Chapter V: Act V: Scene X

_Before the Curtain representing the Edge of a Forest_

(_Enter_ TYLTYL _and_ LIGHT.)

LIGHT

Here we are at last.

TYLTYL

Where?

LIGHT

Why, near your home!... Don't you recognize your forest?

TYLTYL

My forest, my forest?... (_Looking around him_.) Why, so it is!... I've seen those beeches before, somewhere.

LIGHT

That's more than likely, as they're close to the house in which you were born.

TYLTYL

Well, it's about time I did get home. I am tired out.

LIGHT

It has been a fatiguing journey, but not without results.

TYLTYL

Results?... Where?... When we started I was in love with six girls; now we've returned, I love only one; and she's just the one who hasn't come back with me.... But where are those six others and what are they doing? And Destiny too? He was looking very ill....

LIGHT

Here they are.

(_Enter_ THE SIX GIRLS. _The last_, JALLINE, _carries_ DESTINY,
_who still wears his cloak and sombrero, but who has shrunk to the
dimensions of quite a small child and appears very tired_.)

JALLINE

(_Passing_ DESTINY _to_ MILETTE.) Will you take him for a moment? He's not very big, but dreadfully heavy.

MILETTE

(_Taking him from_ JALLINE'S _arms_.) Come to me, my little Tiny, come; there, don't cry....

DESTINY

(_In a whining baby voice_.) Me? I never cwy!... I'm alwayth the thame!... I'm unthakable, immovable, indefatigable, implacable and inegthowable!...

MILETTE

Yes, yes, Tiny, we know, you're a very good little boy.... (DESTINY _falls asleep in her arms_.) He's gone to sleep!

JALLINE

(_Wrapping him in his cape, with a motherly gesture_.) He's a dear, sweet, obedient little thing, but seems very tired.

LIGHT

Poor little Destiny!... He has no luck!... But we will see to him later.... What we have to do now, my children, is to bid one another good-bye ... and for the last time....

TYLTYL

For the last time!...

LIGHT

Why, yes; we can't spend our whole life travelling! Besides, you are near your homes, since you all of you dwell round the forest. We have learned what we sought and we know what we wanted to know, that man is granted only one love, while the others are merely unfortunate errors that bring sorrow to innumerable lives.... You were all of you about to choose wrongly; and you may rejoice, therefore, even now, when we have to part, that the mistake was discovered before it was too late.... And, more than this, the Fairy has charged me with glad tidings for you all: the one love you have each of you sought is waiting for you by your own fire-side, in your own home, or at least will be there very soon.... So do not linger, but hasten to meet it.... The hour grows late; soon the cocks will be crowing; the birds are beginning to wake. Let us bid one another good-bye, quickly, without regret, without sad thoughts or tears....

MILETTE

(_Handing_ DESTINY _to_ AIMETTE.) Just take him for a minute, while I kiss TYLTYL.... (_Kissing_ TYLTYL.) Good-bye, Tyltyl dear. I must go first. Dad gets up early and there would be awful trouble if he didn't find me in the house. Good-bye. Let me kiss you again.... Be nice to me when we meet: we're neighbours and shall have to spend all our lives in this forest.

TYLTYL

(_Kissing her affectionately_.) Be nice to you, Milette? Of course I will! It's not your fault or mine: we both know that.

MILETTE

Good-bye, good-bye!... I must fly!...

(_She runs out_.)

AIMETTE

(_Handing_ DESTINY _to_ JALLINE.) Take hold of the little man for a second, will you? (_Kissing_ TYLTYL.) Good-bye, Tyltyl.... Don't let us forget each other.... I shall perhaps love somebody else; but I shall never love him as I loved you.

LIGHT

Come, come, you are wasting time.... We shall never have done if we go on like this.... If the cock crows before you return, your parents will know everything; and then they'll be angry.... Just give him a sisterly kiss: that's all that's necessary.... You're not going far; and you'll meet again many a time, in real life, and will like each other the better because of your truer knowledge....

(ROSARELLE _and_ BELLINE _kiss_ TYLTYL _without speaking and go
out_. ROSELLE _blows her nose vigorously, dabs at her eyes and
stammers_, "My dear Tyltyl! my dear Tyltyl!... He was so nice!... I
shall see you again, sha'n't I, I shall see you again?... You shall
have the best of everything at the inn!" _Then she rushes out_.
JALLINE _alone lingers behind, holding_ DESTINY _in her arms_.)

LIGHT

Well, Jalline, what are you doing here?

JALLINE

I can't go away at once, just like the others!...

LIGHT

But you must, dear Jalline. Not because it is fate, as men say, but because it is the will of those who know everything and who never die.... Good-bye, my little Jalline. You have been very sweet, very loving, very exquisite; and I thought that you would be chosen.... Don't cry, dear. Hand over poor little Destiny to me, I will take care of him; and give Tyltyl a long, long kiss....

JALLINE

(_Hands_ DESTINY _to_ LIGHT _and gives_ TYLTYL _a long kiss_.) Good-bye, Tyltyl.

