Призрак Оперы
XXV The Scorpion Or The Grasshopper: Which
Hesaid,’Igiveyoufiveminutestospareyourblushes!Here,’hesaid,takingakeyfromthelittlebagoflifeanddeath,’hereisthelittlebronzekeythatopensthetwoebonycasketsonthemantelpieceintheLouis-Philipperoom...Inoneofthecaskets,youwillfindascorpion,intheother,agrasshopper,bothverycleverlyimitatedinJapanesebronze:theywillsayyesornoforyou.Ifyouturnthescorpionround,thatwillmeantome,whenIreturn,thatyouhavesaidyes.Thegrasshopperwillmeanno.’Andhelaughedlikeadrunkendemon.Ididnothingbutbegandentreathimtogivemethekeyofthetorture-chamber,promisingtobehiswifeifhegrantedmethatrequest...Buthetoldmethattherewasnofutureneedforthatkeyandthathewasgoingtothrowitintothelake!...Andheagainlaughedlikeadrunkendemonandleftme.Oh,hislastwordswere,’Thegrasshopper!Becarefulofthegrasshopper!Agrasshopperdoesnotonlyturn:ithops!Ithops!Andithopsjollyhigh!’"
Thefiveminuteshadnearlyelapsedandthescorpionandthegrasshopperwerescratchingatmybrain.Nevertheless,Ihadsufficientluciditylefttounderstandthat,ifthegrasshopperwereturned,itwouldhop...andwithitmanymembersofthehumanrace!Therewasnodoubtbutthatthegrasshoppercontrolledanelectriccurrentintendedtoblowupthepowder-magazine!
M.deChagny,whoseemedtohaverecoveredallhismoralforcefromhearingChristine’svoice,explainedtoher,inafewhurriedwords,thesituationinwhichweandalltheOperawere.Hetoldhertoturnthescorpionatonce.
