Chapter 9: The dowry

Fire in the Opera Populaire: a pyromaniac Ghost

A Ghost burns the Opera Populaire

The end of the Opera Populaire: goodbye the Carlotta

The mystery of the Phantom of the Opera

That was what newspapers in this morning of February 1st, 1871 titled.

Georges de Chagny finished reading the last article concerning this story which was embroidered on by the Parisian press. Apparently, the boarders of the opera had been questioned by the journalists and everybody had on the lips only a name: the Phantom of the Opera. Newspapers told the events of the day before with few details and the vicomte was happy that law enforcement had let nothing leak out. No paper spoke about Raoul. Someone mentioned Christine Daaé only as the stand-in of the Carlotta for " Don Juan Trimphant" but nothing bound her to the Phantom.

The mystery of this man fascinated everybody in Paris this morning: Was it really a bloodthirsty spectre as the ballerinas said? According to all the employees, nobody had found his track this night.

Had he died in the fire? Had he run away or had he joined the Hells, once his work was accomplished ?

''The press had everything to publish during weeks'' De Chagny thought. What had bothered him, it was that Richard Firmin and Gilles André had apparently fled in the early hours. They would have, accordind to their lawyer, liquidated all their business and put on sale the mansions which they had just bought. They had left for province to forget this tragic event and did not have left no address where to contact them.

''Cursed scrap merchants!'' The vicomte thought. He was convinced to have lost the money of his sponsorship. Already, he had received the letters of lawyers complaining on behalf of the spectators of the day before who had been wronged or injured. Other letters still asked for what the viscount planned to do with the Opera Populaire in ruin. He did not need to trouble himself about all this mess. Everybody had referred on him, because of the departure of Firmin and André. However, everybody forgot that it was not him the owner of the opera but indeed these two cowards. He had already handed all this in the hands of his lawyers, in the early hours.

Moreover, this morning, the vicomte de Chagny had other worries. He waited for somebody. He had summoned Madame Giry because he had to speak urgently to her. Not knowing where she had been able to find accommodation, he had made her search by his servant in every inn in Paris. The quarrel that he had had with Raoul, a few hours ago, had shaken him. Formerly, his son had always been obedient to him but there he had exceeded the arrogance, by wanting to marry beneath himself with a opera dancer, without consulting him. He hoped that Madame Giry, who was almost Chrisitne's guardian, could tell him what was all about.

In the De Chagny Mansion, the atmosphere was icy. Raoul had gone out early by horse. According to the domestics, he had not had breakfast and had left without looking of information onto the place where he went. Christine Daaé had woken up after his departure The vicomtesse took care of her, while they waiting for Raoul. The girl remained silent and spoke only when they asked her a question. He knew that she suspected something. What a waste his son had done by dangling the prospect of this marriage in front of her!

At the moment, Raoul, also, fled in front of his responsibilities and it belonged to him, his father, to settle this affair as quickly as possible.

When the clock of his office rang 11 a.m., he heard a knock at the door. Georges de Chagny ordered to enter. His servant, Pierre, was accompanied with Madame Giry.

"Thank you, Pierre, you can leave us. Good morning Madame Giry, How are you? I hope that you were not hurt in the accident of yesterday evening.''

''No, Vicomte, I thank you. My daughter and I are fine.''

''I do not know if you are informed that Firmin and André left the capital. Their nerves being certainly too fragile to face their creditors and their problems.''

''It is what I learnt this morning by the employees of the opera. We met to speak about our fate now that we lost our work and for some their house. I think that it is not certainly Monsieur André and Firmin who will help us at the moment. Your servant found us in the "The Enchanted Siren"Inn, near the opera, in big meeting on this subject and it had turned out that I had to meet you to know that would happen of us.''

''What a stroke of luck, Mrs Giry! We are going to be able to speak of all these questions. Concerning your jobs, I know that the world of art and show shows solidarity. I am directly going to send letters addressed to directors of theater and opera of Paris. I know enough influential people, thanks to their sponsorship, who will help your friends to find a job from today. The affair of this fire causes a big stir''the vicomte said by showing the pile of newspapers on his desk.'' I think that helping hands will be there for you.''

''I thank you for your care, vicomte. You deprive me a burden from my shoulders because I feel indebted towards the employees of the opera. I know them for a too long time not to help them.''

''By speaking about employee of the opera, Madame Giry, I have to speak to you about Mademoiselle Daaé'' the vicomte said abruptly.

''You maybe want to speak about arrangements for the marriage with your son?'' The choreographer asked innocently.

''I see that except my wife and I, everybody knows about this engagement!'' The vicomte got excited suddenly.

''It has been three months since they are fiancés, I think. Only the opera was in the confidence since the New Year's Ball.''

''And you did not make objection to this project!''

