Act 2 — SCENE II.—An apartment in the castle. GOLAUD discovered, stretched upon his bed; MÉLISANDE, by his bedside.

GOLAUD.

Ah! ah! all goes well; it will amount to nothing. But I cannot understand how it came to pass. I was hunting quietly in the forest. All at once my horse ran away, without cause. Did he see anything unusual?… I had just heard the twelve strokes of noon. At the twelfth stroke he suddenly took fright and ran like a blind madman against a tree. I heard no more. I do not yet know what happened. I fell, and he must have fallen on me. I thought I had the whole forest on my breast; I thought my heart was crushed. But my heart is sound. It is nothing, apparently….

MÉLISANDE.

Would you like a little water?

GOLAUD.

Thanks, thanks; I am not thirsty.

MÉLISANDE.

Would you like another pillow?… There is a little spot of blood on this.

GOLAUD.

No, no; it is not worth while. I bled at the mouth just now. I shall bleed again perhaps….

MÉLISANDE.

Are you quite sure?… You are not suffering too much?

GOLAUD.

No, no; I have seen a good many more like this. I was made of iron and blood…. These are not the little bones of a child; do not alarm yourself….

MÉLISANDE.

Close your eyes and try to sleep. I shall stay here all night….

GOLAUD.

No, no; I do not wish you to tire yourself so. I do not need anything; I shall sleep like a child…. What is the matter, Mélisande? Why do you weep all at once?…

MÉLISANDE (bursting into tears).

I am … I am ill too….

GOLAUD.

Thou art ill?… What ails thee, then; what ails thee, Mélisande?…

MÉLISANDE.

I do not know…. I am ill here…. I had rather tell you to-day; my lord, my lord, I am not happy here….

GOLAUD.

Why, what has happened, Mélisande? What is it?… And I suspecting nothing…. What has happened?… Some one has done thee harm?… Some one has given thee offence?

MÉLISANDE.

No, no; no one has done me the least harm…. It is not that…. It is not that…. But I can live here no longer. I do not know why…. I would go away, go away!… I shall die if I am left here….

GOLAUD.

But something has happened? You must be hiding something from me?… Tell me the whole truth, Mélisande…. Is it the King?… Is it my mother?… Is it Pélléas?…

MÉLISANDE.

No, no; it is not Pélléas. It is not anybody…. You could not understand me….

GOLAUD.

Why should I not understand?… If you tell me nothing, what will you have me do?… Tell me everything and I shall understand everything.

MÉLISANDE.

I do not know myself what it is…. I do not know just what it is…. If I could tell you, I would tell you…. It is something stronger than I….

GOLAUD.

Come; be reasonable, Mélisande.—What would you have me do?—You are no longer a child.—Is it I whom you would leave?

MÉLISANDE.

Oh! no, no; it is not that…. I would go away with you…. It is here that I can live no longer…. I feel that I shall not live a long while….

GOLAUD.

But there must be a reason nevertheless. You will be thought mad. It will be thought child's dreams.—Come, is it Pélléas, perhaps?—I think he does not often speak to you.

MÉLISANDE.

Yes, yes; he speaks to me sometimes. I think he does not like me; I have seen it in his eyes…. But he speaks to me when he meets me….

GOLAUD.

You must not take it ill of him. He has always been so. He is a little strange. And just now he is sad; he thinks of his friend Marcellus, who is at the point of death, and whom he cannot go to see…. He will change, he will change, you will see; he is young….

MÉLISANDE.

But it is not that … it is not that….

GOLAUD.

What is it, then?—Can you not get used to the life one leads here? Is it too gloomy here?—It is true the castle is very old and very sombre…. It is very cold, and very deep. And all those who dwell in it, are already old. And the country may seem gloomy too, with all its forests, all its old forests without light. But that may all be enlivened if we will. And then, joy, joy, one does not have it every day; we must take things as they come. But tell me something; no matter what; I will do everything you could wish….

MÉLISANDE.

Yes, yes; it is true…. You never see the sky here. I saw it for the first time this morning….

GOLAUD.

It is that, then, that makes you weep, my poor Mélisande?—It is only that, then?—You weep, not to see the sky?—Come, come, you are no longer at the age when one may weep for such things…. And then, is not the summer yonder? You will see the sky every day.—And then, next year…. Come, give me your hand; give me both your little hands. [He takes her hands.] Oh! oh! these little hands that I could crush like flowers….—Hold! where is the ring I gave you?

MÉLISANDE.

The ring?

GOLAUD.

Yes; our wedding-ring, where is it?

MÉLISANDE.

I think…. I think it has fallen….

GOLAUD.

Fallen?—Where has it fallen?—You have not lost it?

MÉLISANDE.

No, no; it fell … it must have fallen…. But I know where it is….

GOLAUD.

Where is it?

MÉLISANDE.

You know … you know well … the grotto by the seashore?…

GOLAUD.

Yes.

MÉLISANDE.

Well then, it is there…. It must be it is there…. Yes, yes; I remember…. I went there this morning to pick up shells for little Yniold…. There were some very fine ones…. It slipped from my finger … then the sea came in; and I had to go out before I had found it.

GOLAUD.

Are you sure it is there?

MÉLISANDE.

Yes, yes; quite sure…. I felt it slip … then, all at once, the noise of the waves….

GOLAUD.

You must go look for it at once.

MÉLISANDE.

I must go look for it at once?

GOLAUD.

Yes.

MÉLISANDE.

Now?—at once?—in the dark?

GOLAUD.

Now, at once, in the dark. You must go look for it at once. I had rather have lost all I have than have lost that ring. You do not know what it is. You do not know whence it came. The sea will be very high to-night. The sea will come to take it before you…. Make haste. You must go look for it at once….

MÉLISANDE.

I dare not…. I dare not go alone….

GOLAUD.

Go, go with no matter whom. But you must go at once, do you understand?—Make haste; ask Pélléas to go with you.

MÉLISANDE.

Pélléas?—With Pélléas?—But Pélléas would not….

GOLAUD.

Pélléas will do all you ask of him. I know Pélléas better than you do. Go, go; hurry! I shall not sleep until I have the ring.

MÉLISANDE.

Oh! oh! I am not happy!… I am not happy!… [Exit, weeping.