MÉLISANDE. Where is she? ARKËL. Here.... MÉLISANDE. It is strange.... I cannot lift my arms to take her.... ARKËL. Because you are still very weak.... I will hold her myself; look.... MÉLISANDE. She does not laugh.... She is little.... She is going to weep too.... I pity her.... [The room has been invaded, little by little, by the women servants of the castle, who range themselves in silence along the walls and wait] GOLAUD (_rising abruptly_). What is the matter?--What are all these women coming here for?... THE PHYSICIAN. It is the servants.... ARKËL. Who was it called them? THE PHYSICIAN. It was not I.... GOLAUD. Why do you come here?--No one has asked for you.... What come you here to do?--But what is it, then?--Answer me!... [_The servants make no answer._ ARKËL. Do not speak too loud.... She is going to sleep; she has closed her eyes.... GOLAUD. It is not...? THE PHYSICIAN. No, no; see, she breathes.... ARKËL. Her eyes are full of tears.--It is her soul weeping now.... Why does she stretch her arms out so?--What would she? THE PHYSICIAN. It is toward the child, without doubt.... It is the straggle of motherhood against... GOLAUD. At this moment?--At this moment?--You must say. Say! Say!... THE PHYSICIAN. Perhaps. GOLAUD. At once?... Oh! oh! I must tell her....--Mélisande! Mélisande!... Leave me alone! leave me alone with her!... ARKËL. No, no; do not come near.... Trouble her not.... Speak no more to her.... You know not what the soul is.... GOLAUD. It is not my fault!... It is not my fault! ARKËL. Hush!... Hush!... We must speak softly now.--She must not be disturbed.... The human soul is very silent.... The human soul likes to depart alone.... It suffers so timorously.... But the sadness, Golaud ... the sadness of all we see!... Oh! oh! oh!... [_At this moment, all the servants fall suddenly on their knees at the back of the chamber._] ARKËL (_turning_). What is the matter? THE PHYSICIAN (_approaching the bed and feeling the body_). They are right.... [_A long silence._ ARKËL. I saw nothing.--Are you sure?... THE PHYSICIAN. Yes, yes. ARKËL. I heard nothing.... So quick, so quick!... All at once!... She goes without a word.... GOLAUD (_sobbing_). Oh! oh! oh! _ARKËL._ Do not stay here, Golaud.... She must have silence now.... Come, come.... It is terrible, but it is not your fault.... 'T was a little being, so quiet, so fearful, and so silent.... 'T was a poor little mysterious being, like everybody.... She lies there as if she were the big sister of her child.... Come, come.... My God! My God!... I shall never understand it at all.... Let us not stay here.--Come; the child most not stay here in this room.... She must live now in her place.... It is the poor little one's turn.... [_They go out in silence._ [CURTAIN.]