Act 4 — SCENE IV.—A fountain in the park.

Enter PÉLLÉAS.

PÉLLÉAS.

It is the last evening … the last evening. It must all end. I have played like a child about a thing I did not guess…. I have played a-dream about the snares of fate…. Who has awakened me all at once? I shall flee, crying out for joy and woe like a blind man fleeing from his burning house…. I am going to tell her I shall flee…. My father is out of danger; and I have no more reason to lie to myself…. It is late; she does not come…. I should do better to go away without seeing her again…. I must look well at her this time…. There are some things that I no longer recall…. It seems at times as if I had not seen her for a hundred years…. And I have not yet looked upon her look…. There remains nought to me if I go away thus. And all those memories … it is as if I were to take away a little water in a muslin bag…. I must see her one last time, to the bottom of her heart…. I must tell her all that I have never told her.

Enter MÉLISANDE.

MÉLISANDE.

Pélléas!

Mélisande!—Is it thou, Mélisande?

MÉLISANDE.

Yes.

PÉLLÉAS.

Come hither; do not stay at the edge of the moonlight.—Come hither. We have so many things to tell each other…. Come hither in the shadow of the linden.

MÉLISANDE.

Let me stay in the light….

PÉLLÉAS.

We might be seen from the windows of the tower. Come hither; here, we have nothing to fear.—Take care; we might be seen….

MÉLISANDE.

I wish to be seen….

PÉLLÉAS.

Why, what doth ail thee?—Thou wert able to come out without being seen?

MÉLISANDE.

Yes; your brother slept….

PÉLLÉAS.

It is late.—In an hour they will close the gates. We must be careful. Why art thou come so late?

MÉLISANDE.

Your brother had a bad dream. And then my gown was caught on the nails of the gate. See, it is torn. I lost all this time, and ran….

PÉLLÉAS.

My poor Mélisande!… I should almost be afraid to touch thee…. Thou art still out of breath, like a hunted bird…. It is for me, for me, thou doest all that?… I hear thy heart beat as if it were mine…. Come hither … nearer, nearer me….

MÉLISANDE.

Why do you laugh?

PÉLLÉAS.

I do not laugh;—or else I laugh for joy, unwittingly…. It were a weeping matter, rather….

MÉLISANDE.

We have come here before…. I recollect….

PÉLLÉAS.

Yes … yes…. Long months ago.—I knew not then…. Knowest thou why I asked thee to come here to-night?

MÉLISANDE.

No.

PÉLLÉAS.

It is perhaps the last time I shall see thee…. I must go away forever….

MÉLISANDE.

Why sayest thou always thou wilt go away?…

PÉLLÉAS.

I must tell thee what thou knowest already?—Thou knowest not what I am going to tell thee?

MÉLISANDE.

Why, no; why, no; I know nothing—…

PÉLLÉAS.

Thou knowest not why I must go afar…. Thou knowest not it is because … [He kisses her abruptly.] I love thee….

MÉLISANDE (in a low voice).

I love thee too….

PÉLLÉAS.

Oh! oh! What saidst thou, Mélisande?… I hardly heard it!… Thou sayest that in a voice coming from the end of the world!… I hardly heard thee…. Thou lovest me?—Thou lovest me too?… Since when lovest thou me?…

MÉLISANDE.

Since always…. Since I saw thee….

PÉLLÉAS.

Oh, how thou sayest that!… Thy voice seems to have blown across the sea in spring!… I have never heard it until now;… one would say it had rained on my heart!… Thou sayest that so frankly!… Like an angel questioned!… I cannot believe it, Mélisande!… Why shouldst thou love me?—Nay, why dost thou love me?—Is what thou sayest true?—Thou dost not mock me?—Thou dost not lie a little, to make me smile?…

MÉLISANDE.

No; I never lie; I lie but to thy brother….

PÉLLÉAS.

Oh, how thou sayest that!… Thy voice! thy voice!… It is cooler and more frank than the water is!… It is like pure water on my lips!… It is like pure water on my hands…. Give me, give me thy hands!… Oh, how small thy hands are!… I did not know thou wert so beautiful!… I have never seen anything so beautiful before thee…. I was fall of unrest; I sought throughout the house…. I sought throughout the country…. And I found not beauty…. And now I have found thee!… I have found thee!.,. I do not think there could be on the earth a fairer woman!… Where art thou?—I no longer hear thee breathe….

