COUNTESS (CARLOTTA)
Serafimo - away with this pretence!
(She rips off SERAFIMO'S skirt to reveal his manly
breeches)
You cannot speak, but kiss me in my
husband's absence!
Poor fool, he makes me laugh!
Haha,
Haha! etc.
Time I tried to get a better better half !
COUNTESS AND CHORUS
Poor fool, he doesn't know!
Hoho,
Hoho! etc.
If he knew the truth, he'd never, ever go!
(Suddenly from nowhere, we hear the voice of the
PHANTOM)
PHANTOM'S VOICE
Did I not instruct that Box Five was to be kept empty?
MEG (terrified)
He's here: the Phantom of the Opera . . .
(General reaction of bewilderment.
CHRISTINE looks fearfully about her)
CHRISTINE
It's him . . . I know it . . . it's him . . .
CARLOTTA (Finding a scapegoat in CHRISTINE,
hisses at her)
Your part is silent, little toad!
(But the PHANTOM has heard her)
PHANTOM'S VOICE
A toad, madame? Perhaps it is you
who are the toad . . .
(Again general unease. CARLOTTA and the
CONDUCTOR confer and pick up from the opening of the
scene)
CARLOTTA (As the COUNTESS)
Serafimo, away with this pretence!
You cannot speak, but kiss me in my croak!
(Instead of singing she emits a great croak like a toad. A
stunned silence. CARLOTTA is as amazed as anyone but
regains herself and continues. More perturbing,
however, is a new sound: the PHANTOM is laughing -
quietly at first, then more and more hysterically)
CARLOTTA (as the COUNTESS)
Poor fool, he makes me laugh -
Hahahahaha!
Croak, croak, croak,
croak, croak, croak, etc.
(As before. The PHANTOM'S laughter rises. The
croaking continues as the chandelier's lights blink on
and off. The PHANTOM'S laughter, by this time
overpowering, now crescendos into a great cry):
PHANTOM'S VOICE
Behold! She is singing to bring down the
chandelier!
(CARLOTTA looks tearfully up at the MANAGERS ' box
and shakes her head)
CARLOTTA
Non posso piu . . .
I cannot . . . I cannot go on . . .