Призрак Оперы
I Is It A Ghost?
Heseemedhalfmadandtoldmethatthebodyofascene-shifterhadbeenfoundhanginginthethirdcellarunderthestage,betweenafarm-houseandascenefromtheRoideLahore.Ishouted:
"’Comeandcuthimdown!’
"BythetimeIhadrusheddownthestaircaseandtheJacob’sladder,themanwasnolongerhangingfromhisrope!"
SothisisaneventwhichM.Moncharminthinksnatural.Amanhangsattheendofarope;theygotocuthimdown;theropehasdisappeared.Oh,M.Moncharminfoundaverysimpleexplanation!Listentohim:
"Itwasjustaftertheballet;andleadersanddancing-girlslostnotimeintakingtheirprecautionsagainsttheevileye."
Thereyouare!PicturethecorpsdeballetscuttlingdowntheJacob’sladderanddividingthesuicide’sropeamongthemselvesinlesstimethanittakestowrite!When,ontheotherhand,Ithinkoftheexactspotwherethebodywasdiscovered—thethirdcellarunderneaththestage!—imaginethatSOMEBODYmusthavebeeninterestedinseeingthattheropedisappearedafterithadeffecteditspurpose;andtimewillshowifIamwrong.
ThehorridnewssoonspreadallovertheOpera,whereJosephBuquetwasverypopular.Thedressing-roomsemptiedandtheballet-girls,crowdingaroundSorelliliketimidsheeparoundtheirshepherdess,madeforthefoyerthroughtheill-litpassagesandstaircases,trottingasfastastheirlittlepinklegscouldcarrythem.
