Page 84 - Phantom of the Opera

door, but he had to let me search. I told him that he must not which he managed by dropping small stones into a box he had
shout and walk up and down, so he lay on the floor, as one does made for this purpose. When we reached the mirror, with our
in a forest. tongues out, Viscount Chagny put his tongue against the glass,
I placed my fingers on the mirrors, hunting for the weak and I put my tongue against the glass.
point. I tried not to lose a minute, as I was feeling more and more It was burning hot!
faint from the heat. We rolled on the floor in terrible hopelessness. Viscount
After half an hour, the viscount interrupted my search. "Do Chagny put his gun to his head, and I stared at the Punjab rope at
you think you will find it soon? If it takes much longer, we will the foot of the iron tree. Suddenly, I saw something and I
be roasted alive!" jumped, which delayed the viscount's attempt to shoot himself. I
.
I was sorry to hear him talk like this. I had hoped that his took his arm. And then I took the gun from him .. and dragged
sense of reason would last some time longer against the torture. myself to what I had seen.
Then, he told me that it was a comfort to know that if we Near the Punjab rope there was a black nail, and I recognized
could not get out and save Christine, at least we would be dead its use. I pushed the nail and a trap door opened. Cool air came
.
before her! up to us from the. black hole below. I put my arm in and felt ..
.
I continued my search, but I was having no luck. We were stairs .. stairs leading to a cellar.
both very thirsty. Fear was growing in our hearts — of the wild We went down and found ourselves in Erik's cellar, where we
animals in the forest. Erik's tricks included the sounds of lions hoped to find wine. Erik likes fine wines. But instead we found
and other dangerous animals, but this knowledge was little something terrible! Now I understood what that devil meant
comfort. After a while, I was so tired that I threw myself down when he said to Christine, "Yes or no! If your answer is no,
beside the viscount. I knew that, by now, Erik knew who was in everybody will be dead and buried]"
the torture room. I called him: "Erik! Erik!" He had chosen his time well — eleven o'clock at night. We
There was no answer. We were beginning to die of heat, were all going to die — Christine, the viscount, me, the
hunger, and thirst. The viscount sat up and pointed to a spot. performers, and the audience — in a terrible explosion in the
"Water!" he shouted. I knew this trick, and did not want to hope. middle of a performance in the Paris Opera if Christine Daae
.
If a man hoped for water, he would pull himself desperately .. to said no! The cellar was full of powder that would explode if she
the mirror. Then there was only one thing for him to do — to refused to marry Erik!
hang himself on the iron tree. Christine did not know that the lives of so many people
I tried to stop the viscount, but he no longer believed what I depended on her acceptance or refusal. And how could she not
said. He dragged himself forward, saying, "Water! Water!" refuse? But what time was it? We had no idea how much time
His mouth was open and he thought he was drinking. And we had spent in the torture room, and it was too dark to see our
my mouth was open, too. We not only saw the water, we heard it. watches. We climbed back up the stairs and into the torture
Finally — and this was the most pitiless torture of all — we room, which was now as dark as the cellar. We called out:
heard the rain and it was not raining. Another trick of Erik's, Viscount Chagny called to Christine and I to Erik. But there was

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