Привид Опери
IX At The Masked Ball
Crossingthebigcrush-roomandescapingfromamadwhirlofdancersinwhichhewascaughtforamoment,heatlastenteredtheroommentionedinChristine’sletter.Hefounditcrammed;forthissmallspacewasthepointwhereallthosewhoweregoingtosupperintheRotundacrossedthosewhowerereturningfromtakingaglassofchampagne.Thefun,here,waxedfastandfurious.
Raoulleanedagainstadoor-postandwaited.Hedidnotwaitlong.Ablackdominopassedandgaveaquicksqueezetothetipsofhisfingers.Heunderstoodthatitwassheandfollowedher:
"Isthatyou,Christine?"heasked,betweenhisteeth.
Theblackdominoturnedroundpromptlyandraisedherfingertoherlips,nodoubttowarnhimnottomentionhernameagain.Raoulcontinuedtofollowherinsilence.
Hewasafraidoflosingher,aftermeetingheragaininsuchstrangecircumstances.Hisgrudgeagainstherwasgone.Henolongerdoubtedthatshehad"nothingtoreproachherselfwith,"howeverpeculiarandinexplicableherconductmightseem.Hewasreadytomakeanydisplayofclemency,forgivenessorcowardice.Hewasinlove.And,nodoubt,hewouldsoonreceiveaverynaturalexplanationofhercuriousabsence.
Theblackdominoturnedbackfromtimetotimetoseeifthewhitedominowasstillfollowing.
AsRaouloncemorepassedthroughthegreatcrush-room,thistimeinthewakeofhisguide,hecouldnothelpnoticingagroupcrowdingroundapersonwhosedisguise,eccentricairandgruesomeappearancewerecausingasensation.
