Just
for a few seconds...
Earlier in the morning the Vicomte de Chagny
started looking for mademoiselle Daaé he hadn't seen her
since yesterday; first he asked the managers of the Opera who
couldn't tell him a word; then at the same moment that he was
leaving the building he tripped with mademoiselle Meg Giry; who asked
him.
—Bonjour monsieur! Are you looking for Christine? She went
to visit her father's grave, she has just left the Opera in a
carriage at the back door.—
He didn't say goodbye and started
to run to the street in front of the building's main door, he
called for his carriage and the pageboy went for it to the Opera's
stalls; but he was so desperate that he took a passing carriage and
told to the driver—To the train station! And quickly!—he
arrived soon there, but he had already missed the train to
Perros-Girec. Preoccupied and uneasy he went to the box-office and
asked for the next train. The vendor told him there would be another
train for tomorrow morning. Not being able to do anything else he
reserved a ticket for the next morning and returned home to fix the
luggage. He couldn't sleep in all the night. At dawn he jumped from
the bed and dressed up hurriedly; called his servants and woke up
everybody in the house, he didn't have breakfast and ran to the
train station, arriving two hours before the train left. He walked in
circles on the platform till the train left Paris.
All the way to
Perros-Girec he was worried for an unknown reason; only thinking on
her and why she hadn't told him that she would visit her father's
grave. He couldn't understand why she didn't say anything about
it.
The seconds seemed to be hours and the hours days; finally he arrived to the station of Perros –Girec at the afternoon. He got out the train impatient and almost threw one woman to the wagon's door, but he avoided her luckily. He ran to the inn and asked for Christine's whereabouts to the innkeeper who answered him –She went to the church to her father's mass—he didn't finish to listen what the woman said, for he ran to the inn's stables to get a horse and hurried to the graveyard. The night began to fall when he approached the churchyard's gate; slowly some stars appeared in middle of the sky; he dismounted at the gate's door. He didn't see anyone in the church, only some candles inside. Suddenly he heard someone singing in the graveyard. Little by little he began to forget the reason why he was there.
That beautiful and
celestial voice he heard brought him to past times when he was so
young and didn't have to think in other things except being happy.
He remembered the summer days in which he had played with little
Lotte in the Britain shores. Slowly he approached the place where the
wonderful sound came from, and saw Christine climbing the stairs of
her father's grave. Suddenly he remembered the reason why he was
there—Christine! Don't!—he shouted at the same time he
returned to reality; he ran straight to her, trying to stop her
before she passed the threshold of the crypt. He felt a great pain in
his chest, and even though he ran and didn't seem to advance a
single step. He felt that time was running in slow motion; he felt
the sweat in his hands and his forehead, he shouted again, but she
didn't seem hear him; he called to her with all his strength; she
stopped for a second in the threshold, he ran after her, he had
placed one feet upon the stairs when the door began to close behind
her. He crashed with the door's blades and struck the iron blades
with his fists while he shouted again—Christine!—it was too
late... just for a few seconds he didn't attain her.
The door
closed; wrapping her in darkness. Meanwhile Raoul was stood outside
surrounded by the starry sky. Now he couldn't know what would
happen to her.
Christine my love...he thought. He tried to open
the door, but all his efforts were in vain. He returned as fast as he
could to the inn looking for help. When he saw the innkeeper again,
she told Raoul before he started to speak—Oh Monsieur Vicomte; I
wanted to tell you that Mademoiselle Daaé ordered her luggage
immediately after you went out.
He stopped and asked—Who came to
pick it up?—the woman answered—I'm not sure, I guess a boy that
works in the train station.
He didn't listen to the lady's
last words because he went as fast as he could to the station without
knowing what he was looking for...
In the station he found a
boy on his way back to the village; he ran to him and asked —Do you
know the boy who carries the luggage at the inn?—and the boy
answered—Oui monsieur; I am that boy. May I help you with your
bags?
Raoul told him in an urgent tone—Did you went to pick up
Mademoiselle Daaé's luggage to the inn? Who sent you there?
Was it Mademoiselle Daaé?—he was so desperate, that the boy
felt pity for him and answered –No monsieur, mademoiselle was
indisposed and a gentlemen who was accompanying her sent me, he told
me where to pick the luggage and paid me very well for it. He told me
that I had to bring mademoiselle's things as quickly as possible;
because they had to take the train and it was very important they
don't miss it.
Raoul thought...–the train!—And asked
immediately —At what time does the train leave?—he took the boy
from the shoulders and shook him; the frightened boy stammered–It
leaves at midnight!
The Vicomte turned to look the station's
clock and he almost fainted; it was twelve o'clock.
He freed
the boy and ran to the platform. Hearing the hiss of the locomotive;
he couldn't believe it; he missed the train again. And again he
shouted trying to stop it, but as before it was in vain.
