登陆注册
15312000000018

第18章 The Enchanted Violin (3)

Meanwhile, the father died; and, suddenly, she seemed to have lost, with him, her voice, her soul and her genius.She retained just, but only just, enough of this to enter the CONSERVATOIRE, where she did not distinguish herself at all, attending the classes without enthusiasm and taking a prize only to please old Mamma Valerius, with whom she continued to live.

The first time that Raoul saw Christine at the Opera, he was charmed by the girl's beauty and by the sweet images of the past which it evoked, but was rather surprised at the negative side of her art.

He returned to listen to her.He followed her in the wings.He waited for her behind a Jacob's ladder.He tried to attract her attention.

More than once, he walked after her to the door of her box, but she did not see him.She seemed, for that matter, to see nobody.

She was all indifference.Raoul suffered, for she was very beautiful and he was shy and dared not confess his love, even to himself.

And then came the lightning-flash of the gala performance:

the heavens torn asunder and an angel's voice heard upon earth for the delight of mankind and the utter capture of his heart.

And then...and then there was that man's voice behind the door--"You must love me!"--and no one in the room....

Why did she laugh when he reminded her of the incident of the scarf?

Why did she not recognize him? And why had she written to him?...

Perros was reached at last.Raoul walked into the smoky sitting-room of the Setting Sun and at once saw Christine standing before him, smiling and showing no astonishment.

"So you have come," she said."I felt that I should find you here, when I came back from mass.Some one told me so, at the church.""Who?" asked Raoul, taking her little hand in his.

"Why, my poor father, who is dead."

There was a silence; and then Raoul asked:

"Did your father tell you that I love you, Christine, and that Ican not live without you?"

Christine blushed to the eyes and turned away her head.

In a trembling voice, she said:

"Me? You are dreaming, my friend!"

And she burst out laughing, to put herself in countenance.

"Don't laugh, Christine; I am quite serious," Raoul answered.

And she replied gravely: "I did not make you come to tell me such things as that.""You `made me come,' Christine; you knew that your letter would not leave me indignant and that I should hasten to Perros.

How can you have thought that, if you did not think I loved you?""I thought you would remember our games here, as children, in which my father so often joined.I really don't know what I thought.

...Perhaps I was wrong to write to you....This anniversary and your sudden appearance in my room at the Opera, the other evening, reminded me of the time long past and made me write to you as the little girl that I then was...."There was something in Christine's attitude that seemed to Raoul not natural.He did not feel any hostility in her; far from it:

the distressed affection shining in her eyes told him that.

But why was this affection distressed? That was what he wished to know and what was irritating him.

"When you saw me in your dressing-room, was that the first time you noticed me, Christine?"She was incapable of lying.

"No," she said, "I had seen you several times in your brother's box.

And also on the stage."

"I thought so!" said Raoul, compressing his lips."But then why, when you saw me in your room, at your feet, reminding you that Ihad rescued your scarf from the sea, why did you answer as though you did not know me and also why did you laugh?"The tone of these questions was so rough that Christine stared at Raoul without replying.The young man himself was aghast at the sudden quarrel which he had dared to raise at the very moment when he had resolved to speak words of gentleness, love and submission to Christine.A husband, a lover with all rights, would talk no differently to a wife, a mistress who had offended him.

But he had gone too far and saw no other way out of the ridiculous position than to behave odiously.

"You don't answer!" he said angrily and unhappily."Well, I will answer for you.It was because there was some one in the room who was in your way, Christine, some one that you did not wish to know that you could be interested in any one else!""If any one was in my way, my friend," Christine broke in coldly, "if any one was in my way, that evening, it was yourself, since Itold you to leave the room!"

"Yes, so that you might remain with the other!""What are you saying, monsieur?" asked the girl excitedly.

"And to what other do you refer?"

"To the man to whom you said, `I sing only for you!...to-night I gave you my soul and I am dead!'"Christine seized Raoul's arm and clutched it with a strength which no one would have suspected in so frail a creature.

"Then you were listening behind the door?""Yes, because I love you everything....And I heard everything....""You heard what?"

And the young girl, becoming strangely calm, released Raoul's arm.

"He said to you, `Christine, you must love me!'"At these words, a deathly pallor spread over Christine's face, dark rings formed round her eyes, she staggered and seemed on the point of swooning.Raoul darted forward, with arms outstretched, but Christine had overcome her passing faintness and said, in a low voice:

"Go on! Go on! Tell me all you heard!"

At an utter loss to understand, Raoul answered: "I heard him reply, when you said you had given him your soul, `Your soul is a beautiful thing, child, and I thank you.

