But we spontaneously seized each other's hand.

We stood like that for some minutes, without moving, with our eyes fixed on the same point; but the figure had disappeared.

Then we went out and, in the lobby, communicated our impressions to each other and talked about 'the shape.' The misfortune was that my shape was not in the least like Richard's.

I had seen a thing like a death's head resting on the ledge of the box, whereas Richard saw the shape of an old woman who looked like Mme.Giry.

We soon discovered that we had really been the victims of an illusion, whereupon, without further delay and laughing like madmen, we ran to Box Five on the grand tier, went inside and found no shape of any kind." Box Five is just like all the other grand tier boxes.