Join Host Bree Carlile as she reads the eighteenth chapter of The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux.

Come with us as we release one bite a day of one of your favorite classic novels, plays & short stories. Bree reads these classics like she reads to her daughter, one chapter a day. If you love books or audiobooks and want something to listen to as you're getting ready, driving to work, or as you're getting ready for bed, check out Bite at a Time Books!

Follow, rate, and review Bite at a Time Books where we read you your favorite classics, one bite at a time. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Check out our website, or join our Facebook Group!

Get exclusive Behind the Scenes content on our YouTube!

We are now part of the Bite at a Time Books Productions network!

If you ever wondered what inspired your favorite classic novelist to write their stories, what was happening in their lives or the world at the time, check out Bite at a Time Books Behind the Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Follow us on all the socials: Instagram - Twitter - Facebook - TikTok

Follow Bree at: Instagram - Twitter - Facebook

Take a look in a book and let's see what we can find take a chapter by chapter one by one at a time so many adventures and mountains we can climb take it word for word, line by line we Fight at a Time.

Video welcome to Bite at a Time books, where we read you your favorite classics.

One byte at a time.

My name is Brie Carlyle and I love to read and wanted to share my passion with listeners like you.

If you like the podcast, join our Facebook group bytodotimebooks.com Facebookgroup.

Be sure to follow my show on your favorite podcast platform so you get all the new episodes.

You can find most of our links in the show notes, but also our website Bite Atotimebooks.com includes all of the links for our show, including to our patreon to support the show, and YouTube, where we have special behind the narration of the episodes.

We are part of the Byte at a Time Books Productions network.

If you'd also like to hear what inspired your favorite classic author to write their novels and what was going on in the world at the time, check out the Bite at a Time Books Behind the Story podcast.

Wherever you listen to podcasts today, we'll be continuing The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston at L.

Rowe.

Chapter 18 the Commissary, the VI Count and the Persian.

The first words of the Commissary of Police on entering the manager's office were to ask after the missing primadonna is Christine Daier here?

Christine Dye here?

Echoed Richard.

No.

Why?

As for Monsharmin, he had not the strength left to utter a word.

Richard repeated, for the commissary in the compact crowd which had followed him into the office, observed in an impressive silence, why do you ask if Christine Dyes here, Monsieur Lake Commissaire?

Because she has to be found, declared the Commissary of Police solemnly.

What do you mean she has to be found?

Has she disappeared in the middle of the performance?

In the middle of the performance?

This is extraordinary, isn't it?

And what is quite as extraordinary is that you should first learn it from me.

Yes, said Richard, taking his head in his hands and muttering, what is this new business?

Oh, it's enough to make a man send in his resignation.

And he pulled a few hairs out of his moustache without even knowing what he was doing.

So she so she disappeared in the middle of the performance?

He repeated.

Yes, she was carried off in the prison act at the moment when she was invoking the aid of the angels.

But I doubt if she was carried off by an angel.

And I'm sure that she was.

Everybody looked round.

A young man, pale and trembling with excitement, repeated, I'm sure of it.

Sure of what?

Asked my Freud.

That Christine Dale was carried off by an angel.

Monsieur le Comicier.

And I can tell you his name.

AHA, Monsieur Levi.

Count Deshagni.

So you maintain that Christine Daet was carried off by an angel?

An angel of the Opera, no doubt.

Yes, monsieur, by an angel of the Opera.

And I will tell you where he lives when we are alone.

You are right, monsieur.

And the Commissary of Police, inviting Raoul to take a chair, cleared the room of all the rest excepting the managers.

Then Raul spoke.

Monsieur Lee commisseer.

The angel is called Eric.

He lives in the Opera and he is the angel of Music.

The angel of Music?

Really?

That is very curious.

The angel of Music.

And turning to the managers, Monsieur Mifreud asked have you an angel of Music on the premises, gentlemen?

Richard and Monsharmin shook their heads without even speaking.

Oh, said the Vy Count, those gentlemen have heard of the Opera Ghost.

Well, I am in a position to state that the Opera Ghost and the angel of Music are one in the same person.

And his real name is Eric.

Monsieur My Freud rose and looked at Raoul attentively I beg your pardon, monsieur, but is it your intention to make fun of the law?

And if not, what is all this about the Opera Ghost?

I say that these gentlemen have heard of him.

Gentlemen, it appears that you know the Opera Ghost richard rose with the remaining hairs of his mustache in his hand.

No, monsieur Commissary.

No, we do not know him.

But we wish that we did.

For this very evening he has robbed us of 200 francs.

And Richard turned a terrible look on Moncharmin, which seemed to say give me back the 200 francs or I'll tell the whole story.

Monshoremen understood what he meant, for with a distracted gesture he said I'll tell everything and have it done with.

As for My Freud, he looked at the managers and at Raul by turns and wondered whether he had strayed into a lunatic asylum.

He passed his hand through his hair.

A ghost, he said, who on the same evening carries off an opera singer and steals 200 francs is a ghost who must have his hands very full.

If you don't mind, we will take the questions in order.

