Maurice Maeterlinck

“ The radiant shapes of amber-coloured light bathe in unspeakable gladness all the things that they touch; and everywhere are signs of a deep and unfaltering joy. The boundless horizon stretches towards the veiled white of the Milky Way, the ether quivering with myriads of unknown stars.
(When the curtain opens, TYLTYL, LIGHT, DESTINY and THE SIX GIRLS are in the foreground, on the right, at the foot of one of the alabaster columns supporting the entrance-arch. They take a few steps into the immense deserted hall, while THE WHITE PHANTOM hides timidly behind the column.) ”

“ BELLINE
How pretty you look this evening, Milette dearest....
MILETTE
No, it's you, Belline: you've never been more beautiful....
TYLTYL
(To THE FAIRY.) They're taking it very well!...
THE FAIRY
Of course they are; they know it's not your fault....
(At this point, the chimney-recess lights up, opens at the hack and admits a third young girl, dressed like the maid at an inn and carrying a pewter tray under one arm and a bottle under the other.)
THE THIRD GIRL
(Enthusiastically, darting at TYLTYL.) Here I am, here I am! It's me!... Good evening, everybody; but first a kiss for Tyltyl!... ”

“ But the group of GIRLS especially undergoes a radical and wonderful transformation: their features relax, their eyes open wider, smiles blossom on their lips, their frocks become gay and splendid, innocence, gladness, kindness and beauty bloom once more; and TYLTYL, in an ecstasy, clapping his hands, intoxicated with delight, rushes into the midst of them, giving and receiving kisses and not knowing which of them to listen to. ”

“ MILETTE
Yes, yes, Tiny, we know, you're a very good little boy.... (DESTINY falls asleep in her arms.) He's gone to sleep!
JALLINE
(Wrapping him in his cape, with a motherly gesture.) He's a dear, sweet, obedient little thing, but seems very tired.
LIGHT
Poor little Destiny!... He has no luck!... But we will see to him later.... What we have to do now, my children, is to bid one another good-bye ... and for the last time....
TYLTYL
For the last time!...
LIGHT
Why, yes; we can't spend our whole life travelling! Besides, you are near your homes, since you all of you dwell round the forest. ”

“ With his hands clutching like claws, terrified and terrifying, he rushes upon TYLTYL, who jumps back and quickly turns the sapphire. THE MISER stops short. After an inward struggle which seems violent and lasts for some seconds, his hands drop to his sides, his face brightens and loses its hardness. He seems to wake from a bad dream and tries to wipe the memory of it from his forehead. ”

“ BELLINE
The company certainly is a little mixed. There's the miller's daughter, the girl from the inn, the wood-cutter....
ROSARELLE
Or rather, to be accurate, the wood-stealer.... There's even the little beggar-girl from the bridge by the Hermitage, to whom I refused a penny last Sunday.... My dear, you should have heard the insolent way in which she asked for it!...
BELLINE
And what's that white image standing in the corner, the one that never stirs, never speaks and follows us wherever we go? ”

“ They're themselves again, they're themselves again!... How lovely they are, how lovely they are!... Jalline, Milette my darling, Aimette, Belline darling, Rosarelle, Roselle!... They are all as they were before and I love every one of them!... ”

“ A Ballroom in the Fairy's Palace
(All that remains standing is the columns and aisles forming the portico of an immense, luminous room, which might have been hewn and carved out of a mountain of amber. Under the dazzling arches THE SIX GIRLS move about, arrayed in resplendent, trailing gowns, with their feet encased in gilt sandals, their hair hanging loose and their hands filled with flowers. They joyously beckon to TYLTYL, who, at first dumbfounded, rushes towards them and joins in their games and dances. THE VEILED GIRL alone stands on one side, leaning against the column.) ”

“ I admire your taste.... (Pointing to ROSELLE.) If I were you, I'd choose that one: she's the prettiest and the plumpest.
GRANNY TYL
Hold your tongue; no one's asking your advice: you know you've no say in the matter. We're still too young; we've hardly begun to get cold and haven't had time yet to pick up things.... It takes so long; there's so much to learn!... But the others, especially the oldest, who now are the youngest: it's they who know everything....
TYLTYL
What? The oldest are the youngest in this country?...
GRANNY TYL
Yes, it seems one gets younger as one grows older.... ”

“ If he misses it, he wanders miserably over the face of the earth. The search goes on till he dies, with the great duty unfulfilled which he owes to all those who are within him. But he seldom has an idea of this. He walks along, his eyes shut; seizes some woman whom he chances to meet in the dark; and shows her to his friends as proudly as though the gates of Paradise were opening. He fancies himself alone in the world and imagines that in his own heart all things begin and end.... Which is absurd.... But no more of that! Is everything ready? Put on your hat and turn the sapphire ”

“ We have learned what we sought and we know what we wanted to know, that man is granted only one love, while the others are merely unfortunate errors that bring sorrow to innumerable lives.... You were all of you about to choose wrongly; and you may rejoice, therefore, even now, when we have to part, that the mistake was discovered before it was too late.... And, more than this, the Fairy has charged me with glad tidings for you all: the one love you have each of you sought is waiting for you by your own fire-side, in your own home, or at least will be there very soon.... ”

