Привид Опери
XXI Interesting Vicissitudes
EversinceIhaddiscoveredErikinstalledintheOpera,Ilivedinaperpetualterrorofhishorriblefancies,notinsofarasIwasconcerned,butIdreadedeverythingforothers.
Andwheneversomeaccident,somefataleventhappened,Ialwaysthoughttomyself,"IshouldnotbesurprisedifthatwereErik,"evenasothersusedtosay,"It’stheghost!"HowoftenhaveInotheardpeopleutterthatphrasewithasmile!Poordevils!Iftheyhadknownthattheghostexistedintheflesh,Isweartheywouldnothavelaughed!
AlthoughErikannouncedtomeverysolemnlythathehadchangedandthathehadbecomethemostvirtuousofmenSINCEHEWASLOVEDFORHIMSELF—asentencethat,atfirst,perplexedmemostterribly—IcouldnothelpshudderingwhenIthoughtofthemonster.Hishorrible,unparalleledandrepulsiveuglinessputhimwithoutthepaleofhumanity;anditoftenseemedtomethat,forthisreason,henolongerbelievedthathehadanydutytowardthehumanrace.Thewayinwhichhespokeofhisloveaffairsonlyincreasedmyalarm,forIforesawthecauseoffreshandmorehideoustragediesinthiseventtowhichhealludedsoboastfully.
Ontheotherhand,IsoondiscoveredthecuriousmoraltrafficestablishedbetweenthemonsterandChristineDaae.Hidinginthelumber-roomnexttotheyoungprimadonna’sdressing-room,IlistenedtowonderfulmusicaldisplaysthatevidentlyflungChristineintomarvelousecstasy;but,allthesame,IwouldneverhavethoughtthatErik’svoice—whichwasloudasthunderorsoftasangels’voices,atwill—couldhavemadeherforgethisugliness.