TYLTYL

Good-bye, Jalline!

(JALLINE _moves away with slow reluctant steps_.)

LIGHT

And, now that we are alone, let me kiss you too.... We shall meet once again to take another and a longer journey....

TYLTYL

Another journey? And a longer one?

LIGHT

The last, the happiest and the most beautiful. But I am not allowed to speak of it yet.... Good-bye, Tyltyl. Remember, dear, that you are not alone in this world and that all that you see in it has neither beginning nor end. With this thought in your heart, letting it grow with your growth, you will always know, whatever may happen, the right thing to say, the right thing to hope for.... And you, Tiny, don't cry like that! Some day we shall begin to understand each other.

DESTINY

(_Half-asleep, tearfully, lisping_.) Me? I never cwy!... I order a thtop!... Forward! Forward! Forward!

(LIGHT _goes out on the left, carrying_ DESTINY _in her arms_.
TYLTYL _follows her a little way, waving his hand in farewell; and
the Curtain opens on the last scene_.)

SCENE XI

_The Awakening_

_The same scene as in Act I_. TYLTYL _is sound asleep. The light
trickles gaily through all the crannies of the closed shutters. The
Blue Bird is singing madly in his cage_.

(_A knock at the door_.)

TYLTYL

(_Waking with a start_.) Who's there?

MUMMY TYL

(_Behind the door_.) It's me!... Open the door quickly!... We're expecting a visitor....

TYLTYL

Wait, wait, till I slip on my breeches.... (_Rising and seeing with amazement that he is dressed_.) Hullo, I've gone to bed with my clothes on! How did I come to do that?...

(_He opens the door. Enter_ MUMMY TYL _fussily, carrying a bundle
of sticks_.)

MUMMY TYL

Quick, quick!... Help me light the fire and tidy the room.... Go and wake up Mytyl.... They'll be here in a minute.

TYLTYL

(_Doing his best to help her_.) Who's "they"?

MUMMY TYL

Of course, you don't know. Daddy Tyl met them yesterday, but you had gone to bed.... Do open the shutters, I can't see what I'm doing.... (TYLTYL _opens the shutters and the daylight floods the room_.) And call Mytyl, so that she can help me to get things straight.... What a mess!... And the dust! I can't let them see my house like this. (_Enter_ MYTYL.)

TYLTYL

Hullo, there Mytyl is!... But you haven't told me....

MUMMY TYL

(_To_ MYTYL.) The fire's beginning to burn up.... You make the coffee, while I start cleaning.... What's this? More cabbage leaves under the tap!

MYTYL

It's not my fault. Tyltyl promised me....

MUMMY TYL

Well, I never! A nice thing!... It's a blessing that I came to look for myself!... Take the broom, Tyltyl, while I give a rub to the plates and put them away.

TYLTYL

But look here: who's coming? Is it the Shah of Persia or the Emperor of China?

MUMMY TYL

Much better than that. You'll never guess.... Do you remember our neighbour?

MYTYL

What neighbour?

MUMMY TYL

There aren't so many of 'em.... The one with the pretty little pink house, by the road-side, and a garden full of sunflowers and hollyhocks.

TYLTYL

Of course!... And they had a little girl to whom I gave my dove?

MUMMY TYL

That's right.

TYLTYL

They've been gone a long time.

MUMMY TYL

Five or six years, that's all. They went to the town to live with the girl's uncle. He was a widower, with no children of his own, and has died and left them all his money. They told Daddy Tyl they're coming back here for good, going into their nice little house again. It belonged to little Joy's uncle.

TYLTYL

Little Joy?

MUMMY TYL

Yes, yes, you know: that's the little girl's name. They used to call her Jojo when she was small; but her name is Joy. Daddy Tyl met her last night, says that he could hardly believe his eyes, that she's taller than you and beautiful ... well, there! With hair like gold, real gold! That's worth thinking about.... So I want the house tidy and all of us to look decent and respectable.... You can never tell what may happen. We're of good stock too. Your grandfather's father was a pork-butcher.

TYLTYL

It's curious, I didn't meet him.

MUMMY TYL

Whom?

TYLTYL

My grandfather's father.

MUMMY TYL

That's not to be wondered at: he's been dead these fifty-seven years.

TYLTYL

(_Sweeping the floor lustily_.) Perhaps I had better put on my Sunday clothes?

MUMMY TYL

No, you needn't; you're all right as you are. We'll just lay the white tablecloth.... Besides, there's no time now; here they come; I can hear them walking up the path.

(_A knock at the door_. MUMMY TYL _opens it. Enter_ THE NEIGHBOUR
_and_ JOY, _followed by_ DADDY TYL, _with his axe on his
shoulder_.)

DADDY TYL

(_Calling out from the threshold_.) Here they are! Here they are!

THE NEIGHBOUR

Yes, it's Joy and I, Madame Tyl.... Good-morning, a Merry Christmas and good luck to everybody, as my poor husband used to say when he was alive. I'm glad to see you looking so well.... And these are the children? Don't tell me that this great, big, pretty girl is Mytyl? And can that be Tyltyl, that strapping young fellow who looks so smart?

