Monsieur Firmin was right.All Paris talked about the new Margarita in Faust,the girl with the beautiful voice,the girl with the voice of an angel.People loved her.They laughed and cried and called for more.Daaé was wonder ful,the best singer in the world!
Behind the stage Meg Giry looked at Annie Sorelli.'Chris tine Daaé never sang like that before.'she said to Annie.'Why was she so good tonight?'
'Perhaps she's got a new music teacher,'Annie said.
The noise in the Opera House went on for a long time. In Box 14,Philippe,the Comte de Chagny,turned to his younger brother and smiled.
'Well, Raoul, what did you think of Daaé tonight?'
Raoul,the Vicomte de Chagny,was twenty-one years old.He had blue eyes and black hair,and a wonderful smile.The Chagny family was old and rich,and many girls in Paris were in love with the young Vicomte.But Raoul was not interested in them.
He smiled back at his brother.'What can I say? Christine is an angel, that's all. I'mgoing to her dressing-room to see her tonight.'
Philippe laughed. He was twenty years older than Raoul, and was more like a father than a brother.
'Ah, I understand,'he said.'You are in love! But this is your first night in Paris, your first visit to the opera. How do you know Christine Daaé?'
'You remember four years ago,when I was on holiday by the sea,in Brittany?'Raoul said.'Well, I met Christine there. Iwas in love with her then,and I'm still in love with her today!'
The Comte de Chagny looked at his brother.'Mmm, I see,'he said slowly.'Well, Raoul, remember she is only an opera singer.We know nothing about her family.'
But Raoul did not listen.To him,good families were not im portant,and young men never listen to their older brothers.
There were many people in Christine Daaé's dressing-room that night.But there was a doctor with Christine,and her beautiful face Looked white and ill.Raoul went quickly acrossthe room and took her hand.
'Christine! What's the matter? Are you ill?' He went down on the floor by her chair.'Don't you remember me Raoul de Chagny,in Brittany?'
Christine looked at him,and her blue eyes were afraid.She took her hand away.'No, I don't know you.Please go away.I'm not well.'
Raoul stood up, his face red. Before he could speak, the doc tor said quickly,' Yes, yes, please go away. Everybody, please leave the room.Mademoiselle Daaé needs to be quiet.She is very tired.'
He moved to the door,and soon everybody left the room.Christine Daaé was alone in her dressing-room.
Outside in the passage the young Vicomte was angry and unhappy.How could Christine forget him?How could she say that to him? He waited for some minutes, then,veryquietly and carefully,he went back to the door of her dressing-room.But he did not open the door, because just then he heard a man's voice in the room!
'Christine,you must love me!' the voice said.
Then Raoul heard Christine's voice.'How can you talk like that? When I sing only for you…? Tonight, I gave everything to you, everything. And now I'm so tired. 'Her voice was un happy and afraid.
'You sang like an angel,' the man's voice said.
Raoul walked away.So that was the answer! Christine Daaéhad a lover.But why was her voice so unhappy? He waited in the shadows near her room. He wanted to see her lover-his enemy!
After about ten minutes Christine came out of her room,alone, and walked away down the passage. Raoul waited, but no man came out after her. There was nobody in the passage,so Raoul went quickly up to the door of the dressing-room,opened it and went in.Heclosed the door quietly behind him,then called out:
'Where are you? I know you're in here!Come out!'
There was no answer.Raoul looked everywhere-under the chairs, behind all the clothes,in all the dark corners of the room.There was nobody there.
3.克麗斯廷·達(dá)埃
菲爾曼先生說對(duì)了。整個(gè)巴黎都在談?wù)摳鑴 陡∈康隆分鞋敻覃愃男卵莩?,那個(gè)有著美妙歌喉的姑娘,那個(gè)有著天使一般嗓音的姑娘。人們熱愛她。他們更多地笑啊喊啊叫啊。達(dá)埃的演唱確實(shí)不錯(cuò),她是世界上最好的歌唱家。
在舞臺(tái)的后面梅格·吉麗看著安妮·索雷麗。“克麗斯廷·達(dá)埃以前從來沒有唱得那么好,”她對(duì)安妮說,“為什么她今晚唱得這么好呢?”
