Призрак Оперы
XX In The Cellars Of The Opera
Buttheheadoffireturnedroundinanswertotheircries,andspoketothem:
"Don’tmove!Don’tmove!...Whateveryoudo,don’tcomeafterme!...Iamtherat-catcher!...Letmepass,withmyrats!..."
Andtheheadoffiredisappeared,vanishedinthedarkness,whilethepassageinfrontofitlitup,astheresultofthechangewhichtherat-catcherhadmadeinhisdarklantern.Before,soasnottoscaretheratsinfrontofhim,hehadturnedhisdarklanternonhimself,lightinguphisownhead;now,tohastentheirflight,helitthedarkspaceinfrontofhim.Andhejumpedalong,draggingwithhimthewavesofscratchingrats,allthethousandsounds.
RaoulandthePersianbreathedagain,thoughstilltrembling.
"IoughttohaverememberedthatEriktalkedtomeabouttherat-catcher,"saidthePersian."Buthenevertoldmethathelookedlikethat...andit’sfunnythatIshouldneverhavemethimbefore...Ofcourse,Eriknevercomestothispart!"
"Areweveryfarfromthelake,sir?"askedRaoul."Whenshallwegetthere?...Takemetothelake,oh,takemetothelake!...Whenweareatthelake,wewillcallout!...Christinewillhearus!...AndHEwillhearus,too!...And,asyouknowhim,weshalltalktohim!""Baby!"saidthePersian."Weshallneverenterthehouseonthelakebythelake!...Imyselfhaveneverlandedontheotherbank...thebankonwhichthehousestands....Youhavetocrossthelakefirst...anditiswellguarded!...
