早上好英文歌剧院的幽灵(英文版小说)

2021年1月24日发(作者：雪邦)


[
歌剧院的幽灵

/
詹妮弗·巴塞特

著
]


The Phantom of the Opera by Jennifer Bassett

■

简介



你相信有鬼吗？当然不会相信。< br>我们喜欢谈论鬼，
喜欢讲述关于鬼的故事，
但我们并非
真的相信有鬼……是不是 ？



1880
年，在巴黎歌剧院发生了一件不可思议的事情：一 个舞蹈演员在黑暗的走廊里遇
见了鬼。
它穿越墙壁来到她的面前，
它的脸上没有眼睛；
一个舞台工人看见一个穿黑色晚礼
服的男人，
但他却有一个死人般的头颅，
黄 色的面孔，并且没有鼻子；
人们听到另一个房间
里有声音，而那个房间却是空的。



这就是歌剧院的幽灵……



一个名叫盖斯 顿·
勒罗克斯的法国人最早创作了这个关于歌剧院的幽灵的故事。
他的书
很受欢迎，< br>1925
年它被拍成一部美国无声电影，
由著名演员朗·
钱尼扮演幽灵。
从那以后，
已经出现了许多其他的电影和戏剧，
以及最近由安德鲁·
劳埃德·
韦伯创作的著名的英国音
乐片。



本书作者詹妮弗·
巴塞特是一位经验丰富的教师和作家。
她生活和工作在英国西南部的
德文郡。



■

1
The dancers


'Quick
！
Quick
！
Close the door
！
It's him
！
'Annie Sorelli ran into the dressing
－
room
，

her face white
．



One
of
the
girls
ran
and
closed
the
door
，

and
then
they
all
turned
to
Annie
Sorelli
．



'Who
？
Where
？
What's the matter
？
' they cried
．



'It's the ghost
！
'Annie said
．
'In the passage
．
I saw him
．
He came through the wall
in front of me! And…and I saw his face
！
'


Most of the girls were afraid
，

but one of them
，

a tall girl with black hair
，
laughed
．



'Pooh!'she said
．
'Everybody says they see the Opera ghost
，

but there isn't really
a ghost
．
You saw a shadow on the wall
．
'But she did not open the door
，
or look into
the passage.


'Lots of people see him
，
' a second girl said
．
'Joseph Buquet saw him two days
ago. Don't you remember
？
'


Then all the girls began to talk at once
．



'Joseph says the ghost is tall and he wears a black evening coat
．
'


'He has the head of a dead man
，

with a yellow face and no nose…'



'…And no eyes
-only black holes
！
'


Then little Meg Giry spoke for the first time
．
'Don't talk about him
．
He doesn't
like it
．
My mother told me
．
'


'Your
mother
？
'
the
girl
with
black
hair
said
．
'What
does
your
mother
know
about the ghost
？
'


'She says that Joseph Buquet
is
a fool
．

The ghost doesn't
like people talking
about him
，
and one day Joseph Buquet is go ing to be sorry
，

very sorry
．
'

1
/
23




'But what does your mother know
？

Tell us
，
tell us
！
' all the girls cried
．



'Oh dear
！
'said Meg
．
'But please don't say a word to any one
．
You know my
mother is the doorkeeper for some of the boxes in the Opera House
．
Well
，
Box 5 is the
ghost's box
！
He watches the operas from that box
，
and sometimes he leaves flowers
for my mother
！



'The ghost has a box
！

And leaves flowers in it
！
'


'Oh
，

Meg
，
your mother's telling you stories
！
How can the ghost have a box
？
'


'It's true
，

it's true
，
I tell you
！
'Meg said
．
'Nobody buys tickets for Box 5
，

but
the ghost always comes to it on opera nights
．
'


'So somebody does come there
？
'


'Why
，
no
！
… The ghost comes
，

but there is nobody there
．
'


The dancers looked at Meg
．
'But how does your mother know
？
' one of them
asked
．



'There's
no
man
in
a
black
evening
coat
，

with
a
yellow
face
．
That's
all
wrong
．
My mother never sees the ghost in Box 5
，
but she hears him
！

