La Dispute by Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux Lyrics
The Dispute
Translated by Neil Bartlett
Characters:
Hermiane
The Prince
Mesrou
Carise
Eglé
Azor
Adine
Mesrine
Meslis
Dina
Courtiers
The action takes à le campagne; in other words, in the country.
The First Scene
THE PRINCE, HERMIANE, CARISE, MESROU, THE PRINCE'S RETINUE
HERMIANE: Your highness, where are we going? The most isolated and godforsaken spot on earth, apparently -- and with no sign whatsoever of the show I was promised.
THE PRINCE (Laughing): Everything is ready.
HERMIANE: I see nothing; this edifice I'm invited to enter, what was such a monstrosity constructed for? Is there some significance for the extremely high walls around it?
What have you got planned for me?
THE PRINCE: A most original entertainment.
You recall the discussion which lead to us becoming so animated yesterday -- yesterday evening. You maintained, defying my entire entourage, that it wasn't your sex, but mine, which was the first to prove fickle, inconstant. In love.
HERMIANE: Yes, your highness, I maintain that still. The first inconstancy -- let's call it infidelity, shall we -- the first infidelity could only have been committed by someone shameless enough to blush at nothing. Well! How could anyone imagine that women, created innately timid, modest, timid and modest still despite all the corrupting effects of society, how could anyone think that they would be the first to fall into vices requiring as much audacity, such emotional promiscuity, such sheer nerve as those we were discussing. It's hardly credible.
THE PRINCE: Eh, quite, Hermiane, I find it no more likely than you do, but then it's not me you need to convince, I'm on your side even if most people aren't, you know that.
HERMIANE: Yes, out of gallantry; I had noticed.
THE PRINCE: If it is gallantry, it's quite unconscious. It is true I do love you, and that the extravagance of my desire to please you could, easily, influence me to agree with you; but I assure you, any influence has been so subtle I haven't noticed it. Men's hearts are worthless, and you can keep them; I find them incomparably more prone to inconstancy and infidelity than women's; all of them -- except mine, and I wouldn't grant even mine the honour of that exemption if I were to be in love with anyone but yourself.
HERMIANE: I detect a trace of irony.
THE PRINCE: For which I will be doubtless duly punished; since I am about to give you the means to damn me, should I not share your views.
HERMIANE: What are you trying to say?
THE PRINCE: Yes, we're going to put the question to Mother Nature herself; she's the only authorative judge of such matters -- and I'm sure she'll pronounce in your favour.
HERMIANE: Explain. I don't understand you.
THE PRINCE: In order to really know if the first betrayal, the first infidelity was a man's, as you, and I, assert, one would have to have been there to witness the beginning of the world, of society.
HERMIANE: But one wasn't.
THE PRINCE: But we shall be. Yes -- the men and women of those very first days, the world and its first loves -- all re-enacted before our eyes just as they were, or at least, just as they ought to have been. It won't be perhaps quite the traditional story, but it will be played out by a traditional cast; you'll see hearts as virgin as Eden, minds as unadulterated as the first minds, pure; perhaps even purer if that is possible.
(To CARISE and to MESROU.)
Carise -- and you Mesrou -- thank you; when it's time for us to retire, use the signal we agreed.
(To the ENTOURAGE.)
And, that will be all.
2
HERMAINE, THE PRINCE
HERMAINE: Alright, I'm intrigued.
THE PRINCE: The fact are these: eighteen or nineteen years ago this same current dispute arose at my Father's court, became somewhat heated and remained unresolved. My Father, being of a naturally somewhat scientific bent, and not being in agreement with your position, resolved to decide the matter, by means of an experiment whose conclusions would be irrefutable. Four newly born children, two of your sex and two of ours, were brought to this wilderness where he had had this accommodation built especially to house them, and where each of them was confined, separately, and where each still currently occupies an enclosure from which they have never strayed, the world beyond which they have never seen. They know no-one except Mesrou and his sister, who reared them -- they've looked after them all their lives; they were selected for their colour, so that their charges might be the more astonished when they saw other people. And now for the very first time they'll be allowed the liberty of leaving their cells, and of meeting each other; they've been taught the language we use; one might justifiably regard whatever dealings they choose to have with each other as the first dawn of creation; the very first loves will begin, again -- we'll see what happens.
(At this point, we hear the sound of trumpets.)
We should take our places promptly, that's the signal warning us our young people are about to appear; there's a gallery runs right round the building from which we'll be able to see and hear them, whichever side they come out. Shall we?
3
CARISE, EGLÉ
CARISE: Eglé, come, follow me; there's a new place here you've never seen. You can run around; it's safe.
EGLÉ: What am I seeing? What a lot of new worlds!
CARISE: It's still the same world, you just never knew its full extent.
EGLÉ: What a lot of country! What a lot of house! I don't think I've been in such a big space ever, I like it and I'm frightened.
(She looks at and stops at a puddle.)
What's this water, what's it doing lying on the ground? I never saw anything like that in the world I've come from.
CARISE: No you didn't. That's what they call a puddle.
EGLÉ (Looking.): Ah! Carise, come here, come and look at this; there's something living in the puddle that's made like a person, and she looks as surprised about me as I am about her.
CARISE (Laughing.): No, that's you you're seeing; all puddles can do that trick.
EGLÉ: What, that's me in there, that's my face?
CARISE: Sure.
EGLÉ: But do you know that's very pretty, that's a lovely thing that is. What a shame I never knew that sooner!
CARISE: It's true you're pretty.
EGLÉ: What do you mean, 'pretty'? Wonderful! What I've found, it's magic... (She looks at herself some more.) The puddle's doing all my faces, and I like them all. It must have been lovely for you, Mesrou and you, having me to look at. I'm going to spend my whole life staring at myself; I'm going to love myself in a minute!
CARISE: Run around if you want to, I'm going to leave you and go back inside your house, there's something I have to see to in there.
EGLÉ: Go, go, I won't get bored, with the puddle.
4
EGLÉ, AZOR
EGLÉ alone for awhile, then AZOR appears face to face with her.
EGLÉ (Continuing and touching her face.): I’m not tired of myself.
(And then, catching sight of AZOR, and frightened.)
What is that, a people like me…
Don’t come any closer.
(AZOR stretches out his arms in admiration and smiles.
EGLÉ continues.)
She’s laughing, like she likes the way I look.
(AZOR takes a step.)
Wait…
She’s very nice-looking really…
D’you know how to talk?
AZOR: The pleasure of seeing you has robbed me of speech.
EGLÉ (Gaily.): The people can hear me, and answer me, and she does it so nicely!
AZOR: I’m rapt.
EGLÉ: That’s good.
AZOR: I’m delighted.
EGLÉ: I like you too.
AZOR: So why d’you say I can’t come any closer?
EGLÉ: I don’t say you can’t, really.
AZOR: I’ll come a bit closer then.
EGLÉ: I’d like that a lot.
(He advances.)
Stop a minute… what a state I’m in!
AZOR: I obey, because I’m all yours.
EGLÉ: She obeys; come here at once then, so you can be all mine close up.
(He comes.)
Ah! Here she is, it’s you; isn’t she handsome!
really, you’re as pretty as me.
AZOR: I’m dying with joy to be beside you, I give myself to you, I don’t know what I’m feeling, I wouldn’t know how to put it.
EGLÉ: Oh, I’m just the same.
AZOR: I’m happy, I’m upset.
EGLÉ: I’m sighing.
AZOR: It doesn’t matter how close I get, I can’t get enough of you.
EGLÉ: That’s what I was thinking, but we can’t see each other properly, not while we’re like this.
AZOR: My heart wants your hands.
EGLÉ: There we are, mine gives you them; are you feeling any better now?
AZOR: Yes, but not any calmer.
EGLÉ: That’s what’s happening to me, we’re the same in everything.
AZOR: Oh! – we’re so different!; all of me’s worth less than your eyes, they’re so gentle!
EGLÉ: Yours are so bright!
AZOR: You’re so tiny, so fragile!
EGLÉ: Yes, but really it suits you better not being, not as much as me; I wouldn’t want you any different; you’re perfect, differently; I’ll stay the way I am; you stay your way for me.
AZOR: I won’t change it at all. I’ll be like this always.
EGLÉ: Oh, tell me, where were you when I never knew you?
AZOR: In a world of my own, which I’m never going back to, because you’re not there, and because I want to have your hands always; I don’t know how to be, without them, and neither does my mouth.
EGLÉ: And my hands can’t be doing without your mouth – I can hear noise – it’s the people from my world –so you don’t scare them, hide in the trees; I’ll call you.
AZOR: Yes – but I’ll lose sight of you.
EGLÉ: No, you just have to look in any water that’s lying around, it’s got my face in it, you’ll see it.
5
MESROU, CARISE, EGLÉ
EGLÉ (Sighing.):Ah! I'm bored already with him being gone.
CARISE: Eglé, I come back and you seem upset, what's happened?
MESROU: Her eyes are brighter than usual.
EGLÉ: That's because there's very big news; you think there's only three of us, well let me tell you, there's four; I have got myself something that's been holding my hand, just now.
