Chapter 7: Madame Giry's memories

" So if you want to understand, I have to go back in time far, said Antoinette Giry to her daughter sat near her. At the time, I was 16 years old. I belonged to the ballet of the opera and I was proud of it. My mother was what I am now or at least what I was until today: the ballet mistress of the Opera Populaire. She treated me as all other girls: with rigor and severity. The opera was my house and there was only that which mattered. I was a young and innocent person. I knew few things about what happened outside.

One day, a fair came to settle down near the opera. My mother let us go to it the other ballerinas and me. I was wild with joy. The leisures were so rare as I was very excited. The night before I could not simply sleep a wink. I did not know that this day would upset my existence for ever.

We went to it quite together. The oldest stayed up the youngest because my mother had not accompanied us. She found the show of the fairground people despicable for her and her opera. And God knows that it was such a show. We hadn't enough eyes to look at everything: the jugglers, the fire-eaters, the women with beard, the exotic animals...

When we got ready to leave a gypsy opened a tent which looked like small big top. He invited everybody who wanted to discover " The Devil's Child ", a show which nobody would forget. To this announcement, my curiosity was cut to the quick and with some friends, we entered the tent. It was not question for us to lose a scrap of what this fair could bring us. A lot of people was already there. People stood around a cage as the one that we use to lock wild man brought inside this one a child, a young boy dressed only in a pants and in a bag on the head provided with two holes for the eyes. He began to strike him once, twice, three times. As soon as the child fell on the ground, he removed him the bag and lifted him by hair to show his face in front of spectators.

I was in the front row and what I saw felt me more pity than horror. The left-hand side of his face was completely normal but the right-hand side was deformed. On his body, he had numerous bruises and numerous wounds. The women roared, the men laughed. Even my friends pointed him. This little boy was an animal of circus. Suddenly, I was ashamed to have entered to see this ignoble show.

Who could let make such a thing?

When the spectators had ended, they threw to the man several coins. This last one rushed above to begin to count them. I remained clutched at the bars of the cage, incapable of averting my eyes of this child. He put back on the head the bag which hid his face. As I turned away to go out of the tent, I heard a suffocated shout. When I returned, I perceived this child whom I considered harmless strangling his executioner with a rope. I remained motionless on the spot. I was alone. There was no other witness of this scene. Even my friends had already left without that I noticed it. When I went out of my bewilderment, the gypsy was lying dead to the feet of the boy who held in the hands a doll in the shape of monkey holding cymbals. I understood his gesture in a sense.

What strength had he to strangle a man of this stature?

Nevertheless, in front of me, he seemed to have become again innocent. He continued to stare at me without a word. As I wanted to approach him, another fairground entertainer entered the tent and saw his friend on the ground. He roared ''murder !'' by understanding immediately that the child was the murderer. At the time, I did not reflect, I opened the cage and took the hand of the boy. He followed me even without knowing me. He seemed to know that I wanted him no harm and that I should make everything to save him.

I do not know any more how we managed to escape from the tent and from the fair. However we run until we were out of breath. My only idea to put him under cover was to hide him in the opera. Arrived at its walls, I opened a hidden door which led to the chapel. I knew this exit because certain girls borrowed it at night to join their lovers. In the chapel, I knew a secret passage which led to the basement of the opera. I hid him there.''

''That's why he obeys you? Meg dared to ask ''.

''Even if I always had for him a maternal love, I shall not say that he obeys me. I can only say that we respect ourselves and in a sense Erik always felt indebted to me to have extracted him from the world where he was held prisoner and not to have judged him for the crime which he committed.''

''The crime? You know very well that there was others. What to say about Joseph Buquet's murder?''

''Wait, I am going to come there. Let me take back the things where I left them. The basement of the opera was dark and I worried about Erik's fate.''

''Erik? Is it his real name?''

''I don't know. According to him, he did not know his name. In fact, first times of his acclimatization were rather difficult. He did not speak and I began to believe that he was dumb. I came to see him in the basement as soon as I could and without that my mother discovered what I hid. I brought him some water, food, pieces of tissue so that he could get dressed. I spoke to him a lot, trying to incite him to the conversation but he never answered. He just accepted my presence. It was a real wild child.

