Призрак Оперы
XXI Interesting Vicissitudes
Iworkedthestone,andwejumpedintothehousewhichErikhadbuilthimselfinthedoublecaseofthefoundation-wallsoftheOpera.Andthiswastheeasiestthingintheworldforhimtodo,becauseErikwasoneofthechiefcontractorsunderPhilippeGarnier,thearchitectoftheOpera,andcontinuedtoworkbyhimselfwhentheworkswereofficiallysuspended,duringthewar,thesiegeofParisandtheCommune.
IknewmyEriktoowelltofeelatallcomfortableonjumpingintohishouse.IknewwhathehadmadeofacertainpalaceatMazenderan.Frombeingthemosthonestbuildingconceivable,hesoonturneditintoahouseoftheverydevil,whereyoucouldnotutterawordbutitwasoverheardorrepeatedbyanecho.Withhistrap-doorsthemonsterwasresponsibleforendlesstragediesofallkinds.Hehituponastonishinginventions.Ofthese,themostcurious,horribleanddangerouswastheso-calledtorture-chamber.Exceptinspecialcases,whenthelittlesultanaamusedherselfbyinflictingsufferinguponsomeunoffendingcitizen,noonewasletintoitbutwretchescondemnedtodeath.And,eventhen,whenthesehad"hadenough,"theywerealwaysatlibertytoputanendtothemselveswithaPunjablassoorbowstring,leftfortheiruseatthefootofanirontree.
Myalarm,therefore,wasgreatwhenIsawthattheroomintowhichM.leVicomtedeChagnyandIhaddroppedwasanexactcopyofthetorture-chamberoftherosyhoursofMazenderan.Atourfeet,IfoundthePunjablassowhichIhadbeendreadingalltheevening
