[The Phantom of the Opera] The Beast and the Canary

Margaret froze, turned her head almost one by one, and said in disbelief, "...Mr. Hurst?"

Eric stood in the entrance hall, wearing a knee-length off-white coat, black shirt, and Oxford shoes.He didn't wear a mask, and all his hair was combed back, revealing Hearst's beautiful but aggressive face. Such a bland attire made all the gentlemen wearing glitter and eye makeup become a foil.

"Let's go." Without even looking at Margaret, he walked straight towards me and put his arms around my shoulders. "Be smart next time. Not everyone talks to you, but you have to answer."

He actually took the initiative to take me into his arms in front of the public.I also froze, and before I could move my feet and follow him away, Margaret screamed out of composure: "Stop, stop! Hearst, tell me clearly what you mean by what you just said ? You said she was your wife... How is that possible? Isn't the person you like me?"

She seemed to realize that she had overreacted, and quickly lowered her head to adjust her appearance. When she looked up again, her whole body was like a delicate golden rose, crumbling: "Are you resenting me for being with the count? Are you resenting me? ... Between you and the powerful, I chose the powerful instead of you? I can explain all of this. Please, please don't punish me by having an affair with others." After the words fell, she fell on the ground in unbearable sorrow , tears like rain.

Famous actresses will choose a hot nobleman as their support, which is a public perception of the upper class.Therefore, almost no one condemned Margaret's fickleness.She is just a helpless songstress, the Earl wants her to be his lover, do you still expect her to rise up and resist?On the contrary, "Hurst" saw a weak woman lying in front of him, but he was indifferent, and he didn't even help him, which was really ungentlemanlike.

Hearing the malicious accusations around me, I was a little angry, and I was about to open my mouth to fight back, but Eric stretched out his index finger and pressed it on my lips.

He turned his head and looked at Margaret coldly.I only saw this look once in my previous life, and that was when he was about to personally send me to see Christine in the underground.

"First," he said condescendingly, with a cold and bored tone, "I have never liked you, no matter who you associate with, it has nothing to do with me; second, Meg is my wife, how she understands my creation, that It's a matter between us, and you don't need to talk about it."

As if being slapped severely in public, Margaret's entire face flushed red, her body trembled slightly, and her expression looked distorted: "No...impossible. Are you punishing me? If you Don't like me, so why do you write so many operas for me? Didn't you cut out all the bass libretto because I can't sing bass? Are all the 'confessions without bass' in the newspapers just false hype?"

"No, it's because my wife can't sing bass."

These words were like a heavy bomb, which made Margaret lose all blood on her face.

Judging by her appearance, she clearly believed Eric's words, but for some reason, she stubbornly refused to admit it: "No, I don't believe it... I don't believe it! Some music critics said that all your songs are written in New York. Mu notation translates to start with 'M', isn't that enough to show that you treat me..." She suddenly looked up at me as if remembering something.

Yes, besides her, and my name starts with "M".

Speaking of this, she has nothing to say, she can only open her mouth in embarrassment, and take two steps back stiffly.Staring at me unwillingly, she vigorously brushed away the crowd, and ran out of the theater with her skirt in hand, disappearing into the vast night.

The farce was over, and the people watching the excitement scattered around.The dance party resumed the atmosphere of staggering cups of wine and fragrant clothes.

What he said just now, although most of the content has already been guessed, but his guess and his own confession are completely different things.I couldn't help but pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming, and I came back to my senses only after feeling the pain.

I was at a loss, and looked so dazed as if I was sleepwalking, but he acted calmly, and even patted my back, signaling me to relax: "Don't think about it anymore. Come with me See Miss Clara."

The ambiguous atmosphere immediately dissipated.I was stunned for dozens of seconds before I realized: "Clara Schumann?!"

"Ah."

No wonder I was so shocked. In this era when women are given their husband’s surname after they marry, only women whose achievements completely surpass their husbands can be remembered by the world by their real names.Clara is one of them.She is the wife of the famous music critic and composer Robert Schumann, but she is not inferior to any contemporary male pianist.Compared with Margaret, a courtesan who relies on the earl to earn fame and fortune, Clara is a real and respected piano master.

Such a wonderful lady wants to see me.Seeing my eyes widen in surprise, Eric seldom chuckled: "Don't be nervous, she's just curious about who you are."

Also, Clara's reputation is almost equal to that of Schumann, and "Hearst" has been touted by music critics as the French Schumann.As Schumann's wife and agent, she will definitely come to verify the authenticity of this French Schumann.It's just that Eric must have the same musical talent as Schumann, but I can't be the second Clara.

"Just take it easy, she is a very gentle lady."

I nodded awkwardly.