CARISE: Who's been holding your hand, Eglé? Eh, why didn't you call for help?
EGLÉ: Help with what? With how good it felt? I was quite alright with it holding it; I said it could; it was kissing it just as much as it could, and I've only got to call it back and it'll kiss it again just to please me. And itself.
MESROU: I know who it is -- I thought I spotted him running off -- ; this something is called a man -- it's Azor; we know him.
EGLÉ: "It's Azor." Nice name! Dear Azor! Dear Man!! ... he's just coming...
CARISE: I'm not at all surpirsed he loves you and you love him; you were made for each other.
EGLÉ: Exactly, that's what we thought.
(She calls him.)
Azor, my Azor, come here, quickly, Man!
6
CARISE, EGLÉ, MESROU, AZOR
AZOR: Eh! It's Carise and Mesrou, they're my friends.
EGLÉ: They just told me all about it, you were made especially for me, me especially for you, they explained it: that's why we love each other so much, I'm your Eglé, you're my Azor.
MESROU: One's the man and the other's the woman.
AZOR: My Eglé, my joy, my enjoyment, my woman.
EGLÉ: Go on, here's my hand, make up for having to hide yourself.
(To Mesrou and to Carise.) See, that's what he was doing before, see what I mean about me not needing any help?
CARISE: Children, I already told you, it's only natural you should be so taken with each other.
EGLÉ (Taking him by the hand.): It's obvious really.
CARISE: But there's a rule, one rule, if you want to stay in love.
EGLÉ: Yes, I know; you have to be together always.
CARISE: On the contrary, you must sometimes deprive yourselves of the pleasure of seeing each other.
EGLÉ (Astonished.): What?
AZOR (Astonished.): What?
CARISE: Yes, believe me, otherwise that pleasure will grow less, and you will grow indifferent.
EGLÉ (Laughing.): Indifferent, indifferent, my Azor -- ha! ha! ha! -- what a funny idea.
AZOR: What does she know?
MESROU: Don't laugh, she's giving you good advice; it's only by doing what she just told you, and separating sometimes, that we've stayed in love, Carise and me.
EGLÉ: Yes, well, I can believe that; that's probably true for you sort of people, I mean you're both really black, you must have run a mile when you first saw each other.
AZOR: The best you could ever do, was put up with each other.
EGLÉ: And you'd soon get sick of seeing each other if you had to all the time, because you're not nice to look at at all; me, I love you, for instance, but when I can't see you, I don't miss you, I don't have to see you -- why? Because you're not attractive; whereas we do attract each other, Azor and me; he's so handsome, I'm so lovely, so worth looking at, we're rapt just looking at each other.
AZOR (Taking EGLÉ's hand.): Just one of Eglé's hands, do you see, just her hand, I ache when I'm not holding it, and when I am holding it, I'll die if I don't kiss it, and then when I have kissed it, I die more.
EGLÉ: Man is right, everything he just said then to you, I feel the same; that's just where we are, and you, you talk about our pleasure, but you don't know what it's like -- we don't understand it, and we're feeling it; it goes on for ever.
MESROU: We're not suggesting you separate for more than two or three hours a day.
EGLÉ: Not for one minute.
MESROU: Too bad.
EGLÉ: You're making me cross now, Mesrou; do you think if we look at each other we'll turn ugly? We'll stop being attractive?
CARISE: No, but you'll stop feeling that you are.
EGLÉ: Eh, who's going to stop us feeling it if we are?
AZOR: Eglé will always be Eglé.
EGLÉ: Azor always Azor.
MESROU: I'm sure he will, but you never can tell. Suppose, say, that I turned as good looking as Azor, or Carise turned as beautiful as EGLÉ.
EGLÉ: What would that have do to with us?
CARISE: Maybe once you'd got sick of the sight of each other you'd be tempted to each leave the other and love us.
EGLÉ: Tempted? To leave what you love? What sense would that make? Azor and me, we love each other, that's the end of it, turn as beautiful as you like, why should we mind? That's your business; ours is all done.
AZOR: They'll never understand anything, you have to be us to know what it's like.
MESROU: Up to you.
AZOR: Who I love, it's my life.
EGLÉ: Hear what he said; his life? How could he ever leave me? He's got to live, and I have to too.
AZOR: Yes, my life; how can anyone be so beautiful, look at you so beautifully, have a mouth that beautiful, beautiful everything.
EGLÉ: I love it when he loves me.
MESROU: It's true he adores you.
AZOR: Ah! that's the right word, I adore her! Mesrou understands me, I adore you.
EGLÉ (Sighing.): Adore away, but give me a chance to breathe; ah!
CARISE: Such tenderness, even I am touched. But there is only one way to sustain it, which is to take our advice; and if you've got the sense to take it, here, Eglé, give this to Azor, it's something to help him endure your absence.
EGLÉ (Taking a picture that Carise gives her.): What's that? I recognise myself; it's me again -- and much better than in the water in the puddle, it's got all how pretty I am, it's really me; how nice to be all over the place! Look, Azor, look at my body.
AZOR: Ah! It's Eglé, it's my woman; there she is -- of course the real thing's even better.
(He kisses the portrait.)
MESROU: At least it reminds you of her.
AZOR: Yes, it makes you want her.
(He kisses it more.)
EGLÉ: There's only one thing wrong with it, I think; when he kisses it, my copy's got everything.
AZOR (Takes her hand, which he kisses.): Let's put that right then.
EGLÉ: Oh that...; I want one the same to play with.
MESROU: Choose between his picture and yours.
EGLÉ: I'll take them both.
MESROU: Oh, you have to choose, sorry; I want to keep one.
EGLÉ: Oh well, in that case, I don't need you to have Azor, because I've got his picture already, in my head, so, give me mine, and then I'll have got them both.
CARISE: Here it is in a different version. This is called a mirror; you just press it here to open it. Goodbye, we'll come back and find you later -- do, please, think about those little separations.
7
EGLÉ, AZOR
EGLÉ (Trying to open the box.): Here, I won't know how to open it; you try Azor -- there's where she said you had to press it.
AZOR (Opens it and looks at himself.): Right, it's just me, I think, it's my face -- a puddle over there showed it me.
EGLÉ: Ha! ha! Let me see! Eh! Oh no it's not, Man, it's me, it's more me than ever, it really is your Eglé, the real one, here, look.
AZOR: Oh yes, it's you, wait, it's both of us, it's half one and half the other; I'd like it better if it was just you on your own, because me being there too stops me seeing all of you.
EGLÉ: Ah! I like seeing a bit of you in it as well, you're not spoiling anything -- get in a bit closer -- hold on to it.
AZOR: Our faces are going to touch, look now they are touching -- that's lucky for mine! that's... rapture!
EGLÉ: I can really feel you, and I really like that.
AZOR: If our mouths got closer...
(He takes a kiss off her.)
EGLÉ (As she turns back.): Oh! you're messing us up, look, now I can't see anything but me, isn't a mirror a clever invention.
AZOR (Taking the mirror off .): Ah! a picture's a good thing too. (He kisses it.)
EGLÉ: Carise and Mesrou are good people though.
AZOR: They just want what's best for us; I was going to talk to you about them and that advice they gave us.
EGLÉ: It's about those separations, isn't it? I was wondering about them too.
AZOR: Yes, Eglé, what they said would happen has made me a bit worried. I'm not worried about my end of things, but don't you go and get bored with me, not even a bit, I'd be desperate.
EGLÉ: It's you you should worry about; don't you ever get tired of adoring me -- I mean, I know how pretty I am, but your being worried has got me worried too.
AZOR: Oh! you're wonderful, you're not the one who's got anything to be afraid of ... what are you thinking?
EGLÉ: Alright, alright, all things considered, I've made up my mind: let's make ourselves unhappy; let's separate for two hours; I like your love and your adoring me more than your being here, though that's lovely too.
AZOR: Separate? Who? Us?
EGLÉ: Oh! if you don't just do it, in a minute I shan't want to.
AZOR: I can't! I haven't got the nerve.
EGLÉ: That's a shame because mine's fading fast.
AZOR (Crying.): Goodbye, Eglé, since we've got to.
EGLÉ: Are you crying? Oh well, stay -- so long as there's no danger --
AZOR: But if there is!
EGLÉ: Go on then.
AZOR: I'm going.
8
EGLÉ
EGLÉ (Alone.): Ah!, he's not here, I'm on my own.
He's not here any more, I can't hear his voice any more, there's nothing any more but the mirror. (She looks at herself in it.)
Getting rid of my Man was a mistake, Carise and Mesrou don't know what they're talking about.
(Looking at herself.) If I'd looked at myself properly, Azor needn't have gone at all -- you could love what's in there always easily, no need to do this separation thing... Right, I'm going to sit with the puddle, at least it's another mirror.
9
EGLÉ, ADINE
EGLÉ: What’s that? It’s another person again!
ADINE: Ah! ah! What new thing is this? (She comes forward.)
EGLÉ: She’s looking at me all over, but not adoring me at all; it’s not an Azor. (She looks at herself in her mirror.) And it’s even less of an Eglé... However I think it’s making comparisons.
