Page 38 - Phantom of the Opera

The managers stepped out at the end of the second act, and ghost would know that they knew he was there! What was going
when they returned they found a box of candy on the little shelf. to happen?
Who had put it there? They asked the box-keepers, but none of This happened:"Co-ack\"
them knew. They returned and found a pair of opera glasses. Their scream of horror was heard all over the house. They
Everything that Madame Giry had told them returned to their looked at Carlotta, but they did not seem to recognize her. That
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memory .. and then .. they seemed to feel some strangely cold girl was giving a signal for some greater disaster! Now they
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air around them .. They sat down in silence. understood. The ghost had warned them. The house had a curse
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As Christine began to sing, she saw Viscount Chagny sitting on it! Richard called to Carlotta, "Well, go on!"
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next to his brother, and from that moment, her voice seemed less She began to sing .. then .. the toad started again! "Co-ackl
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sure, less clear. The viscount put his head in his hands. The count, Co-ack!"
beside him, was upset because after Raoul had returned from The managers fell back in their chairs. The ghost was laughing
Perros, the count had asked Christine Daae for an appointment, quietly behind their backs! And, at last, they heard his voice in
but she refused to see him. He had wanted to speak to her about their ears, the impossible voice, the mouthless voice: "She is
Raoul, and was very annoyed with her. singing tonight to bring the chandelier down!"
Raoul thought only of the letter he had received from They both looked up and made a terrible cry. The chandelier
Christine after that night in Perros. She told him that he must was coming down! It crashed! Shouts of terror rang out and
not try to see her again. She said that she would never forget him there was a wild rush for the doors.
and if he loved her, he would do what she asked. Their lives The next day, the newspapers told the story. The chandelier
depended on it. had crashed on the head of the poor woman who had come to
Carlotta entered. The audience clapped loudly. She sang with the Opera for the first time in her life, the one who had been
all her heart and soul, when suddenly ... a terrible thing given Madame Giry's job of box-keeper. She died on the spot.
happened. Faust sang to her and Margarita replied, but not in her One newspaper wrote:
beautiful voice, but with the voice of a toad:" Co-ack\" There was TWO H U N D R E D KILOS
a look of confusion on Carlotta's face and on the faces of the ON THE HEAD OF A SERVANT
audience. This was a disaster!
•
During these few moments, in Box Five, Monsieur
Moncharmin and Monsieur Richard turned very pale. They had That tragic evening was bad for everybody. Carlotta was very
felt the breath of the ghost. Moncharmin's hair stood on end. unwell afterward. Christine Daae disappeared after the performance
Richard wiped his forehead. Yes, the ghost was there, around and was not seen by anyone for two weeks. Raoul was seriously
them, behind them, beside them; they felt his presence without worried at never seeing her name on the program; Faust was
seeing him. They heard his breath, close, close, close to them! played without her.
They trembled. They thought of running away .. They dared Raoul went to the managers' office to ask why Christine had
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not .. They dared not make a move or exchange a word. The disappeared, and he found them both looking extremely
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