He talks to her
，
but there is nobody there
！
And he doesn't like people talking about him
！
'


But that evening the dancers could not stop talking about the Opera ghost
．
They
talked before the opera
，

all through the opera, and after the opera
．

But they talked
very quietly
，

and they looked behind them before they spoke
．



When the opera finished
，
the girls went back to their dress ing- room
．
Suddenly
，
they heard somebody in the passage
，
and Madame Giry
，

Meg's mother
，

ran into the
room
．

She was a fat
，
motherly woman
，
with a red
，
happy face
．
But tonight her face
was white
．



'Oh girls
，
'she cried'
．
'Joseph Buquet is dead
！

You know he walks a long way
down
，
on the fourth floor under the stage
．
The other stage workers found his dead
body there an hour ago -with a rope around his neck
！
'


'It's the ghost!'cried Meg Giry
．
'The ghost killed him
！
'


■


■ 2 The directors of the Opera House



The Opera House was famous
，

and the directors of the Opera House were very
important men
．
It was the first week of work for the two new directors
，

Monsieur Ar
mand Moncharmin and Monsieur Firmin Richard
．
In the direc tors' office the next day
，
the two men talked about Joseph Bu quet
．



'It was an accident
，
' Monsieur Armand said angrily
．
'Or Buquet killed himself
．
'


'An accident
？
…Killed himself
？
' Monsieur Firmin said
．
'Which story do you
want
，
my friend
？

Or do you want the sto ry of the ghost
？
'


'Don't talk to me about ghosts
！
'Monsieur Armand said
．
'We have 1
，
500 people
working
for
us
in
this
Opera
House
，
and
everybody
is
talking
about
the
ghost
．

They're all mad! I don't want to hear about the ghost
，

OK
？
'


Monsieur Firmin looked at a letter on the table next to him
．


2
/
23




And what are we going to do about this letter
，
Armand
？
'


'Do
？
' cried Monsieur Armand
．
'Why
，

do nothing
，

of course
！

What can we
do
？
'


The two men read the letter again
．
It wasn't very long
．



To the new directors


Because
you
are
new
in
the
Opera
House
，
I
am
writing
to
tell
you
some
important
things
．
Never
sell
tickets
for
Box
5
；
that
is
my
box
for
every
opera
night
．

Madame Giry
，

the door keeper
，

knows all about it
．

Also
，
I need money
for my work in the Opera House
．
I am not expensive
，
and I am happy to take only20
，
000 francs a month
．

That is all
．

But please remem ber
，

I can be a good friend
，

but a bad enemy
．



O
．
G
．



'Don't sell tickets for Box 5! 20
，
000 francs a month!'Monsieur Armand was very
angry again
．
'That's the best box in the Opera House
，

and we need the money
，

Firmin
！

And who is this O
．
G
，
eh
？
Tell me that
！
'


'Opera Ghost
，
of course
，
'Monsieur tirmin said
．
'But you're right
，

Armand. We
can do nothing about this letter
．

It's a joke
，

a bad joke. Somebody thinks we are
fools
，

because we are new here
．
There are no ghosts in the Opera House
！
'


The
two
men
then
talked
about
the
opera
for
that
night
．

It
was
Faust
，
and
usually La Carlotta sang Margarita
．
La Carlotta was Spanish
，
and the best singer in
Paris
．
But today
，
La Carlot ta was ill
．



'Everybody in Paris is going to be at the opera tonight
，
'said Monsieur Armand
，
'and cur best singer is ill
．
Suddenly
！

She writes a letter to us just this morning-she is
ill
，

she cannot sing tonight
！
'


'Don't
get
angry
again
，

Armand
，
'
Monsieur
Firmin
said
quickly.'We
have
Christine
Daaé
，

that
young
singer
from
Nor
way
．
She
can
sing
Margarita
tonight
．
She has a good voice
．
'


'But she's so young
，

and nobody knows her
！
Nobody wants to listen to a new
singer
．
'


'Wait and see
．
Perhaps Daaé
can sing better than La Carlot ta
．
Who knows
？
'


