Then we heard Christine's voice of anguish: "No! ... I'm frightened! ... I tell you, I'm afraid of the dark! ... I
don't care about that room now ... You're always frightening me, like
a child, with your torture-chamber! ... And so I became inquisitive...
But I don't care about it now ... not a bit ... not a bit!"
And that which I feared above all things began, AUTOMATICALLY. We were
suddenly flooded with light! Yes, on our side of the wall, everything
seemed aglow. The Vicomte de Chagny was so much taken aback that he
staggered. And the angry voice roared: "I told you there was some one! Do you see the window now? The
lighted window, right up there? The man behind the wall can't see it!
But you shall go up the folding steps: that is what they are there
for! ... You have often asked me to tell you; and now you know! ...
They are there to give a peep into the torture-chamber ... you
inquisitive little thing!"
"What tortures? ... Who is being tortured? ... Erik, Erik, say you are
only trying to frighten me! ... Say it, if you love me, Erik! ... There
are no tortures, are there?"
"Go and look at the little window, dear!"
I do not know if the viscount heard the girl's swooning voice, for he
was too much occupied by the astounding spectacle that now appeared
before his distracted gaze. As for me, I had seen that sight too
often, through the little window, at the time of the rosy hours of
Mazenderan; and I cared only for what was being said next door, seeking
for a hint how to act, what resolution to take.
"Go and peep through the little window! Tell me what he looks like!"
We heard the steps being dragged against the wall.
"Up with you! ... No! ... No, I will go up myself, dear!"
"Oh, very well, I will go up. Let me go!"
"Oh, my darling, my darling! ... How sweet of you! ... How nice of you
to save me the exertion at my age! ... Tell me what he looks like!"
At that moment, we distinctly heard these words above our heads: "There is no one there, dear!"
"No one? ... Are you sure there is no one?"
"Why, of course not ... no one!"
"Well, that's all right! ... What's the matter, Christine? You're not
going to faint, are you ... as there is no one there? ... Here ...
come down ... there! ... Pull yourself together ... as there is no one
there! ... BUT HOW DO YOU LIKE THE LANDSCAPE?"