a
Another name for the Opera House.
b
One of Paris’s principal streets, which spans
the first and fourth arrondissements (sections of the
city).
c
Chic area of Paris, populated largely by
aristocrats during the nineteenth century.
d
I have the anecdote, which is quite authentic,
from M. Pedro Gailhard, himself, the late manager of the Opera.
[Leroux’s note]4
e
Town about 50 miles north of Stockholm.
f
Breton word for “ghosts” or “goblins.”
g
Figure of the storm spirit in South African
literature.
h
Reference to George Bizet’s celebrated opera of
1875.
i
Type of horse-drawn carriage.
j
The Bois de Boulogne, a park where Parisians often
strolled and rode in carriages.
k
Long, loose cloak with a hood, usually worn with a
half mask.
l
Period of three days immediately preceding Ash
Wednesday.
m
A naturally sweet wine from the area around Tokaj,
Hungary.
n
Four-wheeled carriage with two double inside seats
facing each other.
o
Extras (“super” is short for
“supernumerary”).
p
Flash notes [a term for “play money”] drawn on the
“Bank of St. Farce” in France correspond with those drawn on the
“Bank of Engraving” in England. [Translator’s Note.]
q
M. Pedro Gailhard has himself told me that he
created a few additional posts as door-shutters for old
stage-carpenters whom he was unwilling to dismiss from the service
of the Opera. [Leroux’s note]
r
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!” [Leroux’s note]
s
Like the Persian, I can give no further
explanation touching the apparition of this shade. Whereas, in this
historic narrative, everything else will be normally explained,
however abnormal the course of events may seem, I can not give the
reader expressly to understand what the Persian meant by the words,
“It is some one much worse than that!” The reader must try to guess
for himself, for I promised M. Pedro Gailhard, the former manager
of the Opera, to keep his secret regarding the extremely
interesting and useful personality of the wandering, cloaked shade
which, while condemning itself to live in the cellars of the Opera,
rendered such immense services to those who, on gala evenings, for
instance, venture to stray away from the stage. I am speaking of
state services; and, upon my word of honour, I can say no more.
[Leroux’s note]2
t
All the water had to be exhausted, in the building
of the Opera. To give an idea of the amount of water that was
pumped up, I can tell the reader that it represented the area of
the court-yard of the Louvre and a height half as deep again as the
towers of Notre Dame. And nevertheless the engineers had to leave a
lake. [Leroux’s note]
u
These two pairs of boots, which were placed,
according to the Persian’s papers, just between the set piece and
the scene from the Roi de Lahore, on the post where Joseph
Buquet was found hanging, were never discovered. They must have
been taken by some stage-carpenter or “door-shutter.” [Leroux’s
note]
v
Inhabitants of the northernmost part of Vietnam.
†An official report from Tonkin, received in Paris at the end of
July, 1909, relates how the famous pirate chief De Tham was
tracked, together with his men, by our soldiers; and how all of
them succeeded in escaping, thanks to this trick of the reeds.
[Leroux’s note] ‡Female member of the family of the sovereign of a
Muslim state.
w
Daroga is Persian for chief of police.
[Leroux’s note] †The Persian might easily have admitted that Erik’s
fate also interested himself, for he was well aware that, if the
government of Teheran had learned that Erik was still alive, it
would have been all up with the modest pension of the erstwhile
daroga. It is only fair, however, to add that the Persian had a
noble and generous heart; and I do not doubt for a moment that the
catastrophes which he feared for others greatly occupied his mind.
His conduct, throughout this business, proves it and is above all
praise. [Leroux’s note]2
x
Petition made in the Catholic mass; it is Greek
for “Lord have mercy.”
y
Famous wax museum in Paris that opened in
1882.
z
An upright post with a projecting arm, used for
hangings.
aa
It is very natural that, at the time when the
Persian was writing, he should take so many precautions against any
spirit of incredulity on the part of those who were likely to read
his narrative. Nowadays, when we have all seen this sort of room,
his precautions would be superfluous. [Leroux’s note]
ab
Town located near Versailles, to the west of
Paris.
ac
Even so, I am convinced that it would be easy to
reach it by draining the lake, as I have repeatedly requested the
Ministry of Fine Arts to do. I was speaking about it to M.
Dujardin-Beaumetz, the under-secretary for fine arts, only
forty-eight hours before the publication of this book. Who knows
but that the score of Don Juan Triumphant might yet be
discovered in the house on the lake? [Leroux’s note]
ad
Town in Russia.
ae
Conjuring trick requiring manual
dexterity.
af
Emperor of Persia.
ag
The oldest existing city in central Asia,
located in present-day Uzbekistan.
ah
The Afghani-Persian war was from 1837 to
1842.
ai
One of the sultan’s residences in Constantinople
(modern-day Istanbul).
aj
See the interview of the special correspondent
of the Matin, with Mohammed-Ali Bey, on the day after the
entry of the Salonika troops into Constantinople. [Leroux’s
note]