■


■ 3 Christine Daaé



Monsieur Firmin was right
．
All Paris talked about the new Margarita in Faust
，
the
girl
with
the
beautiful
voice,the
girl
with
the
voice
of
an
angel
．
People
loved
laughed and cried and called for more
．
Daaé
was wonder ful
，
the best singer
in the world
！



Behind the stage Meg Giry looked at Annie Sorelli
．
'Chris tine Daaé
never sang
like that before
．
'she said to Annie
．
'Why was she so good tonight
？
'


'Perhaps she's got a new music teacher
，
'Annie said
．



The noise in the Opera House went on for a long time
．

In Box 14
，
Philippe
，
the Comte de Chagny
，
turned to his younger brother and smiled
．


3
/
23




'Well
，

Raoul
，

what did you think of Daaé
tonight
？
'


Raoul
，
the Vicomte de Chagny
，
was twenty
－
one years old
．
He had blue eyes
and black hair
，
and a wonderful smile
．
The Chagny family was old and rich
，
and many
girls in Paris were in love with the young Vicomte
．
But Raoul was not interested in
them
．



He smiled back at his brother
．
'What can I say
？

Christine is an angel
，

that's
all
．

I'm going to her dressing- room to see her tonight
．
'


Philippe laughed
．

He was twenty years older than Raoul
，

and was more like a
father than a brother
．



'Ah
，

I understand
，
'he said
．
'You are in love
！

But this is your first night in Paris
，

your first visit to the opera
．

How do you know Christine Daaé
？
'


'You remember four years ago
，
when I was on holiday by the sea
，
in Brittany
？
'Raoul said
．
'Well
，

I met Christine there
．

Iwas in love with her then
，
and I'm still
in love with her today
！
'


The Comte de Chagny looked at his brother
．
'Mmm
，

I see
，
'he said slowly
．
'Well
，

Raoul
，

remember she is only an opera singer
．
We know nothing about her family
．
'


But Raoul did not listen
．
To him
，
good families were not im portant
，
and young
men never listen to their older brothers
．



There
were
many
people
in
Christine
Daaé
's
dressing
－
room
that
night
．
But
there was a doctor with Christine
，
and her beautiful face Looked white and ill
．
Raoul
went quickly across the room and took her hand
．



'Christine
！

What's the matter
？

Are you ill
？
' He went down on the floor by
her chair
．
'Don't you remember me Raoul de Chagny
，
in Brittany
？
'


Christine
looked
at
him
，
and
her
blue
eyes
were
afraid
．
She
took
her
hand
away
．
'No
，

I don't know you
．
Please go away
．
I'm not well
．
'


Raoul stood up
，

his face red
．

Before he could speak
，

the doc tor said quickly
，
' Yes
，

yes
，

please go away
．

Everybody
，

please leave the room
．
Mademoiselle
Daaé
needs to be quiet
．
She is very tired
．
'


He
moved
to
the
door
，
and
soon
everybody
left
the
ine
Daaé

was
alone in her dressing
－
room
．



Outside in the passage the young Vicomte was angry and unhappy
．
How could
Christine forget him
？
How could she say that to him
？

He waited for some minutes
，

then
，
very quietly and carefully
，
he went back to the door of her dressing
－
room
．
But
he did not open the door
，

because just then he heard a man's voice in the room!


'Christine
，
you must love me
！
' the voice said
．



Then Raoul heard Christine's voice
．
'How can you talk like that
？

When I sing
only for y
ou…
？

Tonight
，

I gave everything to you
，

everything
．

And now I'm so
tired
．

'Her voice was un happy and afraid
．



'You sang like an angel
，
' the man's voice said
．



Raoul walked away
．
So that was the answer
！

Christine Daaé
had a lover
．
But
why
was
her
voice
so
unhappy
？

He
waited
in
the
shadows
near
her
room
．

He
wanted to see her lover-his enemy
！



After about ten minutes Christine came out
of her room
，
alone
，

and walked
away down the passage
．

Raoul waited
，

but no man came out after her
．

There was

4
/
23


nobody in the passage
，
so Raoul went quickly up to the door of the dressing
－
room
，
opened it and went in
．
He closed the door quietly behind him
，
then called out
：



'Where are you
？

I know you're in here
！
Come out
！
'


