Привид Опери
Epilogue
Iquotetheselines,whichareparticularlyinterestingbecausetheydescribetheverysimplemannerinwhichthefamousincidentofthetwenty-thousandfrancswasclosed:
"AsforO.G.,someofwhosecurioustricksIhaverelatedinthefirstpartofmyMemoirs,Iwillonlysaythatheredeemedbyonespontaneousfineactionalltheworrywhichhehadcausedmydearfriendandpartnerand,Iamboundtosay,myself.Hefelt,nodoubt,thattherearelimitstoajoke,especiallywhenitissoexpensiveandwhenthecommissaryofpolicehasbeeninformed,for,atthemomentwhenwehadmadeanappointmentinourofficewithM.Mifroidtotellhimthewholestory,afewdaysafterthedisappearanceofChristineDaae,wefound,onRichard’stable,alargeenvelope,inscribed,inredink,"WITHO.G.’SCOMPLIMENTS."Itcontainedthelargesumofmoneywhichhehadsucceededinplayfullyextracting,forthetimebeing,fromthetreasury.Richardwasatonceoftheopinionthatwemustbecontentwiththatanddropthebusiness.IagreedwithRichard.All’swellthatendswell.Whatdoyousay,O.G.?"
Ofcourse,Moncharmin,especiallyafterthemoneyhadbeenrestored,continuedtobelievethathehad,forashortwhile,beenthebuttofRichard’ssenseofhumor,whereasRichard,onhisside,wasconvincedthatMoncharminhadamusedhimselfbyinventingthewholeoftheaffairoftheOperaghost,inordertorevengehimselfforafewjokes.
IaskedthePersiantotellmebywhattricktheghosthadtakentwenty-thousandfrancsfromRichard’spocketinspiteofthesafety-pin.
