Привид Опери

           "

           "Idon’tunderstand!"

           Gabrielraisedhisarmsanddroppedthemtohissidesagain,whichgesturewasmeanttoconveythatthequestiondidnotinteresthimintheleast.Remycontinued:

           "Whatisthesenseofthisnewmaniaoftheirs?WHYWON’TTHEYHAVEANYONECOMENEARTHEMNOW?"

           "What?WON’TTHEYHAVEANYONECOMENEARTHEM?"

           "ANDTHEYWON’TLETANYONETOUCHTHEM!"

           "Really?HaveyounoticedTHATTHEYWON’TLETANYONETOUCHTHEM?Thatiscertainlyodd!"

           "Oh,soyouadmitit!Andhightime,too!AndTHEN,THEYWALKBACKWARD!"

           "BACKWARD!YouhaveseenourmanagersWALKBACKWARD?Why,Ithoughtthatonlycrabswalkedbackward!"

           "Don’tlaugh,Gabriel;don’tlaugh!"

           "I’mnotlaughing,"protestedGabriel,lookingassolemnasajudge.

           "Perhapsyoucantellmethis,Gabriel,asyou’reanintimatefriendofthemanagement:WhenIwentuptoM.Richard,outsidethefoyer,duringtheGardeninterval,withmyhandoutbeforeme,whydidM.Moncharminhurriedlywhispertome,’Goaway!Goaway!Whateveryoudo,don’ttouchM.leDirecteur!’AmIsupposedtohaveaninfectiousdisease?"

           "It’sincredible!"

           "And,alittlelater,whenM.deLaBorderiewentuptoM.Richard,didn’tyouseeM.Moncharminflinghimselfbetweenthemandhearhimexclaim,’M.l’AmbassadeurIentreatyounottotouchM.leDirecteur’?"

           "It’sterrible!...AndwhatwasRicharddoingmeanwhile?"

           "Whatwashedoing?Why,yousawhim!Heturnedabout,BOWEDINFRONTOFHIM,THOUGHTHEREWASNOBODYINFRONTOFHIM,ANDWITHDREWBACKWARD.