"Christine," said the young man. "We will go from here together or die

together!"

"We must keep cool," I whispered. "Why has he fastened you,

mademoiselle? You can't escape from his house; and he knows it!"

"I tried to commit suicide! The monster went out last night, after

carrying me here fainting and half chloroformed. He was going TO HIS

BANKER, so he said! ... When he returned he found me with my face

covered with blood ... I had tried to kill myself by striking my

forehead against the walls."

"Christine!" groaned Raoul; and he began to sob.

"Then he bound me ... I am not allowed to die until eleven o'clock

to-morrow evening."

"Mademoiselle," I declared, "the monster bound you ... and he shall

unbind you. You have only to play the necessary part! Remember that

he loves you!"

"Alas!" we heard. "Am I likely to forget it!"

"Remember it and smile to him ... entreat him ... tell him that your

bonds hurt you."

But Christine Daae said: "Hush! ... I hear something in the wall on the lake! ... It is he! ...

Go away! Go away! Go away!"

"We could not go away, even if we wanted to," I said, as impressively

as I could. "We can not leave this! And we are in the

torture-chamber!"

"Hush!" whispered Christine again.

Heavy steps sounded slowly behind the wall, then stopped and made the

floor creak once more. Next came a tremendous sigh, followed by a cry

of horror from Christine, and we heard Erik's voice: "I beg your pardon for letting you see a face like this! What a state

I am in, am I not? It's THE OTHER ONE'S FAULT! Why did he ring? Do I

ask people who pass to tell me the time? He will never ask anybody the

time again! It is the siren's fault."

[Illustration: two page color illustration] Another sigh, deeper, more tremendous still, came from the abysmal

depths of a soul.

"Why did you cry out, Christine?"

"Because I am in pain, Erik."

"I thought I had frightened you."

"Erik, unloose my bonds ... Am I not your prisoner?"

"You will try to kill yourself again."

"You have given me till eleven o'clock to-morrow evening, Erik."

The footsteps dragged along the floor again.

"After all, as we are to die together ... and I am just as eager as you

... yes, I have had enough of this life, you know... Wait, don't move,

I will release you ... You have only one word to say: 'NO!' And it

will at once be over WITH EVERYBODY! ... You are right, you are right;

why wait till eleven o'clock to-morrow evening? True, it would have

been grander, finer ... But that is childish nonsense ... We should

only think of ourselves in this life, of our own death ... the rest

doesn't matter... YOU'RE LOOKING AT ME BECAUSE I AM ALL WET? ... Oh,

my dear, it's raining cats and dogs outside! ... Apart from that,

Christine, I think I am subject to hallucinations ... You know, the

man who rang at the siren's door just now--go and look if he's ringing

at the bottom of the lake-well, he was rather like... There, turn

round ... are you glad? You're free now... Oh, my poor Christine,

look at your wrists: tell me, have I hurt them? ... That alone

deserves death ... Talking of death, I MUST SING HIS REQUIEM!"




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