第70章 Interesting and Instructive (4)

When, my cab set me down before the Opera, I was really almost astonished to see it still standing! But I am something of a fatalist, like all good Orientals, and I entered ready, for anything.

Christine Daae's abduction in the Prison Act, which naturally surprised everybody, found me prepared.I was quite certain that she had been juggled away by Erik, that prince of conjurers.

And I thought positively that this was the end of Christine and perhaps of everybody, so much so that I thought of advising all these people who were staying on at the theater to make good their escape.

I felt, however, that they would be sure to look upon me as mad and I refrained.

On the other hand, I resolved to act without further delay, as far as I was concerned.The chances were in my favor that Erik, at that moment, was thinking only of his captive.This was the moment to enter his house through the third cellar; and I resolved to take with me that poor little desperate viscount, who, at the first suggestion, accepted, with an amount of confidence in myself that touched me profoundly.I had sent my servant for my pistols.

I gave one to the viscount and advised him to hold himself ready to fire, for, after all, Erik might be waiting for us behind the wall.

We were to go by the Communists' road and through the trap-door.

Seeing my pistols, the little viscount asked me if we were going to fight a duel.I said:

"Yes; and what a duel!" But, of course, I had no time to explain anything to him.The little viscount is a brave fellow, but he knew hardly anything about his adversary; and it was so much the better.My great fear was that he was already somewhere near us, preparing the Punjab lasso.No one knows better than he how to throw the Punjab lasso, for he is the king of stranglers even as he is the prince of conjurors.When he had finished making the little sultana laugh, at the time of the "rosy hours of Mazenderan,"she herself used to ask him to amuse her by giving her a thrill.

It was then that he introduced the sport of the Punjab lasso.