All the hair he has is three or four long dark locks on his forehead and behind his ears." This chief scene-shifter was a serious, sober, steady man, very slow at imagining things.

His words were received with interest and amazement; and soon there were other people to say that they too had met a man in dress-clothes with a death's head on his shoulders.

Sensible men who had wind of the story began by saying that Joseph Buquet had been the victim of a joke played by one of his assistants.

And then, one after the other, there came a series of incidents so curious and so inexplicable that the very shrewdest people began to feel uneasy.
For instance, a fireman is a brave fellow! He fears nothing, least of all fire! Well, the fireman in question, who had gone to make a round of inspection in the cellars and who, it seems, had ventured a little farther than usual, suddenly reappeared on the stage, pale, scared, trembling, with his eyes starting out of his head, and practically fainted in the arms of the proud mother of little Jammes.[1] And why?
Because he had seen coming toward him, AT THE LEVEL OF HIS HEAD, BUT WITHOUT A BODY ATTACHED TO IT, A HEAD OF FIRE! And, as I said, a fireman is not afraid of fire.
The fireman's name was Pampin.
The corps de ballet was flung into consternation.

At first sight, this fiery head in no way corresponded with Joseph Buquet's description of the ghost.