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The Phantom of the Opera Chapter XVI - Mme. Giry's Revelations · The Gaston Leroux Library

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Speaker 1: Chapter sixteen of The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston LaRue,
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Speaker 1: translated by Alexander Tzara Dematos. This LibriVox recording is in
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Speaker 1: the public domain. Chapter sixteen Madame Jerie's astounding revelations as
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Speaker 1: to her personal relations with the opera ghost before following
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Speaker 1: the commissary into the manager's office. I must describe certain
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Speaker 1: extraordinary occurrences that took place in that office, which Remy
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Speaker 1: and Mercier had vainly tried to enter, and into which
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Speaker 1: Monsieurs Richard and Moncharmin had locked themselves with an object
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Speaker 1: which the reader does not yet know, but which it
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Speaker 1: is my duty as an historian to reveal without further postponement.
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Speaker 1: I have had occasion to say that the manager's mood
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Speaker 1: had undergone a disagreeable change for some time past, and
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Speaker 1: to convey the fact that this change was due not
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Speaker 1: only to the fall of the chandelier on the famous
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Speaker 1: night of the gala performance. The reader must know that
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Speaker 1: the ghost had calmly been paid his first twenty thousand francs. Oh.
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Speaker 1: There had been wailing and gnashing of teeth, indeed, and
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Speaker 1: yet the thing had happened as simply as could be
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Speaker 1: one morning, the managers found on their table an envelope
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Speaker 1: addressed to Monsieur O G Private and accompanied by a
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Speaker 1: note from O. G himself. The time has come to
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Speaker 1: carry out the clause in the memorandum book. Please put
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Speaker 1: twenty notes of a thousand francs each into this envelope,
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Speaker 1: seal it with your own seal, and hand it to
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Speaker 1: Madame Jerye, who will do what is necessary. The managers
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Speaker 1: did not hesitate without wasting time in asking how these
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Speaker 1: confounded communications came to be delivered in an office which
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Speaker 1: they were careful to keep locked. They seized this opportunity
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Speaker 1: of laying hands on the mysterious blackmailer, and after telling
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Speaker 1: the whole story under the promise of secrecy to Gabrielle
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Speaker 1: and mercy As they put the twenty thousand francs into
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Speaker 1: the envelope, without asking for explanations, handed it to Madame Gerie,
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Speaker 1: who had been reinstated in her functions. The boxkeeper displayed
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Speaker 1: no astonishment. I need hardly say that she was well watched.
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Speaker 1: She went straight to the ghost's box and placed the
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Speaker 1: precious envelope on the little shelf attached to the ledge.
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Speaker 1: The two managers as well as Gabrielle and Mercier, were
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Speaker 1: hidden in such way that they did not lose sight
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Speaker 1: of the envelope for a second during the performance and
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Speaker 1: even afterward. For as the envelope had not moved, those
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Speaker 1: who watched it did not move either, and Madame Jerie
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Speaker 1: went away while the managers and Gabrielle and Mercier were
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Speaker 1: still there. At last, they became tired of waiting and
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Speaker 1: opened the envelope after ascertaining that the seals had not
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Speaker 1: been broken. At first sight, Richard and Moncharmin thought that
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Speaker 1: the notes were still there, but soon they perceived that
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Speaker 1: they were not the same, that twenty real notes were
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Speaker 1: gone and had been replaced by twenty notes of the
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Speaker 1: Bank of Saint Fars. The manager's rage and fright were unmistakable.
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Speaker 1: Moncharmin wanted to send for the Commissary of Police, but
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Speaker 1: Richard objected. He no doubt had a plan, for he said,
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Speaker 1: don't let us make ourselves ridiculous. All Paris would laugh
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Speaker 1: at us. O g has won the first game, we
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Speaker 1: will win the second. He was thinking of the next
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Speaker 1: month's allowance. Nevertheless, they had been so absolutely tricked that
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Speaker 1: they were bound to suffer a certain dejection, and upon
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Speaker 1: my word, it was not difficult to understand. We must
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Speaker 1: not forget that the managers had an idea at the
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Speaker 1: back of their minds all the time that this strange
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Speaker 1: incident might be an unpleasant, practical joke on the part
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Speaker 1: of their predecessors, and that it would not do to
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Speaker 1: divulge it prematurely. On the other hand, Moncharmin was sometimes
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Speaker 1: troubled with a suspicion of Richard himself, who occasionally took
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Speaker 1: fanciful whims into his head, and so they were content
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Speaker 1: to await of it while keeping an eye on Mother Jerye.
