Page 51 - Phantom of the Opera

moment comes for you to take me away, I refuse to go with
you — well, you must carry me off by force!" "Someone is in pain," said Raoul. "Maybe someone has been
hurt. Did you hear?"
"Are you afraid that you will change your mind, Christine?"
"I don't know. He is a devil!" she said, as she sat wrapped in his "I don't know. Even when he is not there, my ears are full of
.
his sounds. Still, if you heard .."
arms. "I am afraid now of going back to live with him!"
"What makes you go back, Christine?" They stood up and looked around. There was no one. They
sat down again and Raoul said, "Tell me how you saw him first."
"If I do not go back, terrible misfortunes may happen! But I
"I had heard him for three months without seeing him. The
can't do it! I can't! I know one ought to be sorry for people who
first time I thought, as you did, that the divine voice was singing
live underground .. But he is too terrible! I have only one day
.
in another room. I looked everywhere, but I could not find the
left; and if I do not go, he will come and get me with his voice.
voice. And it not only sang, but it spoke to me and answered
And he will drag me with him, underground, and go on his
my questions, like a real man's voice. But it was as beautiful as
knees in front of me, with his face of Death! And he will tell me
that he loves me! And he will cry! Oh, those tears, Raoul, those the voice of an angel. I had never been visited by the Angel of
tears in those two black holes. I cannot see those tears again!" Music whom my father had promised to send me. I asked him if
Raoul pressed her to his heart. he was the Angel of Music, and he replied that he was. From
"Let us escape at once, Christine!" that time, the voice and I became great friends, and he gave me
He tried to drag her away, but she stopped him. lessons. In a few weeks' time, I hardly knew myself when I sang.
"No, not now. That would be too cruel. Let him hear me sing The voice said/Wait and see; we will surprise Paris!' Then I saw
tomorrow evening .. and then we will go away. Come and get you for the first time one evening, in the Opera. I was so glad
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me from my dressing room at midnight exactly! He will be and I did not think about hiding my feelings when I reached
waiting for me in the dining room by the lake. We will be free my dressing room. The voice noticed. I told him about you and
and you will take me away! You must promise me that, Raoul, my feelings for you. Then the voice was silent. I called to him,
even if I refuse. I feel that, if I go back this time, I may never but he did not reply. I was afraid that he had gone forever. That
return." She stopped for a minute, then said, "Did you hear night I told Madame Valerius and she said, "Well of course,
something?" the voice is jealous!" And that, dear, made me realize that I
love you."
"No, I heard nothing," said Raoul.
Neither Christine nor Raoul noticed the shadow approaching
"It's terrible to be always trembling like this! But up here we
them. Christine continued to tell Raoul her story. She told him
are in no danger. We are at home, in the sky, in the open air, in
that the voice wanted to possess her and that if she gave her love
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the light. I have never seen him by daylight .. it must be awful!
to a human, he would go back to Heaven. She did not want to
Oh, the first time I saw him! I thought that he was going to die!"
lose the Angel of Music who was sent by her dear father. She
"Why?" asked Raoul, frightened by her strange words.
told Raoul that the voice was jealous and that was why she
"Because I had seen him!"
pretended not to know Raoul when she opened her eyes and
Suddenly, both Raoul and Christine turned around.
saw him in her dressing room. Then, she decided to go to Perros
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