No emperor ever received so fair a gift.The angels wept tonight.'"Christine carried her hand to her heart, a prey to indescribable emotion.Her eyes stared before her like a madwoman's.Raoul was terror-stricken.But suddenly Christine's eyes moistened and two great tears trickled, like two pearls, down her ivory cheeks.

"Christine!"

"Raoul!"

The young man tried to take her in his arms, but she escaped and fled in great disorder.

同类推荐
  • 佛说摩登女解形中六事经

    佛说摩登女解形中六事经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 题晖师影堂

    题晖师影堂

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 道行般若经

    道行般若经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 张载集摘

    张载集摘

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 丁鹤年集

    丁鹤年集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 魂炎:似火年华,枫叶飘零

    魂炎:似火年华,枫叶飘零

    远古的魂炎大陆里,有着许许多多的魂魄,他们都是其他大陆的亡魂,但只有被冤枉致死的亡魂,才能进入魂炎大陆的中心——亡灵谷,亡灵谷里的魂气十分浓郁,同时,怨气也很重。整个大陆除亡灵谷以外的地方都一片混乱,他们都等待着有缘人的到来……
  • 鲜妻太惹火:霸道Boss,轻点撩

    鲜妻太惹火:霸道Boss,轻点撩

    (甜宠文)相隔六年,夏予心再次误睡了s市权势滔天的男人,事后,她仓皇卷起衣服,扔下一百块逃之夭夭。谁知,转身他就成了她的‘假’未婚夫,为期三个月。“老公,陪我演个戏,带片酬的,演不演?”“老婆,我只会床戏,吻戏,打滚戏,你要演哪种?”期限一到,一身酸痛的夏予心立马翻身而起,猛力一踹身旁的庞大物,“喂,时间到了,你可以滚了。”…………“喂喂喂,是叫你滚,不是叫你抱着我滚。”“老婆,不是你叫我陪你演个打滚戏?”于是滚滚滚……
  • 魂魄天斗

    魂魄天斗

    灵魂大陆,是人界众多大陆中的其中一个,由灵魂师和人类组成。灵魂师分为三种,谈灵师,控灵师和夺魂师。天界少主下凡历练,初临灵魂学院,认识了许多朋友,也发现了许多不可告人的秘密—......夺控大战,一战触发!
  • 元帝之启

    元帝之启

    大破灭带来了天赐的能力,同样带来了上苍的愤怒,元的纪元开启,使徒、人类、新人类何人能成为新世界的主宰……
  • 源陌明初恋上喵

    源陌明初恋上喵

    人猫混血儿与霸道猫帝的精彩奇缘,记得我们一起共度的光阴,不可消失淡化,不可磨灭抹去,依稀在脑海中一一浮现经久不变,四叶草快来围观。
  • tfboys之王源的初恋

    tfboys之王源的初恋

    故事纯属虚假,不必当真。欢迎大家来收看。
  • 爱是图谋已久

    爱是图谋已久

    生日那天,他交给俞菲一沓男友劈腿的照片,说,“生日快乐。”私家侦探?真是个有趣的身份。之后的日子中俞菲似乎穷尽了这辈子的智商和他斗智斗勇。他说,经过我的调查,我们很合适相伴一生。俞菲翻了个白眼,还私家侦探呢,你其实是个算命的吧?顾总!
  • 炮轰异世

    炮轰异世

    一个神密的大陆,一个元力纵横,武者称霸的世界,陆凯穿越来了,带着一艘威力超大的宇宙战舰来了!人元境!不服是吧?轰死你……。地元境!不服是吧?轰死你……。天元境!不服是吧?当然还是轰死你……。美女!不服是吧?当然是……收了!
  • 若我未曾遇见你

    若我未曾遇见你

    六年后她还是回到了这座城市,站在机场门口看着来往往往的人群,六年前的那场事导致故她背井离乡整整六年,她经常会问自己:若我未曾遇见你.....
  • 冥婚难逃:我的猛鬼先生

    冥婚难逃:我的猛鬼先生

    匿名寄来的婚书与白裙改变了我的生活,他说“当血染红这裙之时,便是我们大婚之日”第一夜厉鬼将她身上的血肉的和着长裙直接撕下强硬套在我身上,第二天惨被碎尸的舍友,回到老家后才知道原来这一切都是阴谋。父母寻思着找个有钱人把我卖了得钱,却没想到在把我卖的那天,他带着浑身诅咒而来。血淹没整个村子,遍地尸体洪荒,乌鸦将站在白骨上笑着……“鬼先生,我记得我们说好的我是工具,你是使用者,仅此而已。”“不,我是使用者你是体验者,比如体验一下生娃……”