The Phantom of the Opera

eir office, the joint managers found a

AR MA

o be war b

e is my ultimatum. It consists o

te box; and I wish it to be at my

this evening by Christine Daae. Never

l services of Mme. Giry, my box-keeper, whom

hat you accept, as your predecessors did, the conditions in my memorandum-book rel

ive FAUST to-night in a h

and be warned

sick of him!" shouted Richard, bringi

er, the acting-m

ntlemen," he said. "He says that his busi

henel?" as

our stu

u mean? My

e are several grooms at the Opera an

does this

ief management

t st

ir, the stable

Opera? Upon my word, I d

side. It's a very important de

And what for, in

nd so on; horses 'used to the boards.' It is the grooms' business to teach t

.. but what

never saw him i

an co

ding-whip, with which he struck hi

ichard, somewhat impressed. "To wha

me to ask you to get ri

t to get rid o

f the horses, but

lemen have you

That's at leas

upon us by the under-secretary for fine arts. They are fille

!" roared Richard. "We don't need more

head riding-maste

repeated

repeated

ger told me that you

t I have only eleven s

mself a great smack on

the acting-manager. "Cesar, t

ten years at Franconi's and I have seen plenty of horses in

ow

That's why I have come to ask

your stab

cuse the supers. Others pretend that it

r for him as I would for m

enel," cried Richard, "y

ou what it is. There's no doubt about it in my mind." He walked up t

d gave

ou too!

too? Isn't it natura

did yo

a black shadow riding a white horse

you run a

oo fast for me and disappeared in the

Lachenel. You can go ... We will lo

ck my s

urse! Good

d withdrew. Richard

iot's account a

vernment representative's

," added Moncharmin. "We shall have the whole press against us! He'll tell the story of the

say no mor

d by its usual Cerberus, for Mme. Giry entered without ce

a letter this morning from the Opera ghost. He tol

Giry and made her describe so unexpected a semicircle that she uttered a despairing cry. Next, his right foot imprinted its sole on the black taffeta of a skirt which certainly had never before undergone a similar outrage in a similar pl

urg St. Honore, rang for her maid, who brought her letters to her bed. Among them w

a great misfortune at the moment when you open yo

colate, sat up in bed and thought hard. It was not the first letter of the kind

d a secret enemy who had sworn to ruin her. She pretended that a wicked plot was being hatched against her, a

at once cured of an incipient attack of bronchitis and a bad fit of sulking against the management and lost the slightest inclination to shirk her duties. From that time, she worked with all her might to "smother" her rival, enlisting the services of influential friends to persuade the managers not to give Christine an opportun

ing over the threat contained in

g a few oaths in her native Spa

lected all her supporters, told them that she was threatened at that evening's performance with a plot organized by Christine Daae and declared that they must play a trick upon that chit by filling the house wi

" she would sing the part of Margarita that evening. The secretary urged her, in his chief's name, to commit no imprudence, to stay at home all day and to

a second anonymous letter in the same hand

wise, you will see that it is

andsome shoulders and sang two o

hing was the presence of M. Richard and M. Moncharmin in Box Five. Carlotta's friends thought that, perhaps, the managers had wind, on their side, of the proposed disturbance and that they had

, On creation and its Lord! Never reply will bre

the powers of darkness, when M. Firmin Richard, who was sitting in the ghost's own ch

st whispered a wor

the same gay tone. "The performance has only begun and you know tha

lotta's friends, because Margarita does not sing in this act. As

e!" said M

is late," said

aid Moncharmin, "for 'a h

essed in black, sitting in a stall in the middle of the auditor

re 'those?'" as

, are my concierge, her

ve them the

time-and, as she is now going to come every night, I wanted her to have

m he had the greatest confidence, to come and take Mme. Giry's place. Yes, he would like to see

ou know that Mother Giry is going

hom? Th

o bring himself to the memory of the managers; and they were just saying so to each other for

both asked, amazed at seei

by Christine Daae's friends agai

?" said Richard,

made a sign to the stage-manager to go away. When the

has friends

she

ho

a box on the grand tier co

mte de

ith such warmth that, if I had not

charmin. "And who is that

brother, t

e in his bed.

rang wit

white

e or

an it

have

gn. Siebel made her entrance. Christine Daae looked charming in her boy's clothes; and Carlotta's partisans expected to he

ssed the stage and sang the only two

t a lady am I, n

an arm to help

uncalled for that those who knew nothing about the rumors looked at one anothe

"Of course, it will b

d to the subscribers' entrance to warn Carlotta. The managers left the box during the entr'acte to find out more about the cabal of whic

of them knew. Then they went back to the shelf and, next to the box of sweets, found an opera glass. They looked at each other. They had no inclination to laugh. All

resented Marg

low'rs in

age fro

raising her head, saw the Vicomte de Chagny in his box; and, from that moment, her voice seeme

he stalls, almost aloud. "The other day she was divine; and to-

low'rs, l

her fro

ray his inner feelings like that, by outward signs, the count must be very angry. He was. He had seen his brother return from a rapid and mysterious journey in an alarming state of healt

but deign

e smile to

aggage!" grow

was a virtuous girl, she was said to have no friend, no protecto

t only of the letter which he received on his return to Paris, where Christ

LITTLE P

love me just a little, do this for me, for me who will never forget you, my dear

ause. Carlotta m

ould but kn

ddress

or, at least, wha

f the KING OF THULE, she was loudly cheered and

joy of pa

s bright to

rlotta flung herself into her part without restraint of modesty ... She was no longer Margarita, she was Carmen. She was applau

knelt on

e on the fo

m yonder

tar of eve, br

rs o'

thy beau

garita

how s

does the ev

ep langu

witho

melody

my heart

moment, the terrible thing happene

-ac

rs in their box could not suppress an exclamation of horror. Every one felt that the thing was not natural, t

perfect an instrument her voice was; and there was no display of anger, but only of horror and dismay, the sort of dismay which men would have

ard that note, that sound, that infernal noise issue from her throat, she tried to persuade herself that it was not so, t

d felt his breath. Moncharmin's hair stood on end. Richard wiped the perspiration from his forehead. Yes, the ghost was there, around them, behind them, beside them; they felt his presence without seeing him, they heard his breath, close, close, close to them! ... They

hap

red at Carlotta as though they did not recognize her. That infernal girl must have given the signal for some catastrophe. Ah, they were waiting for the catastrophe! The ghost had t

l, g

oically, she started afresh on the fatal li

roar. Carlotta's voice alone once

without

o felt, but not

without

thout ala

lody enwind

y heart s

so had star

urn round; they had not the strength; the ghost was chuckling behind their backs! And, at last, the

-NIGHT TO BRING TH

ndelier was slipping down, coming toward them, at the call of that fiendish voice. Released from its hook, it plunged from the

wretched woman who had come to the Opera for the first time in her life, the one whom M. Richard had appointed to succeed Mme. Gi

LOS ON THE HEA

her sol