The Ballet Girls' Panic

On the evening of the farewell gala performance for the retiring managers, the ballet girls rush into Sorelli's dressing-room in a state of terror, claiming they have seen the Opera Ghost. Little Jammes is particularly frightened, and the girls describe the ghost as a gentleman in dress-clothes who appeared suddenly in the passage, seemingly coming through the wall. They also recall the description given by Joseph Buquet, the chief scene-shifter, who had seen the ghost and described him as extraordinarily thin with a death's head. The girls are superstitious and believe the ghost is responsible for various mishaps. Sorelli, though skeptical, is also superstitious and tries to calm them, but the atmosphere is charged with fear.