Act IV. Scene X. In a room in the castle Pelléas and Mélisande meet. This evening he must see her. She promises to go in the park to the old fountain where she formerly lost the ring. It will be their last meeting. Yet Mélisande does not understand what is driving the youth away. The old King Arkel enters the room. The aged man has taken Mélisande to his heart. He feels that the young wife is unhappy. Now Golo also enters. He can scarcely remain master of his inner commotion. The sight of his wife, who appears the picture of innocence, irritates him so much that he finally in a mad rage throws her on her knees and drags her across the room by her hair.
Scene XI. By the old spring in the park. There is an oppressive feeling of disaster in the air. Only little Yniold does not suffer this gripping burden. It is already growing dark when Mélisande goes to Pelléas. And yet in their farewell, perhaps also on account of Golo's outburst of anger, the couple clearly see what has caused their condition. And there comes over them something like the affirmation of death and the joy of dying. How fate shuts the gates upon them; like a fate they see Golo coming. They rejoice in the idea of death. Pelléas falls by Golo's sword, Mélisande flees from her husband's pursuit into the night.
Act V. Scene XII. A room in the castle. Mélisande lies stretched out in bed. Arkel, Golo, and the physician are conversing softly in the room. No; Mélisande is not dying from the insignificant wound Golo has given her. Perhaps her life will be saved. She awakes as if from dreaming. Everything that has happened is like a dream to her. Desperately Golo rushes to her couch, begs her pardon, and asks her for the truth. He is willing to die too but before his death he wants to know whether she had betrayed him with Pelléas. She denies it. Golo presses her so forcibly and makes her suffer so that she is near death. Then earthly things fall away from her as if her soul were already free. It is not possible to bring her back now. The aged Arkel offers the last services for the dying woman, to make the way free for her soul escaping from earthly pain and the burden of the tears of persons left behind.
APHRODITE
A lyric drama in five acts and seven scenes after the story by Pierre Louÿs. Adapted by Louis de Gramont. Music by Camille Erlanger. First given at the Opéra Comique, Paris, March 23, 1906, with Mary Garden as Chrysis, Leon Beyle as Démétrios, Gustave Huberdeau as the Jailor, Mmes. Mathieu-Lutz and Demellin as Myrto and Rhodis, and Claire Friche as Bacchis.
Characters
| Démétrios | Tenor |
| Timon | Baritone |
| Philodème | Tenor |
| Le Grand Prêtre | Bass |
| Callidès | Bass |
| Le Geôlier | Bass |
| Chrysis | Soprano |
| Bacchis | Mezzo-Soprano |
| Myrto | Soprano |
| Rhodis | Mezzo-Soprano |
| Chimaris | Mezzo-Soprano |
| Séso | Soprano |
Act I. The wharf at Alexandria. Act II. The temple of Aphrodite. Act III. At the house of Bacchis. Act IV. The studio of Démétrios. Act V. Scene I. The lighthouse; Scene II. The prison; Scene III. The garden of Hermanubis.
Act I. The throng moves back and forth on the crowded wharf. There are young people, courtesans, philosophers, sailors, beggars, fruit-sellers. Rhodis and Myrto play on their flutes while Théano dances. Démétrios the sculptor approaches and leans on the parapet overlooking the sea. The Jewess Chimaris, a fortune-teller, reads his hand. She tells him that she sees past happiness and love in the future, but that this love will be drowned first in the blood of one woman, then in that of a second, and finally in his own. Chrysis, a beautiful courtesan, appears on the wharf. Démétrios wishes to follow her, but she declines his advances. To possess her he must bring her three gifts, the silver mirror of Bacchis, the courtesan, the ivory comb of Touni, wife of the High Priest, and the pearl necklace clasped around the neck of the statue of the goddess Aphrodite in the temple. Démétrios is appalled but swears to fulfil her wishes. She embraces him and disappears.
In Act II the temple guards and eunuchs perform their sacred offices. Démétrios enters the temple. He has committed two of the three crimes. He has stolen the mirror from Bacchis and stabbed Touni to take her comb. The celebration of the first day of the Aphrodisiacs begins. Courtesans bring offerings to the goddess. Rhodis and Myrto bring a caged dove. Chrysis hands the High Priest her bronze mirror, her copper comb, and her emerald necklace, as offerings. When the crowd leaves the temple, Démétrios snatches the necklace from the statue and disappears.