Привид Опери
XXI Interesting Vicissitudes
And,now,beoff,forImustgoanddosomeshopping!"
Tomyintenseastonishment,thingshappenedashehadannounced.ChristineDaaeleftthehouseonthelakeandreturnedtoitseveraltimes,without,apparently,beingforcedtodoso.ItwasverydifficultformetoclearmymindofErik.However,Iresolvedtobeextremelyprudent,anddidnotmakethemistakeofreturningtotheshoreofthelake,orofgoingbytheCommunists’road.Buttheideaofthesecretentranceinthethirdcellarhauntedme,andIrepeatedlywentandwaitedforhoursbehindascenefromtheRoideLahore,whichhadbeenleftthereforsomereasonorother.Atlastmypatiencewasrewarded.Oneday,Isawthemonstercometowardme,onhisknees.Iwascertainthathecouldnotseeme.HepassedbetweenthescenebehindwhichIstoodandasetpiece,wenttothewallandpressedonaspringthatmovedastoneandaffordedhimaningress.Hepassedthroughthis,andthestoneclosedbehindhim.
Iwaitedforatleastthirtyminutesandthenpressedthespringinmyturn.EverythinghappenedaswithErik.ButIwascarefulnottogothroughtheholemyself,forIknewthatErikwasinside.Ontheotherhand,theideathatImightbecaughtbyEriksuddenlymademethinkofthedeathofJosephBuquet.Ididnotwishtojeopardizetheadvantagesofsogreatadiscoverywhichmightbeusefultomanypeople,"toagoodlynumberofthehumanrace,"inErik’swords;andIleftthecellarsoftheOperaaftercarefullyreplacingthestone.
