The thing happened so quickly that Mme.

Giry, when in the passage, was still quite bewildered and seemed not to understand.

But, suddenly, she understood; and the Opera rang with her indignant yells, her violent protests and threats.
About the same time, Carlotta, who had a small house of her own in the Rue du Faubourg St.Honore, rang for her maid, who brought her letters to her bed.

Among them was an anonymous missive, written in red ink, in a hesitating, clumsy hand, which ran: If you appear to-night, you must be prepared for a great misfortune at the moment when you open your mouth to sing ...

a misfortune worse than death.
The letter took away Carlotta's appetite for breakfast.