“或許她已經(jīng)有了一位新的音樂老師。”安妮說。
歌劇院里的喧鬧聲持續(xù)了很長一段時(shí)間。在14號(hào)包廂里,菲利普,這位沙尼家族的伯爵,微笑著轉(zhuǎn)向他的弟弟。
“嘿,拉烏爾,你覺得今晚達(dá)埃表演得怎么樣?”
拉烏爾,這位沙尼家族的子爵21歲。他藍(lán)眼睛黑頭發(fā),有著迷人的微笑。沙尼家族古老而富有,巴黎的許多姑娘都愛上了這位年輕的子爵,但是拉烏爾對(duì)她們卻并不感興趣。
他對(duì)他的哥哥報(bào)以微笑。“我能說什么呢?克麗斯廷是一位天使,就這樣。今晚我要去她的化妝室拜訪她。”
菲利普笑了。他比拉烏爾大20歲,與其說是拉烏爾的兄長,倒不如說是他的父親。
“啊,我明白了,”他說,“你戀愛了!但是這是你在巴黎的第一個(gè)夜晚,是你第一次來歌劇院。你是如何認(rèn)識(shí)克麗斯廷·達(dá)埃的呢?”
“你還記得4年前,我在布列塔尼海邊度假的時(shí)候嗎?”拉烏爾說,“喔,我在那兒遇見了克麗斯廷。當(dāng)時(shí)我就愛上了她,而且今天我還愛著她!”
這位沙尼家族的伯爵看著他的弟弟。“呣,我明白,”他一字一頓地說,“噢,拉烏爾,記住,她只是一個(gè)歌劇演員。我們對(duì)她的家庭一無所知。”
但是拉烏爾聽不進(jìn)去。對(duì)他來說,好的家庭并不重要,而且年輕人從來都聽不進(jìn)他們兄長的勸告。
那天晚上克麗斯廷·達(dá)埃的化妝室里有很多人。但是克麗斯廷的身邊還有一位醫(yī)生,而且她美麗的面容帶有病色,顯得蒼白。拉烏爾快步穿過房間,握住她的手。
“克麗斯廷!怎么了?你病了嗎?”他俯下身去靠近她的座椅,“你不記得我了——沙尼家族的拉烏爾,在布列塔尼?”
克麗斯廷看著他,她那藍(lán)色的眼睛帶著驚恐。她把她的手抽走。“不,我不認(rèn)識(shí)你。請(qǐng)走吧。我身體不太好。”
拉烏爾站起來,他的臉紅了。他還沒來得及說話,那位醫(yī)生就急忙搶著說:“對(duì),對(duì),請(qǐng)走吧。各位,請(qǐng)離開這房間。達(dá)埃小姐需要安靜。她太累了。”
他走向門口,不久所有的人都離開了那個(gè)房間,只留下克麗斯廷·達(dá)埃獨(dú)自在她的化妝室里。
在門外的走廊上年輕的子爵感到不悅和掃興??他愃雇⒃趺磿?huì)忘了他?她怎么會(huì)對(duì)他說那些話?他等了幾分鐘,然后,輕輕地,小心翼翼地,他又走回到她的化妝室的門口。但是他沒有把門推開,因?yàn)榫驮谶@個(gè)時(shí)候他聽到屋里有一個(gè)男人的聲音!
“克麗斯廷,你必須愛我!”那個(gè)聲音說。
接著拉烏爾聽到克麗斯廷的聲音。“你怎么能那樣跟我說話?什么時(shí)候我只為你歌唱……?今晚,我把一切都給了你,一切。而現(xiàn)在我太累了。”她的聲音顯得愁苦而害怕。
“你唱得象一位天使。”那個(gè)男人的聲音說。
拉烏爾走開了。這樣看來那就是答案!克麗斯廷有一個(gè)情人。但是為什么她的聲音顯得如此不悅?他在她的房間附近的一處陰影里等著。他要看看她的情人——他的情敵!
大約過了10分鐘左右,克麗斯廷從她的房間里出來了。她獨(dú)自一人,從走廊上下去。拉烏爾等著,但是沒有男人跟著她出來。走廊上沒有人,于是拉烏爾快步來到化妝室門前,推門而入。他輕輕地把身后的門關(guān)上,然后喊道:
“你在哪里?我知道你在這兒!出來!”
沒有回答。拉烏爾找遍了所有地方——椅子下面、所有的衣服背后、房間里的每一個(gè)陰暗角落。但毫無人影。