Telling Raoul
to stay where he was, he ran up a few steps of the staircase
which they had just left and then returned.
"How stupid of us!" he whispered. "We shall soon have seen the end
of those men with their lanterns. It is the firemen going their
rounds."[4]
----
[4] In those days, it was still part of the firemen's duty to watch
over the safety of the Opera house outside the performances;
but this service has since been suppressed. I asked M. Pedro
Gailhard the reason, and he replied:
"It was because the management was afraid that, in their utter
inexperience of the cellars of the Opera, the firemen might set
fire to the building!"
The two men waited five minutes longer. Then the Persian took Raoul
up the stairs again; but suddenly he stopped him with a gesture.
Something moved in the darkness before them.
"Flat on your stomach!" whispered the Persian.
The two men lay flat on the floor.
They were only just in time. A shade, this time carrying no light,
just a shade in the shade, passed. It passed close to them,
near enough to touch them.
They felt the warmth of its cloak upon them.
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