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CHAPTER 9 THE HOUSE ON THE LAKE |
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When the lights came on, Raoul ran. |
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He ran down stairs and along passages, |
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through the Opera House to the back of the stage. |
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In the passage outside Christine's dressing room, |
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a hand took his arm. |
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'What's the matter,my young friend? |
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Where are you run ning to,so quickly?' |
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Raoul turned and saw the long face of the Persian under his black hat. |
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'Christine!'Raoul said quickly. |
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'Erik's got her.Where is she? |
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Help me! How do I get to his house on the lake?' |
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'Come with me,'said the Persian. |
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They went quickly into Christine's dressing-room. |
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The Persian closed the door |
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and went to the big mirror on one wall. |
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'There's only one door into this room,'Raoul began. |
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'Wait,'the Persian said. |
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He put his hands on the big mirror, first here, then there. |
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For a minute nothing happened. |
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Then the mirror began to move and turn, |
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and a big dark hole opened in it.Raoul stared. |
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'Quick!Come with me,but be careful,'the Persian said. |
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'I know Erik.I understand his secrets. |
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Put your right hand up near your head, |
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like this,and keep it there all the time. |
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'But why?'Raoul asked. |
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'Remember Joseph Buquet, |
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and the rope around his neck? |
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Erik is a clever man with ropes in the dark.' |
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They went down, down, down,under the Opera House. |
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They went through secret doors in the floors, |
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then along pas sages and down dark stairs. |
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The Persian listened carefully all the time for strange noises. |
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'When do we get to the lake?' Raoul whispered. |
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'We're not going by the lake. |
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Erik watches it all the time. |
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No,we go round the lake and get into Erik's house from the back. |
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I know some secret doors.' |
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Soon they were there. |
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In the dark,the Persian felt the wall carefully with his hands. |
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'Ah,here it is,'he whispered. |
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The wall moved under his hands and a small door opened. |
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Very quietly,they went through, |
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and then the door closed behind them. |
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They could not get out. |
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Inside the room it was very dark. |
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They waited and listened. |
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The Persian put his hands on the wall. |
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'Oh no!'he whispered. |
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'It was the wrong door! |
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This is Erik's torture room-the room of mirrors! |
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We are dead men,Vicomte de Chagny,dead men!' |
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At first Raoul did not understand. |
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But he soon learnt. |
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The lights came on, and they heard a man's laugh. |
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Erik knew they were there. |
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The room was all mirrors-walls,floor,ceiling. |
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There were pictures in the mirrors of trees and flowers and rivers. |
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The pictures moved and danced in front of their eyes. |
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And the room was hot. |
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It got hotter and hotter and hotter. |
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Raoul was thirsty,hot and thirsty, |
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and the rivers in the pictures danced and laughed at him. |
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He closed his eyes,but the rivers still danced. |
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Water,he needed water, |
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but the mirrors laughed at him. |
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Soon he could not move or speak, or open his eyes. |
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He was not thirsty now,just tired,so tired. |
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'Oh Christine, I'm sorry,'he thought. |
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'I wanted to help you, |
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and now I'm dying…' |
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Through a mirror in the wall Christine watched her lover in the torture room. |
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Behind her Erik stood,with his hands on her arms. |
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'He's dying,Christine,dying. |
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Watch him carefully. |
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No,don't close your eyes.Watch him!' |
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Christine could not speak. |
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She wanted to scream,but no words came. |
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Then she found her voice again. |
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How can you do this,Erik! |
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Why don't you kill me?' |
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'Because I love you,Christine. |
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Marry me,be my wife,and love me. |
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Then Raoul and the Persian can live.' |
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Slowly,Christine turned. |
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She looked into Erik's terrible, |
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ugly face,and spoke again,very quietly. |
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'Yes,Erik.From this minute I am your wife.' |
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She put her arms around Erik's neck, |
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and kissed him-kissed him slowly and lovingly on his ugly mouth. |
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Then she took her arms away and said slowly, |
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'Poor,unhappy Erik.' |
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Erik stared at her. |
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You kissed me! he whispered. |
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' I didn't ask you,but you kissed me-freely! |
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Oh Christine,my angel! |
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That was my first kiss from a woman. |
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Even my mother never kissed me! |
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She gave me my first mask when I was two years old. |
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She turned her face away from me every time I came near her.' |
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Erik put his ugly face in his hands and cried. |
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Then he went down on the floor at Christine's feet. |
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'You are free,Christine,free! |
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Go away and marry your Raoul,and be happy. |
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But remember Erik,sometimes. |
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Go now,quickly!Take Raoul and the Persian,and go!' |