ADINE: I don’t quite know what to make of that as a look, I couldn’t say what it lacks exactly, there’s something insipid about her.
EGLÉ: She’s the sort of thing I don’t like the look of.
ADINE: Has she any conversation?... Let’s see... Are you a person?
EGLÉ: Most definitely; I’m my own person.
ADINE: Really. And have you nothing to say to me?
EGLÉ: No. I’m ordinarily more likely to be the topic of conversation than to start one.
ADINE: But you are charmed?
EGLÉ: By you? I’m the one charms people.
ADINE: So you’re not pleased to see me?
EGLÉ: Sadly neither pleased nor peeved — should I be?
ADINE: What an extraordinary thing! You stare at me, I let you, and yet you feel nothing. You must have been distracted; a little attention while you study me; there, how do you find me?
EGLÉ: What is it with all this ‘you’? Why’s it all about you? As I say, I’m the one gets looked at, I’m the one gets told how she looks, that’s the way things are done here, and you think I’m going to look at you while I’m around?
ADINE: Of course. In company, the loveliest present must wait, until she’s noticed and they’re struck.
EGLÉ: So be struck.
ADINE: You’re still not paying attention are you? The loveliest present must wait, as one said.
EGLÉ: As one replies, she’s waiting.
ADINE: Well if it isn’t me, where is she? All three other people in the entire world are struck dumb by me.
EGLÉ: I don’t know these people of yours, but I do know there are three who are rapt because of me and think I’m wonderful.
ADINE: And I know I am so beautiful, so beautiful, that I fascinate myself every time I look at myself, see what I mean?
EGLÉ: What’s that supposed to do for me? Every time I stare at myself I’m enchanted, every time, me, me who’s talking to you.
ADINE: Enchanted? You may be passable, and even quite... pleasant — I’m being polite now, unlike you —
EGLÉ (Aside.): I’d like to shove her politeness right down her throat —
ADINE: — but to imagine any comparison between yourself and myself, well, that would be preposterous, as one can see.
EGLÉ: One is seeing, and finding one quite ugly.
ADINE: In which case, it’s your jealousy is blinding you to my beauty.
EGLÉ: It’s your face that’s blinding me actually.
ADINE: My face! Oh! I’m not upset you know. I have seen it. You go and ask the water in any puddle what it’s like, you as Mesrin, he’s mad about me.
EGLÉ: The water in the puddle — which is having you on — would tell me, if asked, that I am the fairest of them all, in fact it’s already told me; I’ve no idea what a Mesrin is, but he wouldn’t even look at you if he’d ever seen me; I’ve got an Azor worth ten times him, an Azor that I love, he's almost as attractive as I am, and he says I’m his life; you, you’re not anybody’s life; and also I’ve also got a mirror which has confirmed everything my Azor and the puddle have told me; beat that.
ADINE (Laughing): A mirror! You’ve also got a mirror! Eh! And what do you use that for? Admiring yourself! ha! ha! ha!
EGLÉ: Ha! ha! ha! ... see, I knew I wouldn’t like her.
ADINE (Laughing): Here’s one works properly, take it; learn to recognize yourself and shut up.
(CARISE appears in the distance)
EGLÉ (Ironically): Take but a glance in this one; realize your true mediocrity, and the modesty appropriate in my presence.
ADINE: Go away: since you refuse to take pleasure in the sight of me, you are of no possible use to me, and I’m not speaking to you anymore.
(They stop looking at each other.)
EGLÉ: And I don’t even know you’re there.
(They keep their distance.)
ADINE (Aside.): She’s mad!
EGLÉ (Aside.): She’’s seeing things — what world is she from?
10
CARISE, ADINE, EGLÉ
CARISE: So what are you two doing so far apart, and not speaking?
ADINE (Laughing.): It's a new person, who I met by accident, and whom my beauty has driven to distraction.
EGLÉ: What do you make of this faded thing, this ridiculous specimen; who aspires to striking me, who asks me how I feel when I look at her, who expects me to take pleasure in the sight of her, who instructs me: Eh! Gaze upon me now! Eh! How d'you find me! and who claims she's as beautiful as I am!
ADINE: I didn't say that, I said more beautiful, as one can see in the mirror.
EGLÉ (Showing hers.): And what can she see in this one -- as if she'd dare!
ADINE: I'm only asking that she glance in mine -- which is the more accurate.
CARISE: Gently, no need to get carried away, treat the accident of your meeting as a happy one instead; let's all be together; you make friends; and then you can add the joy of being together to the pleasure of both being adored, Eglé by the lovely Azor, who she loves, Adine by the lovely Mesrin, who she loves; come on; make it up.
EGLÉ: Only if she ditches her tedious delusions of grandeur.
ADINE: Listen, I know what'll knock some sense into her; I'll just have to take her Azor off her -- not that I want him, but anything for a quiet life.
EGLÉ: Where is this Mesrin idiot of hers? If I meet him, she's had it! Goodbye, I'm taking myself off now, because I simply can't bear her.
ADINE: Ha! ha! ha! ... present company being too unbearably distinguished.
EGLÉ (Coming back.): Ha! ha! ha! ... what a nasty face!
11
ADINE, CARISE
CARISE: Sticks and stones... let her say what she likes.
ADINE: Really -- absolutely; I feel sorry for her.
CARISE: We have to leave, it's time for your music lesson; I shan't be able to give it to you if you loiter.
ADINE: I'm coming -- oh I can see Mesrin; just a quick word --
CARISE: You've only just left him.
ADINE: I won't be a minute --
12
MESRIN, CARISE, ADINE
ADINE (Calling.): -- Mesrin!
MESRIN (Running.): What! It's you, it's my Adine, she's come back; Oh I'm so happy! Oh I was getting so impatient!
ADINE: Look, no -- don't be too happy; I haven't come back, I'm just going; I just happen to be here.
MESRIN: So now you'll have to just happen to be with me.
ADINE: Listen -- listen what happened to me -- ,
CARISE: Keep it short please: I do have other things to do.
ADINE: I am -- (To MESRIN.) I'm beautiful, aren't I?
MESRIN: Beautiful! Are you beautiful?
ADINE: See, no hesitation; speaks as he finds.
MESRIN: Are you Divine? Beauty Incarnate!
ADINE: Well yes, of course I am; however; you, Carise and me, we've got it all wrong, I'm ugly.
MESRIN: My Adine?
ADINE: No less; after I left you, I found a new person, female, from another world, who, instead of being amazed by me, being transported by me like you are and like she should have been, wanted instead for me to be charmed by her, and when I failed to oblige, accused me of being ugly --
MESRIN: You're going to make me lose my temper!
ADINE: -- informed me you'd leave me once you'd seen her.
CARISE: That was because she was angry.
MESRIN: But -- this is a person?
ADINE: So she says, and she looks like one, more or less.
CARISE: And she is one.
ADINE: She'll doubtless be back, and I absolutely insist you treat her with contempt; when you meet her, I want you to be appalled.
MESRIN: She must be really hideous.
ADINE: She's called... oh... no, wait -- ... she's called...
CARISE: Eglé.
ADINE: That's right, it's an Eglé. She is currently sporting: an angry face, sullen; not as black as Carise's but not quite as white as mine either; it's a colour one would be hard put to describe.
MESRIN: But it's not a nice colour?
ADINE: Oh not at all nice, more sort of dull; she's got eyes -- now how can I put this -- eyes that don't look lovely, they just look, really; mouth, not big, not small -- a mouth made for talking; she stands upright, vertical -- and her figure would be a bit like mine is she were a better shape; hands that come and go; long, thin fingers, I think; with a nasty, rude voice -- oh! you're bound to recognise her.
MESRIN: I can just see her; you leave it to me: she wants sending back to this another world -- after I've really mortified her.
ADINE: Really humiliated, really finished her.
MESRIN: Had a really good laugh at her -- oh! don't you worry, you just give me that hand.
ADINE: Eh! Here it is, I only have them for you.
(MESRIN kisses her hand.)
CARISE (Taking the hand off him.): Right, all done, let's go.
ADINE: When he's finished kissing my hand.
CARISE: Leave it now, Mesrin, I'm late.
ADINE: Goodbye my only love, I shan't be long; dream of vengeance.
MESRIN: Goodbye, my only reason for living; I am all fury.
13
MESRIN, AZOR
MESRIN (The first words on his own, repeating the description.): Colour not black or white, standing upright, mouth talking... where am I going to find one of those? (Seeing AZOR.) There's someone over there; it's a person like me; maybe that's the Eglé? No, she's not deformed at all.
AZOR (Staring at him.): You're like me, aren't you?
MESRIN: That's what I was thinking.
AZOR: You're a man then?
MESRIN: So they told me.
AZOR: That's what they told me too.
MESRIN: They told you: do you know people?
AZOR: Oh yes I know them all, two blacks and one white.
MESRIN: Me, I'm the same. Where do you come from?
AZOR: From the world.
MESRIN: D'you mean mine?
AZOR: Ah!, I don't know, there's so many now.
MESRIN: Doesn't matter, I like the look of you; put your hand in my hand; we ought to fall in love.
