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 anangel? 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 ranthrough 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.'
'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?'shewhispered.'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.Isang 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?'
5.一封致拉烏爾的信
那個星期三也有一封信到了年輕的沙尼家族的子爵手里。他打開信,看到信末尾的署名,露出了那天的第一個微笑。
親愛的拉烏爾:
我當(dāng)然記得你!我怎么會忘了你呢?星期四下午3點到杜伊勒利花園來見我。請不要生我的氣,拉烏爾。
克麗斯廷·達埃
拉烏爾小心翼翼地把這封信放進他的衣服口袋里。生氣嗎?他怎么會生一位天使的氣呢?星期四他在2點以前就到了杜伊勒利花園。
3點過10分的時候他開始感到不快?;?點30分的時候他想死掉,或者殺人。
隨后……她來了。她穿過花園奔向他,一下子撲到他懷里。
“哦,克麗斯廷!”他一遍又一遍地說,“哦,克麗斯廷!”他們一同漫步著穿過花園并且談了很長時間。他們回憶起4年前在布列塔尼的快樂時光。
“但是為什么你離開那里了,克麗斯廷?”拉烏爾問,“你為什么不給我寫信?”
克麗斯廷沉默了一兩分鐘,然后她才慢慢道來:“我和你太年輕,我只是一個從挪威來的貧窮的歌唱家,而你……你是沙尼家族的子爵。我知道我不可能成為你的妻子。”
“但是我愛你,克麗斯廷——”
“不,噓,別作聲,請聽我說,拉烏爾。我回到了挪威,一年后,我父親逝世了。我非常悲傷,但是我回到了法國,來到了巴黎。我拼命地唱啊唱啊,因為我想成為一名歌劇演唱家。不僅僅是優(yōu)秀的歌唱家,而是巴黎最好的歌劇演唱家。”
“現(xiàn)在你是了,”拉烏爾說。他微笑著,“整個巴黎都拜倒在你的腳下。”
克麗斯廷轉(zhuǎn)過臉去,沉默不語。
“克麗斯廷,”拉烏爾輕聲說,“我想問你一個問題。星期二晚上在你化妝室的那個男人是誰?請告訴我!”
克麗斯廷停下來凝視著他。她的臉變白了。“什么男人?”她低語道,“星期二晚上沒有男人在我的化妝室里。”
拉烏爾把手放在她的手臂上。“我聽到他的聲音了,”他說:“我在門外聽,聽到了一個男人的聲音。他是誰?”
“不要問我,拉烏爾!是有一個男人的聲音,是,但是我的房間里卻沒有男人!這是真的!哦,拉烏爾,我害怕極了。有時候我真想去死。”
“他是誰?請告訴我,克麗斯廷。我是你的朋友,我會幫助你。告訴我他的名字!”
“我不能告訴你他的名字。這是一個秘密,克麗斯廷低聲道,“我從來沒有見過他,我只是聽到他的聲音。但是他無處不在!他什么都看得到,什么都聽得到。那就是我星期二晚上沒有和你說話的原因。他是我的音樂老師,拉烏爾。他是一個極好的歌唱家。我星期二晚上之所以唱得那么好就是因為他。我之所以出名就是因為他。他是我的音樂天使!而他說他愛我。我怎么能離開他呢?”