On Friday morning Chiara had her breakfast in bed. She drank her coffee and opened her morning letters. One letter had no name on it. It was very short. 

You are ill. You cannot sing Margarita tonight. Stay at home and don't go to the Opera House. Accidents can happen. Do you want to lose your voice - forever?

Chiara was very, very angry. She got out of bed at once and did not finish her breakfast. 

'This is from Elizabeta Héderváry's friends,' she thought. 'They want her to sing again tonight. That Héderváry girl is going to be sorry for this! I, Chiara, I am the best opera singer in Europe. And nothing is going to stop me singing Margarita tonight.' 

At six o'clock that evening the dancers were in their dressing room. They talked and laughed and put on their red and black dresses for Faust. But Elise Zwingli was very quiet.

'What's the matter, Elise?' Laura Maes asked.

'It's the Opera ghost,' Elise said. 'My mother says he's angry. She's afraid that something's going to happen tonight.'

'Oh, pooh!' the girl with white hair said. 'Who's afraid of an old ghost?'  

An hour later Mr Arthur and Monsieur Francis went into Box 5 and sat down. They were not afraid of ghosts. Of course not. There were no ghosts in the Opera House.

Then Mr Arthur saw some flowers on the floor by the door of the box. 'Francis,' he whispered, 'did you put those flowers there?'  

Monsieur Francis looked. 'No, I didn't,' he whispered back. 'Did you?'

'Of course not, you fool! Shh, the music's beginning.'

Chiara did not sing for the first hour. There were no strange voices in Box 5, and the two directors began to feel happier. Then Chiara came out onto the stage, and Monsieur Francis looked at Mr Arthur.

'Did you hear a voice just then?' he asked quietly.  

'No.' Mr Arthur said, but he looked behind him twice, then three times, and suddenly felt cold.

Chiara sang and sang, and nothing happened. Then she began a beautiful love song. 

'My love begins to - Co-ack!'  

Everybody stared. What was the matter with Chiara's voice? What was that strange noise - 'Co-ack'?

Chiara stopped and began the song again.

'My love begins to - Co-ack!

I cannot forget my - Co-ack!'  

It was the noise of a road! People began to talk and laugh. Monsieur Francis put his head in his hands. Then he felt Mr Arthur's hand on his arm. There was a voice in the box with them! A man's voice, laughing!

Poor Chiara tried again, and again.  

'I cannot forget my - Co-ack!'

Then the two directors heard the voice again, behind them, in front of them, everywhere. 'Her singing tonight is going to bring down the chandelier!'

The two directors looked up at the top of the Opera House. Their faces were white. The famous chandelier, with its thousand lights, broke away from its ropes and crashed down on to the people below.  

That was a terrible night for the Opera House. One woman was killed by the chandelier, and many people were hurt. The Opera House closed for two weeks. And Chiara never sang again (luckily, she can dance).