AZOR: Right-oh; you cheer me up, I like looking at you even though you're not good-looking.
MESRIN: You're not either; I'm not bothered, about you, except you're a good chap.
AZOR: That's right, that's the same way I think about you, as a good friend -- and I'm a good friend too -- what's faces anyway?
MESRIN: Eh! whatever; I'm high-spirited, you see, that's why I'm staring at you. By the way, do you get meals?
AZOR: Every day.
MESRIN: Oh good; I get them too; well, let's eat them together, for fun, keep ourselves in the mood; come on, it's nearly time: we'll have a laugh, we'll have a jump, right? I'm jumping already.
(He jumps.)
AZOR (He's jumping too.): Me too, and we'll be a pair -- maybe a four, when I tell my little white one -- she's got a face: -- you've got to see it! ah! ah! she's the one's got one worth two of ours.
MESRIN: Oh! I believe it, mate; because you're nothing, really nothing, nor me neither, compared to this other face I know, who we'll get together with, who drives me crazy, and she's got these hands, so sweet, so white, -- and she lets me kiss them -- so much!
AZOR: Hands, mate? My white one's got heavenly ones, hasn't she -- and I stroke them as much as I like, don't I? I'm waiting for them.
MESRIN: Great, I've just left mine, and now I've got to leave you too to get on with something; you stay here 'til I come back with my Adine -- let's jump one more time, to celebrate this auspicious encounter --
(They both jump, laughing.)
Ah! Ah! Ah!
14
AZOR, MESRIN, EGLÉ
EGLÉ (Approaching.): What is that that's making you so happy?
MESRIN (Seeing her.): Ah! there's a beautiful thing listening to us!
AZOR: That's my white one -- that's EGLÉ.
MESRIN (Aside.): EGLÉ -- that's Angry-face?
AZOR: Ah! I am so happy!
EGLÉ (Approaching.): Some sort of new friend who's appeared amongst us all of a sudden?
AZOR: Yes, it's a friend I've made, he's called Man, and he's come from a world near here.
MESRIN: What a nice time one has in this one!
EGLÉ: Nicer than in yours?
MESRIN: Oh absolutely.
EGLÉ: Well, Man, you'll just have to stay here.
AZOR: That's what we were saying, because he's altogether decent and a good thing; I love him -- not like I love my lovely Eglé who I love, whereas with him I'm really not bothered, it's just he's the only one I want to spend time with, talking about you, your mouth, your eyes, your hands, that I've been aching for.
(He kisses one of her hands.)
MESRIN (Taking her other hand.): I'll just take the other one then.
(He kisses that hand, EGLÉ laughs, and doesn't say a word.)
AZOR (Taking that hand back off him.): Oi! -- steady; this isn't your white one here, it's my one, these hands are both mine, there's none for you.
EGLÉ: Oh! no harm done; but, on that topic, off you go, Azor; you know how necessary separation is, well, ours hasn't been long enough.
AZOR: What! It's been -- I don't know how many -- hours, hours I haven't seen you.
EGLÉ: You're wrong; it hasn't been long enough, actually; I do know how to count, and what I've decided, I like to stick to.
AZOR: But you'll be here on your own.
EGLÉ: I'm sure I'll be alright.
MESRIN: Don't upset her, friend.
AZOR: I think you're angry with me.
EGLÉ: Why are you being so pigheaded with me? Did you or did you not say there was nothing as dangerous as us seeing each other?
AZOR: That may not be true.
EGLÉ: Personally I suspect it's not a lie.
(CARISE appears here, at a distance, and listens.)
AZOR: Alright I'll go, to make you happy, but I'll be back, soon; let's go, friend, friend who said he'd got something to get on with, you can come with me and help me pass the time.
MESRIN: Yes, but...
EGLÉ (Smiling.): What?
MESRIN: Well I've been walking around for ages.
EGLÉ: He really ought to rest.
MESRIN: And I could see that the lady doesn't get bored.
EGLÉ: Yes, he could see to that.
AZOR: Didn't she say she wanted to be on her own? Otherwise I'd unbore her much better than you. Let's go!
EGLÉ (Aside, and vexed.): Yes, right, go.
15
CARISE, EGLÉ
CARISE (Approaches and looks at EGLÉ who is dreaming.): What are you dreaming about?
EGLÉ: I’m dreaming I’m not in a good mood.
CARISE: Are you sad?
EGLÉ: I’m not sad at all, I’m over sensitive.
CARISE: About what?
EGLÉ: You told us before that when you are with someone you never know what’s going to happen?
CARISE: That’s correct.
EGLÉ: Well, I don’t know what’s going to happen to me.
CARISE: But what’s the matter with you?
EGLÉ: I suppose I’m angry with myself: I’m angry with Azor — I don’t know what’s the matter with me.
CARISE: Why angry with yourself?
EGLÉ: Because I had a plan I was going to love Azor forever, and now I’m afraid I’m not going to.
CARISE: Would that be possible?
EGLÉ: Yes — and I’m angry with Azor, because it’s his behaviour that started it.
CARISE: I suspect you want to quarrel with him.
EGLÉ: You just carry on answering me like that every time, I’ll be angry with you too in a minute.
CARISE: You are in a bad mood; what has Azor done to you?
EGLÉ: What has he done? We agree to separate, he goes, he comes back, immediately, he wants to be there all the time, and in the end what you told him would happen to him will happen.
CARISE: What? You’ll stop loving him?
EGLÉ: Of course; if the pleasure of seeing each other goes when you’ve had it too often, is that my fault?
CARISE: You told us you were sure that could never happen.
EGLÉ: Don’t split hairs with me; what did I know? I was sure because I was ignorant.
CARISE: Eglé, it can’t be his overeagerness to see you that makes his proximity so irksome, you haven’t known him long enough.
EGLÉ: Quite a while; we’ve already had three conversations together, and apparently it’s prolonged encounters that are forbidden.
CARISE: You still haven’t said what actual wrong he’s done.
EGLÉ: Oh! He’s done the odd one or two, he’s done I don’t know how many: number one, he forbids me; my hands are mine, I think, they belong to me, and he decides they shouldn’t be kissed.
CARISE: And who was it wanted to kiss them?
EGLÉ: Some friend he’d acquired all of a sudden, he’s called Man.
CARISE: And he’s attractive.
EGLÉ: Oh! Gorgeous, nicer than Azor, and he even offered to stay and keep my company; and that lunatic Azore wouldn’t let him have either the hand, or the company, told him off and dragged him away all of a sudden, without asking what I wanted: Ah! ah! So I don’t run my own life right now, I can’t be trusted now, afraid someone might love me now he is?
CARISE: No, but he is afraid that his friend might attract you.
EGLÉ: Well, all he’s got to do is attract me more then, because if it’s a question of being loved, I’m very happy to be, is that clear, and if instead of one friend, he had a hundred, I’d want them all to love me, that’s what I like; he wants me beautiful just for him, and I, I think that I should be anybody’s.
CARISE: Listen; your loathing for Azor has got nothing to do with all that, but it has got everything to do with the fat that you currently love his friend more than you do him.
EGLÉ: D’you think so? I suppose you could be right?
CARISE: Eh! Tell me, don’t you feel any shame at all about being unfaithful?
EGLÉ: Apparently yes; I’m blushing; I’m still ignorant that way you see.
CARISE: Ignorance has nothing to do with it; you promised, and often, to be faithful to him.
EGLÉ: Listen, when I promised that, he was the only one, he shouldn’t have stayed the only one, I didn’t count on there being a friend.
CARISE: Admit it, that’s no argument for changing your mind — as you yourself once pointed out.
EGLÉ: Alright, it’s not up to much; but there is one really good one, which is that the friend’s better than Azor.
CARISE: Still fooling yourself; the reason you prefer him is not that he’s better, it’s that he’s new.
EGLÉ: A quite considerable advantage, don’t you think; or doesn’t being new count? Doesn’t being someone else count? At least it’s fun, it’s attractive in a way Azor isn’t.
CARISE: Plus the new arrival is going to fall in love with you.
EGLÉ: Exactly, he is going to fall in love with me, I hope, that’s rather attractive too.
CARISE: Whereas Azor isn’t going to fall in love with you.
EGLÉ: Well no, he loves me already.
CARISE: What a funny reason for a change of heart! I’d lay good money you’re not happy with it.
EGLÉ: I’m not happy with anything; on the one hand changing hurts, on the other, it’s a pleasure; I can’t stop myself feeling one any more than the other. They both matter to me; which do I owe most? Should I hurt myself? Should I please myself? Tell me. I dare you.
CARISE: Ask your heart; it’ll tell you how much it hates infidelity.
EGLÉ: You’re not listening; my heart hates it, my heart recommends it, it says yes, it says no, it’s in two minds; and all I’ve got to do is choose the most convenient option.
CARISE: Do you know what you should do? Avoid Azor’s friend; let’s go, come on, you don’t have to struggle like this —
EGLÉ (Seeing MESRIN coming.): No; but we’ve left it too late: look, the struggle’s on it’s way over — the friend is unavoidable.
CARISE: Never mind, force yourself, be brave, don’t look at him.
