The man with the ebony skin, the eyes of jade and the astrakhan cap bent over Raoul.
`I hope, M. de Chagny,' he said, `that you have not betrayed Erik's secret?'
`And why should I hesitate to betray that monster, sir?' Raoul rejoined haughtily, trying to shake off the intruder. `Is he your friend, by any chance?'
`I hope that you said, nothing about Erik, sir, because Erik's secret is also Christine Daaé's and to talk about one is to talk about the other!'
`Oh, sir,' said Raoul, becoming more and more impatient, `you seem to know about many things that interest me; and yet I have no time to listen to you!'
`Once more, M. de Chagny, where are you going so fast?'
`Can not you guess? To Christine Daaé's assistance....'
`Then, sir, stay here, for Christine Daaé is here!'
`With Erik?'
`With Erik.'
`How do you know?'
`I was at the performance and no one in the world but Erik could contrive an abduction like that!...Oh,' he said, with a deep sigh, `I recognized the monster's touch!...'
`You know him then?'
The Persian did not reply, but heaved a fresh sigh.
`Sir,' said Raoul, `I do not know what your intentions are, but can you do anything to help me? I mean, to help Christine Daaé?'
`I think so, M. de Chagny, and that is why I spoke to you.'
`What can you do?'
`Try to take you to her...and to him.'
`If you can do me that service, sir, my life is yours!...One word more: the commissary of police tells me that Christine Daaé has been carried off by my brother, Count Philippe.'
`Oh, M. de Chagny, I don't believe a word of it.'
`It's not possible, is it?'
`I don't know if it is possible or not; but there are ways and ways of carrying people off; and M. le Comte Philippe has never, as far as I know, had anything to do with witchcraft.'