Призрак Оперы
XXI Interesting Vicissitudes
IwasconvincedthatthisropehadalreadydonedutyforJosephBuquet,who,likemyself,musthavecaughtErikoneeveningworkingthestoneinthethirdcellar.Heprobablytrieditinhisturn,fellintothetorture-chamberandonlyleftithanged.IcanwellimagineErikdraggingthebody,inordertogetridofit,tothescenefromtheRoideLahore,andhangingitthereasanexample,ortoincreasethesuperstitiousterrorthatwastohelphiminguardingtheapproachestohislair!Then,uponreflection,ErikwentbacktofetchthePunjablasso,whichisverycuriouslymadeoutofcatgut,andwhichmighthavesetanexaminingmagistratethinking.Thisexplainsthedisappearanceoftherope.
AndnowIdiscoveredthelasso,atourfeet,inthetorture-chamber!...Iamnocoward,butacoldsweatcoveredmyforeheadasImovedthelittlereddiskofmylanternoverthewalls.
M.deChagnynoticeditandasked:
"Whatisthematter,sir?"
Imadehimaviolentsigntobesilent.
