MELISANDE.

Do not touch me! do not touch me!

GOLAUD.

Do not be afraid....  I will not do you any....  Oh, you are beautiful!

MELISANDE.

Do not touch me! do not touch me! or I throw myself in the water!...

GOLAUD.

I will not touch you....  See, I will stay here, against the tree.  Do not be afraid.  Has any one hurt you?

MELISANDE

Oh! yes! yes! yes!... [She sobs profoundly.]

GOLAUD.

Who has hurt you?

MELISANDE.

Every one! every one!

GOLAUD.  What hurt have they done you?

MELISANDE.

I will not tell!  I cannot tell!...

GOLAUD.

Come; do not weep so.  Whence come you?

MELISANDE.

I have fled!... fled ... fled....

GOLAUD.

Yes; but whence have you fled?

MELISANDE.

I am lost!... lost!...  Oh! oh! lost here....  I am not of this place....  I was not born there....

GOLAUD.

Whence are you?  Where were you born?

MELISANDE.

Oh! oh! far away from here!... far away ... far away....

GOLAUD.

What is it shining so at the bottom of the water?

MELISANDE.

Where?—­Ah! it is the crown he gave me.  It fell as I was weeping....

GOLAUD.

A crown?—­Who was it gave you a crown?—­I will try to get it....

MELISANDE.

No, no; I will have no more of it!  I will have no more of it!...  I had rather die ... die at once....

GOLAUD.

I could easily pull it out.  The water is not very deep.

MELISANDE.

I will have no more of it!  If you take it out, I throw myself in its place!...

GOLAUD.

No, no; I will leave it there.  It could be reached without difficulty, nevertheless.  It seems very beautiful.—­Is it long since you fled?

MELISANDE.

Yes, yes!...  Who are you?

GOLAUD.

I am Prince Golaud,—­grandson of Arkel, the old King of Allemonde....

MELISANDE.

Oh, you have gray hairs already....

GOLAUD.

Yes; some, here, by the temples....

MELISANDE

And in your beard, too....  Why do you look at me so?

GOLAUD.

I am looking at your eyes.—­Do you never shut your eyes?

MELISANDE.

Oh, yes; I shut them at night....

GOLAUD.

Why do you look so astonished?

MELISANDE.

You are a giant?

GOLAUD.

I am a man like the rest....

MELISANDE.

Why have you come here?

GOLAUD.

I do not know, myself.  I was hunting in the forest, I was chasing a wild boar.  I mistook the road.—­You look very young.  How old are you?