The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-07-18
CHAPTER XXI.
n the Torture Chamber.

IN the Torture Chamber.
The Persian's Narrative Continued.
We were In the middle of a little
six-cornered room, the sides of which
We're covered with mirrors from top
to bottom. In the corners, we could
clearly see the Joins" In the glasses.
the segments intended to turn on
their gear; yes, l recognized them
and | recognized the iron tree in the
corner, at the bottom of one of those
segments the iron tree, with
it's iron branch, for the hanged men.
| seized my companions arm: the
Vicomte de Chagny was all a-quiver,
eager to shout to his betrothed that
he was bringing her help. | feared
that he would not be able to contain
himself.
Suddenly, we heard noise On our
left. 1t sounded at first like a door
opening and shutting in the next
room; and then there was a dull
moan. l clutched NJ. de Chagny's
arm more firmly STILL and then we
distinctly heard these words:
You must make your choice! The
wedding mass or the requiem mass!"
| recognized the voice OF the mon
ster.
There was another moan followed
by "a long silence.
| was persuaded by now that the
monster was unaware Of our pres
ence in his house, for otherwise he
would certainly have managed not to
let us hear him. He would only have
had to close the little invisible win
dow through which the torture-lovers
look down into the tOrture-chamber
Besides, was certain that, if he had
known Of our presence, the tOrtures
would have begun at once
The important thing was not to let
him know; and [ dreaded nothing so
much as the impulstyeness Of the
Vicomte de ChagEy, who wanted to
rush through the walls to Christine
Daae, whose means we continued to
hear at intervals.
The requiem mass is not at ali
gay" Erik's voice resumed, whereas
the wedding mass-you can take my
word for it's magnificent! You
must take a resolution and know your
own mind! | can't go on living like
this, like a mole in a burrow, Don
Juan Triumphant is finished; and
now | want to live like everybody
else. | want to have wife like
everybody else and to take her out
on Sundays. | have invented a mask
that makes me look like anybody
People will not even turn round in
the streets. You will be the happiest
of women. And we will sing, all by
ourselves, till we swoon away with
delight You are crying, You are
afraid of mel And yet l am not real
ly wicked. Love me and you SHAH
see! All l wanted was to be loved
for myself. If you loved me | should
be as gentle as lamb; and you could
do anything with me that you
pleased"
Soon the means that accompanied
this sort Of loves litany increased
and increased. l have never heard
anything more despairing; and NJ. de
CndSHy anu L recognized tndt lnlS
terrible lamentation came from Erik
himself Christine seemed to be
standing dumb with horror, without
the strength to cry out, while the
monster was on his knees before her.
Three times over, Erik tercely be-
walled his fate:
You don't love me! You don't
love me! You don't love mel"
And then, more gently:
Why do you cry? You know it
gives me pain to see you cryI'
A silence.
Each silence gave US fresh hope.
We said to ourselves:
Perhaps he has left Christine be-
hind the WALL
And We thought only of the posi-
bility of warning Christine Daae of
our presence, unknown to the mon
ster. We were unable to leave the
torture-chamber now, unless Chris
tine opened the door to us; and 1t
was only on this condition that We
could hope to help her for We did