Pelléas et Mélisande | Page 8

your hand; do not tremble, do not tremble so. There is no danger; we will stop the moment we no longer see the light of the sea.... Is it the noise of the grotto that frightens you? It is the noise of night or the noise of silence.... Do you hear the sea behind us?--It does not seem happy to-night.... Ah! look, the light!...
[The moon lights up abundantly the entrance and part of the darkness of the grotto; and at a certain depth are seen three old beggars with white hair, seated side by side, leaning upon each other and asleep against a bowlder.]
MéLISANDE.
Ah!
PéLLéAS.
What is it?
MéLISANDE.
There are ... there are.... [_She points out the three Beggars._
PéLLéAS.
Yes, yes; I have seen them too....
MéLISANDE.
Let us go!... Let us go!...
PéLLéAS.
Yes ... it is three old poor men fallen asleep.... There is a famine in the country.... Why have they come to sleep here....
MéLISANDE.
Let us go!... Come, come.... Let us go!...
PéLLéAS.
Take care; do not speak so loud.... Let us not wake them.... They are still sleeping heavily.... Come.
MéLISANDE.
Leave me, leave me; I prefer to walk alone....
PéLLéAS.
We will come back another day.... [_Exeunt._

SCENE IV.--_An apartment in the castle,_ ARK?L and PéLLéAS _discovered._
ARK?L.
You see that everything retains you here just now and forbids you this useless journey. We have concealed your father's condition from you until now; but it is perhaps hopeless; and that alone should suffice to stop you on the threshold. But there are so many other reasons.... And it is not in the day when our enemies awake, and when the people are dying of hunger and murmur about us, that you have the right to desert us. And why this journey? Marcellus is dead; and life has graver duties than the visit to a tomb. You are weary, you say, of your inactive life; but activity and duty are not found on the highways. They must be waited for upon the threshold, and let in as they go by; and they go by every day. You have never seen them? I hardly see them any more myself; but I will teach you to see them, and I will point them out to you the day when you would make them a sign. Nevertheless, listen to me; if you believe it is from the depths of your life this journey is exacted, I do not forbid your undertaking it, for you must know better than I the events you must offer to your being or your fate. I shall ask you only to wait until we know what must take place ere long....
PéLLéAS.
How long must I wait?
ARK?L.
A few weeks; perhaps a few days....
PéLLéAS.
I will wait....

ACT THIRD

SCENE I.--_An apartment in the castle._ PéLLéAS and MéLISANDE _discovered_, MéLISANDE _plies her distaff at the back of the room._
PéLLéAS.
Yniold does not come back; where has he gone?
MéLISANDE
He had heard something in the corridor; he has gone to see what it is.
PéLLéAS.
Mélisande....
MéLISANDE
What is it?
PéLLéAS.
... Can you see still to work there?...
MéLISANDE
I work as well in the dark....
PéLLéAS.
I think everybody is already asleep in the castle. Golaud does not come back from the chase. It is late, nevertheless.... He no longer suffers from his fall?...
MéLISANDE.
He said he no longer suffered from it.
PéLLéAS.
He must be more prudent; his body is no longer as supple as at twenty years.... I see the stars through the window and the light of the moon on the trees. It is late; he will not come back now. [_Knocking at the door._] Who is there?... Come in!...
Little YNIOLD _opens the door and enters the room._
It was you knocking so?... That is not the way to knock at doors. It is as if a misfortune had arrived; look, you have frightened little mother.
LITTLE YNIOLD.
I only knocked a tiny little bit.
PéLLéAS.
It is late; little father will not come back to-night; it is time for you to go to bed.
LITTLE YNIOLD.
I shall not go to bed before you do.
PéLLéAS.
What?... What is that you are saying?
LITTLE YNIOLD.
I say ... not before you ... not before you....
[Bursts into sobs and takes refuge by MéLISANDE.]
MéLISANDE.
What is it, Yniold?... What is it?... why do you weep all at once?
YNIOLD _(sobbing)._
Because ... oh! oh! because ...
MéLISANDE.
Because what?... Because what?... Tell me ...
YNIOLD.
Little mother ... little mother ... you are going away....
MéLISANDE.
But what has taken hold of you, Yniold?... I have never dreamed of going away....
YNIOLD.
Yes, you have; yes, you have; little father has gone away.... Little father does not come back, and you are going to go away too.... I have seen it ... I have seen it....
MéLISANDE.
But there has never been any idea of that, Yniold.... Why, what makes you think that I would go away?...
YNIOLD.
I have seen it ... I have seen it.... You have said things to uncle that I could not hear....
PéLLéAS.
He is sleepy.... He has been dreaming.... Come