the angel of music! he knew him now! he saw him! it was beyond a doubt some unspeakable tenor, a good-looking jackanapes, who mouthed and simpered as he sang! he thought himself as absurd and as wretched as could be.oh, what a miserable, little, insignificant, silly young man was m.le vicomte de chagny! thought raoul, furiously.and she, what a bold and damnable sly creature!
his brother was waiting for him and raoul fell into his arms, like a child.the count consoled him, without asking for explanations;and raoul would certainly have long hesitated before telling him the story of the angel of music.his brother suggested taking him out to dinner.overcome as he was with despair, raoul would probably have refused any invitation that evening, if the count had not, as an inducement, told him that the lady of his thoughts had been seen, the night before, in company of the other sex in the bois.
at first, the viscount refused to believe; but he received such exact details that he ceased protesting.she had been seen, it appeared, driving in a brougham, with the window down.she seemed to be slowly taking in the icy night air.there was a glorious moon shining.
she was recognized beyond a doubt.as for her companion, only his shadowy outline was distinguished leaning back in the dark.
the carriage was going at a walking pace in a lonely drive behind the grand stand at longchamp.
raoul dressed in frantic haste, prepared to forget his distress by flinging himself, as people say, into "the vortex of pleasure."alas, he was a very sorry guest and, leaving his brother early, found himself, by ten o'clock in the evening, in a cab, behind the longchamp race-course.