After following Eric for two steps, it suddenly occurred to me that since Schumann's death, Clara has often appeared in various newspapers and magazines. Frequent performances in various places also pushed Schumann's reputation to an unprecedented height.Because of her promotion, many music critics began to praise Schumann's vast and magnificent imagination, touting his sensitive and melancholy musical soul, and the love story between him and Clara regardless of obstacles was even more well-known.

After them, any romantic affair involving music doubled the sales of a newspaper. The fame of "Hurst" can be said to be based on this shareholder style, and "Confessions Without Bass" was also known to the world at this time.The performance of "Double-Faced Man" last month, the appearance of theater ghosts, and the reality of dual identities made the name of "French Schumann" more and more famous.In this case, it may not be a good thing for Clara to come to "Hearst". Maybe he will blame him for hyping Schumann's fame.

The more I thought about it, the more apprehensive I became, and I hesitated to leave.Eric didn't have these scruples, and walked to a Steinway piano in a few steps.This is Clara's insistence, and she does not play pianos that are not Steinways.She was wearing a black dress and a gauze on her head, surrounded by the crowd, and under the gazes of admiration and admiration, she tapped the keys gently but forcefully.

When the song was over, thunderous applause erupted all around.Clara smiled and declined the invitations of several music fans, then turned to look at Eric.

"I've been waiting for a long time." She is over fifty years old, but her charm is more charming than that of a beautiful girl. "This should be the music angel you mentioned in your letter. In Germany, we are more used to calling it a muse."

Eric replied without thinking: "Yes, she is my muse."

The two exchanged pleasantries for a moment.I stood there dumbfounded. It turns out that they... have known each other for a long time?So why was I so anxious just now?

At this time, Clara suddenly looked at me and said: "Just now, I heard a girl talking over there. She said that Hester and the ghost cannot be the same person, and that the talent of the ghost is not as good as Hester. The spectators around They all agree, but you, as Hearst's wife, have never said a word, do you think she is right?"

I was caught off guard by her question, and after a while, I whispered like a student being taught by a teacher, "No, no."

"Then tell me, what do you think of ghosts?"

Eric paused, and said casually, "She doesn't know much about music, and she can't even recognize musical instruments, so why make things difficult for her."

I couldn't help muttering: "I've recognized it all now."

"Really." He squinted at me, "Then let me ask you, what kind of instrument are the two bass strings and one melody string?"

Me: "..." Why do you make things difficult for me like this.

Clara waved her hand: "Don't pay attention to him, there are too many instruments like this. He is just like my husband, he just doesn't want his wife to be more popular than him. You answer my question."

I thought about it, and was about to speak cautiously, but Clara turned around and faced the piano: "Don't worry, think slowly, I'll give you time for a piece of music."

The sound of the piano sounded, it was one of the "Paganini Etudes" adapted by Liszt.In an instant, the buzzing sound of the hammers striking could be heard endlessly.Clara no longer pays attention to her surroundings, her thin shoulders and back are full of strength like an arch, which is transmitted to her arms and wrists, and then her fingers strike heavily.She has put her heart and soul into music.After a while, the audience surrounded the piano, but there was no noise at all, and they were all quietly listening to her play.

Even though they are the same person, why do the outside world resist Specter and pursue Hearst?I may never understand this question.Just like Liszt, his piano skills have surpassed all contemporary people, and the piano has been developed to the extreme by him, but some people still tease him as a circus juggler.

But is he really?

Clara didn't ask me to state complicated musical theory, just what I thought about ghosts.how can i see

From the previous life to the present life, I have been looking up to the person I have been looking up to, and I have never been the well-known "Hearst", nor is it any famous musician. A ghost to be feared.

Towards the end, Clara pressed her wrists lightly, ending with a series of shocking trills.The music stopped abruptly, and the faces of the people around were full of unsatisfactory expressions, begging Clara to play another song.She was noncommittal, turned to look at me, and asked gently: "Have you thought about it?"

I nodded, and said after deliberation: "Where there is a devil, it must be judged. In the literary works after Faust, most of the plots where the devil appears are to satisfy people's selfish desires and lure people to hell in order to judge humanity." The purpose. "Two-Face" is different, the devil in it is played by E... Hirst himself, but the purpose is to judge the audience who are hypocritical and obsessed with appearances."

After speaking such a long paragraph in one breath, my throat was extremely dry and itchy. I suppressed my cough and continued: "Hester actually used a lot of his usual musical forms in "Two-Face Man". The aristocrats who understand music have heard it, but none of the music critics have discovered that the ghost is himself. They really can't tell, or they dare not admit that a person with no identity and no background can get higher than them. Musical achievement?"

"As for how I look at the ghost..." At this point, I gradually became firm, "He is Hearst, and Hearst is also him. No matter how others belittle him, misunderstand him, no matter what identity he faces me, He is all my husband and I will love him as much as I did in the first place."

When my shoulder hurts, Eric hurt me.Turning his head to look, he was always indifferent and expressionless, slowly showing bewilderment and shock.