There was no answer
．
Raoul looked everywhere-under the chairs
，

behind all the
clothes
，
in all the dark corners of the room
．
There was nobody there
．




■ 4 The Phantom is angry



That
was
Tuesday
night
．
On
Wednesday
morning
Mon
sieur
Armand
and
Monsieur Firmin were happy men
．
Paris liked the new Margarita-everything in life
was good
．
The next opera night was Friday
．

It was Faust again
，

but this time with
La Carlotta singing Margarita
．



By
Wednesday
afternoon
they
were
not
so
happy
．
A
second
letter
arrived
for
them-from O
．
G
．



Why
don't
you
listen
to
me
？

I
am
getting
angry
．

Leave
Box
5
free
for
me
．

And
where
are
my
20
，

000
francs
？

On
Friday
Daaé

must
sing
Margarita
again
．
She is now the best singer in Paris
．

La Carlotta cannot sing-she has a very
ugly voice
，
like a toad
．



Remember
，

I am a bad enemy
．

O
．

G
．



'So
，
Firmin
，
is this still a joke
？
'Monsieur Armand shouted
．



'What are we going to do now
，

eh
？

Is O
．

G
．

the director here
，
or are we
？
'


'Don't
shout
，
Armand
，
'said
Monsieur
Firmin
tiredly
．
'I
don't
know
the
answers
．
Let's talk to Madame Giry
，

the door keeper of Box 5
．
Perhaps she can help
us
．
'


But Madame Giry was not helpful
．
Madame Giry was not afraid of ghosts
，

and
she was not afraid of directors of Opera Houses.


'People say that you're a friend of the Opera ghost
，
Madame Giry
，
' Monsieur
Armand began
．
'Tell us about him
．
Some people say he has no head
．
'


'And some people say he has no body
，
' said Monsieur Firmin
．
'What do you say
，

Madame Giry
？
'


Madame Giry looked at the two men and laughed
．
'I say that the directors of the
Opera House are fools
！
'


'What
！
'Monsieur
Armand
shouted
．

He
stood
up
，
and
his
face
was
red
and
angry
．
'Listen to me
，
woman-'


'Oh
，

sit down
，

Armand
，
and listen
，
' said Monsieur Firmin
．
'why do you say
that
，
Madame Giry
？
'


'Because
，
Monsieur
，
the Opera ghost is angry with you
．
When the ghost wants
something
，

he
must
have
it
．

He
is
clever
and
dangerous
，
this
ghost
．
The
old
directors before you
，

they knew that
，
oh yes. At first they tried to stop him. Then
there were many accidents in the Opera House
，
many strange acci dents
．
And when
did these accidents happen
？

When the ghost was angry
！
So
，
the old directors learnt
very quickly
．
The ghost wants Box 5
？

He can have it every night
．
The ghost wants

5
/
23


money
？
Let's give the money to him at once
．
Oh yes
，
the old directors understood
very well
．
'


'But we are the directors
，

not the Opera ghost
！
' Monsieur Armand shouted
．
He
turned
to
Monsieur
Firmin
．
'This
woman
is
mad
．
Why
do
we
listen
to
her
？

On
Friday night La Carlotta is going to sing Margarita
．

And you and I
，

Firmin
，
are
going to watch the opera from Box 5
．
' 'Well
，

we can try that
，

Armand
．

But we
don't want any ac cidents
．
'


Madame
Giry
came
nearer
to
the
two
men
．
'Listen
to
me
，
'she
said
quietly
．
'Remember Joseph Buquet
？

I tell you
，
the Opera ghost is a good friend
，

but a bad enemy
．
'


The two men stared at her
．
'Those words
，
Monsieur Firmin said slowly
，
'why did
you say those words
，

Madame Giry
？
'


'Because the ghost says them to me
．

I never see him
，

but I often hear him
．
He
has a very nice voice and he doesn't shout at people
．
'


■



5 A letter for Raoul


That
Wednesday
a
letter
also
arrived
for
the
young
Vi
comte
de
Chagny
．
He
opened the letter
，
saw the name at the bottom
，

and smiled for the first time that day
．



Dear Raoul


Of course I remember you
！
How could I forget you
？



Meet me on Thursday at three o'clock in the Tuileries Gar dens
．
Don't be angry
with me
，
Raoul
，
please
．



