at me so gravely?— We are already in the shadow.—It is too dark under this tree. Come into the light. We cannot see how happy we are. Come, come; there remains so little time for us…
Melisande.
No. no, let us stay here… I am nearer to you in the darkness.
Pelléas.
Where are your eyes?—You are not going to run away from me? You are not thinking of me at this moment.
Melisande.
Yes, I am. I only think of you…
Pelléas.
You were looking elsewhere…
Melisande.
I saw you elsewhere…
Pelléas.
You are absent minded… What is the matter?—You do not seem happy to me.
Melisande.
Yes, I am; I am happy but I am sad…
Pelléas.
What is this noise?—They are closing the gates!…
Melisande.
Yes, they have closed the gates…
Pelléas.
We can no longer get in!—Do you hear the bolts? Listen, listen! the great chains! It is too late, it is too late!…
Melisande.
All the better, all the better!
Pelléas.
You?… There, there… 'Tis no longer our will… All is lost, all is gained! All is gained this night! Come, come… My heart beats wildly even to the bottom of my throat… (He enfolds her.) Listen! my heart is on the point of strangling me. Come, come! Ah, how beautiful it is in the dark…
Melisande.
There is some one behind us…
Pelléas.
I see nobody…
Melisande.
I heard a noise…
Pelléas.
I only hear your heart in the darkness…
Melisande.
I heard the crackling of dead leaves…
Pelléas.
It is the wind that suddenly became silent. It has fallen while we were kissing.
Melisande.
How long our shadows are to-night…
Pelléas.
They enfold each other to the end of the garden. Oh, they embrace each other far from us! Look, look!
Melisande (with muffled voice).
A-a-h!— He is behind a tree!
Pelléas.
Who?
Melisande.
Golaud!
Pelléas.
Golaud? Where? I see nothing…
Melisande.
There…at the end of our shadows…
Pelléas.
Yes, yes; I saw him… Do not let us turn around suddenly…
Melisande.
He has his sword.
Pelléas.
I have not mine…
Melisande.
He could see that we were embracing.
Pelléas.
He does not know that we have seen him… Do not move; do not turn your head… He would precipitate himself… He watches us… He is still immovable …Go away, go off at once this way… I will await… I will stop him…
Melisande.
No, no, no!…
Pelléas.
Go away, go away. He has seen all! He will kill us!…
Melisande.
All the better! all the better! all the better!
Pelléas.
He is coming, he is coming!… Your mouth…your mouth!…
Melisande.
Yes… Yes… Yes!…
Pelléas.
Oh, oh! all the stars are falling!…
Melisande.
On me, too, on me too!…
Pelléas.
All, all, all!…
Melisande (flying).
Oh, oh! I have not the courage!… I have not the courage!…