Gilpin observer., 1913-08-07
Two Hundred Kilos on the Head
of Concierge"
That was her sole epitaphi
CHAPTER VIII.
The, Mysterious srouahsm.

Ne Myetertouo 6rou9nan1.
That tragic evening was bad for
everybody. Carlotta fell in As for
Christine Daae, she disappeared after
the performance. A fortnight elapsed
during which she was seen neither at
the opera nor outside.
Raoul, OF course. was the first to be
astonished at the prima donna's alb
+, sence. He wrote to her at Nine.
valerius' fiat and received no reply.
His grief increased and he ended by
being seriously alarmed at never see
ing her name on the program. Faust
was played without her.
One afternoon he went to the man
ayers office to ask the reason Of
Christine's disappearance. He found
them both looking extremely worried
Their own friends did not recognise
them; they had lost all their gaiety
and spirits. They were seen crossing
the stage with hanging heads. care
worn brows. pale cheeks, as though
pursued by some abominable thought
or prey to some persistent sport OF
fate
The fall Of the chandelier had IN
volved them In no little responsible
| ity; but 1t was difficult to make them
speak about It, The inquest had end
| ed In verdict OF accidental death,
caused by the wear and tear OF the
chains by which the chandelier was
hung from the ceiling; but 1t was the
duty of both the old and the new man.
ayers to have discovered this wear
and tear and to have remedied 1t in
time. And l feel bound to say that
| MN. Richard and Moncharmin at this
time appeared SO changed, SO absent
minded. 80 mysterious, so incompre-
hensible that many Of the subscribers
thought that some event even more
horrible than the fall of the chande-
lier must have affected their state OF
mind.
In their daily Intercourse, they
showed themselves very impatient.
except with Nine Giry. who had been
reinstated in her functions. And their
reception of the Vicomte de Chagny,
when he came to ask about Christine.
was anything but cordial. They mere
ly told him that she was taking a
holiday. He asked how long the holi-
day was for. and they replied curtly
that 1t was for an unlimited period.
| as Mile. Daae had requested leave OF
I absence for reasons Of health.
Then she is III" he cried. what
is the matter with herr"
I'VE don't know"
Didn't you send the doctor Of the
opera to see herr"
~ha
as We trust her. we took her word"
Raoul left the building a prey to
the gloomiest thoughts. He resolved.
come what might, to go and inquire
| Of Mamma valerius. He remembered
the strong phrases in Christine's let
ter. forbidding him to make any at
tempt to see her. But what he had
seen at Perros. what he had heard
| behind the dressing-room door. his
conversation with Christine at the
edge OF the moor made him suspect
some machination which. devilish
though 1t might be. was none the less
human The girls highly strung i'm
agination. her affectionate and credu-
lous mind. the primitive education
which had surrounded her childhood
with circle Of legends. the constant
brooding over her dead father and,
above all. the state OF sublime &C.
stasy into which music threw her
from the moment that this art was
made manifest to her in certain excep-
| tional conditions. a. In the churchyard
at Perros; all this seemed to him to
constitute moral ground only too
favorable for the malevoient designs
| Of some mysterious and INSCRIPTIONS
person. OF whom was Christine Daae
the victim? This was the very rea-
sonable question which Raoul put to
himself as he hurried on to Mamma
Valerius.
He trembled as he rang at a little
fiat In the Rue re-Dame-des-Vi VIC
torres. The door was opened by the
maid when he had seen coming out
OF Christine's dressing-room one eve
ming. He asked II he could speak to
Nine. Valerius. He was told that she
was Ill In bed and was not receiving
visitors.
Take in my card. please" he said
The maid soon returned and
showed him into a small and scantily
furnished drawing-room. in which por.
traits OF Professor -valerius and old
Daae hung on opposite walls.
Madame begs monsieur le vicomte
to excuse her," said the servant. "She
can only see him in her bedroom. be-
cause she can no longer stand on her
poor legs"
Five minutes later. Raoul was
,nh tvt-
at once recognized the good. kind face
OF Christine's benefactress in the
semi-darkness Of an alcove. Mamma
Valerius' hair was now quite white.
but her eyes had grown no older;
never. on the contrary. had their ex.
preston been 30 bright. SO pure. 10
child-like.
m. de Chagnyi" she cried Raiiy.