Christine Daaé



Raoul put the letter carefully into his pocket. Angry
？

How could he be angry
with an angel
？

On Thursday he was in the Tuileries Gardens by two o'clock
．



At ten past three he began to feel unhappy
．
At half past three he wanted to die
，

or to kill somebody
．



And then… she came
．

She ran through the gardens to him
，
and in a second she
was in his arms
．



'Oh
，
Christine
！
'he said
，
again and again
．
'Oh
，

Christine
！
'They walked through
the gardens together and talked for a long time
．

They remembered their happy weeks
in Brittany
，
four years ago
．



'But why did you go away
，
Christine
？
' Raoul asked
．
'Why didn't you write to
me
？
'


For a minute or two Christine said nothing
．
Then she said slowly
，
'We were so
young
，

you and I
．
I was just a poor singer from Norway
，
and you…you were the
Vicomte de Chagny
．
I knew I could never be your wife
．
'


'But I love you
，
Christine-'


'No
，
shh
．
Listen to me
，
Raoul
，
please
．
I went home to Nor way
，
and a year later
，
my father died
．
I was very unhappy
，
but I came back to France
，
to Paris
．
I worked
and worked at my singing
，
because I wanted to be an opera singer
．

Not just a good
singer
，

but the best opera singer in Paris
．
'

6
/
23




'And now you are
，
' Raoul said
．
He smiled
．
'All Paris is at your feet
．
'


Christine turned her face away and said nothing
．



'Christine
，
' Raoul said quietly
．
'I want to ask you a ques tion
．
Who was the man
in your dressing
－
room on Tuesday night
？

Tell me
，
please!'


Christine stopped and stared at
him
．

Her
face went
white
．
'What
man
？
'she
whispered
．
'There was no man in my dress ing
－
room on Tuesday night
．
'


Raoul put his hand on her arm
．
'I heard him
，
' he said
．
'I listened outside the door
and heard a man's voice
．

Who was he
？
'


'Don't ask me
，
Raoul
！
There was a man's voice
，
yes
，
but there was no man in my
room
！

It's true
！
Oh
，
Raoul
，
I'm so afraid
．
Sometimes I want to die
．
'


'Who is he
？

Tell me
，

Christine
，
please
．
I'm your friend
，
I can help you
．
Tell
me his name
！
'


'I cannot tell you his name
．

It's a secret
，
' whispered Chris tine
．
'I never see him
，

I
only
hear
his
voice
．
But
he
is
everywhere
！

He
sees
everything
，
hears
everything
．
That's why I didn't speak to you on Tuesday night
．
He is my music teacher
，

Raoul
．
He's a wonderful singer
．
I sang so well on Tuesday night because of him
．

I
am famous because of him
．
He is my angel of music
！
And he says he loves me
．
How
can I leave him
？
'


■



6 La Carlotta sings Margarita


On Friday morning La Carlotta had her break fast in bed
．
She drank her coffee
and opened her morning let ters
．
One letter had no name on it. It was very short
．



You are ill
．

You cannot sing Margarita tonight
．
Stay at home and don't go to the
Opera House. Accidents can hap pen
．
Do you want to lose your voice-for ever
？



La Carlotta was very
，

very angry. She got out of bed at once and did not finish
her breakfast
．



'This is from Christine Daaé
' s friends
，
' she thought
．
'They want her to sing again
tonight
．
That Daaé
girl is going to be sorry for this
！

I
，
La Carlotta
，

I am the best
opera singer in Paris
．
And nothing is going to stop me singing Margarita tonight
！
'


At six o'clock that evening the dancers were in their dress ing-room
．
They talked
and laughed and put on their red and black dresses for Faust
．
But Meg Giry was very
quiet
．



'What's the matter
，
Meg
？
'Annie Sorelli asked
．



'It's the Opera ghost
，
Meg said
．
'My mother says he's angry
．
She's afraid that
something's going to happen tonight
．
'