Translated by Neil Bartlett
Characters:
Hermiane
The Prince
Mesrou
Carise
Eglé
Azor
Adine
Mesrine
Meslis
Dina
Courtiers
The action takes à le campagne; in other words, in the country.
The First Scene
THE PRINCE, HERMIANE, CARISE, MESROU, THE PRINCE'S RETINUE
HERMIANE: Your highness, where are we going? The most isolated and godforsaken spot on earth, apparently -- and with no sign whatsoever of the show I was promised.
THE PRINCE (Laughing): Everything is ready.
HERMIANE: I see nothing; this edifice I'm invited to enter, what was such a monstrosity constructed for? Is there some significance for the extremely high walls around it?
What have you got planned for me?
THE PRINCE: A most original entertainment.
You recall the discussion which lead to us becoming so animated yesterday -- yesterday evening. You maintained, defying my entire entourage, that it wasn't your sex, but mine, which was the first to prove fickle, inconstant. In love.
HERMIANE: Yes, your highness, I maintain that still. The first inconstancy -- let's call it infidelity, shall we -- the first infidelity could only have been committed by someone shameless enough to blush at nothing. Well! How could anyone imagine that women, created innately timid, modest, timid and modest still despite all the corrupting effects of society, how could anyone think that they would be the first to fall into vices requiring as much audacity, such emotional promiscuity, such sheer nerve as those we were discussing. It's hardly credible.
THE PRINCE: Eh, quite, Hermiane, I find it no more likely than you do, but then it's not me you need to convince, I'm on your side even if most people aren't, you know that.
HERMIANE: Yes, out of gallantry; I had noticed.
THE PRINCE: If it is gallantry, it's quite unconscious. It is true I do love you, and that the extravagance of my desire to please you could, easily, influence me to agree with you; but I assure you, any influence has been so subtle I haven't noticed it. Men's hearts are worthless, and you can keep them; I find them incomparably more prone to inconstancy and infidelity than women's; all of them -- except mine, and I wouldn't grant even mine the honour of that exemption if I were to be in love with anyone but yourself.
HERMIANE: I detect a trace of irony.
THE PRINCE: For which I will be doubtless duly punished; since I am about to give you the means to damn me, should I not share your views.
HERMIANE: What are you trying to say?
THE PRINCE: Yes, we're going to put the question to Mother Nature herself; she's the only authorative judge of such matters -- and I'm sure she'll pronounce in your favour.
HERMIANE: Explain. I don't understand you.
THE PRINCE: In order to really know if the first betrayal, the first infidelity was a man's, as you, and I, assert, one would have to have been there to witness the beginning of the world, of society.
HERMIANE: But one wasn't.
THE PRINCE: But we shall be. Yes -- the men and women of those very first days, the world and its first loves -- all re-enacted before our eyes just as they were, or at least, just as they ought to have been. It won't be perhaps quite the traditional story, but it will be played out by a traditional cast; you'll see hearts as virgin as Eden, minds as unadulterated as the first minds, pure; perhaps even purer if that is possible.
(To CARISE and to MESROU.)
Carise -- and you Mesrou -- thank you; when it's time for us to retire, use the signal we agreed.
(To the ENTOURAGE.)
And, that will be all.
2
HERMAINE, THE PRINCE
HERMAINE: Alright, I'm intrigued.
THE PRINCE: The fact are these: eighteen or nineteen years ago this same current dispute arose at my Father's court, became somewhat heated and remained unresolved. My Father, being of a naturally somewhat scientific bent, and not being in agreement with your position, resolved to decide the matter, by means of an experiment whose conclusions would be irrefutable. Four newly born children, two of your sex and two of ours, were brought to this wilderness where he had had this accommodation built especially to house them, and where each of them was confined, separately, and where each still currently occupies an enclosure from which they have never strayed, the world beyond which they have never seen. They know no-one except Mesrou and his sister, who reared them -- they've looked after them all their lives; they were selected for their colour, so that their charges might be the more astonished when they saw other people. And now for the very first time they'll be allowed the liberty of leaving their cells, and of meeting each other; they've been taught the language we use; one might justifiably regard whatever dealings they choose to have with each other as the first dawn of creation; the very first loves will begin, again -- we'll see what happens.
(At this point, we hear the sound of trumpets.)
We should take our places promptly, that's the signal warning us our young people are about to appear; there's a gallery runs right round the building from which we'll be able to see and hear them, whichever side they come out. Shall we?
3
CARISE, EGLÉ
CARISE: Eglé, come, follow me; there's a new place here you've never seen. You can run around; it's safe.
EGLÉ: What am I seeing? What a lot of new worlds!
CARISE: It's still the same world, you just never knew its full extent.
EGLÉ: What a lot of country! What a lot of house! I don't think I've been in such a big space ever, I like it and I'm frightened.
(She looks at and stops at a puddle.)
What's this water, what's it doing lying on the ground? I never saw anything like that in the world I've come from.
CARISE: No you didn't. That's what they call a puddle.
EGLÉ (Looking.): Ah! Carise, come here, come and look at this; there's something living in the puddle that's made like a person, and she looks as surprised about me as I am about her.
CARISE (Laughing.): No, that's you you're seeing; all puddles can do that trick.
EGLÉ: What, that's me in there, that's my face?
CARISE: Sure.
EGLÉ: But do you know that's very pretty, that's a lovely thing that is. What a shame I never knew that sooner!
CARISE: It's true you're pretty.
EGLÉ: What do you mean, 'pretty'? Wonderful! What I've found, it's magic... (She looks at herself some more.) The puddle's doing all my faces, and I like them all. It must have been lovely for you, Mesrou and you, having me to look at. I'm going to spend my whole life staring at myself; I'm going to love myself in a minute!
CARISE: Run around if you want to, I'm going to leave you and go back inside your house, there's something I have to see to in there.
EGLÉ: Go, go, I won't get bored, with the puddle.
4
EGLÉ, AZOR
EGLÉ alone for awhile, then AZOR appears face to face with her.
EGLÉ (Continuing and touching her face.): I’m not tired of myself.
(And then, catching sight of AZOR, and frightened.)
What is that, a people like me…
Don’t come any closer.
(AZOR stretches out his arms in admiration and smiles.
EGLÉ continues.)
She’s laughing, like she likes the way I look.
(AZOR takes a step.)
Wait…
She’s very nice-looking really…
D’you know how to talk?
AZOR: The pleasure of seeing you has robbed me of speech.
EGLÉ (Gaily.): The people can hear me, and answer me, and she does it so nicely!
AZOR: I’m rapt.
EGLÉ: That’s good.
AZOR: I’m delighted.
EGLÉ: I like you too.
AZOR: So why d’you say I can’t come any closer?
EGLÉ: I don’t say you can’t, really.
AZOR: I’ll come a bit closer then.
EGLÉ: I’d like that a lot.
(He advances.)
Stop a minute… what a state I’m in!
AZOR: I obey, because I’m all yours.
EGLÉ: She obeys; come here at once then, so you can be all mine close up.
(He comes.)
Ah! Here she is, it’s you; isn’t she handsome!
really, you’re as pretty as me.
AZOR: I’m dying with joy to be beside you, I give myself to you, I don’t know what I’m feeling, I wouldn’t know how to put it.
EGLÉ: Oh, I’m just the same.
AZOR: I’m happy, I’m upset.
EGLÉ: I’m sighing.
AZOR: It doesn’t matter how close I get, I can’t get enough of you.
EGLÉ: That’s what I was thinking, but we can’t see each other properly, not while we’re like this.
AZOR: My heart wants your hands.
EGLÉ: There we are, mine gives you them; are you feeling any better now?
AZOR: Yes, but not any calmer.
EGLÉ: That’s what’s happening to me, we’re the same in everything.
AZOR: Oh! – we’re so different!; all of me’s worth less than your eyes, they’re so gentle!
EGLÉ: Yours are so bright!
AZOR: You’re so tiny, so fragile!
EGLÉ: Yes, but really it suits you better not being, not as much as me; I wouldn’t want you any different; you’re perfect, differently; I’ll stay the way I am; you stay your way for me.
AZOR: I won’t change it at all. I’ll be like this always.
EGLÉ: Oh, tell me, where were you when I never knew you?
AZOR: In a world of my own, which I’m never going back to, because you’re not there, and because I want to have your hands always; I don’t know how to be, without them, and neither does my mouth.
EGLÉ: And my hands can’t be doing without your mouth – I can hear noise – it’s the people from my world –so you don’t scare them, hide in the trees; I’ll call you.
AZOR: Yes – but I’ll lose sight of you.
EGLÉ: No, you just have to look in any water that’s lying around, it’s got my face in it, you’ll see it.
5
MESROU, CARISE, EGLÉ
EGLÉ (Sighing.):Ah! I'm bored already with him being gone.
CARISE: Eglé, I come back and you seem upset, what's happened?
MESROU: Her eyes are brighter than usual.
EGLÉ: That's because there's very big news; you think there's only three of us, well let me tell you, there's four; I have got myself something that's been holding my hand, just now.