MÉLISANDE.

Because I look on thee….

PÉLLÉAS.

Why dost thou look so gravely on me?—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; so little time remains to us….

MÉLISANDE.

No, no; let us stay here…. I am nearer thee in the dark….

PÉLLÉAS.

Where are thine eyes?—Thou art not going to fly me?—Thou dost not think of me just now.

MÉLISANDE.

Oh, yes; oh, yes; I only think of thee….

PÉLLÉAS.

Thou wert looking elsewhere….

MÉLISANDE.

I saw thee elsewhere….

PÉLLÉAS.

Thy soul is far away…. What ails thee, then?—Meseems thou art not happy….

MÉLISANDE.

Yes, yes; I am happy, but I am sad….

PÉLLÉAS.

One is sad often when one loves….

MÉLISANDE.

I weep always when I think of thee….

PÉLLÉAS.

I too…. I too, Mélisande…. I am quite near thee; I weep for joy, and yet …[He kisses her again.]—Thou art strange when I kiss thee so…. Thou art so beautiful that one would think thou wert about to die….

MÉLISANDE.

Thou too….

PÉLLÉAS.

There, there…. We do not what we will…. I did not love thee the first time I saw thee….

MÉLISANDE.

Nor I … nor I…. I was afraid….

PÉLLÉAS.

I could not admit thine eyes…. I would have gone away at once … and then….

MÉLISANDE.

And I,—I would not have come…. I do not yet know why,—I was afraid to come….

PÉLLÉAS.

There are so many things one never knows. We are ever waiting; and then…. What is that noise?—They are closing the gates!…

MÉLISANDE.

Yes, they have closed the gates….

PÉLLÉAS.

We cannot go back now?—Hearest thou the bolts?—Listen! listen!… the great chains!… the great chains!… It is too late; it is too late!…

MÉLISANDE.

All the better! all the better! all the better!…

PÉLLÉAS.

Thou—…? Behold, behold!… It is no longer we who will it so!… All's lost, all's saved! all is saved to-night!—Come, come…. My heart beats like a madman,—up to my very throat…. [They embrace.] Listen! listen! my heart is almost strangling me…. Come! come!… Ah, how beautiful it is in the shadows!…

MÉLISANDE.

There is some one behind us!…

PÉLLÉAS.

I see no one….

MÉLISANDE.

I heard a noise….

PÉLLÉAS.

I hear only thy heart in the dark….

MÉLISANDE.

I heard the crackling of dead leaves….

PÉLLÉAS.

Because the wind is silent all at once…. It fell as we were kissing….

MÉLISANDE.

How long our shadows are to-night!…

PÉLLÉAS.

They embrace to the very end of the garden. Oh, how they kiss far away from us!… Look! look!…

MÉLISANDE.(a stifled voice).

A-a-h!—He is behind a tree!

PÉLLÉAS.

Who?

MÉLISANDE.

Golaud!

PÉLLÉAS.

Golaud!—where?—I see nothing….

MÉLISANDE.

There … at the end of our shadows.

PÉLLÉAS.

Yes, yes; I saw him…. Let us not turn abruptly….

MÉLISANDE.

He has his sword….

PÉLLÉAS.

I have not mine….

MÉLISANDE.

He saw us kiss….

PÉLLÉAS.

He does not know we have seen him…. Do not stir; do not turn your head…. He would rush headlong on us…. He will remain there while he thinks we do not know. He watches us…. He is still motionless…. Go, go at once this way…. I will wait for him…. I will stop him….

MÉLISANDE.

No, no, no!…

PÉLLÉAS.

Go! go! he has seen all!… He will kill us!…

MÉLISANDE.

All the better! all the better! all the better!…

PÉLLÉAS.

He comes! he comes!… Thy mouth!… Thy mouth!…

MÉLISANDE.

Yes!… yes! yes!… [They kiss desperately.

PÉLLÉAS

Oh! oh! All the stars are falling!…

MÉLISANDE.

Upon me too! upon me too!…

PÉLLÉAS.

Again! Again!… Give! give!…

MÉLISANDE.

All! all! all!…

[Golaud rushes upon them, sword in hand, and strikes Pélléas, who falls at the brink of the fountain. Mélisande flees terrified.]

MÉLISANDE. (fleeing).

Oh! oh! I have no courage I … I have no courage!…

[GOLAUD pursues her through the wood in silence.