'Oh
，
pooh
！
'the girl with black hair said
．
'Who's afraid of an old ghost
？
'


An hour later Monsieur Armand and Monsieur Firmin went into Box 5 and sat
down
．
They were not afraid of course not
．
There were no ghosts in the
Opera House
．



Then
Monsieur
Armand
saw
some
flowers
on
the
floor
by
the
door
of
the
box
．
'Firmin
，
'he whispered
，
'did you put those flowers there
？
'


Monsieur Firmin looked
．
'No
，
I didn't
，
'he whispered back'Did you
？
'

7
/
23




'Of course not
，

you fool
！
Shh
，
the music's beginning
．
'


La Carlotta did not sing for the first hour
．
There were no strange voices in Box 5
，
and the two directors began to feel happier. Then La Carlotta came out onto the stage
，

and Mon sieur Firmin looked at Monsieur Armand
．



'Did you hear a voice just then
？
' he asked quietly
．



'No
！
'Monsieur Armand said
，
but he looked behind him twice
，

then three times
，

and suddenly felt cold
．



La Carlotta sang and sang
，

and nothing happened. Then she began a beautiful
love song
．



'My love begins to-Co
－
ack
！
'


Everybody stared
．
What was the matter with Carlotta's voice

What was that strange noise-Co
－
ack



Carlotta stopped and began the song again
．



'My love begins to- Co
－
ack
！



I cannot forget my-Co-ack
！
'


It was the noise of a toad
！

People began to talk and laugh. Monsieur Firmin put
his head in his bands
．
Then he felt Mon sieur Armand's hand on his arm
．
There was a
voice in the box with them
！

A man's voice
，
laughing


Poor Carlotta tried again
，
and again
．



'I cannot forget my- Co
－
ack
！
'


Then the two directors heard the voice again
，

behind them
，
in front of them
，

everywhere
．
'Her singing tonight is going to bring down the chandelier!'


The
two
directors
looked
up
at
the
top
of
the
Opera
House
．
Their
faces
were
white
．
The famous chandelier
，

with its thou sand lights
，
broke away from its ropes
and crashed down on to the people below
．



That was a terrible night for the Paris Opera House
．
One woman was killed by
the
chandelier
，

and
many
people
were
hurt
．
The
Opera
House
closed
for
two
weeks
．
And La Carlotta never sang again.



7 My angel of music


For a week Raoul saw Christine every day
．
Some days Christine was quiet and
unhappy
，
some days she laughed and sang. She never wanted to talk about the Opera
House
，

or her singing
，

or Raoul's love for her
．

Raoul was very afraid for her
．
Who
，

or what
，
was this strange teacher
，
this man's voice
，
her'angel of music'
？



Then one day there was no Christine
．
She was not at her home, not at the Opera
House
，
not
at
their
meeting
places
Raoul
looked
everywhere
and
asked
everybody
．
Where was Christine Daaé
？
But nobody knew
．



Two days before the Opera House opened again
，
a letter ar rived for Raoul
．
It
was from Christine
．



Meet me in an hour at the top of the Opera House
，
on the tenth floor
．



The tenth floor of the Opera House was a dangerous were hundreds
of ropes going down to the stage below it was a long
，
long way down.


Raoul and Christine sat in a dark corner
，
and Raoul took Christine's hands. Her

8
/
23


face was white and tired
．



'Listen
，
Raoul
，
'she said quiety.'I'm going to tell you ev erything
．
But this is our
last meeting. I can never see you again.'


'No
，
Christine
！
'Raoul cried
．
' I love you
，
and we-'


'Shh! Quietly! Perhaps he can hear us
．
He's everywhere in the Opera House
，

Raoul!'


'Who
？
What are you talking about
，
Christine
？
'


'My angel of music
．
I couldn't meet you last Satuday be cause he came for me
，
and took me away
．
I was in my dressing room in the Opera House and suddenly
，
he
was there in front of me! I saw the voice for the first time
！

He wore black evening
clothes and a mask over his face. He took me throughmany secret doors and passages
，
down
，
down under the Opera House
．
There is a lake down there
，
a big lake
；

the
waters are black and cold
．
He took me across the lake in a boat to his house
．
He lives
there
，
Raoul
，
in a house on the lake
，
under the Opera House!'


