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The Phantom of the Opera Chapter IV - Box Five · The Gaston Leroux Library

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  Speaker 1: Chapter four of The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux,
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  Speaker 1: translated by Alexander to Zia Demattos. This LibriVox recording is
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  Speaker 1: in the public domain. Chapter four, Box five armand Moncharmin
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  Speaker 1: wrote such voluminous memoirs during the fairly long period of
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  Speaker 1: his co management, that we may well ask if he
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  Speaker 1: ever found time to attend to the affairs of the
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  Speaker 1: opera otherwise than by telling what went on there. Monsieur
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  Speaker 1: Moncharmin did not know a note of music, but he
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  Speaker 1: called the Minister of Education and Fine Arts by his
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  Speaker 1: Christian name, had dabbled a little in society journalism, and
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  Speaker 1: enjoyed a considerable private income. Lastly, he was a charming
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  Speaker 1: fellow and showed that he was not lacking in intelligence.
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  Speaker 1: For as soon as he made up his mind to
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  Speaker 1: be a sleeping partner in the opera, he selected the
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  Speaker 1: best possible active manager and went straight to Firmin Richard.
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  Speaker 1: For Min Richard was a very distinguished composer who had
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  Speaker 1: published a number of six cessful pieces of all kinds,
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  Speaker 1: and who liked nearly every form of music and every
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  Speaker 1: sort of musician. Clearly, therefore, it was the duty of
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  Speaker 1: every sort of musician to like Monsieur Fairman Richard. The
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  Speaker 1: only things to be said against him were that he
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  Speaker 1: was rather masterful in his ways and endowed with a
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  Speaker 1: very hasty temper. The first few days which the partners
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  Speaker 1: spent at the opera were given over to the delight
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  Speaker 1: of finding themselves the head of so magnificent an enterprise,
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  Speaker 1: and they had forgotten all about the curious, fantastic story
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  Speaker 1: of the ghost when an incident occurred that proved to
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  Speaker 1: them that the joke, if joke it were, was not over.
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  Speaker 1: Monsieur Fairman Richard reached his office that morning at eleven o'clock.
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  Speaker 1: His secretary, Monsieur Remy, showed him half a dozen letters,
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  Speaker 1: which he had not opened because they were marked private.
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  Speaker 1: One of the letters had at once attracted Richard's attention,
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  Speaker 1: not only because the envelope was addressed in red ink,
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  Speaker 1: but because he seemed to have seen the writing before.
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  Speaker 1: He soon remembered that it was the red hand, right
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  Speaker 1: writing in which the memorandum book had been so curiously completed.
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  Speaker 1: He recognized the clumsy, childish hand. He opened the letter
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  Speaker 1: and read, dear mister manager, I am sorry to have
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  Speaker 1: to trouble you at a time when you must be
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  Speaker 1: so very busy renewing important engagements, signing fresh ones, and
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  Speaker 1: generally displaying your excellent taste. I know what you have
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  Speaker 1: done for Karlata Cirelli and Little Jama, and for a
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  Speaker 1: few others whose admirable qualities of talent or genius you
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  Speaker 1: have suspected. Of course, when I use these words, I
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  Speaker 1: do not mean to apply them to Larclata, who sings
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  Speaker 1: like a squirt, and who ought never to have been
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  Speaker 1: allowed to leave the Ambassadors and the Cafe Jacquin, nor
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  Speaker 1: to La Soirelli, who owes her success mainly to the
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  Speaker 1: coach builders, nor to little Jama, who dances like a
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  Speaker 1: calf in a field. And I am not speaking of
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  Speaker 1: Christine Day either, though her genius is certain, whereas your
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  Speaker 1: jealousy prevents her from creating any important part. When all is,
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  Speaker 1: you are free to conduct your little business as you
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  Speaker 1: think best. Are you not all the same? I should
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  Speaker 1: like to take advantage of the fact that you have
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  Speaker 1: not yet turned Christine Day out of doors by hearing
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  Speaker 1: her This evening in the part of seabell as that
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  Speaker 1: of Margherita has been forbidden her since her triumph of
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  Speaker 1: the other evening, and I will ask you not to
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  Speaker 1: dispose of my box to day nor on the following days,
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  Speaker 1: for I cannot end this letter without telling you how
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  Speaker 1: disagreeably surprised I have been, once or twice to hear,
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  Speaker 1: on arriving at the opera, that my box had been
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  Speaker 1: sold at the box office by your orders. I did
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  Speaker 1: not protest, first because I disliked scandal, and second because
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  Speaker 1: I thought that your predecessors, Monsieurs Debienne and Pouligni, who
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  Speaker 1: were always charming to me, had neglected before leaving to
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  Speaker 1: mention my little fabs to you. I have now received
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  Speaker 1: a reply from those gentlemen to my letter, asking for
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  Speaker 1: an explanation. And this reply proves that you know all
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  Speaker 1: about my memorandum book, and consequently that you are treating
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  Speaker 1: me with outrageous contempt. If you wish to live in peace,
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  Speaker 1: you must not begin by taking away my private box.