“ THE MISER
Oh, I don't know! It amuses me. When a man grows old, he has to amuse himself as best he can.... But it isn't I who do it. All that is only a sort of dream. I am thinking of something very different.... All men are like that at my age. They are not often where you see them; they are not often doing what they appear to do; and every one lives in one of those dreams which have nothing to do with the truth.... But this is not the moment to explain things to you.... There, your wallet it full. ”

“ The one like an ape, with the big stick?
GAFFER TYL
You must be quiet!... Don't treat him with disrespect!... It's a great favour that he's showing you; he doesn't often go out.... Of all our race he's the most important, the greatest, the most respected.... Everything's shaping well: it'll probably be he, the Great Peasant and the Great Mendicant who will put their heads together and choose your bride for you. ”

“ If we do not succeed in recognizing her, all your life, all your happiness on earth will be nothing more than a phantom like herself.... There is one last resource, one last hope, which is that the children who are to be born of you may discover who she is and that she is to be their mother. They see much farther and deeper than we. ”

“ DADDY TYL
That's right enough.... He's very young too; but you won't find a better boy in the whole country-side.... He's a strong, healthy lad, with a civil tongue in his head, and he works like a nigger.... Think it over by all means, only, as this is a holiday, there's no harm in their kissing each other; and let's see them do it: it's good for one!... (Seeing that TYLTYL and JOY do not move, he pushes them close together.) Well?... Look at them: they don't want to now!
TYLTYL
(In a whisper, to JOY, as he kisses her.) It was better when we were by ourselves, wasn't it? ”

“ And, if I refuse to obey, if I love just for myself, if I take a different girl from the one they want to force on me, what will they do then? What will happen?
THE GREAT ANCESTOR
Merely this, that the choice you will have made for yourself, without our approval, will not be a real choice; in other words, you will not love the woman whom you thought you loved. You will have made a mistake, you will be unhappy and, at the same time, you will make all of us unhappy, those who came before you as well as those who come after. ”

“ Well, that's enough; that's the truth; and one doesn't need anything more. You'll find that's the way people tell each other in the world where I'm going to take you, the world of real things. The rest doesn't matter.... They make no mistake. You'll see, once we are there, how well they know all that has to be known; for what we see is nothing: it is what we do not see that makes the world go round.... ”

“ At this point, a trap-door opens, in the middle of the stage, and from it there rises slowly, like a tower, a gigantic shape, twice a man's height. It is square, enormous, imposing and overwhelming; it gives the impression of a mass of granite and of immense, blind, inflexible force. Its face is not seen. ”

“ All your ancestors since the world began! There'd be so many that we shouldn't know where to put them!... But we shall only see a few of them. A good many are travelling in other worlds; and, as a fact, some of the oldest are always away. But those who are on the spot choose in the name of all. They always agree; and it seems they very seldom make a mistake.... But here's one coming out of his house. ”

“ But I also love Belline, the butcher's daughter.... To begin with, she's my cousin; and one always loves one's cousins. And then there's something about her dark beautiful eyes that frightens me rather. ”

“ I like them all, but it is not for me to choose; no one but yourself can tell which one you love best.
TYLTYL
Ah, that's not so easy!... You see, I love them all!... For instance, I love little Jalline, the beggar's daughter: she is so gentle and sweet, such a darling!...
LIGHT
Yes, she is very attractive: a pretty little creature, with a pure and simple mind....
TYLTYL
But I also love the Mayor's daughter, Rosarelle.... She is really very beautiful, not a bit conceited and much better-educated than the others.... And then think of what she has done: she has left everything to go with me.... ”

“ It's quite impossible to sleep with that anxiety on one's mind. Each of these three sacks ought to hold two hundred thousand francs, the first and second in louis of twenty francs and the third in ten-franc pieces. I shall empty them on the carpet first to see what a lovely heap they make.... (He empties the contents of the first sack on the carpet.) How they sparkle, how they sparkle!... What a lot of them there are!... When you see the gold spreading itself out, it's impossible to believe that it all could go into one sack!... ”

“ The hour grows late; soon the cocks will be crowing; the birds are beginning to wake. Let us bid one another good-bye, quickly, without regret, without sad thoughts or tears....
MILETTE
(Handing DESTINY to AIMETTE.) Just take him for a minute, while I kiss TYLTYL.... (Kissing TYLTYL.) Good-bye, Tyltyl dear. I must go first. Dad gets up early and there would be awful trouble if he didn't find me in the house. Good-bye. Let me kiss you again.... Be nice to me when we meet: we're neighbours and shall have to spend all our lives in this forest. ”

“ As you see, they are small and sickly; they shrink from century to century and are nothing like as healthy as the others.... But it won't do for them to meddle in your choice.... If the Great Peasant, the Great Mendicant and the Great Ancestor are there, all will go well: the others won't dare to breathe a word; if not, they will try to force their choice upon you and that will be a bad thing for you and for the future of the entire family. ”

“ At your age a boy ought to think of nothing else: if he doesn't, he's a booby, a nincompoop and not worth bothering about!... There's nothing to blush at: it's when one's not in love that one should feel ashamed.... ”