Chapter VIII: The de Chagny Scholarship
One day, Christine came home from college, waving a sheet of paper in her hand enthusiastically. Mother and I were already sitting at the kitchen table, about to have dinner. It was evident that something out of the ordinary had happened to Christine in school today. She handed us the paper so we could read for ourselves. It said:
"Philippe de Chagny, senior partner of the established firm of lawyers De Chagny & Richard and well-known patron of our music college, has generously offered the school a new scholarship for singers. The winner of this scholarship will be chosen at a public concert on November 29th, in which all aspiring singers currently studying at the college may participate. A jury consisting of M. de Chagny himself and two representatives from the Paris Opéra will chose the singer who will receive a prize of 3000 euros. In addition, the winner will have the opportunity to make a concert tour in Europe and the United States in May next year, accompanied by an accomplished pianist."
Christine looked at us, her cheeks burning with excitement.
"Are you going to sign up for this contest?" I asked.
"I already did", Christine answered. "What do you think about it?"
"I think it is wonderful", Mother said encouragingly. "It will be the first time in months we hear you perform - you have not sung at any recital yet, have you?"
"I haven't felt ready for it until now", Christine confessed. "At the beginning of this term, I didn't feel like singing at all. Now, I've been working hard at it for some time and I actually feel like a few things are starting to fall into place."
"Is this Signor Piangi a good teacher, then?" Mother asked, slightly surprised since she had not heard much from Christine about him before.
Christine answered evasively.
"Not Signor Piangi, no..." she said, "but I have been practicing a lot on my own lately and it has helped."
"That is very good, dear", Mother said kindly. "Would you like some potatoes?"
After dinner, Christine pulled me into her room. She had an unusual eagerness about her, as if she couldn't wait to tell me some fantastic news. Closing the door behind us, she lowered her voice and spoke:
"Meg, can you keep a secret?"
I nodded, feeling that it must be something very important for her to conceal it even from Mother.
"When I said earlier that I had been practicing alone, I was telling the truth", Christine said, "and yet, I have had help."
"What do you mean, Christine?" I asked, confused. "I'm not following you."
Christine's eyes were radiant.
"Do you remember the day you and Little Jammes found me crying in the courtyard at school? You must have thought me mad at the time. Well, that was the first day he visited me."
"Who?" I said.
"The Angel of Music!" Christine whispered. "He came to me at last, when I was practicing in the spare room in the basement. I went down there, not really intending to sing, but only because I was upset and needed to be alone. When I had closed the door behind me, I heard a voice speak my name. The voice said that it was my angel, and that my father had sent it to me to help me sing again. At first I could hardly believe it, but it knew so much about me, things which a stranger couldn't possibly know. And it even spoke to me in Swedish! What really convinced me, though, was when the voice started to sing. You can't imagine that sound, Meg! No earthly voice could produce those notes, so clear, so perfect in every way. It was the voice of an angel! Since then, the Angel of Music has been tutoring me. He is such a wonderful teacher - he seems to know my voice better than I do myself. Every little difficulty I have, he tells me exactly how to work my way around. We sometimes sing duets. Musically, he inspires me in a way that nobody else has, not since... not since Father died. Do you understand, Meg? I have been visited by an angel!"
Christine took me by the arm. There were tears of happiness in her eyes, and she did look like one who has glimpsed into heaven. I didn't know what to say to her, but a million thoughts were racing through my head. Had Christine gone mad? She had seemed normal enough at dinner. If she had really heard a bodiless voice, to whom did it belong? Why had it made itself known to Christine? What was its purpose? As to the identity of the voice, I had my suspicions, even though I said nothing to Christine about them. If she needed to believe in the Angel of Music, I didn't want to shatter the illusion, as I remembered only too well the state she had been in before the angel's arrival. Besides, I had no evidence. Still, I couldn't help but wonder what Erik, if it was indeed him, wanted with Christine. I decided to find out as much as I could.
"What is your Angel of Music like?" I asked.
"He is patient", Christine said. "We can work for hours on end, and he never gives up. But of course, there is no such thing as time for an angel. He tells me I have a special talent, and that I will be a great success someday, if only I stay devoted to my art. That way, he is very strict. He believes it takes a great deal of discipline in order to make progress. The Angel of Music also keeps telling me I need to take care of myself. No skipping meals, no drinking, no partying late at night."
"No boys?" I joked.
"He never said that", Christine protested. "He already knows I'm not interested in those things. I want to focus on my singing, nothing else. It's not exactly like I'm being followed around by young men, anyway. At least..."
Christine hesitated. I looked at her inquiringly. She continued:
"This lawyer, Philippe de Chagny, has a son. His name is Raoul. I met him years ago, when we were children, because his family used to spend a few weeks every summer in Sweden. He was always very fond of me, and I liked him, too. We used to have such fun!"
"Maybe he'll be at the concert", I said. "His father donates the money for the scholarship, after all. You could introduce yourself to him then. If he had a soft spot for you when you were children, he will surely remember you now!"
"I'm a bit nervous about it, though", Christine confessed. "I wouldn't want to intrude. I already saw him once at the college, but I didn't dare to say hello."
"Why?"
"If he hadn't recognized me, I would have felt so stupid. I don't want him to think I'm pursuing him because his family is rich, I'm sure he gets enough of that as it is!"
I smiled. Christine had always been a little shy. But I knew her well enough to see that beyond her shyness, she was looking forward to the prospect of meeting Raoul de Chagny again.