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Speaker 1: Richard would not have her spoken to if she is
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Speaker 1: a confederate, he said, The notes are gone long ago.
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Speaker 1: But in my opinion, she is merely an idiot. She's
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Speaker 1: not the only idiot in this business, said Moncharmin pensively. Well,
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Speaker 1: who could have thought it, moaned Richard. But don't be afraid.
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Speaker 1: Next time I shall have taken my precautions. The next
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Speaker 1: time fell on the same day that beheld the disappearance
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Speaker 1: of Christine Day. In the morning, a note from the
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Speaker 1: ghost reminded them that the money was due. It read,
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Speaker 1: do just as you did last time. It went very well.
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Speaker 1: Put the twenty thousand in the envelope and hand it
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Speaker 1: to our excellent Madame Jerye. And the note was accompanied
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Speaker 1: by the usual envelope. They had only to insert the notes.
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Speaker 1: This was done about half an hour before the curtain
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Speaker 1: rose on the first act of Faust. Richard showed the
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Speaker 1: envelope to Moncharmin. Then he counted the twenty thousand franc
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Speaker 1: notes in front of him and put the notes into
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Speaker 1: the envelope, but without closing it. And now he said,
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Speaker 1: let's have mother Gerie in. The old woman was sent for.
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Speaker 1: She entered with a sweeping courtesy. She still wore her
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Speaker 1: black taffetted dress, the color of which was rapidly turning
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Speaker 1: to rust and lilac, to say nothing of the dingy bonnet.
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Speaker 1: She seemed in a good temper. She at once said,
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Speaker 1: good evening, gentlemen. It's for the envelope. I suppose, yes,
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Speaker 1: Madame Gerie, said Richard, most amiably, for the envelope and
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Speaker 1: something else besides, At your service, Monsieur Richard, at your service,
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Speaker 1: and what is the something else? Please? First of all,
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Speaker 1: Madame Gerie, I have a little question to put to you.
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Speaker 1: By all means, Monsieur Richard, Madame Gerie is here to
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Speaker 1: answer you. Are you still on good terms with the ghost?
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Speaker 1: Couldn't be better, sir, couldn't be better? Ah, we are delighted.
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Speaker 1: Look here, Madame Gerie, said Richard, in the tone of
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Speaker 1: making an important confidence. We may just as well tell
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Speaker 1: you among ourselves you're no fool, Why, sir, exclaimed the
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Speaker 1: box keeper, stopping the pleasant nodding of the black feathers
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Speaker 1: in her dingy bonnet. I assure you no one has
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Speaker 1: ever doubted that we are quite agreed, and we shall
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Speaker 1: soon understand one another. The story of the ghost is
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Speaker 1: all humbug, isn't it? Well? Still? Between ourselves? It has
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Speaker 1: lasted long enough. Madame Gerie looked at the managers as
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Speaker 1: though they were talking Chinese. She walked up to Richard's
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Speaker 1: table and asked, rather anxiously, what do you mean I
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Speaker 1: don't understand? Oh, you understand quite well. In any case,
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Speaker 1: you've got to understand, and first of all, tell us
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Speaker 1: his name? Whose name? The name of the man whose
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Speaker 1: accomplice you are, Madame Gerie, I am the ghosts accomplice.
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Speaker 1: I his accomplice in what pray you do? All? He wants.
