Page 89 - Phantom of the Opera

going to die! If it weren't for me, you would be dead now! Erik!" Desperate, the Persian sat down and wrote the story that you
There was no reply. Then I lost consciousness. have just read. He thought that the newspapers might be
interested in it. When he had just written the last line, Darius
announced that a visitor, who refused to give his name or show
Chapter 12 Erik — Phantom, Monster, or Man? his face, wanted to see the daroga. The Persian knew who this
must be and told Darius to let him in.
That was the end of the Persian's story as he wrote it. The Persian rose as Erik entered. Erik looked weak and leaned
Viscount Chagny and the Persian were saved by Christine against the wall.
Daae. I heard the rest of the story from the lips of the daroga "Murderer of Count Philippe, what have you done with his
himself. When I went to see him, he was a very sick, old man and brother and Christine Daae?"
it was very difficult to persuade him to relive the tragedy for me. Erik, who could hardly speak, told the Persian that Count
It seems that when he opened his eyes, the daroga found Philippe's death was an accident — that he had fallen into the lake.
himself lying on a bed. Christine brought him a drink, but she And that now, he, too, was dying.
.
did not say a word. Erik was looking at him. "Of love, daroga .. I am dying of love. And I still love her. If
.
"Are you better, daroga?" Erik asked him. He pointed to the you knew how beautiful she was when she let me kiss her ..
.
.
viscount and said, "He woke up long before we knew if you were alive .. It was the first time I ever kissed a woman .. I kissed
still alive. He is quite well. He is asleep. We must not wake him. her alive and she looked so beautiful!"
You are saved, both of you. And soon I will take you up to the "Is she alive now?" the Persian asked angrily.
surface of the earth, to please my wife!' Then, he left the room. "Yes, yes, she is alive. She saved your life, daroga. How she
Christine sat in a corner, reading a book. The Persian tried to begged me to save her little friend! She promised to be my wife
speak to her, but she did not look up. Eventually, the Persian fell if I would save him, and she looked so beautiful. That was when I
asleep and did not wake again until he was in his own room, with knew she would be my living wife. Until then, I had always seen
his faithful Darius at his bedside. Darius told him that a stranger my dead wife in her eyes. It was the first time I saw my living
had left him on his doorstep the night before. wife there. She would not kill herself. Half a minute later, the
As soon as he was well enough, the Persian sent a message to water was back in the lake. I carried you out of the house and left
Count Philippe's house asking about the viscount's health. The you at your door."
answer was that the young man had not been seen and that "What did you do with Viscount Chagny?" the Persian asked.
Count Philippe was dead. The count's body was found next to "I wanted to keep him, but not in the house. So, I tied him up
the Opera lake, on the Rue Scribe side. The Persian had no and left him in the emptiest part of the Opera, below the fifth
doubt concerning the crime or the criminal. He was sure that cellar, where no one ever comes, and where no one ever hears
the count had gone looking for his brother, had found the lake, you. Then I went back to Christine. She was waiting for me."
and had been pulled in. The Persian informed the police. The Erik rose, but he trembled like a leaf. He continued, "Yes, she
detective, Monsieur Faure, thought he was mad. was waiting for me. And when I came forward, she did not run

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