Raoul stared at her
．
Was his beautiful Christine mad
？

Chris tine saw his face
，
and said quickly
：



'It's true
，
Raoul
，
It's true! And he…
，
he is the Phantom of the Opera
！
But he's not
a ghost
，
he's not an angel of music
，
he's a man
！
His name is Erik
，
and he loves me
，
he wants me to be his wife
！
No
，
Raoul
，
li sten
，

there is more
．
He told me all this in
his house
，
in a beautiful room
．
He said that no woman could ever love him
，
because
of his face
．
He was so unhappy! Then he took off his mask
，
and I saw his face
．
'


She began to cry
，
and Raoul put his arms around her
．



'Oh Raoul
，
he has the most terrible face
！
It is so ugly! I wanted to scream and run
away
．
But where could I run to
？

He has the face of a dead man
，
Raoul
，
but he is not
dead
！
He
has
no
nose
，
just
two
black
holes
in
his
yellow
face
．
And
his
eyes
！
Sometimes they are black holes
，
sometimes they have a terrible red light…'



She put her face in her hands for a second
．
Then she said
，
'I stayed in his house
for five days
．
He was very good to me
，
and I felt sorry for him
，

Raoul
．

He wants
me to love him
，

and I told him…I told him…'



'No
，Christine
，
no
！
You're going to be my wife
！
Come away with me at once
，
today
！
You can't go back to him
．
'


'But I must
，
' Christine said quietly
．
'He knows about you
，
Raoul
．
He knows
about us
．
He says he's going to kill you
．
I must go back to him
．
'


'Never!' said Raoul
．
'I love you
，
Christine
，
and I'm going to kill this Erik
！
'


Erik…Erik…Erik…Erik… The word whispered round the Opera House
．
Raoul
and Christine stared
．



'What was that
？
' Raoul said
，

afraid
．
'Was that… his voice
？
Where did it come
from
？
'


'I'm
afraid
，
Raoul
，
'Christine
whispered
．
I'm
singing
Margarita
again
on
Saturday
．
What's going to happen
？
'


'This
，
'Raoul said
．
'After the opera on Saturday night
，
you and I are going away
together
．
Come on
，
let's go down now
．
I don't like it up here
．
'


They
went
carefully
along
a
dark
passage
to
some
stairs
，
then
suddenly
stopped
．
There was a man in front of them, a tall man in a long dark coat and a black

9
/
23


hat
．
He turned and looked at them
．



'No
，
not these stairs
，
'he said
．
'Go to the stairs at the front
．
And go quickly!'


Christine turned and ran
．
Raoul ran after her
．



'Who was that man
？
' he asked
．



'It's the Persian
，
' Christine answered
．



'But who is he
？

What's his name
？

Why did he tell us to go to the front stairs
？
'


'Nobody
knows
his
name
．
He's
just
the
Persian.
He's
al
ways
in
the
Opera
House
．
I think he knows about Erik
，
but he never talks about him
．
Perhaps he saw
Erik on those stairs
，

and wanted to help us
．
'


Hand in hand
，
they ran quickly down the stairs
，
through passages
，
then more
stairs and more passages
．
At one of the lit tle back doors to the Opera House
，
they
stopped
．



'On Saturday night
，
then
．
After the opera
，
'Raoul said
．



'I'm going to take you away
，
and marry you
．
'


Christine looked up into his face
．
'Yes
，
Raoul
．
'


Then they kissed
，

there by the door of the Opera House
．
Their first kiss
．



■ 8 Where is Christine Daaé
？



On
Saturday
morning
Comte
Philippe
looked
across
the
breakfast
table
at
his
brother
．



'Don't do it
，
Raoul
，
please
．
All this talk about ghosts and phantoms
．
I think the
girl is mad
．
'


'She's not mad
，
and I'm going to marry her
，
'Raoul said
．



'She's only a little opera singer
，
'Philippe said unhappily
．



'And she's very young
．
Are you still going to love her in ten
，
or twenty
，
years'
time
？
'


Raoul drank his coffee and did not answer
．



There were two more unhappy faces in the Opera House
，
too
．
The directors now
understood about O
．
G
．
They didn't want any more accidents
．



'Box 5 is free tonight for O
．
G
．

Daaé
is singing Margarita
．
And here is 20
，
000 francs
．
Madame Giry can leave the money in Box 5 for him
．
Is that everything
？
'Monsieur Armand asked Monsieur Firmin.