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Speaker 1: Oh he's not very troublesome, you know. And does he
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Speaker 1: still tip you? I mustn't complain. How much does he
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Speaker 1: give you for bringing him that envelope? Ten francs? You
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Speaker 1: poor thing? That's not much, is it? Why? I'll tell
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Speaker 1: you that presently, Madame Gerie. Just now we should like
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Speaker 1: to know for what extraordinary reason you have given yourself,
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Speaker 1: body and soul to this ghost. Madame Gerie's friendship and
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Speaker 1: devotion are not to be bought for five francs or
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Speaker 1: ten francs. That's true enough, and I can tell you
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Speaker 1: the reason, sir. There's no disgrace about it. On the contrary,
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Speaker 1: we're quite sure of that. Madame Gerie. Well, it's like this,
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Speaker 1: only the ghost doesn't like me to talk about his business. Indeed,
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Speaker 1: sneered Richard. But this is a matter that concerns myself alone. Well,
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Speaker 1: it was in box five one evening I found a
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Speaker 1: letter addressed to myself, a sort of note written in
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Speaker 1: red ink. I needn't read the letter to you, sir,
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Speaker 1: I know it by heart, and I shall never forget
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Speaker 1: it if I live to be a hundred and Madame Jerie,
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Speaker 1: drawing herself up, recited the letter with touching eloquence Madame
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Speaker 1: eighteen twenty five. Mamiselle Meentrier, leader of the ballet, became
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Speaker 1: Marquis de Cousi eighteen thirty two. Mamiselle Marie Taglioni, a dancer,
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Speaker 1: became Comtesse Gilbert de Voisens eighteen forty six. Le Sotta,
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Speaker 1: a dancer, married a brother of the King of Spain.
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Speaker 1: Eighteen forty seven. Lola Montes, a dancer, became the Morganatic
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Speaker 1: wife of King Louis of Bavaria and was created Countess
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Speaker 1: of Lansfld eighteen forty eight. Mamselle Maria, a dancer, became
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Speaker 1: Barona de Heerneville eighteen seventy. Teresa Hessier, a dancer, married
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Speaker 1: Dom Fernando, brother to the King of Portugal. Richard and
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Speaker 1: Moncharmin listened to the old woman, who, as she proceeded
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Speaker 1: with the enumeration of these glorious nuptials, swelled out, took courage,
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Speaker 1: and at last, in a voice bursting with pride, flung
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Speaker 1: out the last sentence of the prophetic letter eighteen eighty
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Speaker 1: five Megjury Empress. Exhausted by this supreme effort, the boxkeeper
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Speaker 1: fell into a chair, saying, gentlemen, the letter was signed
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Speaker 1: opera Ghost. I had heard much of the ghost, but
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Speaker 1: only half believed in him. From the day when he
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Speaker 1: declared that my little Meg, the flesh of my flesh,
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Speaker 1: the fruit of my womb, would be empress, I believed
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Speaker 1: in him altogether. And really it was not necessary to
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Speaker 1: make a long study of Madame Jerie's excited features to
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Speaker 1: understand what could be got out of that fine intellect
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Speaker 1: with the two words ghost and empress. But wh pull
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Speaker 1: the strings of that extraordinary puppet? That was the question.
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Speaker 1: You have never seen him. He speaks to you, and
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Speaker 1: you believe all he says, asked Moncharmin. Yes, to begin with,
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Speaker 1: I owe it to him that my little Meg was
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Speaker 1: promoted to be the leader of a row. I said
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Speaker 1: to the ghost, if she is to be empressed in
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Speaker 1: eighteen eighty five, there is no time to lose. She
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Speaker 1: must become a leader at once. He said, Look upon
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Speaker 1: it is done. And he had only a word to
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Speaker 1: say to Monsieur Pouligni, and the thing was done. So
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Speaker 1: you used say that Monsieur Pouligni saw him, No, not
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Speaker 1: any more than I did. But he heard him, The
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Speaker 1: ghost said a word in his ear, you know, on
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Speaker 1: the evening when he left Box five looking so dreadfully.
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Speaker 1: Payo Moncharmin heaved a sigh. What a business, he groaned, Ah,
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Speaker 1: said Madame Jerry. I always thought her were secret between
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Speaker 1: the ghost and Monsieur Polini. Anything that the ghost asked
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Speaker 1: Monsieur Polignii to do, Monsieur Pouligni did. Monsieur Polinnie could
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Speaker 1: refuse the ghost. Nothing, you, hear, Richard, Pouligni could refuse
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Speaker 1: the ghost nothing. Yes, yes, I hear, said Richard. Monsieur
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Speaker 1: Poulinie is a friend of the ghost, and as Madame
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Speaker 1: Gerie is a friend of Monsieur Pouligni. There we are.