''I have no right on Christine, although I consider her as my daughter, and even less on your son. Furthermore, I considered, maybe wrongly, I admit it, that if Raoul had made a commitment, he had thus had your blessing. They are sincerely both in love and I am sure that this union would make their happiness.''

''It will make especially Mademoiselle Daaé's financial happiness! This girl is penniless and now without roof. Raoul offers himself as a dreamed good match.''

''If the financial aspect worries you, I have to understand that Christine's dowry raises problem?''

''You know well that our regretted Gustave Daaé was not rich. You are in a position to know, Madame Giry, because you had to marry him. Not only Mademoiselle Daaé is without dowry but I already have promised Raoul to a very advantageous match.''

''If Christine's dowry turned out to suit you, would you cancel all the same his engagement either you would think any further?''

''I would just have to disengage with the father of his future fiancé. But, frankly, Madame Giry, I doubt that Mademoiselle Daaé's dowry suits me.''

''I know that Gustave had planned a clause in his will for when Christine would get married. Allow me to inquire about the field with the solicitor of Monsieur Daaé.''

''And what do you make of his daughter? She cannot stay infinitely here!''

''I shall have it only for one hour or two. Meanwhile, you can write to the managers as you promised it to me."

The severity which emanated from Madame Giry forced to the respect for her orders. Even the viscount had to bow to this woman.

" Very well, Madame Giry, Mademoiselle Daaé will stay with my wife until you come back but be fast. "

oOoooOoOoOoO

Christine felt as a stranger in this big house. The Vicomtesse Eugénie did her best to maintain the conversation but she did not manage to concentrate on what Raoul's mother said to her. This last one had gone out for a long time now. She would have liked to see him this morning. Having from his own lips that there was a hope for their union. He was not any more with her since their arrival in the De Chagny Mansion and her uneasiness worsened. She felt uncomfortable in the purpledress which the vicomtesse had given to her, too much tightened in this corset which suffocated her the waist, nevertheless so thin, and compressed her the breast. Still a few hours and she would eventually faint. She never wore a corset tightened like the noblewomen. In the opera, they were fuller and less tightened to let her breathe to dance and sing.

Singing! What she wouldn't have given to tune her voice to the music at this moment.

She felt suddenly a pain between her ribs, dragged herself out of her thoughts. She wanted to breathe, to blow and feeling ready to weaken, she hung on more firmly to the armrests of her armchair.

At lunch time, Pierre, the Vicomte's servant, warned Eugénie that her husband had urgent letters to be sent and that he would take a meal in his office.

The vicomtesse lunched slightly in her boudoir with Christine who swallowed nothing. Eugénie was saddened by the state of the girl. She had fast realized that the attachment which she carried to her son was sincere and soft. She had not wanted to intervene in front of her husband the day before because she had no influence on him. The vicomte had asked her for her opinion only by suitability. In his point of vue, the husband decided and the woman lined up without discussion in his opinion.

She knew that Raoul's romantic temperament would become allied magnificently to the soft character and to Christine's innocence. Miss Lancaster had certainly the wealth but she was not a great beauty. She had the nobility but not the natural refinement of the dancer of opera. The years of ballet dance had allowed Christine to have a majestic look and an indisputable grace. With a little of training, the vicomtesse knew that she could go out in the high society without blushing.

At about one o'clock in the afternoon, a domestic came to announce the visit of Comtesse Emilie de Noailles. This last one came in almost by running up to greet the vicomtesse.

" My dear Eugénie! What a happiness to see you again after all this time! I was eventually languishing without your company. I received your letter announcing your return in Paris but I was was too much in a hurry to see you to wait for your visit! To hell with the etiquette, I said myself, I am going to take news of my , but I see that you already have a guest... I do not bother you at least...''

''Not at all, Emilie. Allow me to present you Mademoiselle Daaé, the Swedish violinist Gustave Daaé's daughter.''

''Nice to meet you, Mademoiselle Daaé'' the comtesse said to her with a big smile and taking her hands in her.''Your face is not unknown to me. Are not you the talented opera singer who had replaced the Carlotta during " Hannibal"'s representation last October?''

''It is me, Madame'' Chrisitne answered shyly.

''My dear, I have to congratulate you on your talent. I was present this evening and I was moved to tears by your voice! It seems that, regrettably, the opera burned this night. Luckily, I did not go to the first one of "Don Juan". It seems that the fire was terrible.''

''It was, Emilie, but you know Christine Daaé was present during this drama and I am afraid that she doesn't want to bear a conversation on this incident'' the vicomtesse said to close the subject, by watching Christine becoming paler and paler, because of memories of the day before.

''I understand. But what do you do here, Mademoiselle Daaé? I ignored that you know the vicomtesse.''

