What had happened? What influence had
she undergone? What monster had carried her off and by what means?
...
By what means indeed but that of music? He knew Christine's story.
After her father's death, she acquired a distaste of everything in life,
including her art. She went through the CONSERVATOIRE like a poor
soulless singing-machine. And, suddenly, she awoke as though through the
intervention of a god. The Angel of Music appeared upon the scene!
She sang Margarita in FAUST and triumphed!...
The Angel of Music!...For three months the Angel of Music had been
giving Christine lessons....Ah, he was a punctual singing-master!...
And now he was taking her for drives in the Bois!...
Raoul's fingers clutched at his flesh, above his jealous heart.
In his inexperience, he now asked himself with terror what game
the girl was playing? Up to what point could an opera-singer make
a fool of a good-natured young man, quite new to love? O misery!...
Thus did Raoul's thoughts fly from one extreme to the other.
He no longer knew whether to pity Christine or to curse her;
and he pitied and cursed her turn and turn about.
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