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Speaker 1: But I don't care a hang about Monsieur Peligni, he
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Speaker 1: added roughly. The only person whose fate really interests me
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Speaker 1: is Madame Gerie. Madame Gerie, do you know what is
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Speaker 1: in this envelope? Why? Of course not? She said, Well look,
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Speaker 1: Madame Gerie looked into the envelope with a lackluster eye,
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Speaker 1: which soon recovered its brilliancy thousand franc notes. She cried, yes,
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Speaker 1: Madame Gerie, thousand franc notes. And you knew it, I, sir,
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Speaker 1: I I swear don't where, Madame Jerie. And now I
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Speaker 1: will tell you the second reason why I sent for you,
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Speaker 1: Madame Gerie. I am going to have you arrested. The
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Speaker 1: two black feathers on the dingy bonnet, which usually affected
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Speaker 1: the attitude of two notes of interrogation, changed into two
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Speaker 1: notes of exclamation. As for the bonnet itself, it swayed
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Speaker 1: in menace on the old lady's tempestuous chignon. Surprise, indignation, protest,
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Speaker 1: and dismay were furthermore displayed by Little Meg's mother in
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Speaker 1: a sort of extravagant movement of offended virtue, half bound,
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Speaker 1: half slide that brought her right under the nose of
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Speaker 1: Monsieur Richard, who could not help pushing back his chair.
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Speaker 1: Have me arrested. The mouth that spoke those words seemed
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Speaker 1: to spit the three teeth that were left to it
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Speaker 1: into Richard's face. Monsieur Richard behaved like a hero. He
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Speaker 1: retreated no farther. His threatening forefinger seemed already to be
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Speaker 1: pointing out the keeper of box five to the absent magistrates.
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Speaker 1: I'm going to have you arrested, Madame Gerie, as a thief.
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Speaker 1: Say that again and Madame Gerie caught Monsieur manager Richard
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Speaker 1: a mighty box on the air before Monsieur manager Moncharmin
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Speaker 1: had time to intervene. But it was not the withered
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Speaker 1: hand of the angry old bell dame that fell on
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Speaker 1: the managerial ear, but the envelope itself, the cause of
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Speaker 1: all the trouble, the magic envelope that opened with the blow,
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Speaker 1: scattering the bank notes, which escaped in a fantastic whirl
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Speaker 1: of giant butterflies. The two managers gave a shout, and
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Speaker 1: the same thought made them both go on their knees,
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Speaker 1: feverishly picking up and hurriedly examining the precious scraps of paper.
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Speaker 1: Are they still genuine, Moncharmin? Are they still genuine? Richard? Yes,
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Speaker 1: they are still genuine. Above their heads Madamejerie's three teeth
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Speaker 1: clashing in a noisy contest full of hideous interjections, But
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Speaker 1: all that could be clearly distinguished was this late motif.
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Speaker 1: I a thief, I a thief. I She choked with rage,
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Speaker 1: she shouted, I never heard of such a thing. And
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Speaker 1: suddenly she darted up to Richard again. In any case,
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Speaker 1: she yelled, you, Monsieur Richard ought to know better than
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Speaker 1: I Where the twenty thousand francs went to? I asked Richard, astounded,
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Speaker 1: and how should I know? Moncharmin, looking severe and dissatisfied,
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Speaker 1: at once, insisted that the good lady should explain herself.
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Speaker 1: What does this mean, Madame Gerie, he asked, and why
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Speaker 1: do you say that Monsieur Richard ought to know better
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Speaker 1: than you? Where the twenty thousand francs went to. As
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Speaker 1: for Richard, who felt himself turning red under Moncharmin's eyes,
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Speaker 1: he took Madame Gerie by the rest and shook it violently.
