e too ... and I was made to remember that,
though he was not an angel, nor a ghost, nor a genius, he remained the
voice ... for he sang. And I listened ... and stayed! ... That night,
we did not exchange another word. He sang me to sleep.

"When I woke up, I was alone, lying on a sofa in a simply furnished
little bedroom, with an ordinary mahogany bedstead, lit by a lamp
standing on the marble top of an old Louis-Philippe chest of drawers.
I soon discovered that I was a prisoner and that the only outlet from
my room led to a very comfortable bath-room. On returning to the
bedroom, I saw on the chest of drawers a note, in red ink, which said,
'My dear Christine, you need have no concern as to your fate. You have
no better nor more respectful friend in the world than myself. You are
alone, at present, in this home which is yours. I am going out
shopping to fetch you all the things that you can need.' I felt sure
that I had fallen into the hands of a madman. I ran round my little
apartment, looking for a way of escape which I could not find. I
upbraided myself for my absurd superstition, which had caused me to
fall into the trap. I felt inclined to laugh and to cry at the same
time.

"This was the state of mind in which Erik found me. After giving three
taps on the wall, he walked in quietly through a door which I had not
noticed and which he left open. He had his arms full of boxes and
parcels and arranged them on the bed, in a leisurely fashion, while I
overwhelmed him with abuse and called upon him to take off his mask, if
it covered the face of an honest man. He replied serenely, 'You shall
never see Erik's face.' And he reproached me with not having finished
dressing at that time of day: he was good enough to tell me that it was
two o'clock in the afternoon. He said he would give me half an hour
and, while he spoke, wound up my watch and set it for me. After which,
he asked me to come to the dining-room, where a nice lunch was waiting
for us.

"I was very angry, slammed the door in his face and went to the
bath-room ... When I came out again, feeling greatly refreshed, Erik
said that he loved me, but that he would never tell me so except when I
allowed him and that the rest of the time would be devoted to music.
'What do you mean by the rest of the time?' I asked. 'Five days,' he
said, with decision. I asked him if I should then be free and he said,
'You will be free, Christine, for, when those fiv