Phantom of the Opera Question

Hey there Straightdopers. While I may have a super ultra double low post count, I’ve been lurking the boards for quite some time; unfortunately, I’ve never seen the answer to a literary puzzle that I’ve been pondering ever since reading The Phantom of the Opera many years ago.

Who exactly is the “shade” with the soft felt hat that the Persian refers to in the following text supposed to represent?
*
“Is it some one belonging to the theater police?” asked Raoul.

“It’s some one much worse than that!” replied the Persian, without giving any further explanation.

Like the Persian, I can give no further explanation touching the apparition of this shade. Whereas, in this historic narrative, everything else will be normally explained, however abnormal the course of events may seem, I can not give the reader expressly to understand what the Persian meant by the words, “It is some one much worse than that!” The reader must try to guess for himself, for I promised M. Pedro Gailhard, the former manager of the Opera, to keep his secret regarding the extremely interesting and useful personality of the wandering, cloaked shade which, while condemning itself to live in the cellars of the Opera, rendered such immense services to those who, on gala evenings, for instance, venture to stray away from the stage. I am speaking of state services; and, upon my word of honor, I can say no more.
“It’s not…he?”* from Chapter 20

I take it from the footnote that his identity might not be a mystery to those more familiar with the history of the region at the time, but in my (admittedly meager) research, I haven’t found anything addressing the identity of the mystery man, and have found myself wondering if his existence isn’t as much a work of fiction as the rest of the novel.

Can anyone clear this up for me?

Just want to say I really enjoyed that book… it’s been a long time since I’ve read it. I don’t have an answer to your question, though.

Isn’t it pretty obvious that the Shade is just another term for the Phantom?

Isn’t it pretty obvious that the Shade is just another term for the Phantom?

No Chronos, it’s not. From what the Persian says, I take it that the shade is not the Phantom… after the Viscount asks the Persian if the shade is the Phantom, the Persian replies

“He?..If he does not come behind us, we shall always see his yellow eyes! That is more or less our safeguard to-night. But he may come from behind, stealing up; and we are dead men if we do not keep our hands as though about to fire, at the level of our eyes, in front!”

Because of this reply, I believe that a lack of yellow eyes = not the Phantom. Besides, the whole section would seem inconsistent if the shade was the Phantom. Also, I doubt the Phantom would be described as interesting and useful and of great service to people that lose their way on gala evenings.

And if the shade were the Phantom, why all the dissembling? Why the talk about “state service” and such? Why not just tell us?