Page 44 - Phantom of the Opera

"The evil genius of the churchyard at Perros! Red Death! She spoke so desperately that he began to feel regret for his
Your Angel of Music! I will take off his mask and see who you cruelty. "Anyone would be deceived by all of this. Explain
love and who loves you!"
yourself, Christine," he said.
He burst into a mad laugh. Christine stretched out her arms Christine simply took off her mask and said, "Dear, it is a
across the door to prevent him from opening it.
tragedy!"
"In the name of our love, Raoul, you will not pass!"
"My dearest, my dearest!" he cried when he saw her face. It
He stopped. What had she said? In the name of their love? She
brought both surprise and terror to his heart. The shadows under
had never admitted before that she loved him. But she had had
her eyes! The gray skin! The lines! "You promised to forgive
enough opportunities. She was trying to gain a few seconds! She I "
me!
wanted to give Red Death time to escape!
"Maybe .. maybe one day," she said as she put her mask on
.
With childish hatred, Raoul said, "You are lying! You do not
and left, forbidding him to follow. He dared not try to follow her,
love me and you have never loved me! What a poor fool I must
but watched her until she was out of sight.
be! Why did you give me every reason for hope, at Perros? I am
Raoul went to look for Red Death, but could not find him.
an honest man and I believed that you were an honest woman,
At two o'clock, he went to Christine's dressing room and
but your only intention was to deceive me. And you go around
knocked gently on the door, but there was no answer. He went
this party with Red Death! I hate you!"
inside and hid in the inner room, which was separated from the
And he burst into tears. She allowed him to insult her. She
dressing room by a curtain.
thought of only one thing, to stop him leaving the box. "You will
Christine entered, took off her mask, and threw it on the
ask me for forgiveness one day, for all those ugly words, Raoul.
table. She let her pretty head fall into her two hands. What was
And when you do, I will forgive you!"
she thinking of? Raoul heard her softly say, "Poor Erik!" Who
He shook his head. "No, no, you have driven me mad! I had
was this Erik? And why was Christine pitying Erik when Raoul
only one hope — to give my name to a poor orphan!"
was so unhappy? She wrote something on a piece of paper, but
"Raoul! How can you say that to me?"
she seemed to be listening. Raoul also listened. Where did that
"I will die of shame!"
strange sound come from? A faint singing seemed to come from
"No, dear, live!" said Christine's changed voice. "Goodbye, the walls.
Raoul."
Raoul could now hear the words. He heard a man's voice, a
"You must let me come and clap for you from time to time,"
beautiful soft voice coming nearer and nearer ... through the
he said angrily.
wall. Christine rose and spoke to the voice. "Here I am, Erik. I
"I will never sing again, Raoul! You will never see me again!"
am ready. But you are late."
"What darkness are you returning to? What Heaven or what
Raoul looked out from behind the curtain, but could not
Hell?"
believe his eyes. Christine's face lit up with a beautiful smile. The
"I came to tell you, dear, but I can't tell you now .. you
.
voice was singing The Wedding Night Song. Raoul pulled back the
would not believe me. It is finished."
curtain. Christine was moving to the back of the room, where
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