Five minutes later, Raoul was ushered into an ill-lit room where he at once recognized the good, kind face of Christine’s benefactress in the semidarkness of an alcove. Mamma Valérius’ hair was now quite white, but her eyes had grown no older; never, on the contrary, had their expression been so bright, so pure, so childlike.

“ M. de Chagny!” she cried gaily, putting out both her hands to her visitor. “Ah, it’s Heaven that sends you here!⁠ ⁠… We can talk of her .”

This last sentence sounded very gloomily in the young man’s ears. He at once asked:

“Madame⁠ ⁠… where is Christine?”

And the old lady replied calmly:

“She is with her good genius!”