MUMMY TYL

Yes, yes, Madame Berlingot, they're the sort that keep on shooting up till you don't know where you are. Tyltyl hasn't grown as much as his sister; but he's stronger. There's not a sturdier lad in all the country-side.... But it's your young lady who's beautiful!... She looks the very picture of the blessed saints!... (_Observing_ TYLTYL, _who stands wide-eyed and entranced_.) Now then, Tyltyl, where are your manners? Don't you, know your little playmate? Be civil, say how-do-you-do, shake hands and give her a chair.

DADDY TYL

Before you sit down, would you like to see the cows?

THE NEIGHBOUR

What, do you keep cows now?

DADDY TYL

Why, yes; we've not done so badly either.... Two little cows and a calf.... Little cows are better than big ones; and they only eat half as much.... One of them, the red one, gives us twenty quarts of milk every day.

THE NEIGHBOUR

Then you've put up a cow-house? You hadn't one before.

DADDY TYL

Yes, I ran it up myself, with Tyltyl to help.... (_Leading her towards the door on the left_.) It's this way: we made a good job of it and it's quite worth seeing.

THE NEIGHBOUR

Dear me, yes; I'd like to see it at once.

(_They all go out, except_ TYLTYL _and_ JOY, _who remain standing
face to face. As soon as they are gone_, TYLTYL _goes up to_ JOY
_and takes her hand_.)

TYLTYL

Is it ... really you?

JOY

Yes, it's I.

TYLTYL

I knew you at once.

JOY

And I you.

TYLTYL

You are even more beautiful than up there.

JOY

You too.

TYLTYL

I say, it's funny that I couldn't remember....

JOY

I hadn't forgotten.

TYLTYL

Oh, how lovely you are!... Let me kiss you.

JOY

You may if you like.

(_They kiss each other awkwardly, but affectionately_.)

TYLTYL

They haven't a suspicion.

JOY

You think that?

TYLTYL

I'm sure of it. They don't know what we know. But the little ones knew.

JOY

What little ones?

TYLTYL

The little ones up there.... They were very clever. They knew you at once.... Were you so very unhappy?

JOY

Why?

TYLTYL

Because I couldn't remember.

JOY

It wasn't your fault.

TYLTYL

I know, but I hated it.... And you were so pale, so dreadfully pale; and you never spoke.... How long had you loved me?

JOY

Ever since I first saw you, when you gave me the Blue Bird.

TYLTYL

So have I, so have I, but I had forgotten.... Never mind: we're going to be tremendously happy, for they've settled it, you see; they want it.

JOY

Do you think they've done it on purpose?

TYLTYL

I'm quite sure; there isn't a doubt.... Everybody wanted it, but especially the little ones, all six of them.

JOY

Oh!

TYLTYL

Yes!... We're going to have six!... I say, do you believe it?

JOY

Six what?

TYLTYL

Why, six children, of course!

JOY

Oh, Tyltyl!

TYLTYL

I know it's a great many; but we'll manage somehow. There's nothing to be afraid of.... What a dream, eh?

JOY

Yes.

TYLTYL

The loveliest I ever had; and you?

JOY

Yes.

TYLTYL

I saw you as you are now, just like that. But here, all the same, you are more real and more beautiful.... Oh, I must kiss you again!

(_They kiss each other lingeringly. At that moment_ DADDY TYL
_opens the door, with the others behind him_.)

DADDY TYL

(_Catching them in the act_.) Well, I never!... You're getting on, you two!... You're losing no time!

THE NEIGHBOUR

(_Entering with_ MUMMY TYL _and_ MYTYL.) What's the matter?

DADDY TYL

What did I say, when we were looking at the rabbits? These two are made for each other.... They were kissing away like anything!

THE NEIGHBOUR

Joy! Aren't you ashamed?

JOY

But, mummy....

DADDY TYL

Come, come, there's no great harm in it. We did as much, Mummy Tyl and I, when we were young, didn't we, old lady?

MUMMY TYL

We did indeed!... They make such a pretty pair!...

THE NEIGHBOUR

That they do; but Joy is still very young and I'd like to think it over.

DADDY TYL

That's right enough.... He's very young too; but you won't find a better boy in the whole country-side.... He's a strong, healthy lad, with a civil tongue in his head, and he works like a nigger.... Think it over by all means, only, as this is a holiday, there's no harm in their kissing each other; and let's see them do it: it's good for one!... (_Seeing that_ TYLTYL _and_ JOY _do not move, he pushes them close together_.) Well?... Look at them: they don't want to now!

TYLTYL

(_In a whisper, to_ JOY, _as he kisses her_.) It was better when we were by ourselves, wasn't it?

JOY

(_Also whispering_.) Yes, it was!

TYLTYL

They were right, weren't they?

JOY

Who?

TYLTYL

The others.

JOY

Yes.

TYLTYL

Don't say a word to any one: it is our secret, yours and mine....

CURTAIN

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