At this point, Suzette turned to the Viscountess with anxious eyes.

"What will I do now?" she whispered.

"Well," she answered softly, "Perhaps it is best that you come home with us. We'd be glad to have you, dear. You may travel around the world with me, if you like. Or, if you prefer, we can find a nice college for young ladies where you can meet other girls and make friends. Would you like that?" Suzette turned sorrowfully toward the door through which Erik had disappeared. Christine put her cool hand on her cheek and looked her in the eyes.

"You have to grow up some day, Suzette. You aren't meant to spend your whole life hidden in darkness. Don't you think you could be happy with us?" At this, Suzette became furious.

"You don't understand! When my father died, I was completely alone. I had no one in the world. You can't understand for a minute, what that means and how much I need him. He was there for me when no one else would have given two cents for my life." Christine shook her head.

"I do understand, Suzette. He found me in just the same way. I was an orphan, like you. My love for music died along with my father and the conservatory allowed me to stay and study, simply because there was no place else that I belonged. I had no future, Suzette. And there was no one to help me to make one. But you see my dear, Erik is an artist and an artist takes things and makes them beautiful. That is what he did to me, and that is what he's done to you. We both owe him a great debt, my little cousine. And it is a cruel thing that no matter how much we want to, we can never repay it to him. Though he made us to see the beauty in ourselves, nothing we do will make him able to see the beauty in himself. But because he made us, we belong to his heart. And because he loves us, he has freed us both from our dept, so we can live our lives and be happy. You see, Suzette, you are free now, and it's time you took your place in the world."

Suzette collapsed into a chair, shaking her head and sobbing, "Oh, my poor friend." The gentle Viscount knelt beside her and said, "There is nothing more that you can do for him, Suzette. If you stay here any longer you'll go mad. Let him alone now, as he asked you to. He knows how much you love him, Suzette, and he wants what is best for you. Come home with us and be happy. It will be all right. God has made a place for both of you." Suzette's eyes filled anew with tears and she embraced him tenderly.

"If you want me to, I will carry you," he whispered in her ear.

"No." she said sadly. "I can do it, but I have to say good-bye."

"He said good-bye to you, Suzette. This will only make it harder."

"I have to tell him that I love him, and kiss him good-bye." Raoul released her reluctantly and she made her way to the door and opened it. When she saw inside she let out a terrified cry and ran into the room. Christine and Raoul ran in behind her and saw that Erik had collapsed onto the floor beside the bed. Suzette had her arms around him now, trying to calm him, but he was thrashing about madly and seemed to be unconscious of any of them. They gathered him up and set him on the bed. Suzette bundled him in the blankets tightly and his thrashing dimmed to trembling as he mumbled almost incoherently.

"Suzette, please stay and sing me a song."

"He means you." Suzette informed Christine, "He doesn't like my voice. He once tried to give me lessons but we nearly killed each other. That's why he taught me the organ and the violin. But your voice makes him so happy. Won't you sing him a song?" Christine thought for a moment and said, "I know!" She disappeared into the drawing room and returned shortly with a rather large manuscript. Suzette recognized Erik's script.

"It's his." Christine said, "Don Juan Triumphant." She opened the opera and after a brief search, found what she was looking for and began to sing. Suzette was very easily moved by music, but she had never in her life felt anything as strong as she did when Christine sang from Erik's Don Juan Triumphant. It was a terrifying mixture of hatred, jealousy, lust, and sorrow. Suzette found herself captivated by the horror of it and longing to hear more, though it was not at all pleasant.

Near the height of the song, Erik resumed his thrashing and cried out, "It burns! It burns!"

"Stop, it's hurting him!" Suzette cried and the song ended. Suzette rocked him gently and whispered to him but Erik continued to talk in his sleep. "Maman, sing that song to me again." he whispered.

"No, Erik, it's me, Suzette."

"Oh, my dear Suzette, my mother once sang me the sweetest song. . .when I was little. . .father beat me. . Oh Suzette, he hurt me so much!. . .I didn't do anything, but he beat me anyway. . .I couldn't walk. . .couldn't even move. . .mother had to lift me into my bed. . do you know, Suzette. . do you know that I nearly died that night? . . .and mother put me into my little bed. . .no more that a box. . . on the cold floor. . .You see, Suzette. . .she couldn't bare to kiss me. . .not me, her wretched corpse of a baby. . .no. . .of course she couldn't kiss me or hold me. . .or touch me. . .or even look at me. . .or love me. I begged her to kiss me once, but she wouldn't. . .she screamed and threw me my mask. . .but she could sing to me. . .you see, Suzette. . .she sang to me. . .while I lay, dying in my crib. . .and that's how she told me that she loved me. . even though I would never be a man. . .even though I would never be human. . .she didn't even give me a name, Suzette. . .but she sang for me that night. . .and I survived until morning."

Suzette had stopped crying. She held Erik tightly in her embrace and kissed him. She smiled at him as she sang the lullaby. She didn't recall the words, but she hummed him the tune of the little song that he had sung for her that first night, so long ago. Erik seemed completely at peace with this little woman's golden curls cascading over his shoulder as she rocked him and sang to him in a small, but sweet sounding voice. When the song was finished, Erik pulled away from her shoulder and sat up straight. Suzette reached up slowly and carefully removed the hateful ghost mask. This time he didn't protest. Instead he sighed deeply and whispered to her, "I'm sorry, Suzette."

"Why, Erik?"

"Because I yelled at you. And I frightened you and made you to cry. And I ran away from you because I thought that you didn't really love me." Erik began to cry again, "And I stole you away from the world and made you my captive-

"Oh no, Erik!" she interrupted him and threw her arms around him.

"Do you forgive me, Suzette?" he asked her.

"Of course I do. I love you!" He squeezed her tightly to him.

"Then let's go home, now." he whispered.

"All right." she answered. And they did.