For a week Raoul saw Christine every day．Some days Christine was quiet and unhappy，some days she laughed and sang. She never wanted to talk about the Opera House， or her singing， or Raoul's love for her． Raoul was very afraid for her．Who， or what，was this strange teacher，this man's voice，her'angel of music'？

　　Then one day there was no Christine．She was not at her home, not at the Opera House，not at their meeting places Raoul looked everywhere and asked everybody．Where was Christine Daaé？But nobody knew．

　　Two days before the Opera House opened again，a letter ar rived for Raoul．It was from Christine．

　　Meet me in an hour at the top of the Opera House，on the tenth floor．

　　The tenth floor of the Opera House was a dangerous place.There were hundreds of ropes going down to the stage below it was a long，long way down.

　　Raoul and Christine sat in a dark corner，and Raoul took Christine's hands. Her face was white and tired．

　　'Listen，Raoul，'she said quiety.'I'm going to tell you ev erything．But this is our last meeting. I can never see you again.'

　　'No，Christine！'Raoul cried．' I love you，and we-'

　　'Shh! Quietly! Perhaps he can hear us．He's everywhere in the Opera House， Raoul!'

　　'Who？What are you talking about，Christine？'

　　'My angel of music．I couldn't meet you last Satuday be cause he came for me，and took me away．I was in my dressing room in the Opera House and suddenly，he was there in front of me! I saw the voice for the first time！ He wore black evening clothes and a mask over his face. He took me throughmany secret doors and passages，down，down under the Opera House．There is a lake down there，a big lake； the waters are black and cold．He took me across the lake in a boat to his house．He lives there，Raoul，in a house on the lake，under the Opera House!'

　　Raoul stared at her．Was his beautiful Christine mad？ Chris tine saw his face，and said quickly：

　　'It's true，Raoul，It's true! And he…，he is the Phantom of the Opera！But he's not a ghost，he's not an angel of music，he's a man！His name is Erik，and he loves me，he wants me to be his wife！No，Raoul，listen， there is more．He told me all this in his house，in a beautiful room．He said that no woman could everlove him，because of his face．He was so unhappy! Then he took off his mask，and I saw his face．'

　　She began to cry，and Raoul put his arms around her．

　　'Oh Raoul，he has the most terrible face！It is so ugly! I wanted to scream and run away．But where could I run to？ He has the face of a dead man，Raoul，but he is not dead！He has no nose，just two black holes in his yellow face．And his eyes！Sometimes they are black holes，sometimes they have a terrible red light…'

　　She put her face in her hands for a second．Then she said，'I stayed in his house for five days．He was very good to me，and I felt sorry for him， Raoul． He wants me to love him， and I told him…I told him…'

　　'No，Christine，no！You're going to be my wife！Come away with me at once，today！You can't go back to him．'

　　'But I must，' Christine said quietly．'He knows about you，Raoul．He knows about us．He says he's going to kill you．I must go back to him．'

　　'Never!' said Raoul．'I love you，Christine，and I'm going to kill this Erik！'

　　Erik…Erik…Erik…Erik… The word whispered round the Opera House．Raoul and Christine stared．

　　'What was that？' Raoul said， afraid．'Was that… his voice？Where did it come from？'

　　'I'm afraid，Raoul，'Christine whispered．I'm singing Margarita again on Saturday．What's going to happen？'

　　'This，'Raoul said．'After the opera on Saturday night，you and I are going away together．Come on，let's go down now．I don't like it up here．'

　　They went carefully along a dark passage to some stairs，then suddenly stopped．There was a man in front of them, a tall man in a long dark coat and a black hat．He turned and looked at them．

　　'No，not these stairs，'he said．'Go to the stairs at the front．And go quickly!'

　　Christine turned and ran．Raoul ran after her．

　　'Who was that man？' he asked．

　　'It's the Persian，' Christine answered．

　　'But who is he？ What's his name？ Why did he tell us to go to the front stairs？'

　　'Nobody knows his name．He's just the Persian. He's al ways in the Opera House．I think he knows about Erik，but he never talks about him．Perhaps he saw Erik on those stairs， and wanted to help us．'

　　Hand in hand，they ran quickly down the stairs，through passages，then more stairs and more passages．At one of the lit tle back doors to the Opera House，they stopped．

　　'On Saturday night，then．After the opera，'Raoul said．

　　'I'm going to take you away，and marry you．'

　　Christine looked up into his face．'Yes，Raoul．'

　　Then they kissed， there by the door of the Opera House．Their first kiss．

　　7．我的音乐天使

　　在一个星期的时间里拉乌尔天天都与克丽斯廷约会。有时候克丽斯廷显得沉默而不太高兴，而有时候她又笑又唱。她从不愿提及歌剧院，不愿提及她的演唱，也不愿提及拉乌尔对她的爱。拉乌尔为她感到非常担心。这个奇怪的老师，这个男人的声音，她的“音乐天使”到底是谁，或者是什么？

