"if i am not mistaken, this is a wall that might easily belong to the house on the lake."he was striking a partition-wall of the "tub," and perhaps it would be as well for the reader to know how the bottom and the partition-walls of the tub were built.in order to prevent the water surrounding the building-operations from remaining in immediate contact with the walls supporting the whole of the theatrical machinery, the architect was obliged to build a double case in every direction.
the work of constructing this double case took a whole year.
it was the wall of the first inner case that the persian struck when speaking to raoul of the house on the lake.to any one understanding the architecture of the edifice, the persian's action would seem to indicate that erik's mysterious house had been built in the double case, formed of a thick wall constructed as an embankment or dam, then of a brick wall, a tremendous layer of cement and another wall several yards in thickness.
at the persian's words, raoul flung himself against the wall and listened eagerly.but he heard nothing...nothing...except distant steps.
the persian darkened his lantern again.
"look out!" he said."keep your hand up! and silence! for we shall try another way of getting in."and he led him to the little staircase by which they had come down lately.
they went up, stopping at each step, peering into the darkness and the silence, till they came to the third cellar.here the persian motioned to raoul to go on his knees; and, in this way, crawling on both knees and one hand--for the other hand was held in the position indicated--they reached the end wall.
against this wall stood a large discarded scene from the roi de lahore.
close to this scene was a set piece.between the scene and the set piece there was just room for a body...for a body which one day was found hanging there.the body of joseph buquet.
the persian, still kneeling, stopped and listened.for a moment, he seemed to hesitate and looked at raoul; then he turned his eyes upward, toward the second cellar, which sent down the faint glimmer of a lantern, through a cranny between two boards.