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XXVI The End Of The Ghost's Love Story
Assoonasthedarogarecoveredhisstrengthandhiswits,hesenttoCountPhilippe’shousetoinquireaftertheviscount’shealth.TheanswerwasthattheyoungmanhadnotbeenseenandthatCountPhilippewasdead.HisbodywasfoundonthebankoftheOperalake,ontheRue-Scribeside.ThePersianrememberedtherequiemmasswhichhehadheardfrombehindthewallofthetorture-chamber,andhadnodoubtconcerningthecrimeandthecriminal.KnowingErikashedid,heeasilyreconstructedthetragedy.ThinkingthathisbrotherhadrunawaywithChristineDaae,PhilippehaddashedinpursuitofhimalongtheBrusselsRoad,whereheknewthateverythingwaspreparedfortheelopement.Failingtofindthepair,hehurriedbacktotheOpera,rememberedRaoul’sstrangeconfidenceabouthisfantasticrivalandlearnedthattheviscounthadmadeeveryefforttoenterthecellarsofthetheaterandthathehaddisappeared,leavinghishatintheprimadonna’sdressing-roombesideanemptypistol-case.Andthecount,whonolongerentertainedanydoubtofhisbrother’smadness,inhisturndartedintothatinfernalundergroundmaze.Thiswasenough,inthePersian’seyes,toexplainthediscoveryoftheComtedeChagny’scorpseontheshoreofthelake,wherethesiren,Erik’ssiren,keptwatch.
ThePersiandidnothesitate.Hedeterminedtoinformthepolice.Nowthecasewasinthehandsofanexamining-magistratecalledFaure,anincredulous,commonplace,superficialsortofperson,(IwriteasIthink),withamindutterlyunpreparedtoreceiveaconfidenceofthiskind.M.