　　后来有一天克丽斯廷不见了。她不在家里，不在歌剧院里，也不在他们约会的地方。拉乌尔到处找并且问遍了所有的人。克丽斯廷·达埃在哪里？但是没有人知道。

　　在歌剧院重新开业的前两天，一封信送到了拉乌尔手里。它是克丽斯廷写来的。

　　一个小时以后到歌剧院的顶层第10层来见我。

　　歌剧院的第10层是一个危险的地方。那里有数百条绳索垂向下面的舞台——长长地下垂着。

　　拉乌尔和克丽斯廷坐在一个阴暗的角落里，拉乌尔握着克丽斯廷的双手。她的脸色苍白，显得有些疲惫。

　　“听着，拉乌尔，”她轻声说，“我将把一切都告诉你。但是这是我们的最后一次约会。我再也不能见你了。”

　　“不，克丽斯廷！”拉乌尔喊道，“我爱你，而且我们——”

　　“嘘！小声点！也许他能听到我们。在歌剧院里他无处不在，拉乌尔！”

　　“谁？你在说什么，克丽斯廷？”

　　“我的音乐天使。上个星期六我不能来见你，因为他来邀我，并且把我带走了。当时我正在歌剧院我的化妆室里，突然地，他就出现在我的面前！我第一次看到了发出这个声音的人！他穿着黑色晚礼服，脸上戴着面罩。他带着我穿过许多秘密的门和走廊，在歌剧院的底下一直往下、往下走。那里的最下面有一个湖，一个挺大的湖；湖水又黑又凉。他用小船带着我渡过那个湖去他的住处。他住在那里，拉乌尔，住在湖上的房子里，在歌剧院的底下！”

　　拉乌尔凝视着她。他的美丽的克丽斯廷疯了吗？克丽斯廷看着他的脸，急急地说：

　　“这是真的，拉乌尔，这是真的！而他……他就是那个歌剧院的幽灵！不过他不是鬼，他也不是音乐天使，他是一个实实在在的男人！他的名字叫埃里克，他爱我，他希望我成为他的妻子！不，拉乌尔，听着，还有。在他的房子里，在一个漂亮的房间里，他把这一切都告诉了我。他说没有一个女人曾经爱过他，都是因为他的脸。他是如此的不幸！接着他摘下他的面罩，我看到了他的脸。”

　　她开始叫起来，拉乌尔一把将她抱住。

　　“哦！拉乌尔，他有一张最最可怕的脸！它是如此的丑陋！我真想尖叫着跑掉，可是我能往哪儿跑？他有一张死人一样的脸，拉乌尔，但是他并不是死人！他没有鼻子，在他的黄色的脸上只有两个黑洞。而他的眼睛！有时候它们是黑洞，有时候它们则发出可怕的红光……”

　　她把脸埋入双手之中，片刻之后她说：“我在他的房子里呆了5天。他对我非常好，我觉得对不起他，拉乌尔。他希望我爱他，而我告诉他……我告诉他……”

　　“不，克丽斯廷，不！你将成为我的妻子！来，马上和我离开这儿，今天！你不能回到他那儿去。”

　　“但是我必须，”克丽斯廷轻声道，“他知道你，拉乌尔。他知道我们的事。他说他要杀了你。我必须回到他那儿去。”

　　“决不！”拉乌尔说，“我爱你，克丽斯廷，而且我要杀了这个埃里克！”

　　埃里克……埃里克……埃里克……埃里克……这声音在歌剧院里低声回荡着。拉乌尔和克丽斯廷面面相觑。

　　“那是什么？”拉乌尔害怕地说，“那是……他的声音吗？它们是从哪儿发出来的？”

　　“我害怕，拉乌尔，”克丽斯廷轻声说，“星期六我将再次演唱玛格丽塔。到时候会发生什么事呢？”

　　“这样，”拉乌尔说，“演完星期六晚上的那场歌剧以后，你和我一起离开这儿。我们下去吧。我不喜欢呆在这里。”

　　他们小心翼翼地沿着黑暗的走廊朝楼梯走去，接着突然停住了。有一个男人站在他们前面，一个高个子男人，穿着深色长外衣，戴着一顶黑色帽子。他转过身来看着他们。

　　“不，别走这楼梯，”他说，“去前面那楼梯，快走！”

　　克丽斯廷转身就跑。拉乌尔跟着她跑。

　　“那个人是谁？”他问。

　　“是个波斯人。”克丽斯廷回答。

　　“但是他是谁？他叫什么名字？为什么他告诉我们要走前面的楼梯？”

　　“没有人知道他的名字。他就是波斯人。他经常在歌剧院里。我想他了解埃里克，但是他从不提及他。或许他看到埃里克在那楼梯上，而想帮助我们。”

　　他们手拉着手飞快地跑下楼梯，穿过走廊，下面还有更多的楼梯和走廊。在快到歌剧院门口的一道门那儿，他们停住了。

　　“星期六晚上，到那时，演完歌剧以后，”拉乌尔说，“我要带你离开这儿，并且和你结婚。”

　　克丽斯廷抬头深情地看着他的脸。“好吧，拉乌尔。”

　　随后他们接吻了，在歌剧院的那道门边。那是他们的初吻。