英语小说网

On Friday morning La Carlotta had her breakfast in bed. She drank her coffee and opened her morning letters. One letter had no name on it. It was very short.

You are ill. You cannot sing Margarita tonight. Stay at home and don't go to the Opera House. Accidents can happen. Do you want to lose your voice -- for ever?

La Carlotta was very, very angry. She got out of bed at once and did not finish her breakfast.

"This is from Christine Daaé's friends," she thought. "They want her to sing again tonight. That Daaé girl is going to be sorry for this! I, La Carlotta, I am the best opera singer in Paris. And nothing is going to stop me singing Margarita tonight!"

At six o'clock that evening the dancers were in their dressing-room. They talked and laughed and put on their red and black dresses for Faust. But Meg Giry was very quiet.

"It's the Opera ghost," Meg said. "My mother says he's angry. She's afraid that something's going to happen tonight."

"What's the matter, Meg?" Annie Sorelli asked.

"Oh, pooh!" the girl with black hair said. "Who's afraid of an old ghost?"

Then Monsieur Armand saw some flowers on the floor by the door of the box. "Firmin," he whispered, "did you put those flowers there?"

An hour later Monsieur Armand and Monsieur Firmin went into Box 5 and sat down. They were not afraid of ghosts. Of course not. There were no ghosts in the Opera House.

La Carlotta sang and sang, and nothing happened. Then she began a beautiful love song.

La Carlotta did not sing for the first hour. There were no strange voices in Box 5, and the two directors began to feel happier. Then La Carlotta came out onto the stage, and Monsieur Firmin looked at Monsieur Armand.

Monsieur Firmin looked. "No, I didn't," he whispered back. "Did you?"

"Of course not, you fool! Shh, the music's beginning."

"No!" Monsieur Armand said, but he looked behind him twice, then three times, and suddenly felt cold.

"My love begins to -- Co-ack!"

Everybody stared. What was the matter with Carlotta's voice? What was that strange noise -- Co-ack?

"Did you hear a voice just then?" he asked quietly.

Poor Carlotta tried again, and again.

Carlotta stopped and began the song again.

It was the noise of a toad! People began to talk and laugh. Monsieur Firmin put his head in his hands. Then he felt Monsieur Armand's hand on his arm. There was a voice in the box with them! A man's voice, laughing!

"My love begins to -- Co-ack!

I cannot forget my -- Co-ack!"

"I cannot forget my -- Co-ack!"

Then the two directors heard the voice again, behind them, in front of them, everywhere. "Her singing tonight is going to bring down the chandelier!"

The two directors looked up at the top of the Opera House. Their faces were white. The famous chandelier, with its thousand lights, broke away from its ropes and crashed down on to the people below.

That was a terrible night for the Paris Opera House. One woman was killed by the chandelier, and many people were hurt. The Opera House closed for two weeks. And La Carlotta never sang again.