hristine really does love him! ... But it is not
only that which drives me to despair; for what I am not certain of,
madame, is that the man whom Christine loves is worthy of her love!"

"It is for me to be the judge of that, monsieur!" said Christine,
looking Raoul angrily in the face.

"When a man," continued Raoul, "adopts such romantic methods to entice
a young girl's affections. .."

"The man must be either a villain, or the girl a fool: is that it?"

"Christine!"

"Raoul, why do you condemn a man whom you have never seen, whom no one
knows and about whom you yourself know nothing?"

"Yes, Christine ... Yes ... I at least know the name that you thought
to keep from me for ever ... The name of your Angel of Music,
mademoiselle, is Erik!"

Christine at once betrayed herself. She turned as white as a sheet and
stammered: "Who told you?"

"You yourself!"

"How do you mean?"

"By pitying him the other night, the night of the masked ball. When
you went to your dressing-room, did you not say, 'Poor Erik?' Well,
Christine, there was a poor Raoul who overheard you."

"This is the second time that you have listened behind the door, M. de
Chagny!"

"I was not behind the door ... I was in the dressing-room, in the inner
room, mademoiselle."

"Oh, unhappy man!" moaned the girl, showing every sign of unspeakable
terror. "Unhappy man! Do you want to be killed?"

"Perhaps."

Raoul uttered this "perhaps" with so much love and despair in his voice
that Christine could not keep back a sob. She took his hands and
looked at him with all the pure affection of which she was capable:

"Raoul," she said, "forget THE MAN'S VOICE and do not even remember its
name... You must never try to fathom the mystery of THE MAN'S VOICE."

"Is the mystery so very terrible?"

"There is no more awful mystery on this earth. Swear to me that you
will make no attempt to find out," she insisted. "Swear to me that you
will never come to my dressing-room, unless I send for you."

"Then you promise to send for me sometimes, Christine?"

"I promise."

"When?"

"To-morrow."

"Then I swear to do as you ask."

He kissed her hands and went away, cursing Erik and resolving to be
patient.

Chapter XI Above the Trap-Doors

The next day, he saw her at the Opera. She was still wearing the plain
gold ring. She was gentle and kind to him. She talked to him of the
plans which he was forming, of his future, of his care