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[00:01.78]CHAPTER 2 THE DIRECTORS OF THE OPERA HOUSE
[00:08.35]The Opera House was famous，
[00:11.04]and the directors of the Opera House were very important men．
[00:16.17]It was the first week of work for the two new directors，
[00:20.40]Monsieur Ar mand Moncharmin and Monsieur Firmin Richard．
[00:25.65]In the directors' office the next day，
[00:28.70]the two men talked about Joseph Buquet．
[00:32.58]'It was an accident，' Monsieur Armand said angrily．
[00:37.39]'Or Buquet killed himself．'
[00:40.34]'An accident？…Killed himself？'
[00:44.20]Monsieur Firmin said．
[00:46.34]'Which story do you want，my friend？
[00:49.37]Or do you want the story of the ghost？'
[00:53.34]'Don't talk to me about ghosts！'
[00:56.19]Monsieur Armand said．
[00:58.07]'We have 1，500 people
[01:00.61]working for us in this Opera House，
[01:03.43]and everybody is talking about the ghost．
[01:06.77]They're all mad! I don't want to hear about the ghost, OK？'
[01:13.71]Monsieur Firmin looked at a letter on the table next to him．
[01:18.03]And what are we going to do about this letter，Armand？'
[01:22.42]'Do？' cried Monsieur Armand．
[01:25.19]'Why， do nothing， of course！
[01:27.63]What can we do？'
[01:30.31]The two men read the letter again．
[01:32.95]It wasn't very long．
[01:36.02]To the new directors
[01:38.84]Because you are new in the Opera House，
[01:41.66]I am writing to tell you some important things．
[01:45.61]Never sell tickets for Box 5；
[01:48.88]that is my box for every opera night．
[01:53.30]Madame Giry， the door keeper，
[01:56.16]knows all about it．
[01:58.51]Also，I need money for my work in the Opera House．
[02:03.42]I am not expensive，and I am happy to
[02:06.12]take only 20，000 francs a month．
[02:09.44]That is all．
[02:11.06]But please remember，
[02:13.45]I can be a good friend，
[02:15.94]but a bad enemy．
[02:18.79]O．G．
[02:21.99]'Don't sell tickets for Box 5!
[02:24.99]20，000 francs a month!'Monsieur Armand was very angry again．'
[02:31.08]That's the best box in the Opera House，
[02:33.53]and we need the money， Firmin！
[02:35.65]And who is this O．G，eh？Tell me that！'
[02:40.27]'Opera Ghost，of course，'Monsieur tirmin said．'
[02:45.46]But you're right， Armand.
[02:47.99]We can do nothing about this letter．
[02:50.93]It's a joke， a bad joke. Somebody thinks we are fools，
[02:56.98]because we are new here．
[02:59.53]There are no ghosts in the Opera House！'
[03:04.62]The two men then talked about the opera for that night．
[03:08.52]It was Faust，and usually La Carlotta sang Margarita．
[03:14.61]La Carlotta was Spanish，and the best singer in Paris．
[03:18.36]But today，La Carlot ta was ill．
[03:22.97]'Everybody in Paris is going to be at the opera tonight，'
[03:26.57]said Monsieur Armand，'and cur best singer is ill．
[03:30.48]Suddenly！ She writes a letter to us just this morning-she is ill，
[03:35.61]she cannot sing tonight！'
[03:38.02]'Don't get angry again， Armand，'
[03:41.27]Monsieur Firmin said quickly.'We have Christine Daaé，
[03:46.52]that young singer from Norway．
[03:49.26]She can sing Margarita tonight．
[03:51.49]She has a good voice．'
[03:53.92]'But she's so young， and nobody knows her！
[03:57.74]Nobody wants to listen to a new singer．'
[04:01.49]'Wait and see．
[04:03.82]Perhaps Daaé can sing better than La Carlot ta．
[04:07.99]Who knows？'