歌劇院的幽靈 09 The house on the lake

　　9 The house on the lake

　　When the lights came on， Raoul ran.He ran down stairs and alongpassages，through the Opera House to the back of the stage.In the passageoutside Christine's dressing room，a hand took his arm. 'What's the matter，my young friend?Where are you run ning to，so quickly?'

　　Raoul turned and saw the long face of the Persian under his black hat.

　　'Christine!'Raoul said quickly.'Erik's got her.Where is she?Help me! How do I get to his house on the lake?'

　　'Come with me，'said the Persian.They went quickly into Christine's dressing-room.The Persian closed the door and went to the big mirror on one wall.

　　'There's only one door into this room，'Raoul began.

　　'Wait，'the Persian said.He put his hands on the big mirror， first here， then there.For a minute nothing happened.Then the mirror began to move and turn，and a big dark hole opened in it.Raoul stared.

　　'Quick!Come with me，but be careful，'the Persian said.'I know Erik.I understand hissecrets.Put your right hand up near your head，like this，and keep it there all the time.' 'But why?'Raoul asked.

　　'Remember Joseph Buquet，and the rope around his neck?Erik is a clever man with ropes in the dark.'

　　They went down， down， down，under the Opera House.They went through secretdoors in the floors， then along pas sages and down dark stairs. The Persian listenedcarefully all the time for strange noises.

　　'When do we get to the lake?' Raoul whispered.

　　'We're not going by the lake.Erik watches it all the time.No，we go round the lake and get into Erik's house from the back.I know some secret doors.'

　　Soon they were there.In the dark，the Persian felt the wall carefully with his hands.'Ah，here it is，'he whispered.The wall moved under his hands and a small door opened.Very qui etly，they went through，and then the door closed behind them. They could not get out.

　　Inside the room it was very dark.They waited and listened.The Persian put his hands on the wall.

　　'Oh no!'he whispered.'It was the wrong door! This is Erik's torture room-the room of mirrors!We are dead men，Vicomte de Chagny，dead men!'

　　At first Raoul did not understand.But he soon learnt.The lights came on， and they heard a man's laugh.Erik knew they were there.

　　The room was all mirrors-walls，floor，ceiling.There were pictures in the mirrors of trees and flowers and rivers. The pic tures moved and danced in front of their eyes. And the room was hot. It got hotter and hotter and hotter.Raoul was thirsty，hot and thirsty，and the rivers in the pictures danced and laughed at him.He closed his eyes，but the rivers still danced.Water，he needed water，but the mirrors laughed at him.Soon he could not move or speak， or open his eyes.He was not thirsty now，just tired，so tired.'Oh Christine， I'm sorry，'hethought.'I wanted to help you，and now I'm dying…'

　　Through a mirror in the wall Christine watched her lover in the torture room.Behind her Erik stood，with his hands on her arms.

　　'He's dying，Christine，dying.Watch him carefully.No，don't close your eyes.Watch him!'

　　Christine could not speak.She wanted to scream，but no words came.Then she foundher voice again.

　　How can you do this，Erik! Why don't you kill me?'

　　'Because I love you，Christine.Marry me，be my wife，and love me.Then Raoul and the Persian can live.'

　　Slowly，Christine turned.She looked into Erok's terrible，ug ly face，and spokeagain，very quietly.

　　'Yes，Erik.From this minute I am your wife.'She put her arms around Erik's neck，andkissed him-kissed him slowly and lovingly on his ugly mouth.Then she took her arms away and said slowly，'Poor，unhappy Erik.'

　　Erik stared at her.You kissed me! he whispered.' I didn't ask you，but you kissed me-freely!Oh Christine，my angel!That was my first kiss from a woman.Even my mother never kissed mee! She gave me my first mask when I was two years old.She turned her face away from me every time I came near her.'

　　Erik put his ugly face in his hands and cried.Then he went down on the floor at Christine's feet.'You are free，Christine，free!Go away and marry your Raoul，and be happy.But re member Erik，sometimes.Go now，quickly!Take Raoul and the Persian，and go!'

　　9.湖面上的房子

　　當燈亮起的時候，拉烏爾跑了。他跑下樓梯，沿著走廊，穿過歌劇院來到舞臺的背后。在克麗斯廷的化妝室的門外的走廊上，一只手抓住了他的手臂。

　　“怎么了，我的年輕的朋友?你跑得這么快要去哪兒?”

　　拉烏爾轉(zhuǎn)過身來看到了那張黑色帽子下的波斯人的長臉。

　　“克麗斯廷!”拉烏爾急急地說，“埃里克把她擄走了。她在哪里?幫幫我!我怎么去他湖上的房子?”

　　“跟我來。”波斯人說。他們飛快地進了克麗斯廷的化妝室。波斯人把門關(guān)上，朝墻上的那面大鏡子走去。

　　“進這個房間只有一扇門啊。”拉烏爾忍不住說。

　　“等一會兒，”波斯人說。他把手放在大鏡子上，先從這兒，再從那兒。過了一會兒并沒有什么動靜。接著鏡子開始轉(zhuǎn)動起來，里面出現(xiàn)了一個大的黑洞。拉烏爾目瞪口呆。

　　“快!跟我來，不過小心點，”波斯人說，“我了解埃里克。我知道他的秘密。把你的右手舉起來靠近你的頭，像這樣，并且要一直保持那樣。”

　　“這是為什么?”拉烏爾問。

　　“還記得約瑟夫·比凱和繞在他脖子上的繩子嗎?埃里克是個聰明人，善于在黑暗中使用繩子。”

　　他們往歌劇院的底下走，往下，一直往下。他們通過一層層密門，接著沿著走廊走下黑暗的樓梯。波斯人一直仔細傾聽著有無異樣的聲音。

　　“我們什么時候才能到湖邊?”拉烏爾輕聲問。

　　“我們不從湖上走。埃里克一直在那兒看守著。不，我們繞過那湖從背后進入埃里克的房子。我知道一些秘密的門。”

　　不久他們到了那里。黑暗中，波斯人用手仔細地在墻上摸索。“啊，在這里。”他低聲道。墻在他手下動起來并且出現(xiàn)了一道小門。他們腳步很輕地走進去，然后門在他們的身后關(guān)上了。他們不能出去了。

　　房間里很黑。他們等待著、傾聽著。波斯人把手放到墻上。

　　“哦，不對!”他低聲道，“我們走錯了一道門!這是埃里克的拷問室——那個都是鏡子的房間!我們成了死人了，沙尼家族的子爵，死人!”

　　一開始拉烏爾還沒有明白是怎么回事，但是不久他就意識到了。燈亮了，而且他們聽到一個男人的笑聲。埃里克知道他們在那里。

　　這個房間里全是鏡子——墻，地板，天花板。鏡子里有樹、鮮花、河流的圖畫。這些圖畫在他們的眼前跳動著。而且房間里熱烘烘的。它變得越來越熱。拉烏爾覺得渴，又熱又渴，而圖畫上的河流跳動著仿佛在嘲笑他。他閉上眼睛，但是河流依舊在晃動著。水，他需要水，但是鏡子在嘲笑他。不久他就不能動不能說話，也不能睜眼了。他現(xiàn)在不覺得渴了，只覺得累，累極了。“哦!克麗斯廷，對不起，”他想，“我想幫助你，而現(xiàn)在我快要死了……”

　　透過墻里的鏡子克麗斯廷看著在拷問室里的她的情人。她的身后站著埃里克，他的雙手放在她的手臂上。

　　“他快要死了，克麗斯廷，快要死了。仔細地看著他。不，不許閉上眼睛，看著他!”

　　克麗斯廷說不出話來。她想尖叫，但發(fā)不出聲音。接著她發(fā)現(xiàn)自己又能說話了。

　　“你怎么能這樣做，埃里克!你為什么不殺了我?”

　　“因為我愛你，克麗斯廷。和我結(jié)婚吧，做我的妻子，并且愛我。這樣拉烏爾和波斯人就能活下來。”

　　慢慢地，克麗斯廷轉(zhuǎn)過身來。她看著埃里克那可怕、丑陋的臉，又一次開口說話了，非常溫和地說。

　　“好的，埃里克。從這一刻起我就是你的妻子了。”她張開雙臂摟住埃里克的脖子，并且吻了他——緩慢地充滿愛意地吻了他那丑陋的嘴。隨后她放下手臂緩緩地說：“可憐的不幸的埃里克。”

　　埃里克凝視著她。“你吻了我!”他輕聲道，“我沒有要求你，但是你吻了我——自愿地!哦!克麗斯廷，我的天使!這是我從女人那兒得到的第一個吻。即便我的母親也從來沒有吻過我!當我2歲的時候，她給了我第一個面罩。每次我走近她，她都把臉從我那兒轉(zhuǎn)開去。”

　　埃里克把他那丑陋的臉埋進雙手哭了起來。隨后他伏到克麗斯廷的腳下。“你自由了，克麗斯廷，自由了!去和你的拉烏爾結(jié)婚吧，祝你們快樂。不過有的時候不要忘記埃里克。現(xiàn)在就走吧，快!帶上拉烏爾和波斯人，走吧!”