Calico Illustrated Classics: The Phantom of the Opera
There is no one there We must be brave and pull ourselves together said Sorelli There is no ghost She wasn’t sure what to believe but she knew she had to restore calm Mother says started Meg She quickly covered her mouth Mother will be angry at me I promised not to tell The others crowded around Meg They promised her secret would remain so if she told them all she knew Keeping one eye on the door Meg whispered It’s because of the private box What private box asked Sorelli The ghost’s box said Meg staring at the door It’s Box Five on the grand tier Nonsense said Sorelli The ghost cannot have a box It’s not nonsense Mother is in charge of the boxes said Meg Orders have been given at the box office that the tickets to Box Five must never be sold 8
Does the ghost really go there asked Sorelli Yes said Meg He alone has the box Another dancer nudged her way up to Meg If he’s in the box then he must be seen No said Meg No one sees him Others say you only hear him when he’s in the box Mother leaves him a program each night Sorelli raised an eyebrow I think you’re trying to scare us Meg shook her head and sobbed Please don’t tell Mother what I said She’s right Joseph’s tales are going to bring us all bad luck Just then the door flew open and a woman rushed in It’s awful She fell into a chair and sobbed Her face was white and her hands shook What’s awful asked Sorelli She rushed over to the woman with a drink of water It’s Joseph Buquet cried the woman He is dead 9
2 The Voice While the girls learned of Joseph’s death in Sorelli’s dressing room the audience celebrated Christine Daae Christine was a newer singer at the opera She had replaced Carlotta who was ill that evening Before this evening no one paid attention to Christine’s voice After tonight no one would ever forget As she performed Romeo and Juliet the audience knew a star was among them Who was this fine singer and why had the managers kept her hidden The whole house rose to its feet shouting cheering and clapping for Christine Up until that moment Carlotta had been the star of the 10
Opera house Now it was clear that Christine’s voice was superior At the end of her performance overcome with emotion from the standing ovation Christine fainted She was taken to her dressing room Count Philippe and his brother Raoul de Chagny were in one of the boxes watching that evening When Raoul saw Christine faint he felt like fainting himself Don’t you see her Brother She has fainted Let’s go and see her at once Count Philippe gave his brother a curious smile It was only then that Philippe realized why Raoul had pestered him to go to the opera Raoul was in love Within a minute they were at Christine’s door Raoul made his way through the crowd and took off his gloves Count Philippe thought it strange that he knew the way through the halls Had he visited before in secret 11