CARISE: Who's been holding your hand, Eglé? Eh, why didn't you call for help?
EGLÉ: Help with what? With how good it felt? I was quite alright with it holding it; I said it could; it was kissing it just as much as it could, and I've only got to call it back and it'll kiss it again just to please me. And itself.
MESROU: I know who it is -- I thought I spotted him running off -- ; this something is called a man -- it's Azor; we know him.
EGLÉ: "It's Azor." Nice name! Dear Azor! Dear Man!! ... he's just coming...
CARISE: I'm not at all surpirsed he loves you and you love him; you were made for each other.
EGLÉ: Exactly, that's what we thought.
(She calls him.)
Azor, my Azor, come here, quickly, Man!
6
CARISE, EGLÉ, MESROU, AZOR
AZOR: Eh! It's Carise and Mesrou, they're my friends.
EGLÉ: They just told me all about it, you were made especially for me, me especially for you, they explained it: that's why we love each other so much, I'm your Eglé, you're my Azor.
MESROU: One's the man and the other's the woman.
AZOR: My Eglé, my joy, my enjoyment, my woman.
EGLÉ: Go on, here's my hand, make up for having to hide yourself.
(To Mesrou and to Carise.) See, that's what he was doing before, see what I mean about me not needing any help?
CARISE: Children, I already told you, it's only natural you should be so taken with each other.
EGLÉ (Taking him by the hand.): It's obvious really.
CARISE: But there's a rule, one rule, if you want to stay in love.
EGLÉ: Yes, I know; you have to be together always.
CARISE: On the contrary, you must sometimes deprive yourselves of the pleasure of seeing each other.
EGLÉ (Astonished.): What?
AZOR (Astonished.): What?
CARISE: Yes, believe me, otherwise that pleasure will grow less, and you will grow indifferent.
EGLÉ (Laughing.): Indifferent, indifferent, my Azor -- ha! ha! ha! -- what a funny idea.
AZOR: What does she know?
MESROU: Don't laugh, she's giving you good advice; it's only by doing what she just told you, and separating sometimes, that we've stayed in love, Carise and me.
EGLÉ: Yes, well, I can believe that; that's probably true for you sort of people, I mean you're both really black, you must have run a mile when you first saw each other.
AZOR: The best you could ever do, was put up with each other.
EGLÉ: And you'd soon get sick of seeing each other if you had to all the time, because you're not nice to look at at all; me, I love you, for instance, but when I can't see you, I don't miss you, I don't have to see you -- why? Because you're not attractive; whereas we do attract each other, Azor and me; he's so handsome, I'm so lovely, so worth looking at, we're rapt just looking at each other.
AZOR (Taking EGLÉ's hand.): Just one of Eglé's hands, do you see, just her hand, I ache when I'm not holding it, and when I am holding it, I'll die if I don't kiss it, and then when I have kissed it, I die more.
EGLÉ: Man is right, everything he just said then to you, I feel the same; that's just where we are, and you, you talk about our pleasure, but you don't know what it's like -- we don't understand it, and we're feeling it; it goes on for ever.
MESROU: We're not suggesting you separate for more than two or three hours a day.
EGLÉ: Not for one minute.
MESROU: Too bad.
EGLÉ: You're making me cross now, Mesrou; do you think if we look at each other we'll turn ugly? We'll stop being attractive?
CARISE: No, but you'll stop feeling that you are.
EGLÉ: Eh, who's going to stop us feeling it if we are?
AZOR: Eglé will always be Eglé.
EGLÉ: Azor always Azor.
MESROU: I'm sure he will, but you never can tell. Suppose, say, that I turned as good looking as Azor, or Carise turned as beautiful as EGLÉ.
EGLÉ: What would that have do to with us?
CARISE: Maybe once you'd got sick of the sight of each other you'd be tempted to each leave the other and love us.
EGLÉ: Tempted? To leave what you love? What sense would that make? Azor and me, we love each other, that's the end of it, turn as beautiful as you like, why should we mind? That's your business; ours is all done.
AZOR: They'll never understand anything, you have to be us to know what it's like.
MESROU: Up to you.
AZOR: Who I love, it's my life.
EGLÉ: Hear what he said; his life? How could he ever leave me? He's got to live, and I have to too.
AZOR: Yes, my life; how can anyone be so beautiful, look at you so beautifully, have a mouth that beautiful, beautiful everything.
EGLÉ: I love it when he loves me.
MESROU: It's true he adores you.
AZOR: Ah! that's the right word, I adore her! Mesrou understands me, I adore you.
EGLÉ (Sighing.): Adore away, but give me a chance to breathe; ah!
CARISE: Such tenderness, even I am touched. But there is only one way to sustain it, which is to take our advice; and if you've got the sense to take it, here, Eglé, give this to Azor, it's something to help him endure your absence.
EGLÉ (Taking a picture that Carise gives her.): What's that? I recognise myself; it's me again -- and much better than in the water in the puddle, it's got all how pretty I am, it's really me; how nice to be all over the place! Look, Azor, look at my body.
AZOR: Ah! It's Eglé, it's my woman; there she is -- of course the real thing's even better.
(He kisses the portrait.)
MESROU: At least it reminds you of her.
AZOR: Yes, it makes you want her.
(He kisses it more.)
EGLÉ: There's only one thing wrong with it, I think; when he kisses it, my copy's got everything.
AZOR (Takes her hand, which he kisses.): Let's put that right then.
EGLÉ: Oh that...; I want one the same to play with.
MESROU: Choose between his picture and yours.
EGLÉ: I'll take them both.
MESROU: Oh, you have to choose, sorry; I want to keep one.
EGLÉ: Oh well, in that case, I don't need you to have Azor, because I've got his picture already, in my head, so, give me mine, and then I'll have got them both.
CARISE: Here it is in a different version. This is called a mirror; you just press it here to open it. Goodbye, we'll come back and find you later -- do, please, think about those little separations.
7
EGLÉ, AZOR
EGLÉ (Trying to open the box.): Here, I won't know how to open it; you try Azor -- there's where she said you had to press it.
AZOR (Opens it and looks at himself.): Right, it's just me, I think, it's my face -- a puddle over there showed it me.
EGLÉ: Ha! ha! Let me see! Eh! Oh no it's not, Man, it's me, it's more me than ever, it really is your Eglé, the real one, here, look.
AZOR: Oh yes, it's you, wait, it's both of us, it's half one and half the other; I'd like it better if it was just you on your own, because me being there too stops me seeing all of you.
EGLÉ: Ah! I like seeing a bit of you in it as well, you're not spoiling anything -- get in a bit closer -- hold on to it.
AZOR: Our faces are going to touch, look now they are touching -- that's lucky for mine! that's... rapture!
EGLÉ: I can really feel you, and I really like that.
AZOR: If our mouths got closer...
(He takes a kiss off her.)
EGLÉ (As she turns back.): Oh! you're messing us up, look, now I can't see anything but me, isn't a mirror a clever invention.
AZOR (Taking the mirror off .): Ah! a picture's a good thing too. (He kisses it.)
EGLÉ: Carise and Mesrou are good people though.
AZOR: They just want what's best for us; I was going to talk to you about them and that advice they gave us.
EGLÉ: It's about those separations, isn't it? I was wondering about them too.
AZOR: Yes, Eglé, what they said would happen has made me a bit worried. I'm not worried about my end of things, but don't you go and get bored with me, not even a bit, I'd be desperate.
EGLÉ: It's you you should worry about; don't you ever get tired of adoring me -- I mean, I know how pretty I am, but your being worried has got me worried too.
AZOR: Oh! you're wonderful, you're not the one who's got anything to be afraid of ... what are you thinking?
EGLÉ: Alright, alright, all things considered, I've made up my mind: let's make ourselves unhappy; let's separate for two hours; I like your love and your adoring me more than your being here, though that's lovely too.
AZOR: Separate? Who? Us?
EGLÉ: Oh! if you don't just do it, in a minute I shan't want to.
AZOR: I can't! I haven't got the nerve.
EGLÉ: That's a shame because mine's fading fast.
AZOR (Crying.): Goodbye, Eglé, since we've got to.
EGLÉ: Are you crying? Oh well, stay -- so long as there's no danger --
AZOR: But if there is!
EGLÉ: Go on then.
AZOR: I'm going.
8
EGLÉ
EGLÉ (Alone.): Ah!, he's not here, I'm on my own.
He's not here any more, I can't hear his voice any more, there's nothing any more but the mirror. (She looks at herself in it.)
Getting rid of my Man was a mistake, Carise and Mesrou don't know what they're talking about.
(Looking at herself.) If I'd looked at myself properly, Azor needn't have gone at all -- you could love what's in there always easily, no need to do this separation thing... Right, I'm going to sit with the puddle, at least it's another mirror.
9
EGLÉ, ADINE
EGLÉ: What’s that? It’s another person again!
ADINE: Ah! ah! What new thing is this? (She comes forward.)
EGLÉ: She’s looking at me all over, but not adoring me at all; it’s not an Azor. (She looks at herself in her mirror.) And it’s even less of an Eglé... However I think it’s making comparisons.
