Monsieur Francis was right (and was now putting on a proud smile while stroking his hair). All Europe 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. Héderváry was wonderful, the best singer in the world!

Behind the stage EliseZwingli looked at Laura Maes. 'Elizabeta Héderváry never sang like that before,' she said to Bella. 'Why was she so good tonight?'

'Perhaps she's got a new music teacher,' Laura said. The noise in the Opera House went on for a long time. In Box 14, Count Ludwig Edelstein (Germany. Sorry guys, because no other guys are close to Austria as Germany) turned to his older brother and asked:

'Well, Roderich, what did you think of Héderváry tonight?'

Viscount Roderich Edelstein (Austria) was twenty-one years old. He had violet eyes and brown hair, and a wonderful smile. The Edelstein family was old and rich, and many girls in Europe were in love with the young Viscount. But Roderich was not interested in them.

He smiled at his brother. 'What can I say? Elizabeta is an angel, that's all. I'm going to her dressing-room to see her tonight.'

Ludwig smiled. He was one year younger than Roderich, but was more like an older brother rather than a younger one.

'Ah, I understand,' he said. 'You are in love. But this is your first night in this city, your first visit is the opera. How do you know Elizabeta Héderváry?'

'You remember four years ago, when I was on holiday by the sea of Italy?' Roderich said. 'Well, I met Elizabeta there. I was in love with her then, and I'm still in love with her today.'

The Count of Edelstein looked at his brother. 'Mmm, I see,' he said slowly. 'Well, brother, remember she is only an opera singer. We know nothing about her family.'

But Roderich did not listen. To him, good families were not important, and young men never listen to their younger brothers.

There were many people in Elizabeta Héderváry's dressing-room that night. But there was a doctor with Elizabeta, and her beautiful face looked white and ill. Roderich went quickly across the room and took her hand.

'Elizabeta! What's the matter? Are you ill?' He went down on the floor by her chair. 'Don't you remember me - Roderich Edelstein, in Italy?'

Elizabeta looked at him, and her green eyes were afraid. She took her hand away. 'No, I don't know you. Please go away. I'm not well.'

Roderich stood up, his face red. Before he could speak, the doctor said quickly, 'Yes, yes, please go away. Everybody, please leave the room. Lady Héderváry needs to be quiet. She is very tired.'

He moved to the door, and soon everybody left the room. Elizabeta Héderváry was alone in her dressing-room.

Outside in the passage the young Viscount was angry and unhappy. How could Elizabeta forget him? How could she say that to him? He waited for some minutes, then, very quietly 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!

'Elizabeta, you must love me!' the voice said.

Then Roderich heard Elizabeta'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 unhappy and afraid.

'You sang like an angel,' the man's voice said.

Roderich walked away. So that was the answer! Elizabeta Héderváry had 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 Elizabeta came out of her room, alone, and walked away down the passage. Roderich waited, but no man came out after her. There was nobody in the passage, so Roderich went quickly up to the door of the dressing-room, opened it and went in. He closed the door quietly behind him, then called out:

'Where are you? I know you're in here. Come out.' There was no answer. Roderich looked everywhere - under the chairs, behind all the clothes, in all the dark corners of the room. There was nobody there.