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_