One month after his arrival, I decided to choose him a name. I proposed him some and when I pronounced the name Erik, it was at this moment when he reacted for the first time and when he spoke to me. While I left by saying to him "Goodbye", he thanked me for having chosen him a name. He said to me that it was the first time for a long time that somebody treated him as a human being.

Since a link built up itself between us. I considered him as my son even if there are only eight years of distance between us and I believe that I look like a little a mother for him because I helped him to obtain that he needed to live and bloom.

Below, Erik began to get organized. He had found what would be his den, his home. I brought him what he needed: blankets, food... In six months, he had discovered every hidden recess of the opera. This one was provided with a multitude of secret passages, with space to spy on those who lived there. Thanks to them, he did not feel any more isolated and it is what he wanted: watching without being watched.

I had begun to teach to him to read and to write. In some weeks, he already knew bases and managed to work himself. I brought him every books that I possessed and some paper and pencils. I understood at once that he was very bright and intelligent. Because of that, he began to be bored: I couldn't offer to him more.

One day, we were on stage ending the reharshal of an opera, when a ballerina began shouting that she had seen a shadow in one of the box. At this time already, we enjoied saying that the opera was haunted. It is there, I have to say, that came to me the idea of the way to meet Erik's needs. It is me who suggested to him to frighten the employees of the opera and to press the manager Monsieur Ledoux, the predecessor of Monsieur Lefèvre. Erik approved at once and for the rest, it was him who plotted everything. And it was how Phantom of the Opera's myth was born.

Monsieur Ledoux had to pay every month 10 000 francs. It was a colossal sum but I let Erik act. He was very mature for a nine-year-old child. It sometimes frightened me I have to say. If the manager did not obey him, the Phnatom would threaten the opera of numerous disasters. If Monsieur Ledoux had voluntary forgetting, the Phantom was called back his good memory by some incidents: beam which falls, appearances, candles which put out. Harmless things but which hung over the terror over everybody. Thanks to it, Erik was able to live completely comfortably. He learned himself sculpturing, paintin). He reorganized the corridors of the basement to give them some light. At this moment, he created his mask. Before he always wore his bag. I had asked him to remove it to live normally. Although he knew that I did everything not to be disgusted by the appearance, he preferred that I do not look at him in eyes or I had to turn him the back when he did not wear his mask. When he began wearing it, I knew that he felt better. He hid less and the appearance of a spectre wearing a white mask caused a big stir at the ballerinas.

When I was 18, a boy named Joseph Buquet was employed as a stagehand. He was my age old and I knew at once in his glance that I pleased him. But, for me, he had all the sins of the earth; drinker, player, philanderer... An evening when he was tipsy and when I went to see Erik, he followed me and made me advances. I refused myself to him and he began to show himself violent. Erik, who waited for me, witnessed the scene. He took Buquet by surprise by rolling up a rope around the neck. He was only ten years old but was already very strong, rather strong to fight against Buquet. Erik ordered him to leave me quiet, otherwise he would kill him. He also ordered him to never revealwhat he had seen of the Phantom this evening to whoever. Joseph, frightened by this boy in the white mask, promised but not wanting to admit defeat, he had the audacity to bring down Erik's mask on the ground. Erik was mad with rage and Buquet, terrorized, took to his heels. He nevertheless had time to hear Erik to threaten to kill himone day for the fact that he had had the boldness to make.

From this moment, Buquet left me quiet and was held coit on what he had seen this evening, for a while.

Some weeks after this incident, a new musician arrived at the opera. It was an English pianist, come live in France, attracted by the country.''

''Father, is not it?''

''Yes, it was well James Giry. As you know it, we fell in love at once. He was twice my age old but it did not disturb us. We very quickly became engaged. My mother, after some hesitations, gave us her blessing. She was sick, for some time, and her state degraded. After our marriage, she gave me the management of the opera. By means of work and of tenacity, I was one of the youngest choreographers of ballet in Paris. It did not go without jealousy on behalf of the other dancers but I laughed at it because I had everything to be happy. Three months after becoming Madame Giry, I was pregnant and my mother died.''