''Really? I know her since her earliest childhood. Gustave Daaé was under the protection of my husband and Christine often came to accompany his father to us. Raoul saved Christine from flames yesterday and as she had nowhere to sleep we welcomed her for night'' the vicomtesse answered for Christine.

The comtesse and the vicomtesse discussed together while they drank some coffee, whereas Christine remained dumb. Emilie de Noailles was a natural chatterbox. Her husband, the Comte de Noailles, was in business abroad with his mistress. What everybody in Paris did not ignore. So he let his 35-year-old wife in the capital, his only son being in pension. It did not seem to bother this medium-sized woman with the long brown hair gone back up in bun. On the contrary, this freedom seemed to please her enormously.

At about two o'clock in the afternoon, Pierre came in, asking to Christine to follow him, the vicomte asking for her. The heart of this one was throbbing violently. The fateful moment had come. She was going to have to leave the De Chagny Mansion and Raoul at the same time. Pierre preceded her and he stopped in front of a door next to that one of the vicomte's office. When she opened it, she discovered in astonishment that it was not Georges de Chagny who waited for her but Raoul.

" Christine!'' Raoul shouted by rushing to her, a smile stretching his lips.

He embraced her and made her spin in the airs.

" My father has just given us his agreement! We are going to get married. It's wonderful, is not it?''

''Raoul, how is it possible? According to the shouts of yesterday, I thought that there was no more hope.''

''It is what I believed a few moments ago. I am sorry to have left without speaking to you this morning. I did not know what to do. It was out of the question that I give you up after all the events that we crossed. I rode my horse and I galloped without precise direction. I thought about the means that we should have used to live with dignity, if my father had disinherited me. I arrived without noticing in the Saint Germain cemetery, where your father is buried. I meditated beside his grave. I have made a promise to you by engaging us: protecting you from all the misfortunes. But our commitment is an even stronger promise. Nobody can break this link which unites us. I finally came back decided to face my father but apparently things turned in our favour, without I intervene. My father received Madame Giry this morning.''

''Madame Giry came here? Why did not she want to see me? She knew that I was there. She would have had to bring me her news and those of Meg. We left so fast yesterday that I ignored if they were hurt or not.''

''They are fine, do not worry. But according to Madame Giry, your father had received a consequent inheritance before his death. He left it under cover to constitute you a dowry deserving of you, to marry the one that you want.''

''I did not know it. How is it possible? We always lived very modestly and we had no more other family that we two. Not even in Sweden.''

''Do not care about why or about how, Christine. The main part is the outcome. I shall make of you the most happy wife."

Raoul tightened Christine in the arms and pressed his lips against her. She did not return him the kiss, too much upset by this sudden reversal of situation. Raoul ignored her attitude.

"It's important that you come to see my father. We have to discuss with him of the preparation of the wedding. But at first, it seems that your father left you a present. We made it rise for you in your room. It seems that I have no right to see it because it brings bad luck, as it is said.''

''A bridal dress?'' Christine asked, unbelieving.

''Yes, it is. According to Madame Giry, it had belonged to your mother. He had left it at his solicitor's at the same time as your inheritance. It was his surprise. In this way your family will be a little with you the day of the marriage. Go to see it. I go away to warn, Mother. Then, join us fast. I love you, Christine Daaé, future vicomtesse Chagny."

He kissed her again and went out of the room.

Christine's curiosity was excited. She took in the hands the pieces of her dress, went out of the lounge and rushed in staircases to go to her room. When she penetrated into the room, she saw the dress of a spotless white which laid on her bed. She approached it and touched the tissue covered with finely worked lace. She recognized this dress and as her doubts confirmed it. It was not her father who offered her this present. She took in the hands the veil matched with the dress. This veil that He had put her on the head the previous evening, before that Raoul came to save her.

This bridal dress, it was the perfect wax replica which had worn it in this lair.

On her night table, she shivered by recognizing the sign which He gave her when He was satisfied with her. She took in the hand the rose of a brilliant red and inhaled the intoxicating smell. She caressed the familiar black ribbon which surrounded the stalk of the flower. The rose had been put on a letter. She was amazed because it was the first time which He wrote her. It was strange, she said himself, because since she knew him, he had never sent to her letters. It was the others who received letters always full of orders and threats.

She had never seen her writing. For " Don Juan Triumphant ", it was Reyer whohad copied out the lyrics of the opera.

The envelope was sent to her. The letters of her name were drawn by an oblique and regular writing. It was sealed by a seal which she did not know. It carried initials ' E.G. '.She unsealed the envelope and took the letter which it contained. Two words were registered by the same writing: ''Be happy ".

Then do you like or not? What do you think of Raoul's reactions and his family? I always wait for your opinions, for your questions, for your comments! Thank you in advance!