Привид Опери
Epilogue
IfthereaderwillvisittheOperaonemorningandaskleavetostrollwherehepleases,withoutbeingaccompaniedbyastupidguide,lethimgotoBoxFiveandknockwithhisfistorstickontheenormouscolumnthatseparatesthisfromthestage-box.Hewillfindthatthecolumnsoundshollow.Afterthat,donotbeastonishedbythesuggestionthatitwasoccupiedbythevoiceoftheghost:thereisroominsidethecolumnfortwomen.Ifyouaresurprisedthat,whenthevariousincidentsoccurred,nooneturnedroundtolookatthecolumn,youmustrememberthatitpresentedtheappearanceofsolidmarble,andthatthevoicecontainedinitseemedrathertocomefromtheoppositeside,for,aswehaveseen,theghostwasanexpertventriloquist.
Thecolumnwaselaboratelycarvedanddecoratedwiththesculptor’schisel;andIdonotdespairofonedaydiscoveringtheornamentthatcouldberaisedorloweredatwill,soastoadmitoftheghost’smysteriouscorrespondencewithMme.Giryandofhisgenerosity.
However,allthesediscoveriesarenothing,tomymind,comparedwiththatwhichIwasabletomake,inthepresenceoftheacting-manager,inthemanagers’office,withinacoupleofinchesfromthedesk-chair,andwhichconsistedofatrap-door,thewidthofaboardintheflooringandthelengthofaman’sfore-armandnolonger;atrap-doorthatfallsbacklikethelidofabox;atrap-doorthroughwhichIcanseeahandcomeanddexterouslyfumbleatthepocketofaswallow-tailcoat.
Thatisthewaytheforty-thousandfrancswent!...