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Speaker 1: In a voice growling and rolling like thunder, he roared,
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Speaker 1: why should I know better than you? Where the twenty
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Speaker 1: thousand francs went to? Why answer me, because they went
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Speaker 1: into your pocket, gasped the old woman, looking at him
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Speaker 1: as if he were the devil incarnate. Richard would have
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Speaker 1: rushed upon Madame Gerie if Moncharmin had not stayed his
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Speaker 1: avenging hand and hastened to ask her more gently, how
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Speaker 1: can you suspect my partner, Monsieur Richard, of putting twenty
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Speaker 1: thousand francs in his pocket? I never said that, declared
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Speaker 1: Madame Gerie, seeing that it was myself who put the
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Speaker 1: twenty thousand francs into Monsieur Richard's pocket, and she added
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Speaker 1: under her voice, there it's out, and may the ghost
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Speaker 1: forgive me. Richard began bellowing anew, but Moncharmin authoritatively ordered
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Speaker 1: him to be silent, allow me, allow me, let the
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Speaker 1: woman explain herself, let me question her, and he added,
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Speaker 1: it is really astonishing that you should take up such
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Speaker 1: a tone. We are on the verge of clearing up
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Speaker 1: the whole mystery, and you're in a rage. You're wrong
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Speaker 1: to behave like that. I'm enjoying myself immensely. Madame Gerie
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Speaker 1: liked the martyr that she was raised her head, her
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Speaker 1: face beaming with faith in her own innocence. You tell
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Speaker 1: me there were twenty thousand francs in the envelope which
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Speaker 1: I put into Monsieur Richard's pocket. But I tell you again,
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Speaker 1: I knew nothing about it, nor Monsieur Richard either, for
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Speaker 1: that matter, aha, said Richard, suddenly, assuming a swaggering air,
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Speaker 1: which Moncharmin did not like. I knew nothing either. You
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Speaker 1: put twenty thousand francs in my pocket, and I knew
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Speaker 1: nothing either. I am very glad to hear it, Madame Gerie. Yes,
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Speaker 1: the terrible Dame agreed. Yes, it's true. We neither Robison
16:47
Speaker 1: knew anything, but you must have ended by finding out.
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Speaker 1: Richard would certainly have swallowed Madame Gerie alive if Moncharmin
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Speaker 1: had not been there, but Moncharmin protected her. He resumed
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Speaker 1: his questions, what sort of envelope did you put in
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Speaker 1: Monsieur Richard's pocket? It was not the one which we
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Speaker 1: gave you, the one which you took to box five
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Speaker 1: before our eyes, and yet that was the one which
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Speaker 1: contained the twenty thousand francs. I beg your pardon. The
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Speaker 1: envelope which Monsieur Les de Rector gave me was the
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Speaker 1: one which I slipped into Monsieur les Director's pocket, explained
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Speaker 1: Madame Gerie. The one which I took to the ghost
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Speaker 1: box was another envelope just like it, which the ghost
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Speaker 1: gave me beforehand, and which I hid up my sleep.
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Speaker 1: So saying, Madame Gerie took from her sleeve an envelope
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Speaker 1: ready prepared and similarly addressed to that containing the twenty
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Speaker 1: thousand francs. The managers took it from her. They examined
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Speaker 1: it and saw that it was fastened with seals stamped
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Speaker 1: with their own managerial seal. They opened it. It contained
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Speaker 1: twenty banks of Saint Farce notes, like those which had
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Speaker 1: so much astounded them the month before. How simple, said Richard.
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Speaker 1: How simple, repeated Moncharmin, and he continued with his eyes
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Speaker 1: fixed upon Madame Gerie as though trying to hypnotize her.
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Speaker 1: So it was the ghost who gave you this envelope
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Speaker 1: and told you to substitute it for the one which
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Speaker 1: we gave you, And it was the ghost who told
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Speaker 1: you to put the other into Monsieur Richard's pocket. Yes,
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Speaker 1: it was the ghost. Then would you mind giving us
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Speaker 1: a specimen of your little talents? Here is the envelope.
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Speaker 1: Act as though we knew nothing, as you please, gentlemen.
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Speaker 1: Madame Gerie took the envelope with the twenty notes inside
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Speaker 1: it and made for the door. She was on the
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Speaker 1: point of going out when the two managers rested at her.
