THE VOICE OF ALLADINE.

I have no more regret to lose the light o’ the sun....

THE VOICE OF PALOMIDES.

Yes, yes; we shall behold the sweet green things again!...

THE VOICE OF ALLADINE.

I have lost desire to live....

[A silence; then more and more faintly:]

THE VOICE OF PALOMIDES.

Alladine!...

THE VOICE OF ALLADINE.

Palomides!...

THE VOICE OF PALOMIDES.

Alla ... dine!...

[A silence.—­Astolaine and the sisters of Palomides listen, in anguish.  Then the nurse opens, from the inside, the door of Palomides’ room, appears on the sill, makes a sign, and all enter the room.  The door doses behind them.  A new silence.  A little afterwards, the door of Alladine’s room opens in its turn; the other nurse comes out in like manner, looks about in the corridor, and, seeing no one, re-enters the room, leaving the door wide open.]

[CURTAIN.]

Home.

To Mademoiselle Sara de Swart.

Persons.

IN THE GARDEN.

THE OLD MAN. 
THE STRANGER. 
MARTHA } granddaughters of the old man.
AND MARY, }
A PEASANT. 
THE CROWD.

IN THE HOUSE

THE FATHER, }
THE MOTHER, } Silent characters.
THE TWO DAUGHTERS,}
THE CHILD, }

Home.

* * * * *

[An old garden, planted with willows.  At the back, a house in which three windows on the ground-floor are lighted.  A family, sitting up under the lamp, is seen rather distinctly.  The father is seated by the fireside.  The mother, one elbow on the table, is staring into space.  Two young girls, clad in white, embroider, dream, and smile in the quiet of the room.  A child lies asleep with his head under the mother’s left arm.  Whenever one of them rises, walks, or makes a gesture, his movements seem to be grave, slow, rare, and, as it were, spiritualized by the distance, the light, and the vague veil of the windows.  The old man and the stranger enter the garden cautiously.]

THE OLD MAN.

We are in the part of the garden behind the house.  They never come here.  The doors are on the other side.—­They are closed, and the shutters are up.  But there are no shutters on this side, and I saw a light....  Yes; they are sitting up still under the lamp.  It is fortunate they have not heard us; the mother or the young girls would have come out, perhaps, and then what should we have done?...

THE STRANGER.

What are we going to do?

THE OLD MAN.

I should like to see, first, if they are all in the room.  Yes, I see the father sitting in the chimney-corner.  He waits, with his hands on his knees;... the mother is resting her elbow on the table.