Привид Опери
XXVI The End Of The Ghost's Love Story
"Asforyou,youdidnotexist,youhadceasedtoexist,Itellyou,andyouweregoingtodiewiththeother!...Only,markme,daroga,whenyouwereyellinglikethedevil,becauseofthewater,Christinecametomewithherbeautifulblueeyeswideopen,andsworetome,asshehopedtobesaved,thatsheconsentedtobeMYLIVINGWIFE!...Untilthen,inthedepthsofhereyes,daroga,Ihadalwaysseenmydeadwife;itwasthefirsttimeIsawMYLIVINGWIFEthere.Shewassincere,asshehopedtobesaved.Shewouldnotkillherself.Itwasabargain...Halfaminutelater,allthewaterwasbackinthelake;andIhadahardjobwithyou,daroga,for,uponmyhonor,Ithoughtyouweredonefor!...However!...Thereyouwere!...ItwasunderstoodthatIwastotakeyoubothuptothesurfaceoftheearth.When,atlast,IclearedtheLouis-Philipperoomofyou,Icamebackalone..."
"WhathaveyoudonewiththeVicomtedeChagny?"askedthePersian,interruptinghim.
"Ah,yousee,daroga,Icouldn’tcarryHIMuplikethat,atonce....Hewasahostage...ButIcouldnotkeephiminthehouseonthelake,either,becauseofChristine;soIlockedhimupcomfortably,Ichainedhimupnicely—awhiffoftheMazenderanscenthadlefthimaslimpasarag—intheCommunists’dungeon,whichisinthemostdesertedandremotepartoftheOpera,belowthefifthcellar,wherenooneevercomes,andwherenooneeverhearsyou.ThenIcamebacktoChristine,shewaswaitingforme."
Erikhererosesolemnly.