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Speaker 1: Oh no, oh, no, we're not going to be done
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Speaker 1: a second time. Once bitten twice shy, I beg your pardon, gentlemen,
18:55
Speaker 1: said the old woman in self. Excuse you told me
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Speaker 1: to act as though you knew no Well, if you
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Speaker 1: knew nothing, I should go away with your envelope, And
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Speaker 1: then how would you slip it into my pocket? Argued Richard,
19:08
Speaker 1: whom Moncharmin fixed with his left eye while keeping his
19:11
Speaker 1: right on Madame Jerie, a proceeding likely to strain his side,
19:16
Speaker 1: but Moncharmin was prepared to go to any length to
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Speaker 1: discover the truth. I am to slip it into your
19:22
Speaker 1: pocket when you least expect it. Sir. You know that
19:25
Speaker 1: I always take a little turn behind the scenes in
19:28
Speaker 1: the course of the evening, and I often go with
19:31
Speaker 1: my daughter to the ballet foyer, which I am entitled
19:34
Speaker 1: to do as her mother. I bring her her shoes
19:37
Speaker 1: when the ballet is about to begin. In fact, I
19:40
Speaker 1: come and I go as I please. The subscribers come
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Speaker 1: and go too, so do you, sir. There are lots
19:47
Speaker 1: of people about. I go behind you and slip the
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Speaker 1: envelope into the tail pocket of your dress coat. There's
19:53
Speaker 1: no witchcraft about that. No witchcraft, growled Richard, rolling his
19:58
Speaker 1: eyes like Jupiter ton no witchcraft. Why I've just caught
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Speaker 1: you in a lie, you old witch. Madame Gerie bristled,
20:06
Speaker 1: with her three teeth sticking out of her mouth. And
20:09
Speaker 1: why may I ask? Because I spent that evening watching
20:13
Speaker 1: box five and the sham envelope which you put there.
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Speaker 1: I did not go to the ballet foyer for a second, no, sir,
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Speaker 1: and I did not give you the envelope that evening.
20:23
Speaker 1: But at the next performance on the evening, when the
20:26
Speaker 1: under Secretary of State for Fine Arts at these words,
20:29
Speaker 1: Monsieur Richards suddenly interrupted, Madame Gerie. Yes, that's true. I
20:34
Speaker 1: remember now. The under Secretary went behind the scenes. He
20:38
Speaker 1: asked for me. I went down to the ballet foyer
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Speaker 1: for a moment. I was on the foyer steps. The
20:44
Speaker 1: under Secretary and his chief clerk were in the foyer itself.
20:48
Speaker 1: I suddenly turned round. You had passed behind me, Madame Gerie.
20:53
Speaker 1: You seemed to push against me. Oh, I can see
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Speaker 1: you still, I can see you still. Yes, that's it, sir,
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Speaker 1: that's it. I had just finished my little business. That
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Speaker 1: pocket of yours, sir, is very handy, and Madame Jerie
21:07
Speaker 1: once more suited the action to the word. She passed
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Speaker 1: behind Monsieur Richard, and so nimbly that Moncharmin himself was
21:15
Speaker 1: impressed by it. Slipped the envelope into the pocket of
21:18
Speaker 1: one of the tales of Monsieur Richard's dress coat, of course,
21:23
Speaker 1: exclaimed Richard, looking a little pale. It's very clever, of
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Speaker 1: o g. The problem which he had to solve was this,
21:30
Speaker 1: how to do away with any dangerous intermediary between the
21:34
Speaker 1: man who gives the twenty thousand francs and the man
21:37
Speaker 1: who receives it. And by far the best thing he
21:40
Speaker 1: could hit upon was to come and take the money
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Speaker 1: from my pocket without my noticing it, as I myself
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Speaker 1: did not know that it was there. It's wonderful, Oh wonderful,
21:50
Speaker 1: no doubt, Moncharmin agreed. Only you forget, Richard, that I
21:55
Speaker 1: provided ten thousand francs of the twenty and that nobody
21:59
Speaker 1: put any thing in my pocket. End of Chapter sixteen