Привид Опери
III The Mysterious Reason
"Theballet-girlsareright,"hesaid."ThedeathofthatpoorBuquetisperhapsnotsonaturalaspeoplethink."
DebienneandPolignygaveastart.
"IsBuquetdead?"theycried.
"Yes,"repliedtheman,ortheshadowofaman,quietly."Hewasfound,thisevening,hanginginthethirdcellar,betweenafarm-houseandascenefromtheRoideLahore."
Thetwomanagers,orratherex-managers,atonceroseandstaredstrangelyatthespeaker.Theyweremoreexcitedthantheyneedhavebeen,thatistosay,moreexcitedthananyoneneedbebytheannouncementofthesuicideofachiefscene-shifter.Theylookedateachother.They,hadbothturnedwhiterthanthetable-cloth.Atlast,DebiennemadeasigntoMm.RichardandMoncharmin;Polignymutteredafewwordsofexcusetotheguests;andallfourwentintothemanagers’office.IleaveM.Moncharmintocompletethestory.InhisMemoirs,hesays:
"Mm.DebienneandPolignyseemedtogrowmoreandmoreexcited,andtheyappearedtohavesomethingverydifficulttotellus.First,theyaskedusifweknewtheman,sittingattheendofthetable,whohadtoldthemofthedeathofJosephBuquet;and,whenweansweredinthenegative,theylookedstillmoreconcerned.Theytookthemaster-keysfromourhands,staredatthemforamomentandadvisedustohavenewlocksmade,withthegreatestsecrecy,fortherooms,closetsandpressesthatwemightwishtohavehermeticallyclosed.TheysaidthissofunnilythatwebegantolaughandtoaskiftherewerethievesattheOpera.Theyrepliedthattherewassomethingworse,whichwastheGHOST.
