Призрак Оперы

           "—ThePersian,bytheway,spokeofEriksometimesasademigodandsometimesasthelowestofthelow—"PolignywassuperstitiousandErikknewit.ErikknewmostthingsaboutthepublicandprivateaffairsoftheOpera.WhenM.Polignyheardamysteriousvoicetellhim,inBoxFive,ofthemannerinwhichheusedtospendhistimeandabusehispartner’sconfidence,hedidnotwaittohearanymore.ThinkingatfirstthatitwasavoicefromHeaven,hebelievedhimselfdamned;andthen,whenthevoicebegantoaskformoney,hesawthathewasbeingvictimizedbyashrewdblackmailertowhomDebiennehimselfhadfallenaprey.Bothofthem,alreadytiredofmanagementforvariousreasons,wentawaywithouttryingtoinvestigatefurtherintothepersonalityofthatcuriousO.G.,whohadforcedsuchasingularmemorandum-bookuponthem.Theybequeathedthewholemysterytotheirsuccessorsandheavedasighofreliefwhentheywereridofabusinessthathadpuzzledthemwithoutamusingthemintheleast."

           Ithenspokeofthetwosuccessorsandexpressedmysurprisethat,inhisMemoirsofaManager,M.MoncharminshoulddescribetheOperaghost’sbehavioratsuchlengthinthefirstpartofthebookandhardlymentionitatallinthesecond.Inreplytothis,thePersian,whoknewtheMEMOIRSasthoroughlyasifhehadwrittenthemhimself,observedthatIshouldfindtheexplanationofthewholebusinessifIwouldjustrecollectthefewlineswhichMoncharmindevotestotheghostinthesecondpartaforesaid.