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  Speaker 1: Believe me to be, dear Manager, without prejudice to these
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  Speaker 1: little observations, your most humble and obedient servant, oper A ghost.
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  Speaker 1: The letter was accompanied by a cutting from the Agony
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  Speaker 1: column of the Review Theatrial, which ran O g there
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  Speaker 1: is no excuse for R. And M. We told them,
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  Speaker 1: and left your memorandum book in their hands. Kind regards,
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  Speaker 1: Monsieur Firmin. Richard had hardly finished reading this letter when
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  Speaker 1: Monsieur armand Moncharmin entered carrying one exactly similar. They looked
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  Speaker 1: at each other and burst out laughing. They are keeping
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  Speaker 1: up the joke, said Monsieur Richard. But I don't call
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  Speaker 1: it funny. What does it all mean, asked Monsieur Moncharmin.
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  Speaker 1: Do they imagine that because they have been managers of
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  Speaker 1: the opera we are going to let them have a
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  Speaker 1: box for an indefinite period. I am not in the
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  Speaker 1: mood to let myself be laughed at long, said Fermin Richard.
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  Speaker 1: It's harmless enough, observed armand Moncharmin. What is it they
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  Speaker 1: really want a box for to night? Monsieur Firmin. Richard
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  Speaker 1: told his secretary to send box five on the Grand
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  Speaker 1: Tier to Monsieur de Bien and Polignier if it was
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  Speaker 1: not sold. It was not, it was sent off to them.
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  Speaker 1: Debienne lived at the corner of the Rue Scribe and
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  Speaker 1: the Boulevard de Capucina Pouligni in the Rue obais O.
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  Speaker 1: Gos's two letters had been posted at the Boulevard de
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  Speaker 1: Capacina post office, as Moncharmin remarked, after examining the envelopes,
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  Speaker 1: you see, said Richard, they shrugged their shoulders and regretted
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  Speaker 1: that two men of that age should amuse themselves with
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  Speaker 1: such childish strikes. They might have been civil for all that,
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  Speaker 1: said Moncharmin. Did you notice how they treat us with
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  Speaker 1: regard to Corlotta Surelli and little Jama Why, my dear fellow,
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  Speaker 1: these two are mad with jealousy to think that they
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  Speaker 1: went to the expense of an advertisement in the review theateral.
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  Speaker 1: Have they nothing better to do? By the way, said Moncharmin,
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  Speaker 1: they seem to be greatly interested in that little Christine Day.
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  Speaker 1: You know as well as I do that she has
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  Speaker 1: the reputation of being quite good, said Richard. Reputations are
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  Speaker 1: easily obtained, replied Moncharmin. Haven't I a reputation for knowing
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  Speaker 1: all about music? And I don't know one key from another.
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  Speaker 1: Don't be afraid you never had that reputation, Richard declared. Thereupon,
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  Speaker 1: he ordered the artists to be shown in who for
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  Speaker 1: the last two hours had been walking up and down
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  Speaker 1: outside the door behind which fame and fortune or dismal
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  Speaker 1: awaited them. The whole day was spent in discussing, negotiating,
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  Speaker 1: signing or canceling contracts, and the two overworked managers went
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  Speaker 1: to bed early without so much as casting a glance
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  Speaker 1: at Box five to see whether Monsieur Debienne and Monsieur
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  Speaker 1: Poligni were enjoying the performance. Next morning, the managers received
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  Speaker 1: a card of thanks from the ghost. Dear mister Manager,
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  Speaker 1: Thanks charming evening day, exquisite choruses want waking up Carlotta,
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  Speaker 1: a splendid commonplace instrument, will write you soon for the
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  Speaker 1: two hundred forty thousand francs or two hundred thirty three thousand,
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  Speaker 1: four hundred twenty four francs seventy centema to be correct.
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  Speaker 1: Monsieur de Bienne and Poligni have sent me the six thousand,
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  Speaker 1: five hundred seventy five francs representing the first ten days
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  Speaker 1: of my allowance for the current year. Their privileges finished
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  Speaker 1: on the evening of the tenth instant kind regards, O. G.
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  Speaker 1: On the other hand, there was a letter from Monsieurs
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  Speaker 1: Debienne and Poligni. Gentlemen, we are much obliged for your
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  Speaker 1: kind thought of us, but you will easily understand that
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  Speaker 1: the prospect of again hearing faust pleasant, though it is
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  Speaker 1: to ex managers of the opera, cannot make us forget
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  Speaker 1: that we have no right to occupy Box five on
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  Speaker 1: the Grand Tier, which is the exclusive property of him
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  Speaker 1: of whom we spoke to you when we went through
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  Speaker 1: the memorandum book with you for the last time see
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  Speaker 1: Claus ninety eight, final paragraph. Accept gentlemen, et cetera, et cetera. Oh,
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  Speaker 1: those fellows are beginning to annoy me, shouted Fermin and Richard,
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  Speaker 1: snatching up the letter, and that evening box five was sold.
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  Speaker 1: The next morning, Monsieurs Richard and Moncharmin, on reaching their office,
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  Speaker 1: found an inspector's report relating to an incident that had
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  Speaker 1: happened the night before in Box five. I give the
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  Speaker 1: essential part of the report. I was obliged to call
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  Speaker 1: in a municipal guard twice this evening to clear Box
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  Speaker 1: five in the Grandier, once at the beginning and once
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  Speaker 1: in the middle of this second act. The occupants who
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  Speaker 1: arrived as the curtain rose on the second act created
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  Speaker 1: a regular scandal by their laughter and their ridiculous observations.
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  Speaker 1: There were cries of hush all around them, and the
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  Speaker 1: whole house was beginning to protest when the box keeper
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  Speaker 1: came to fetch me. I entered the box and said
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  Speaker 1: what I thought necessary. The people did not seem to
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  Speaker 1: me to be in their right mind, and they made
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  Speaker 1: stupid remarks. I said that if the noise was repeated,
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  Speaker 1: I should be compelled to clear the box. The moment
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  Speaker 1: I left, I heard the laughing again, with fresh protests
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  Speaker 1: from the house. I returned with a municipal guard, who
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  Speaker 1: turned them out. They protested, still laughing, saying they would
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  Speaker 1: not go unless they had their money back. At last
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  Speaker 1: they became quiet, and I allowed them to enter the
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  Speaker 1: box again. The laughter at once recommenced, and this time
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  Speaker 1: I had them turned out. Definitely, send for the inspector,
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  Speaker 1: said Richard to his secretary, who had already read the
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  Speaker 1: report and marked it with blue pencil. Monsieur Remy, the
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  Speaker 1: secretary had foreseen the order and called the inspector at once.
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  Speaker 1: Tell us what happened, Richard bluntly. The inspector began to
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  Speaker 1: splutter and referred to the report. Well, but what were
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  Speaker 1: those people laughing at, asked Moncharmin. They must have been dining, sir,
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  Speaker 1: and seemed more inclined to lark about than to listen
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  Speaker 1: to good music. The moment they entered the box, they
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  Speaker 1: came out again and called the box keeper, who asked
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  Speaker 1: them what they wanted. They said, look in the box.
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  Speaker 1: There's no one there is there, no, said the woman.
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  Speaker 1: Well said they. When we went in, we heard a
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  Speaker 1: voice saying that the box was taken. Monsieur Moncharmin could
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  Speaker 1: not help smiling as he looked at Monsieur Richard. But
• 10:37
  Speaker 1: Monsieur Richard did not smile. He himself had done too
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  Speaker 1: much in that way in his time not to recognize
• 10:44
  Speaker 1: in the inspector's story all the marks of one of
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  Speaker 1: those practical jokes which begin by amusing and end by
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  Speaker 1: enraging the victims. The inspector, to curry favor with Monsieur Moncharmin,
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  Speaker 1: who was smiling, thought it best to give a smile, too,
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  Speaker 1: a most unfortunate smile. Monsieur Richard glared at his subordinate,
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  Speaker 1: who thenceforth made it his business to display a face
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  Speaker 1: of utter consternation. However, when the people arrived, roared Richard.
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  Speaker 1: There was no one in the box. Was there not
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  Speaker 1: a soul, sir, not a soul? Nor in the box
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  Speaker 1: on the right, nor in the box on the left.
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  Speaker 1: Not a soul, sir. I swear the boxkeeper told it
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  Speaker 1: me often enough, which proves that it was all a joke.
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  Speaker 1: Oh you agree, do you said, Richard? You agree it's
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  Speaker 1: a joke, and you think it funny, no doubt. I
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  Speaker 1: think it in very bad taste, sir. And what did
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  Speaker 1: the box keeper say. Oh, she just said that it
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  Speaker 1: was the opera ghost, That's all she said. And the
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  Speaker 1: inspector grinned. But he soon found that he had made
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  Speaker 1: a mistake in grinning, for the words had no sooner
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  Speaker 1: left his mouth than Monsieur Richard from Gloomy became furious.
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  Speaker 1: Send for the boxkeeper, he shouted, send for her this minute,
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  Speaker 1: this minute, and bring her in to me here, and
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  Speaker 1: turn all those people out. The inspector tried to protest,
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  Speaker 1: but Richard closed his mouth with an angry order to
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  Speaker 1: hold his tongue. Then, when the wretched man's lips seemed
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  Speaker 1: shut forever, the manager commanded him to open them once more.
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  Speaker 1: Who is this opera ghost? He snarled. But the inspector
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  Speaker 1: was by this time incapable of speaking a word. He
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  Speaker 1: managed to convey by a despairing gesture that he knew
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  Speaker 1: nothing about it, or rather that he did not wish
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  Speaker 1: to know. Have you ever seen him? Have you seen
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  Speaker 1: the opera ghost? The inspector, by means of a vigorous
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  Speaker 1: shake of the head, denied ever having seen the ghost
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  Speaker 1: in question. Very well, said Monsieur Richard coldly. The inspector's
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  Speaker 1: eyes started out of his head as though to ask
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  Speaker 1: why the manager had uttered that ominous Very well, because
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  Speaker 1: I'm going to settle the account of any one who
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  Speaker 1: has not seen him, explained the manager, As he seems
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  Speaker 1: to be everywhere. I can't have people telling me that
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  Speaker 1: they see him nowhere. I like Pele, but to work
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  Speaker 1: for me when I employ them. Having said this, Monsieur
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  Speaker 1: Richard paid no attention to the inspector and discussed various
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  Speaker 1: matters of business with his acting manager, who had entered
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  Speaker 1: the room. Meanwhile, the inspector thought he could go and
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  Speaker 1: was gently, oh so gently, sidling toward the door when
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  Speaker 1: Monsieur Richard nailed the man to the floor with a
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  Speaker 1: thundering Stay where you are. Monsieur Remy had sent for
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  Speaker 1: the box keeper to the Rue des Province close to
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  Speaker 1: the opera, where she was engaged as a portress. She
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  Speaker 1: soon made her appearance. What's your name, Madame Gerry. You
• 13:34
  Speaker 1: know me well enough, sir. I'm the mother of little Gierrie,
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  Speaker 1: little Meg what This was said in so rough and
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  Speaker 1: solemn tone that for a moment Monsieur Richard was impressed.
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  Speaker 1: He looked at Madame Gerrie in her faded shawl, her
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  Speaker 1: worn shoes, her old taffeted dress and dingy bonnet. It
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  Speaker 1: was quite evident from the manager's attitude that he either
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  Speaker 1: did not know or could not remember having met Madame Gerie,
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  Speaker 1: nor even Littley, nor even little Meg. But Madame Gerie's
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  Speaker 1: pride was so great that the celebrated box keeper imagined
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  Speaker 1: that everybody knew her, never heard of her. The manager declared,
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  Speaker 1: But that's no reason, Madame Gerie, why I shouldn't ask
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  Speaker 1: you what happened last night? Make you and the inspector
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  Speaker 1: call in a municipal guard. I was just wanting to
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  Speaker 1: see you, sir, and talk to you about it, so
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  Speaker 1: that you mightn't have the same unpleasantness as Monsieur de
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  Speaker 1: Biane and Monsieur POULINI. They wouldn't listen to me either
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  Speaker 1: at first. I'm not asking you about all that. I'm
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  Speaker 1: asking what happened last night. Madame Gerie turned purple with indignation.
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  Speaker 1: Never had she been spoken to like that. She rose
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  Speaker 1: as though to go, gathering up the folds of her
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  Speaker 1: skirts and waving the feathers of her dingy bonnet with dignity,
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  Speaker 1: but changing her mind, she sat down again and said,
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  Speaker 1: in a haughty voice, I'll tell you what happened. The
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  Speaker 1: ghost was annoyed again. Thereupon, as Monsieur Richard was on
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  Speaker 1: the point of bursting out, Monsieur Moncharmin interfered and conducted
• 15:02
  Speaker 1: the interrogatory. Whence it appeared that Madame Gerrie thought it
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  Speaker 1: quite natural that a voice should be heard to say
• 15:09
  Speaker 1: that a box was taken when there was nobody in
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  Speaker 1: the box. She was unable to explain this phenomenon, which
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  Speaker 1: was not new to her, except by the intervention of
• 15:18
  Speaker 1: the ghost. Nobody could see the ghost in his box,
• 15:22
  Speaker 1: but everybody could hear him. She had often heard him,
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  Speaker 1: and they could believe her, for she always spoke the truth.
• 15:29
  Speaker 1: They could ask Monsieur de Bienne and Monsieur Pouligni, and
• 15:32
  Speaker 1: anybody who knew her, and also Monsieur isid'or chap, who
• 15:36
  Speaker 1: had had a leg broken by the ghost. Indeed, said Moncharmin,
• 15:40
  Speaker 1: interrupting her, did the ghost break poor Isidore Chack's leg.
• 15:45
  Speaker 1: Madame Gerie opened her eyes with astonishment at such ignorance. However,
• 15:49
  Speaker 1: she consented to enlighten those two poor innocents. The thing
• 15:53
  Speaker 1: had happened in Monsieur de Bienne and Monsieur Pouligne's time,
• 15:57
  Speaker 1: also in Box five, and also during a perform torments
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: of Faust. Madame Jerie coughed, cleared her throat. It sounded
• 16:05
  Speaker 1: as though she were preparing to sing the whole of
• 16:07
  Speaker 1: Guenaud score, and began it was like this, sir. That night,
• 16:12
  Speaker 1: Monsieur Minera and his lady, the jewelers in the Rue Mogador,
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: were sitting in the front of the box, with their
• 16:19
  Speaker 1: great friend Monsieur Isidorsak sitting behind Madame Minera. Mephistopheles was singing,
• 16:26
  Speaker 1: Madame Gerie here burst into song herself, Kathina, while you
• 16:31
  Speaker 1: play at sleeping. And then Monsieur Minera heard a voice
• 16:36
  Speaker 1: in his right ear. His wife was on his left, saying,
• 16:40
  Speaker 1: ha ha, Julie's not playing at sleeping. His wife happened
• 16:44
  Speaker 1: to be called Julie. So Monsieur Minera turns to the
• 16:47
  Speaker 1: right to see who is talking to him like that,
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  Speaker 1: nobody there. He rubs his ear and asks himself if
• 16:54
  Speaker 1: he's dreaming. Then Mephistopheles went on with his serenade. But
• 17:00
  Speaker 1: perhaps I'm boring you gentlemen. No, no, go on, you
• 17:05
  Speaker 1: are too good gentleman, with a smirk. Well, then Mephistopheles
• 17:09
  Speaker 1: went on with his serenade. Madame Jerie bursting into song again,
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  Speaker 1: sanged and closed thy portals wholly and accord the bliss
• 17:18
  Speaker 1: to a mortal bending lowly of a pardoned kiss. And
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: then Monsieur Minera again hears the voice in his right ear, saying,
• 17:26
  Speaker 1: this time, ha ha, Julie wouldn't mind according a kiss
• 17:30
  Speaker 1: to Isidore. Then he turns round again, but this time
• 17:34
  Speaker 1: to the left, and what do you think He sees Isidor,
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  Speaker 1: who had taken his lady's hand and was covering it
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  Speaker 1: with kisses through the little round place in the glove,
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  Speaker 1: Like this gentleman rapturously kissing the bed of palm left
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  Speaker 1: bare in the middle of her thread gloves. Then they
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  Speaker 1: had a lively time between them bang bang. Monsieur Minera,
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: who was big and strong like you. Monsieur Richard, gave
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: two blows to Monsieur Isidore Shak, who was small and
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  Speaker 1: weak like Monsieur Moncharmin, saving his presence. There was a
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  Speaker 1: great uproar. People in the house shouted that will do
• 18:09
  Speaker 1: stop them, He'll kill him. Then at last Monsieur Isidoorshak
• 18:13
  Speaker 1: managed to run away. Then the ghost had not broken
• 18:17
  Speaker 1: his leg, asked Moncharmin, a little vexed that his figure
• 18:21
  Speaker 1: had made so little impression on Madame Gerie. He did
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  Speaker 1: break it for him, sir, replied Madame Gerie houghtly. He
• 18:28
  Speaker 1: broke it for him on the grand staircase, which he
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: ran down too fast, sir, And it will be long
• 18:33
  Speaker 1: before the poor gentleman will be able to go up
• 18:36
  Speaker 1: it again. Did the ghost tell you what he said
• 18:39
  Speaker 1: in Monsieur Minera's right ear, asked Moncharmin, with a gravity
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: which he thought exceedingly humorous. No, Sir, it was Monsieur
• 18:47
  Speaker 1: Minera himself. So, but you have spoken to the ghost,
• 18:51
  Speaker 1: my good lady, as I'm speaking to you now, my
• 18:53
  Speaker 1: good sir. Madame Gerie replied, And when the ghost speaks
• 18:58
  Speaker 1: to you. What does he say, Well, he tells me
• 19:01
  Speaker 1: to bring him a footstool. This time Richard burst out laughing,
• 19:05
  Speaker 1: as did Moncharmin and Remy the Secretary. Only the Inspector,
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: warned by experience, was careful not to laugh, while Madame
• 19:13
  Speaker 1: Jerie ventured to adopt an attitude that was positively threatening.
• 19:18
  Speaker 1: Instead of laughing, she cried indignantly, you'd do better to
• 19:22
  Speaker 1: do as Monsieur Poulignyi did, who found out for himself,
• 19:27
  Speaker 1: found out about what asked Moncharmin, who had never been
• 19:30
  Speaker 1: so much amused in his life about the ghost of course,
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: look here, she suddenly calmed herself, feeling that this was
• 19:38
  Speaker 1: a solemn moment in her life. Look here, she repeated.
• 19:42
  Speaker 1: They were playing Le Louive. Monsieur Pouligni thought he would
• 19:46
  Speaker 1: watch the performance from the ghost box. Well, when Leopold
• 19:49
  Speaker 1: cries let us fly, you know, and Elizer stops them
• 19:53
  Speaker 1: and says, whither go ye? Well, Monsieur Pouligni, I was
• 19:57
  Speaker 1: watching him from the back of the next box, which
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: was empty. Monsieur Peulini got up and walked out, quite stiffly,
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: like a statue, And before I had time to ask him,
• 20:06
  Speaker 1: whither go ye like e leads her. He was down
• 20:09
  Speaker 1: the staircase, but without breaking his leg. Still, that doesn't
• 20:14
  Speaker 1: let us know how the opera ghost came to ask
• 20:17
  Speaker 1: you for a footstool, insisted Monsieur Moncharmin. Well, from that
• 20:21
  Speaker 1: evening no one tried to take the ghost private box
• 20:24
  Speaker 1: from him. The manager gave orders that he was to
• 20:26
  Speaker 1: have it at each performance, and whenever he came he
• 20:29
  Speaker 1: asked me for a footstool. Tat, tat a ghost asking
• 20:34
  Speaker 1: for a footstool. Then this ghost of yours is a woman. No,
• 20:38
  Speaker 1: the ghost is a man. How do you know he
• 20:42
  Speaker 1: has a man's voice. Oh, such a lovely man's voice.
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: This is what happens when he comes to the opera.
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: It's usually in the middle of the first act. He
• 20:51
  Speaker 1: gives three little taps on the door of Box five.
