Призрак Оперы
I Is It A Ghost?
SheshudderedwhensheheardlittleJammesspeakoftheghost,calledhera"sillylittlefool"andthen,asshewasthefirsttobelieveinghostsingeneral,andtheOperaghostinparticular,atonceaskedfordetails:
"Haveyouseenhim?"
"AsplainlyasIseeyounow!"saidlittleJammes,whoselegsweregivingwaybeneathher,andshedroppedwithamoanintoachair.
ThereuponlittleGiry—thegirlwitheyesblackassloes,hairblackasink,aswarthycomplexionandapoorlittleskinstretchedoverpoorlittlebones—littleGiryadded:
"Ifthat’stheghost,he’sveryugly!"
"Oh,yes!"criedthechorusofballet-girls.
Andtheyallbegantotalktogether.Theghosthadappearedtothemintheshapeofagentlemanindress-clothes,whohadsuddenlystoodbeforetheminthepassage,withouttheirknowingwherehecamefrom.Heseemedtohavecomestraightthroughthewall.
"Pooh!"saidoneofthem,whohadmoreorlesskeptherhead."Youseetheghosteverywhere!"
Anditwastrue.Forseveralmonths,therehadbeennothingdiscussedattheOperabutthisghostindress-clotheswhostalkedaboutthebuilding,fromtoptobottom,likeashadow,whospoketonobody,towhomnobodydaredspeakandwhovanishedassoonashewasseen,nooneknowinghoworwhere.Asbecamearealghost,hemadenonoiseinwalking.Peoplebeganbylaughingandmakingfunofthisspecterdressedlikeamanoffashionoranundertaker;buttheghostlegendsoonswelledtoenormousproportionsamongthecorpsdeballet.Allthegirlspretendedtohavemetthissupernaturalbeingmoreorlessoften.
