“She did so before my eyes, sir! I was hidden behind the curtain of the inner room and I saw her vanish not by the glass, but in the glass!”

“And what did you do?”

“I thought it was an aberration of my senses, a mad dream.⁠ ⁠…”

“Or some new fancy of the ghost’s!” chuckled the Persian. “Ah, M. de Chagny,” he continued, still with his hand on the mirror, “would that we had to do with a ghost! We could then leave our pistols in their case.⁠ ⁠… Put down your hat, please⁠ ⁠… there⁠ ⁠… and now cover your shirtfront as much as you can with your coat⁠ ⁠… as I am doing.⁠ ⁠… Bring the lapels forward⁠ ⁠… turn up the collar.⁠ ⁠… We must make ourselves as invisible as possible.⁠ ⁠…”

Bearing against the mirror, after a short silence, he said: