"This is the second time that you have listened behind the door, M. de
Chagny!"
"I was not behind the door ... I was in the dressing-room, in the inner
room, mademoiselle."
"Oh, unhappy man!" moaned the girl, showing every sign of unspeakable
terror. "Unhappy man! Do you want to be killed?"
"Perhaps."
Raoul uttered this "perhaps" with so much love and despair in his voice
that Christine could not keep back a sob. She took his hands and
looked at him with all the pure affection of which she was capable: "Raoul," she said, "forget THE MAN'S VOICE and do not even remember its
name... You must never try to fathom the mystery of THE MAN'S VOICE."
"Is the mystery so very terrible?"
"There is no more awful mystery on this earth. Swear to me that you
will make no attempt to find out," she insisted. "Swear to me that you
will never come to my dressing-room, unless I send for you."
"Then you promise to send for me sometimes, Christine?"
"I promise."
"When?"
"To-morrow."
"Then I swear to do as you ask."
He kissed her hands and went away, cursing Erik and resolving to be
patient.