Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux — Scene 4

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.