''Did father know for Erik? Meg questioned her, with curiousity."

Since her mother had begun her narrative, she had finally managed to understand and to have an answer to all her questioning. Her mother had never entrusted in her and she was happy of this new link which connected them. Apparently, seeing her daughter being dying had been a revelation for Antoinette. For too many years, she hid things to Meg to protect her and she blamed herself because she realized that it had only been taking them away one of the other one.

"At first, I was frightened to death at the idea of revealing him Erik's existence, admitted Madame Giry. Seen what had happened with Buquet, I was afraid that Erik does not understand the love which I had to your father. The day of my engagement, I warned Erik of my situation. He took very well the news. In fact, he already knew it because he spied on everything which happened in the opera. He had understood the sincere love that James and I we had. He had guessed that it was an honorable man and he gave me his agreement to reveal the secret of the Phantom of the Opera. Besides, your father was not an idiot. He knew that I hid him a secret. He had fast made the link between the Phantom and me. Consequently, he) was surprised by no means when I revealed him the truth.

He took Erik under his wing. This last one was studious. James taught him the bases of the music theory and the piano. He showed to be a genius. Hebegan very fast composing himself his melodies and he found finally a passion deserving of his interest in the music. While waiting for your coming, James considered a little Erik as his son, exactly as I consider him as mine. When you were born, Erik was eleven years old. He was completely autonomous and at this moment, he began to distance himself from us. Maybe he was afraid of interfering in our happiness? I decided to leave him quiet, too much occupied by you. Meanwhile, Monsieur Ledoux left his job to Monsieur Lefèvre, who understood very fast that the Phantom deserved his salary as everyone. And the life continued its course.

When you were two years old, your father died in an accident of train while he had just had a appointment in Normandy at a sponsor. To tell the truth this sponsor was Raoul's father, the Vicomte Georges de Chagny. He estimated James's talent and wanted that he played concertos in his summer villa. A part of me died at the same time as your father this day. I was annihilated. To face my sorrow, I took refuge with the work, abandoning you too much.

I did not see any more Erik. I believe that he was saddened as much as me by James's loss. He began to become a man and to limit his sorrow, he took even more refuge with the music but also with the singing. He followed by his hiding places the vocal training of the tenors who succeeded one another, making them run away when he noticed that he should learn nothing more of them.

Four years passed, when Georges de Chagny came to the opera. He felt responsible for the loss of my husband and since his death, he had always worried that you and I miss nothing. The vicomtesse invited me to come to take the tea with her one afternoon. It was there that I met Gustave Daaé and his daughter. He was the protégé of de Chagny, he was a talented violinist. We fast made friends due to our common points. We were both widowers because he had lost his wife during Christine's delivery and we had two girls of the same age. Our friendship changed into a deeper attachment. Gustave was for the winter season in Paris and worked for the vicomte. We could see each other regularly. It was then that he asked me in marriage because it turned out that we brought ourselves mutually a lot. We thought of becoming engaged when he seriously fell ill. He had a precarious health, having already fragile lungs. At time we had a disastrous winter, he succumbed of a pneumonia.

On his deathbed, he asked me to take care of Christine as my own daughter and to welcome her in the opera. He knew that she had an early talent for the dance and especially for the singing. I promised to make everything so that her career was admirable. Gustave died in peace and I kept the promise that I had made for him.

I thus brought a seven-years-old Christine to the opera. She was upset by the death of her father. I knew that he would take time to recover from this mourning. She was a solitary and reserved child but I knew that you would become of great friends. You needed a friend the one as the other one.

When Gustave was dying, he had said to her that he would send her the Angel of Music and that he would stay up her. She really believed in it and it was thanks to this thought that she had the strength to continue.

In the evening of her arrival, she went to the chapel to pray and put down a wax candle near the portrait of her father which she kept affectedly. I followed her by far to see if she was well. She prayed by singing a hymn and I heard Erik's voice to answer her. I was surprised because it was the first time when he spoke to somebody. Erik remained hidden and Christine asked him if he was the Angel of Music who would protect her. He answered her in the affirmative. I let him act because I thought that it would do good to them, as much to him as to her.

