, Golaud, the sadness of
all we see!" At this moment the servants fall suddenly on their knees at
the back of the room. Arkel turns suddenly: "What is the matter?" The
physician approaches the bed and examines the body of Melisande. "They
are right," he says. There is a silence.

"I saw nothing. Are you sure?" questions Arkel.

"Yes, yes."

"I heard nothing. So quickly! so quickly! She goes without a word!"

Golaud sobs aloud.

"Do not remain here," says Arkel. "She must have silence now. Come;
come. It is terrible, but it is not your fault. It was a little being,
so quiet, so timid, and so silent. It was a poor little mysterious being
like everyone. She lies there as though she were the elder sister of her
baby. Come; the child should not stay here in this room. She must live,
now, in her place. It is the poor little one's turn."

III

THE MUSIC

A REVOLUTIONARY SCORE

Debussy's _Pelleas et Melisande, drame lyrique en 5 actes et 12
tableaux_, was performed for the first time on any stage at the
Opera-Comique, Paris, April 30, 1902. Its first performance outside of
Paris was at the Theatre de la Monnaie, Brussels, January 9, 1907; its
second was at Frankfort, April 19, 1907. Its third will be the coming
production at the Manhattan Opera House, New York. The original Paris
cast was as follows: _Pelleas_, M. Jean Perier; _Melisande_, Miss Mary
Garden; _Arkel_, M. Vieuille; _Golaud_, M. Dufrane; _Genevieve_, Mlle.
Gerville-Reache; _Le petit Yniold_, M. Blondin; _Un Medicin_, M. Viguie.
M. Andre Messager was the conductor. The work was admirably mounted
under the supervision of the Director of the Opera-Comique, M. Albert
Carre.

The fortunes of the opera have not been altogether happy. It has been
said that Debussy conceived the idea of writing music for Maeterlinck's
play soon after its first performance at the Bouffes-Parisiens in 1893;
that, although it was necessary to secure the dramatist's consent to its
adaptation, he did not solicit Maeterlinck's permission until he had
thought out his musical scheme to a considerable degree of elaboration;
and that Maeterlinck (being of that complacent majority of literary men
who neither care for nor are intelligently curious concerning musical
art) was immensely surprised to learn that his play had suggested a
tonal setting. There was much correspondence between composer and
dramatist before Maeterlinck finally heard the music of Debussy at a
rehearsal at t