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VII . A Secret Engagement The next day Raoul went to see Mamma Valerius again , and he could hardly believe his eyes . Christine was sitting by the old lady’s bed , and the colour had come back to her cheeks . She stood up and gave him her hand as if nothing had happened . “ Her good genius has sent her back to us ! ” said Mamma Valerius happily . “ Mamma , you promised not to speak about that , ” said the girl quickly . “ You know that there is no such thing as the Angel of Music . ” Raoul told her that she was in great danger , and that a man was making a fool of her . She answered coldly that she was free to do what she liked , and that she would never marry anyone . Then Raoul noticed a plain gold ring on her finger . “ You say that you will never marry , and yet you wear a wedding ring ! ” “ It is a present , ” she said , and she blushed and hid her hand . “ Then I will tell you something , ” said Raoul . “ I know the name of your Angel of Music . His name is Erik ! ” She turned as white as a sheet . “ Who told you ? ” “ You did , on the night of the masked ball . I was hiding in your dressing room , and I heard you say , ‘ Poor Erik ! ’ ” “ Oh , unhappy man ! ” she cried in terror . “ Do you want to be killed ? ” Then she took his hands and looked at him with all the love that she could not say aloud . “ Raoul , forget the man’s voice , and do not even remember his name . Swear to me that you will never try to discover his secret , and that you will never come to my dressing room unless I send for you . ” Raoul promised , and she promised in return to send for him the next day . From that day they met at the Opera every afternoon . Raoul told her that his ship was going to leave for the North Pole in a month , and she seemed almost glad . “ Then we shall never see each other again , ” she said , and suddenly her eyes shone . “ But if we cannot be married , we can be engaged ! Nobody will know except us . We will be engaged for a month , and when you go away , I shall be happy all my life remembering it . It is a happiness that will harm nobody . ” So they played at being engaged , like two children . Every day they met in her dressing room and had a little meal of three biscuits , two glasses of wine and a bunch of violets . She showed him her whole kingdom , which was enormous , because the Opera had seventeen floors from the cellars to the roof . They walked in painted gardens on the stage and climbed high above the stage among the ropes and wooden bridges . She introduced him to the old workmen and to the little dancers of six or seven who hoped to become stars one day . Everyone in the building knew her and loved her .
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