I was right because Christine seemed to console from day to day. I heard her to converse with Erik. They discussed a lot because she confided in him. She admitted him to want to become a great opera singer when she would be adult. He gave her then singing lessons every day He consoled her when she was sad. A deep friendly relation had become established between them and I have to say to you that I was delighted.

But Christine grew and when she became a 14-year-old girl, the accidents multiplied. It was the Carlotta who did it expenses. Erik demanded from Lefèvre to double his salary. I do not know when Christine discovered that her Angel of Music and that the Phantom of the Opera were only one, or if she suspected that he was only a being of flesh and blood. What I knew, on the other hand, it was that Erik did not consider any more Christine as a friend but that he felt for her a love which turned into obsession. He did not stop composing for her and taining her vocally. I had understood that he wished to supplant the Carlotta by Christine and that he was ready to do everything for that.''

''Even killing, cut Meg.''

''Yes. I feel responsible for everything. I did not take time to occupy me of him, to explain him the social codes. I abandoned him in James's death while I would have had to show him more affection. And then deal completely changed when Raoul de Chagny is reappeared in Christine's life. Erik is taken action. He realized Christine's dream by obtaining her Elissa's role in "Hannibal". I had seen it in a favourable light and then in addition, I kept the promise made for Gustave. It was because of that I suggested to Firmin and André replacing Carlotta by Christine. I did not think that this one was in love with the vicomte. When Erik kidnapped Christine this evening to take her in basements, I was happy because he had finally exceeded his apprehension to show himself to her. I hoped that she could understand him and love him a little bit in return for what he had made for her.

Regrettably, nothing happened as expected and everything became only rivalry and jealousy between de Chagny and him. I did not know how to make him to come to his sense. He became crazy about jealousy. So that in the evening of "Il Muto", he even got rid of Buquet, who pursued him and laughed openly at him for a long time. Joseph had forgotten when Erik had meant to kill him. This evening, I understood that whoever would put obstacle between Christine and him would inevitably be murdered to him. He tried to kill de Chagny, having taken Christine to the cemetery. I ignored that he went out of the opera and knew well Paris. And so he spoke to me in a letter of this house.''

''He also has killed Ubaldo Piangi this evening, cut Meg.''

''Yes. I believe that the vicomte, by encircling the opera by the police, trapped Erik as an animal. I know that he does not bear it. He was filled by the hatred and found this only way to replace the tenor on stage and so to be with Christine.''

''Mother, I always have the impression that you try to find him excuses for the murders which he has committed, Meg got indignant.''

''How would you have acted if you had been treated all your childhood as a monster? His soul is broken, he had no respect of himself. He did not know the difference between the good and the bad. He acquired his freedom by killing. He believed to have Christine by acting the same way. Please Meg, in spite of what you bore this evening, promise me to try to know him. You will see that he is not cruel. He is just a wounded person. We are going to live here now, in his house. He wants to accommodate us. It is a way to him to compensate us for the loss of the opera. Furthermore, he is going to need us. Christine's loss and mark of affection that she carried him this evening really changed him, you know. I think that now he sees the world under another angle. Meg, promise me.''

''I promise you to try, Mother, answered Meg. "

Meg knew that she had to trust her mother. If they had to live in this house, she would try to get acquainted with Erik. Because seen the way her mother treated him, he was almost her brother. But, above all, she promised herself to remain very careful, when she would be in his presence. She was far from relying on him.

Madame Giry embraced her daughter. Suddenly, they listened to a the noise on the first floor.

"I believe that Erik arrived, said Antoinette.''

''But how did he enter? I did not hear the front door opening!''

''Meg, my child, you have to suspect that with what I taught you of Erik, he never comes in by entrances! He has an unsuspected talent to find secret passages and to pass unnoticed, said Madame Giry, a smile on the lips. "

I know that this update was very long to come , so please excuse me! I promise to update more quickly for the next chapter. You will know what happened to Christine and Raoul!

I wish to thank everyone who let or will let me a review!