ADINE: I don’t quite know what to make of that as a look, I couldn’t say what it lacks exactly, there’s something insipid about her.
EGLÉ: She’s the sort of thing I don’t like the look of.
ADINE: Has she any conversation?... Let’s see... Are you a person?
EGLÉ: Most definitely; I’m my own person.
ADINE: Really. And have you nothing to say to me?
EGLÉ: No. I’m ordinarily more likely to be the topic of conversation than to start one.
ADINE: But you are charmed?
EGLÉ: By you? I’m the one charms people.
ADINE: So you’re not pleased to see me?
EGLÉ: Sadly neither pleased nor peeved — should I be?
ADINE: What an extraordinary thing! You stare at me, I let you, and yet you feel nothing. You must have been distracted; a little attention while you study me; there, how do you find me?
EGLÉ: What is it with all this ‘you’? Why’s it all about you? As I say, I’m the one gets looked at, I’m the one gets told how she looks, that’s the way things are done here, and you think I’m going to look at you while I’m around?
ADINE: Of course. In company, the loveliest present must wait, until she’s noticed and they’re struck.
EGLÉ: So be struck.
ADINE: You’re still not paying attention are you? The loveliest present must wait, as one said.
EGLÉ: As one replies, she’s waiting.
ADINE: Well if it isn’t me, where is she? All three other people in the entire world are struck dumb by me.
EGLÉ: I don’t know these people of yours, but I do know there are three who are rapt because of me and think I’m wonderful.
ADINE: And I know I am so beautiful, so beautiful, that I fascinate myself every time I look at myself, see what I mean?
EGLÉ: What’s that supposed to do for me? Every time I stare at myself I’m enchanted, every time, me, me who’s talking to you.
ADINE: Enchanted? You may be passable, and even quite... pleasant — I’m being polite now, unlike you —
EGLÉ (Aside.): I’d like to shove her politeness right down her throat —
ADINE: — but to imagine any comparison between yourself and myself, well, that would be preposterous, as one can see.
EGLÉ: One is seeing, and finding one quite ugly.
ADINE: In which case, it’s your jealousy is blinding you to my beauty.
EGLÉ: It’s your face that’s blinding me actually.
ADINE: My face! Oh! I’m not upset you know. I have seen it. You go and ask the water in any puddle what it’s like, you as Mesrin, he’s mad about me.
EGLÉ: The water in the puddle — which is having you on — would tell me, if asked, that I am the fairest of them all, in fact it’s already told me; I’ve no idea what a Mesrin is, but he wouldn’t even look at you if he’d ever seen me; I’ve got an Azor worth ten times him, an Azor that I love, he's almost as attractive as I am, and he says I’m his life; you, you’re not anybody’s life; and also I’ve also got a mirror which has confirmed everything my Azor and the puddle have told me; beat that.
ADINE (Laughing): A mirror! You’ve also got a mirror! Eh! And what do you use that for? Admiring yourself! ha! ha! ha!
EGLÉ: Ha! ha! ha! ... see, I knew I wouldn’t like her.
ADINE (Laughing): Here’s one works properly, take it; learn to recognize yourself and shut up.
(CARISE appears in the distance)
EGLÉ (Ironically): Take but a glance in this one; realize your true mediocrity, and the modesty appropriate in my presence.
ADINE: Go away: since you refuse to take pleasure in the sight of me, you are of no possible use to me, and I’m not speaking to you anymore.
(They stop looking at each other.)
EGLÉ: And I don’t even know you’re there.
(They keep their distance.)
ADINE (Aside.): She’s mad!
EGLÉ (Aside.): She’’s seeing things — what world is she from?
10
CARISE, ADINE, EGLÉ
CARISE: So what are you two doing so far apart, and not speaking?
ADINE (Laughing.): It's a new person, who I met by accident, and whom my beauty has driven to distraction.
EGLÉ: What do you make of this faded thing, this ridiculous specimen; who aspires to striking me, who asks me how I feel when I look at her, who expects me to take pleasure in the sight of her, who instructs me: Eh! Gaze upon me now! Eh! How d'you find me! and who claims she's as beautiful as I am!
ADINE: I didn't say that, I said more beautiful, as one can see in the mirror.
EGLÉ (Showing hers.): And what can she see in this one -- as if she'd dare!
ADINE: I'm only asking that she glance in mine -- which is the more accurate.
CARISE: Gently, no need to get carried away, treat the accident of your meeting as a happy one instead; let's all be together; you make friends; and then you can add the joy of being together to the pleasure of both being adored, Eglé by the lovely Azor, who she loves, Adine by the lovely Mesrin, who she loves; come on; make it up.
EGLÉ: Only if she ditches her tedious delusions of grandeur.
ADINE: Listen, I know what'll knock some sense into her; I'll just have to take her Azor off her -- not that I want him, but anything for a quiet life.
EGLÉ: Where is this Mesrin idiot of hers? If I meet him, she's had it! Goodbye, I'm taking myself off now, because I simply can't bear her.
ADINE: Ha! ha! ha! ... present company being too unbearably distinguished.
EGLÉ (Coming back.): Ha! ha! ha! ... what a nasty face!
11
ADINE, CARISE
CARISE: Sticks and stones... let her say what she likes.
ADINE: Really -- absolutely; I feel sorry for her.
CARISE: We have to leave, it's time for your music lesson; I shan't be able to give it to you if you loiter.
ADINE: I'm coming -- oh I can see Mesrin; just a quick word --
CARISE: You've only just left him.
ADINE: I won't be a minute --
12
MESRIN, CARISE, ADINE
ADINE (Calling.): -- Mesrin!
MESRIN (Running.): What! It's you, it's my Adine, she's come back; Oh I'm so happy! Oh I was getting so impatient!
ADINE: Look, no -- don't be too happy; I haven't come back, I'm just going; I just happen to be here.
MESRIN: So now you'll have to just happen to be with me.
ADINE: Listen -- listen what happened to me -- ,
CARISE: Keep it short please: I do have other things to do.
ADINE: I am -- (To MESRIN.) I'm beautiful, aren't I?
MESRIN: Beautiful! Are you beautiful?
ADINE: See, no hesitation; speaks as he finds.
MESRIN: Are you Divine? Beauty Incarnate!
ADINE: Well yes, of course I am; however; you, Carise and me, we've got it all wrong, I'm ugly.
MESRIN: My Adine?
ADINE: No less; after I left you, I found a new person, female, from another world, who, instead of being amazed by me, being transported by me like you are and like she should have been, wanted instead for me to be charmed by her, and when I failed to oblige, accused me of being ugly --
MESRIN: You're going to make me lose my temper!
ADINE: -- informed me you'd leave me once you'd seen her.
CARISE: That was because she was angry.
MESRIN: But -- this is a person?
ADINE: So she says, and she looks like one, more or less.
CARISE: And she is one.
ADINE: She'll doubtless be back, and I absolutely insist you treat her with contempt; when you meet her, I want you to be appalled.
MESRIN: She must be really hideous.
ADINE: She's called... oh... no, wait -- ... she's called...
CARISE: Eglé.
ADINE: That's right, it's an Eglé. She is currently sporting: an angry face, sullen; not as black as Carise's but not quite as white as mine either; it's a colour one would be hard put to describe.
MESRIN: But it's not a nice colour?
ADINE: Oh not at all nice, more sort of dull; she's got eyes -- now how can I put this -- eyes that don't look lovely, they just look, really; mouth, not big, not small -- a mouth made for talking; she stands upright, vertical -- and her figure would be a bit like mine is she were a better shape; hands that come and go; long, thin fingers, I think; with a nasty, rude voice -- oh! you're bound to recognise her.
MESRIN: I can just see her; you leave it to me: she wants sending back to this another world -- after I've really mortified her.
ADINE: Really humiliated, really finished her.
MESRIN: Had a really good laugh at her -- oh! don't you worry, you just give me that hand.
ADINE: Eh! Here it is, I only have them for you.
(MESRIN kisses her hand.)
CARISE (Taking the hand off him.): Right, all done, let's go.
ADINE: When he's finished kissing my hand.
CARISE: Leave it now, Mesrin, I'm late.
ADINE: Goodbye my only love, I shan't be long; dream of vengeance.
MESRIN: Goodbye, my only reason for living; I am all fury.
13
MESRIN, AZOR
MESRIN (The first words on his own, repeating the description.): Colour not black or white, standing upright, mouth talking... where am I going to find one of those? (Seeing AZOR.) There's someone over there; it's a person like me; maybe that's the Eglé? No, she's not deformed at all.
AZOR (Staring at him.): You're like me, aren't you?
MESRIN: That's what I was thinking.
AZOR: You're a man then?
MESRIN: So they told me.
AZOR: That's what they told me too.
MESRIN: They told you: do you know people?
AZOR: Oh yes I know them all, two blacks and one white.
MESRIN: Me, I'm the same. Where do you come from?
AZOR: From the world.
MESRIN: D'you mean mine?
AZOR: Ah!, I don't know, there's so many now.
MESRIN: Doesn't matter, I like the look of you; put your hand in my hand; we ought to fall in love.
