# ■ 6 La Carlotta sings Margarita

On Friday morning La Carlotta had her break fast in bed．She drank her coffee and opened her morning let ters．One letter had no name on it. It was very short．

You are ill． You cannot sing Margarita tonight．Stay at home and don't go to the Opera House. Accidents can hap pen．Do you want to lose your voice-for ever？

La Carlotta was very， very angry. She got out of bed at once and did not finish her breakfast．

This is from Christine Daaé' s friends，' she thought．'They want her to sing again tonight．That Daaé girl is going to be sorry for this！ I，La Carlotta， I am the best opera singer in Paris．And nothing is going to stop me singing Margarita tonight！'

At six o'clock that evening the dancers were in their dress ing-room．They talked and laughed and put on their red and black dresses for Faust．But Meg Giry was very quiet．

What's the matter，Meg？'Annie Sorelli asked．

It's the Opera ghost，Meg said．'My mother says he's angry．She's afraid that something's going to happen tonight．'

Oh，pooh！'the girl with black hair said．'Who's afraid of an old ghost？'

An hour later Monsieur Armand and Monsieur Firmin went into Box 5 and sat down．They were not afraid of ghosts.Of course not．There were no ghosts in the Opera House．

Then Monsieur Armand saw some flowers on the floor by the door of the box．'Firmin，'he whispered，'did you put those flowers there？'

Monsieur Firmin looked．'No，I didn't，'he whispered back'Did you？'

Of course not， you fool！Shh，the music's beginning．'

La Carlotta did not sing for the first hour．There were no strange voices in Box 5，and the two directors began to feel happier. Then La Carlotta came out onto the stage， and Mon sieur Firmin looked at Monsieur Armand．

Did you hear a voice just then？' he asked quietly．

No！'Monsieur Armand said，but he looked behind him twice， then three times， and suddenly felt cold．

La Carlotta sang and sang， and nothing happened. Then she began a beautiful love song．

My love begins to-Co－ack！'

Everybody stared．What was the matter with Carlotta's voice? What was that strange noise-Co－ack?

Carlotta stopped and began the song again．

My love begins to-Co－ack！

I cannot forget my-Co-ack！'

It was the noise of a toad！ People began to talk and laugh.Monsieur Firmin put his head in his bands．Then he felt Mon sieur Armand's hand on his arm．There was a voice in the box with them！ A man's voice，laughing

Poor Carlotta tried again，and again．

I cannot forget my-Co－ack！'

Then the two directors heard the voice again， behind them，in front of them， everywhere．'Her singing tonight is going to bring down the chandelier!'

The two directors looked up at the top of the Opera House．Their faces were white．The famous chandelier， with its thou sand lights，broke away from its ropes and crashed down on to the people below．

That was a terrible night for the Paris Opera House．One woman was killed by the chandelier， and many people were hurt．The Opera House closed for two weeks．And La Carlotta never sang again.

■ 6 拉·卡洛塔演唱瑪格麗塔

星期五早晨拉·卡洛塔在床上用早餐。她一邊喝咖啡一邊拆閱她的晨信。有一封信沒有署名。它非常短。

你病了。今晚你不能演唱瑪格麗塔。呆在家裡不要去歌劇院。否則會有意外。你想失聲嗎？——永遠？

拉·卡洛塔非常非常氣憤。她立即下床，連早餐都沒有吃完。

“這是克麗斯廷·達埃的朋友寫來的，”她想，“他們希望她今晚再次演唱。那個達埃姑娘將為此而感到懊悔！我，拉·卡洛塔，是巴黎最好的歌劇演唱家。沒有什麼能夠阻止我今晚演唱瑪格麗塔！”

當天晚上6點鐘舞蹈演員們都來到了她們的化妝室。她們一邊笑談著一邊穿上她們的紅黑的《浮士德》歌劇服。但是梅格·吉麗卻一言不發。

“怎麼了，梅格？”安妮·索雷麗問。

“是歌劇院的幽靈，”梅洛說，“我媽媽說他發怒了。她擔心今晚會發生什麼事。”

“哦，呸！”那個黑髮姑娘說，“誰會害怕什麼幽靈？”

一個小時以後阿爾芒先生和菲爾曼先生步入5號包廂坐下。他們從不害怕幽靈。歌劇院裡根本就沒有幽靈。

隨後阿爾芒先生髮現包廂門邊的地上放著一些鮮花。“菲爾曼，”他輕聲問，“是你把那些鮮花放在那裡的？”

菲爾曼先生看了看。“不，我沒有，”他反過來輕聲問：“是你嗎？”

“當然不是，你這個傻瓜！噓，歌劇開始了。”

拉·卡洛塔在開始的一個小時裡不演唱。5號包廂裡沒有異樣的聲音，於是兩位經理開始感覺心情愉快了。接著拉·卡洛塔出現在舞臺上，這時菲爾曼先生看著阿爾芒先生。

“剛才你聽到說話聲了嗎？”他輕聲問。

“沒有！”阿爾芒先生說，但是他往身後看了兩次，隨後又看了第三次，並且突然感到一絲涼意。

拉·卡洛塔唱啊唱，並沒有發生什麼事。接著她開始演唱一首優美的愛情歌曲。

“我的愛始於——科-艾克！”

眾人面面相覷。卡洛塔的嗓音怎麼了？那個陌生的雜音——科-艾克是什麼？

卡洛塔停下來重新開始演唱。

“我的愛始於——科-艾克！”

“我無法忘記我的——科-艾克！”

這是癩蛤蟆的鼓譟！人們開始交頭接耳並且鬨笑。菲爾曼先生把頭埋進雙手之中。然後他覺得阿爾芒先生的手放在了自己的手臂上。包廂裡有一個聲音！一個男人的聲音，大笑著！

可憐的卡洛塔試了一次又一次。

“我無法忘記我的——科-艾克！”

接著這兩位經理又聽到了那個聲音，它來自身後，身前，各個方向。“今晚她的演唱將會使枝形吊燈落下來！”

兩位經理抬頭朝歌劇院的屋頂看去。他們的臉色變得慘白。那著名的有著上千盞燈的枝形吊燈，竟然脫離束縛它的繩索墜落在下面的觀眾席上。

對於巴黎歌劇院來說那是一個可怕的夜晚。一名婦女被枝形吊燈砸死，另外許多人被砸傷。歌劇院為此關閉兩週。而拉·卡洛塔從此再沒有演唱過。