Pelléas et Mélisande | Page 3

Octave Mirbeau.
In witness of deep friendship, admiration, and gratitude.
M.M.

PERSONS
ARK?L, _King of Allemonde._
GENEVIèVE, _mother of Pélléas and Golaud_.
PéLLéAS,} }_grandsons of Ark?l._ GOLAUD, }
MéLISANDE.
LITTLE YNIOLD, _son of Golaud (by a former marriage)._
A PHYSICIAN.
THE PORTER.
_Servants, Beggars, etc._

Pélléas and Mélisande.
* * * * *

ACT FIRST.

SCENE I.--_The gate of the castle._
MAIDSERVANTS _(within)._
Open the gate! Open the gate!
PORTER _(within)._
Who is there? Why do you come and wake me up? Go out by the little gates; there are enough of them!...
A MAIDSERVANT _(within)._
We have come to wash the threshold, the gate, and the steps; open, then! open!
ANOTHER MAIDSERVANT _(within)._
There are going to be great happenings!
THIRD MAIDSERVANT _(within)._
There are going to be great fêtes! Open quickly!...
THE MAIDSERVANTS.
Open! open!
PORTER.
Wait! wait! I do not know whether I shall be able to open it;... it is never opened.... Wait till it is light....
FIRST MAIDSERVANT.
It is light enough without; I see the sunlight through the chinks....
PORTER.
Here are the great keys.... Oh! oh! how the bolts and the locks grate!... Help me! help me!...
MAIDSERVANTS.
We are pulling; we are pulling....
SECOND MAIDSERVANT.
It will not open....
FIRST MAIDSERVANT.
Ah! ah! It is opening! it is opening slowly!
PORTER.
How it shrieks! how it shrieks! it will wake up everybody....
SECOND MAIDSERVANT.
_[Appearing on the threshold.]_ Oh, how light it is already out-of-doors!
FIRST MAIDSERVANT.
The sun is rising on the sea!
PORTER.
It is open.... It is wide open!... [_All the maidservants appear on the threshold and pass over it._]
FIRST MAIDSERVANT.
I am going to wash the sill first....
SECOND MAIDSERVANT.
We shall never be able to clean all this.
OTHER MAIDSERVANTS.
Fetch the water! fetch the water!
PORTER.
Yes, yes; pour on water; pour on water; pour on all the water of the Flood! You will never come to the end of it....

SCENE II.--_A forest._ MéLISANDE _discovered at the brink of a spring._
Enter GOLAUD.
GOLAUD.
I shall never be able to get out of this forest again.--God knows where that beast has led me. And yet I thought I had wounded him to death; and here are traces of blood. But now I have lost sight of him; I believe I am lost myself--my dogs can no longer find me--I shall retrace my steps....--I hear weeping.... Oh! oh! what is there yonder by the water's edge?... A little girl weeping by the water's edge? [_He coughs._]--She does not hear me. I cannot see her face. [He approaches and touches MéLISANDE _on the shoulder._] Why weepest thou? [MéLISANDE _trembles, starts up, and would flee._]--Do not be afraid. You have nothing to fear. Why are you weeping here all alone?
MéLISANDE.
Do not touch me! do not touch me!
GOLAUD.
Do not be afraid.... I will not do you any.... Oh, you are beautiful!
MéLISANDE.
Do not touch me! do not touch me! or I throw myself in the water!...
GOLAUD.
I will not touch you.... See, I will stay here, against the tree. Do not be afraid. Has any one hurt you?
MéLISANDE
Oh! yes! yes! yes!... [_She sobs profoundly._]
GOLAUD.
Who has hurt you?
MéLISANDE.
Every one! every one!
GOLAUD. What hurt have they done you?
MéLISANDE.
I will not tell! I cannot tell!...
GOLAUD.
Come; do not weep so. Whence come you?
MéLISANDE.
I have fled!... fled ... fled....
GOLAUD.
Yes; but whence have you fled?
MéLISANDE.
I am lost!... lost!... Oh! oh! lost here.... I am not of this place.... I was not born there....
GOLAUD.
Whence are you? Where were you born?
MéLISANDE.
Oh! oh! far away from here!... far away ... far away....
GOLAUD.
What is it shining so at the bottom of the water?
MéLISANDE.
Where?--Ah! it is the crown he gave me. It fell as I was weeping....
GOLAUD.
A crown?--Who was it gave you a crown?--I will try to get it....
MéLISANDE.
No, no; I will have no more of it! I will have no more of it!... I had rather die ... die at once....
GOLAUD.
I could easily pull it out. The water is not very deep.
MéLISANDE.
I will have no more of it! If you take it out, I throw myself in its place!...
GOLAUD.
No, no; I will leave it there. It could be reached without difficulty, nevertheless. It seems very beautiful.--Is it long since you fled?
MéLISANDE.
Yes, yes!... Who are you?
GOLAUD.
I am Prince Golaud,--grandson of Ark?l, the old King of Allemonde....
MéLISANDE.
Oh, you have gray hairs already....
GOLAUD.
Yes; some, here, by the temples....
MéLISANDE
And in your beard, too.... Why do you look at me so?
GOLAUD.
I am looking at your eyes.--Do you never shut your eyes?
MéLISANDE.
Oh, yes; I shut them at night....
GOLAUD.
Why do you look so astonished?
MéLISANDE.
You are a giant?
GOLAUD.
I am a man like the rest....
MéLISANDE.
Why have you come here?
GOLAUD.
I do not know, myself. I was hunting in the forest, I was chasing a wild boar. I mistook the road.--You look very young. How old are you?
MéLISANDE.
I am beginning to be cold....
GOLAUD.
Will you come with me!
MéLISANDE.
No, no; I will stay here....
GOLAUD.
You cannot stay here all alone. You cannot stay here all night long.... What is your name?
MéLISANDE.
Mélisande.
GOLAUD.
You cannot stay here, Mélisande. Come with me....
MéLISANDE.
I will stay here....
GOLAUD.
You will be afraid, all alone. We do not know what there may be here ... all night long ... all alone ...