Привид Опери
VI A Visit To Box Five
Theeightgreatpolishedcolumnsstoodupinthedusklikesomanyhugepilessupportingthethreatening,crumbling,big-belliedcliffswhoselayerswererepresentedbythecircular,parallel,wavinglinesofthebalconiesofthegrand,firstandsecondtiersofboxes.Atthetop,rightontopofthecliff,lostinM.Lenepveu’scopperceiling,figuresgrinnedandgrimaced,laughedandjeeredatMM.RichardandMoncharmin’sdistress.Andyetthesefigureswereusuallyveryserious.TheirnameswereIsis,Amphitrite,Hebe,Pandora,Psyche,Thetis,Pomona,Daphne,Clytie,GalateaandArethusa.Yes,ArethusaherselfandPandora,whomweallknowbyherbox,lookeddownuponthetwonewmanagersoftheOpera,whoendedbyclutchingatsomepieceofwreckageandfromtherestaredsilentlyatBoxFiveonthegrandtier.
Ihavesaidthattheyweredistressed.Atleast,Ipresumeso.M.Moncharmin,inanycase,admitsthathewasimpressed.Toquotehisownwords,inhisMemoirs:
"ThismoonshineabouttheOperaghostinwhich,sincewefirsttookoverthedutiesofMM.PolignyandDebienne,wehadbeensonicelysteeped"—Moncharmin’sstyleisnotalwaysirreproachable—"hadnodoubtendedbyblindingmyimaginativeandalsomyvisualfaculties.Itmaybethattheexceptionalsurroundingsinwhichwefoundourselves,inthemidstofanincrediblesilence,impressedustoanunusualextent.Itmaybethatwewerethesportofakindofhallucinationbroughtaboutbythesemi-darknessofthetheaterandthepartialgloomthatfilledBoxFive.Atanyrate,IsawandRichardalsosawashapeinthebox.