The singer first, the 200 francs after.

Come, Monster Deshagni, let us try to talk seriously.

You believe that Mademoiselle Christine Daie had been carried off by an individual called Eric?

Do you know this person?

Have you seen him?

Yes.

Where?

In a churchyard once.

Your Mifoid gave a start, began to scrutinize Raoul again and said of course, that's where ghosts usually hang out.

And what were you doing in that churchyard, monsieur?

Said Raoul, I can quite understand how absurd my replies must seem to you, but I beg you to believe that I am in full possession of my faculties.

The safety of the person dearest to me in the world is at stake.

I should like to convince you in a few words, for time is pressing and every minute is valuable.

Unfortunately, if I do not tell you the strangest story that ever was from the beginning, you will not believe me.

I will tell you all I know about the opera ghost, Monsieur Commissary.

Alas, I do not know much.

Never mind.

Go on, go on.

Exclaimed Richard and Montcharmin, suddenly greatly interested, unfortunately, for their hopes of learning some detail that could put them on the track of their hoaxer.

They were soon compelled to accept the fact that Monsieur Raul de Shegni had completely lost his head.

All that story about Perus gerak death's heads and enchanted violins could only have taken birth in the disordered brain of a youth mad with love.

It was evident also that myster Commissary Mifreud shared their view, and the magistrate would certainly have cut short the incoherent narrative if circumstances had not taken it upon themselves to interrupt it.

The door opened and a man entered curiously, dressed in an enormous frock coat and a tall hat, at once shabby and shiny, that came down to his ears.

He went up to the commissary and spoke to him in a whisper.

It was doubtless a detective come to deliver an important communication.

During this conversation, Monsieur Maifrod did not take his eyes off Raul.

At last addressing him, he said, monsieur, we've talked enough about the ghost.

We will now talk about yourself a little, if you have no objection.

You were to carry off Mademoiselle Dale tonight.

Yes, monsieur.

Lake commissaire after the performance.

Yes, Monsieur Lesaire.

All your arrangements were made?

Yes, Monsieur Laker.

The carriage that brought you was to take you both away.

There were fresh horses and readiness at every stage.

That is true, Monsieur Lake.

Comicier.

And nevertheless, your carriage is still outside the rotunda awaiting your orders, is it not?

Yes, Monsieur Lake.

Comicier.

Did you know that there were three other carriages there in addition to yours did not pay the least attention?

They were the carriages of Mademoiselle Cereli, which could not find room in the Korle administration of Carlota, and of your brother, Monsieur le Count Deshagni.

Very likely.

What is certain is that though your carriage and Cerelis and carlotas are still there by the rotunda pavement monsieur Lake, Count Deshagnis carriage is gone.

This has nothing to say to I beg your pardon.

Was not Monsieur Lee count a postyear marriage with Mademoiselle Daie.

That is a matter that only concerns the family.

You've answered my question.

He was opposed to it.

And that was why you were carrying Christine Dale out of your brother's reach.

Well, Monsieur Deshagni, allow me to inform you that your brother has been smarter than you.

It is he who has carried off Christine Daie.

Oh, impossible.

Mount Raoul pressing his hand to his heart.

Are you sure?

Immediately after the artist's disappearance, which was procured by means which we have still to ascertain, he flung into his carriage, which drove right across Paris at a furious pace.

Across paris?

Asked poor Raoul in a hoarse voice.

What do you mean, across Paris?

Across Paris and out of Paris by the Brussels road.

Oh, cried the young man, I shall catch them.

And he rushed out of the office and bring her back to us, cried the Commissary gaily.

Ah, that's a trick worth two of the angel of Music.

And turning to his audience, monsieur Maifrey delivered a little lecture on police methods.

I don't know for a moment whether Monsieur Lake, Count Deshagni has really carried Christine Daie off or not, but I want to know.

And I believe that at this moment no one is more anxious to inform us than his brother.

And now he's flying in pursuit of him.

He's my chief auxiliary.

This gentleman is the art of the police, which is believed to be so complicated and which nevertheless appears so simple as soon as it's you see that it consists in getting your work done by people who have nothing to do with the police.

But, monsieur, la commissierde police mi.

Freud would not have been quite so satisfied with himself if he had not known that the rush of his rapid emissary was stopped.

At the entrance of the very first corridor, a tall figure blocked Raoul's way.

Where are you going so fast, Monsieur Deshagni?

Asked a voice.

Raoul impatiently raced his eyes and recognized the astrokin cap of an hour ago.

He stopped.

It's you.

He cried in a feverish voice.

You who know Eric's secrets and don't want me to speak of them.

Who are you?

You know who I am.

I am the Persian.

Thank you for joining Bite Out of Time books today while we read a bite of one of your favorite classics.

Again, my name is Brie Carlyle, and I hope you come back tomorrow for the next bite of The Phantom of the Opera.

Don't forget to join our Facebook group, Bite atitimebooks.com forward slash Facebook group to hang out with other classic novel loving friends.

You can check out the show notes or our website, bite atitimebooks.com for the rest of the links for our show.

Music video, you see what we can find.