Призрак Оперы
XIX The Viscount And The Persian
Onewordmore:thecommissaryofpolicetellsmethatChristineDaaehasbeencarriedoffbymybrother,CountPhilippe."
"Oh,M.deChagny,Idon’tbelieveawordofit."
"It’snotpossible,isit?"
"Idon’tknowifitispossibleornot;buttherearewaysandwaysofcarryingpeopleoff;andM.leComtePhilippehasnever,asfarasIknow,hadanythingtodowithwitchcraft."
"Yourargumentsareconvincing,sir,andIamafool!...Oh,letusmakehaste!Iplacemyselfentirelyinyourhands!...HowshouldInotbelieveyou,whenyouaretheonlyonetobelieveme...whenyouaretheonlyonenottosmilewhenErik’snameismentioned?"
AndtheyoungmanimpetuouslyseizedthePersian’shands.Theywereice-cold.
"Silence!"saidthePersian,stoppingandlisteningtothedistantsoundsofthetheater."Wemustnotmentionthatnamehere.Letussay’he’and’him;’thentherewillbelessdangerofattractinghisattention."
"Doyouthinkheisnearus?"
"Itisquitepossible,Sir,ifheisnot,atthismoment,withhisvictim,INTHEHOUSEONTHELAKE."
"Ah,soyouknowthathousetoo?"
"Ifheisnotthere,hemaybehere,inthiswall,inthisfloor,inthisceiling!...Come!"
AndthePersian,askingRaoultodeadenthesoundofhisfootsteps,ledhimdownpassageswhichRaoulhadneverseenbefore,evenatthetimewhenChristineusedtotakehimforwalksthroughthatlabyrinth.
"IfonlyDariushascome!"saidthePersian.
"WhoisDarius?"
"Darius?Myservant."
Theywerenowinthecenterofarealdesertedsquare,animmenseapartmentill-litbyasmalllamp.