AZOR: Right-oh; you cheer me up, I like looking at you even though you're not good-looking.
MESRIN: You're not either; I'm not bothered, about you, except you're a good chap.
AZOR: That's right, that's the same way I think about you, as a good friend -- and I'm a good friend too -- what's faces anyway?
MESRIN: Eh! whatever; I'm high-spirited, you see, that's why I'm staring at you. By the way, do you get meals?
AZOR: Every day.
MESRIN: Oh good; I get them too; well, let's eat them together, for fun, keep ourselves in the mood; come on, it's nearly time: we'll have a laugh, we'll have a jump, right? I'm jumping already.
(He jumps.)
AZOR (He's jumping too.): Me too, and we'll be a pair -- maybe a four, when I tell my little white one -- she's got a face: -- you've got to see it! ah! ah! she's the one's got one worth two of ours.
MESRIN: Oh! I believe it, mate; because you're nothing, really nothing, nor me neither, compared to this other face I know, who we'll get together with, who drives me crazy, and she's got these hands, so sweet, so white, -- and she lets me kiss them -- so much!
AZOR: Hands, mate? My white one's got heavenly ones, hasn't she -- and I stroke them as much as I like, don't I? I'm waiting for them.
MESRIN: Great, I've just left mine, and now I've got to leave you too to get on with something; you stay here 'til I come back with my Adine -- let's jump one more time, to celebrate this auspicious encounter --
(They both jump, laughing.)
Ah! Ah! Ah!
14
AZOR, MESRIN, EGLÉ
EGLÉ (Approaching.): What is that that's making you so happy?
MESRIN (Seeing her.): Ah! there's a beautiful thing listening to us!
AZOR: That's my white one -- that's EGLÉ.
MESRIN (Aside.): EGLÉ -- that's Angry-face?
AZOR: Ah! I am so happy!
EGLÉ (Approaching.): Some sort of new friend who's appeared amongst us all of a sudden?
AZOR: Yes, it's a friend I've made, he's called Man, and he's come from a world near here.
MESRIN: What a nice time one has in this one!
EGLÉ: Nicer than in yours?
MESRIN: Oh absolutely.
EGLÉ: Well, Man, you'll just have to stay here.
AZOR: That's what we were saying, because he's altogether decent and a good thing; I love him -- not like I love my lovely Eglé who I love, whereas with him I'm really not bothered, it's just he's the only one I want to spend time with, talking about you, your mouth, your eyes, your hands, that I've been aching for.
(He kisses one of her hands.)
MESRIN (Taking her other hand.): I'll just take the other one then.
(He kisses that hand, EGLÉ laughs, and doesn't say a word.)
AZOR (Taking that hand back off him.): Oi! -- steady; this isn't your white one here, it's my one, these hands are both mine, there's none for you.
EGLÉ: Oh! no harm done; but, on that topic, off you go, Azor; you know how necessary separation is, well, ours hasn't been long enough.
AZOR: What! It's been -- I don't know how many -- hours, hours I haven't seen you.
EGLÉ: You're wrong; it hasn't been long enough, actually; I do know how to count, and what I've decided, I like to stick to.
AZOR: But you'll be here on your own.
EGLÉ: I'm sure I'll be alright.
MESRIN: Don't upset her, friend.
AZOR: I think you're angry with me.
EGLÉ: Why are you being so pigheaded with me? Did you or did you not say there was nothing as dangerous as us seeing each other?
AZOR: That may not be true.
EGLÉ: Personally I suspect it's not a lie.
(CARISE appears here, at a distance, and listens.)
AZOR: Alright I'll go, to make you happy, but I'll be back, soon; let's go, friend, friend who said he'd got something to get on with, you can come with me and help me pass the time.
MESRIN: Yes, but...
EGLÉ (Smiling.): What?
MESRIN: Well I've been walking around for ages.
EGLÉ: He really ought to rest.
MESRIN: And I could see that the lady doesn't get bored.
EGLÉ: Yes, he could see to that.
AZOR: Didn't she say she wanted to be on her own? Otherwise I'd unbore her much better than you. Let's go!
EGLÉ (Aside, and vexed.): Yes, right, go.
15
CARISE, EGLÉ
CARISE (Approaches and looks at EGLÉ who is dreaming.): What are you dreaming about?
EGLÉ: I’m dreaming I’m not in a good mood.
CARISE: Are you sad?
EGLÉ: I’m not sad at all, I’m over sensitive.
CARISE: About what?
EGLÉ: You told us before that when you are with someone you never know what’s going to happen?
CARISE: That’s correct.
EGLÉ: Well, I don’t know what’s going to happen to me.
CARISE: But what’s the matter with you?
EGLÉ: I suppose I’m angry with myself: I’m angry with Azor — I don’t know what’s the matter with me.
CARISE: Why angry with yourself?
EGLÉ: Because I had a plan I was going to love Azor forever, and now I’m afraid I’m not going to.
CARISE: Would that be possible?
EGLÉ: Yes — and I’m angry with Azor, because it’s his behaviour that started it.
CARISE: I suspect you want to quarrel with him.
EGLÉ: You just carry on answering me like that every time, I’ll be angry with you too in a minute.
CARISE: You are in a bad mood; what has Azor done to you?
EGLÉ: What has he done? We agree to separate, he goes, he comes back, immediately, he wants to be there all the time, and in the end what you told him would happen to him will happen.
CARISE: What? You’ll stop loving him?
EGLÉ: Of course; if the pleasure of seeing each other goes when you’ve had it too often, is that my fault?
CARISE: You told us you were sure that could never happen.
EGLÉ: Don’t split hairs with me; what did I know? I was sure because I was ignorant.
CARISE: Eglé, it can’t be his overeagerness to see you that makes his proximity so irksome, you haven’t known him long enough.
EGLÉ: Quite a while; we’ve already had three conversations together, and apparently it’s prolonged encounters that are forbidden.
CARISE: You still haven’t said what actual wrong he’s done.
EGLÉ: Oh! He’s done the odd one or two, he’s done I don’t know how many: number one, he forbids me; my hands are mine, I think, they belong to me, and he decides they shouldn’t be kissed.
CARISE: And who was it wanted to kiss them?
EGLÉ: Some friend he’d acquired all of a sudden, he’s called Man.
CARISE: And he’s attractive.
EGLÉ: Oh! Gorgeous, nicer than Azor, and he even offered to stay and keep my company; and that lunatic Azore wouldn’t let him have either the hand, or the company, told him off and dragged him away all of a sudden, without asking what I wanted: Ah! ah! So I don’t run my own life right now, I can’t be trusted now, afraid someone might love me now he is?
CARISE: No, but he is afraid that his friend might attract you.
EGLÉ: Well, all he’s got to do is attract me more then, because if it’s a question of being loved, I’m very happy to be, is that clear, and if instead of one friend, he had a hundred, I’d want them all to love me, that’s what I like; he wants me beautiful just for him, and I, I think that I should be anybody’s.
CARISE: Listen; your loathing for Azor has got nothing to do with all that, but it has got everything to do with the fat that you currently love his friend more than you do him.
EGLÉ: D’you think so? I suppose you could be right?
CARISE: Eh! Tell me, don’t you feel any shame at all about being unfaithful?
EGLÉ: Apparently yes; I’m blushing; I’m still ignorant that way you see.
CARISE: Ignorance has nothing to do with it; you promised, and often, to be faithful to him.
EGLÉ: Listen, when I promised that, he was the only one, he shouldn’t have stayed the only one, I didn’t count on there being a friend.
CARISE: Admit it, that’s no argument for changing your mind — as you yourself once pointed out.
EGLÉ: Alright, it’s not up to much; but there is one really good one, which is that the friend’s better than Azor.
CARISE: Still fooling yourself; the reason you prefer him is not that he’s better, it’s that he’s new.
EGLÉ: A quite considerable advantage, don’t you think; or doesn’t being new count? Doesn’t being someone else count? At least it’s fun, it’s attractive in a way Azor isn’t.
CARISE: Plus the new arrival is going to fall in love with you.
EGLÉ: Exactly, he is going to fall in love with me, I hope, that’s rather attractive too.
CARISE: Whereas Azor isn’t going to fall in love with you.
EGLÉ: Well no, he loves me already.
CARISE: What a funny reason for a change of heart! I’d lay good money you’re not happy with it.
EGLÉ: I’m not happy with anything; on the one hand changing hurts, on the other, it’s a pleasure; I can’t stop myself feeling one any more than the other. They both matter to me; which do I owe most? Should I hurt myself? Should I please myself? Tell me. I dare you.
CARISE: Ask your heart; it’ll tell you how much it hates infidelity.
EGLÉ: You’re not listening; my heart hates it, my heart recommends it, it says yes, it says no, it’s in two minds; and all I’ve got to do is choose the most convenient option.
CARISE: Do you know what you should do? Avoid Azor’s friend; let’s go, come on, you don’t have to struggle like this —
EGLÉ (Seeing MESRIN coming.): No; but we’ve left it too late: look, the struggle’s on it’s way over — the friend is unavoidable.
CARISE: Never mind, force yourself, be brave, don’t look at him.