• 20:54
  Speaker 1: The first time I heard those three taps, when I
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: knew there was no one in the box. You can
• 20:58
  Speaker 1: think how puzzled I was. I opened the door, listened,
• 21:02
  Speaker 1: looked nobody, and then I heard a voice say, Madame Jules,
• 21:07
  Speaker 1: My poor husband's name was Jules. A footstool. Please saving
• 21:12
  Speaker 1: your presents, gentlemen. It made me feel all over his
• 21:15
  Speaker 1: like but the voice went on, don't be frightened, Madame Jules,
• 21:19
  Speaker 1: I'm the opera ghost. And the voice was so soft
• 21:23
  Speaker 1: and kind that I hardly felt frightened. The voice was
• 21:26
  Speaker 1: sitting in the corner chair on the right in the
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: front row. Was there any one in the box on
• 21:32
  Speaker 1: the right of box five, asked Moncharmin. No. Box seven
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: and box three, the one on the left, were both empty.
• 21:40
  Speaker 1: The curtain had only just gone up. And what did
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: you do well? I brought the footstool. Of course, it
• 21:48
  Speaker 1: wasn't for himself he wanted it, but for his lady.
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: But I never heard her nor saw her. Eh, what
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: so now the ghost is married. The eyes of the
• 21:57
  Speaker 1: two managers traveled from Madame Jery to the inspector, who,
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: standing behind the box keeper, was waving his arms to
• 22:04
  Speaker 1: attract their attention. He tapped his forehead with a distressful
• 22:07
  Speaker 1: forefinger to convey his opinion that the widow Jules Jury
• 22:11
  Speaker 1: was most certainly mad, a piece of pantomime which confirmed
• 22:15
  Speaker 1: Monsieur Richard in his determination to get rid of an
• 22:18
  Speaker 1: inspector who kept a lunatic in his service. Meanwhile, the
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: worthy lady went on about her ghost. Now painting his generosity.
• 22:26
  Speaker 1: At the end of the performance, he always gives me
• 22:29
  Speaker 1: two francs, sometimes five, sometimes even ten, when he has
• 22:33
  Speaker 1: been many days without coming. Only since people have begun
• 22:37
  Speaker 1: to annoy him again, he gives me nothing at all.
• 22:41
  Speaker 1: Excuse me, my good woman, said Moncharmin, while Madame Jerye
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: tossed the feathers in her dingy hat at this persistent familiarity.
• 22:51
  Speaker 1: Excuse me, how does the ghost manage to give you
• 22:54
  Speaker 1: your two francs? Why he leaves them on the little
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: shelf in the box. Of course, I find them with
• 23:00
  Speaker 1: the program which I always give him. Some evenings I
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: find flowers in the box, a rose that must have
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: dropped from his lady's bodisse, for he brings a lady
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: with him sometimes. One day they left a fan behind him.
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: Oh the ghosts left a fan, did he? And what
• 23:16
  Speaker 1: did you do with it? Well? I brought it back
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: to the box next night. Here the inspector's voice was raised.
• 23:24
  Speaker 1: You've broken the rules. I shall have to find you,
• 23:27
  Speaker 1: Madame Gerie. Hold your tongue, you fool, muttered Monsieur Firmin Richard.
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: You brought back the fan, and then well then they
• 23:37
  Speaker 1: took it away with them, sir. It was not there
• 23:39
  Speaker 1: at the end of the performance, and in its place
• 23:42
  Speaker 1: they left me a box of English suites, which I'm
• 23:45
  Speaker 1: very fond of. That's one of the ghost's pretty thoughts.
• 23:49
  Speaker 1: That will do, Madame Gerie. You can go. When Madame
• 23:54
  Speaker 1: Gerie had bowed herself out with the dignity that never
• 23:57
  Speaker 1: deserted her, the manager told the inspect that they had
• 24:00
  Speaker 1: decided to dispense with that old bad woman's services, and
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: when he had gone in his turn, they instructed the
• 24:08
  Speaker 1: acting manager to make up the inspector's accounts. Left alone,
• 24:12
  Speaker 1: the managers told each other of the idea which they
• 24:14
  Speaker 1: both had in mind, which was that they should look
• 24:17
  Speaker 1: into that little matter of Box five themselves. End of
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: Chapter four