'It's
a
lot
of
money
，
'Monsieur
Firmin
said
unhappily
．
He
thought
for
a
minute
．
'What about some flowers in Box 5
？
Madame Giry says that O
．
G
．
likes
flowers
．
'


'O
．
G
．
can bring his own flowers
！
' shouted Monsieur Ar mand
．



The
evening
began
well
．
The
chandelier
was
now
back
in
place
，

with
new
ropes
．
All Paris was in the Opera House
．
Ev erybody wanted to hear Christine Daaé
's
voice again
．
People also knew about the love story between Christine Daaé
and the
Vicomte de Chagny
．
There are no love secrets in Paris
！
People watched the Comte and
the Vicomte in Box 14 with interest
．
Young men from families like de Chagny do not
marry opera Singers.

10
/
23




When
Christine
came
onto
the
stage
，
her
face
was
white
and
she
looked
afraid
．
But she sang like an angel
．
Ah
，

what a voice
！
All Paris was in love with
Christine Daaé
．



She
began
to
sing
the
famous
love
song
．
Suddenly
，
every
light
in
the
Opera
House went out
．
For a second nobody moved or spoke
．
Then a woman screamed
，
and all the lights came on again.


But Christine Daaé
was no longer on the stage
！
She was not behind the stage
，

she was not under the stage
．
Nobody could find her
．



The
Opera
House
went
mad
．
Everybody
ran
here
and
there
，
shouted
and
called
．

In the directors office
，

people ran in and out
．
The police came
，
and asked
questions. But nobody could answer the questions
．
Monsieur Armand got angry and
shouted
，
and Monsieur Firmin told him to be quiet
．
Then Madame Giry arrived in the
office with her daughter Meg
．



'Go away
，
woman
！
'Monsieur Armand shouted
．



'Monsieur
，
there are three people missing now!'Madame Giry said
．
'Meg
，
tell the
directors your story
．
'


This was Meg's story
．



'When the lights went out
，
we were just behind the stage
．
We heard a scream-I
thlnk it was Christine Daaé
's voice
．
Then the lights came back on
，
but Christine wasn't
there
！
we were very afraid
，
and we began to run back to our dressing room
．
There
were people running everywhere
！

Then we saw the Vicomte de Chagny
．
His face
was
red
and
he
was
very
an
gry
．
“Where's
Christine
？

Where's
Christine
？
he
shouted
．
Suddenly
the
Persian
came
up
behind
him
and
took
his
arm
．
He
said
something to the Vicomte and they went into Christine Daaé
's dressing
－
room…'



'Yes
？

And then
？
' Monsieur Firmin said quickly
．
'What happened next
？
'


'Nobody
knows
！
'
Meg's
face
was
white
．
'We
looked
into
Christine
Daaé
's
dressing
－
room
，
but…but there was nobody there!'




■ 9 The house on the lake



When the lights came on
，

Raoul ran
．
He ran down stairs and along passages
，
through the Opera House to the back of the stage
．
In the passage outside Christine's
dressing room
，
a hand took his arm
．

'What's the matter
，
my young friend
？
Where are
you run ning to
，
so quickly
？
'


Raoul turned and saw the long face of the Persian under his black hat
．



'Christine
！
'Raoul said quickly
．
'Erik's got her
．
Where is she
？
Help me
！

How
do I get to his house on the lake
？
'


'Come with me
，
'said the Persian
．
They went quickly into Christine's dressing
－
Persian closed the door and went to the big mirror on one wall
．



'There's only one door into this room
，
'Raoul began
．



'Wait
，
'the Persian said
．
He put his hands on the big mirror
，

first here
，

then
there
．
For a minute nothing happened
．
Then the mirror began to move and turn
，
and
a big dark hole opened in it
．
Raoul stared
．


11
/
23