the hunchback of notre dame-第103部分

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d　his　head　high；　as　though　trying　to　see　something　over　the　roofs。　　The　owl　often　assumes　this　oblique　attitude。　　It　flies　towards　one　point　and　looks　towards　another。　　In　this　manner　the　priest　passed　above　Quasimodo　without　seeing　him。

The　deaf　man；　who　had　been　petrified　by　this　sudden　apparition；　beheld　him　disappear　through　the　door　of　the　staircase　to　the　north　tower。　　The　reader　is　aware　that　this　is　the　tower　from　which　the　H？tel…de…Ville　is　visible。　Quasimodo　rose　and　followed　the　archdeacon。

Quasimodo　ascended　the　tower　staircase　for　the　sake　of　ascending　it；　for　the　sake　of　seeing　why　the　priest　was　ascending　it。　　Moreover；　the　poor　bellringer　did　not　know　what　he　（Quasimodo）　should　do；　what　he　should　say；　what　he　wished。　He　was　full　of　fury　and　full　of　fear。　　The　archdeacon　and　the　gypsy　had　come　into　conflict　in　his　heart。

When　he　reached　the　summit　of　the　tower；　before　emerging　from　the　shadow　of　the　staircase　and　stepping　upon　the　platform；　he　cautiously　examined　the　position　of　the　priest。　The　priest's　back　was　turned　to　him。　　There　is　an　openwork　balustrade　which　surrounds　the　platform　of　the　bell　tower。　The　priest；　whose　eyes　looked　down　upon　the　town；　was　resting　his　breast　on　that　one　of　the　four　sides　of　the　balustrades　which　looks　upon　the　Pont　Notre…Dame。

Quasimodo；　advancing　with　the　tread　of　a　wolf　behind　him；　went　to　see　what　he　was　gazing　at　thus。

The　priest's　attention　was　so　absorbed　elsewhere　that　he　did　not　hear　the　deaf　man　walking　behind　him。

Paris　is　a　magnificent　and　charming　spectacle；　and　especially　at　that　day；　viewed　from　the　top　of　the　towers　of　Notre…　Dame；　in　the　fresh　light　of　a　summer　dawn。　　The　day　might　have　been　in　July。　　The　sky　was　perfectly　serene。　　Some　tardy　stars　were　fading　away　at　various　points；　and　there　was　a　very　brilliant　one　in　the　east；　in　the　brightest　part　of　the　heavens。　　The　sun　was　about　to　appear；　Paris　was　beginning　to　move。　　A　very　white　and　very　pure　light　brought　out　vividly　to　the　eye　all　the　outlines　that　its　thousands　of　houses　present　to　the　east。　　The　giant　shadow　of　the　towers　leaped　from　roof　to　roof；　from　one　end　of　the　great　city　to　the　other。　There　were　several　quarters　from　which　were　already　heard　voices　and　noisy　sounds。　　Here　the　stroke　of　a　bell；　there　the　stroke　of　a　hammer；　beyond；　the　complicated　clatter　of　a　cart　in　motion。

Already　several　columns　of　smoke　were　being　belched　forth　from　the　chimneys　scattered　over　the　whole　surface　of　roofs；　as　through　the　fissures　of　an　immense　sulphurous　crater。　The　river；　which　ruffles　its　waters　against　the　arches　of　so　many　bridges；　against　the　points　of　so　many　islands；　was　wavering　with　silvery　folds。　　Around　the　city；　outside　the　ramparts；　sight　was　lost　in　a　great　circle　of　fleecy　vapors　through　which　one　confusedly　distinguished　the　indefinite　line　of　the　plains；　and　the　graceful　swell　of　the　heights。　　All　sorts　of　floating　sounds　were　dispersed　over　this　half…awakened　city。　　Towards　the　east；　the　morning　breeze　chased　a　few　soft　white　bits　of　wool　torn　from　the　misty　fleece　of　the　hills。

In　the　Parvis；　some　good　women；　who　had　their　milk　jugs　in　their　hands；　were　pointing　out　to　each　other；　with　astonishment；　the　singular　dilapidation　of　the　great　door　of　Notre…Dame；　and　the　two　solidified　streams　of　lead　in　the　crevices　of　the　stone。　　This　was　all　that　remained　of　the　tempest　of　the　night。　　The　bonfire　lighted　between　the　towers　by　Quasimodo　had　died　out。　　Tristan　had　already　cleared　up　the　Place；　and　had　the　dead　thrown　into　the　Seine。　　Kings　like　Louis　XI。　are　careful　to　clean　the　pavement　quickly　after　a　massacre。

Outside　the　balustrade　of　the　tower；　directly　under　the　point　where　the　priest　had　paused；　there　was　one　of　those　fantastically　carved　stone　gutters　with　which　Gothic　edifices　bristle；　and；　in　a　crevice　of　that　gutter；　two　pretty　wallflowers　in　blossom；　shaken　out　and　vivified；　as　it　were；　by　the　breath　of　air；　made　frolicsome　salutations　to　each　other。　　Above　the　towers；　on　high；　far　away　in　the　depths　of　the　sky；　the　cries　of　little　birds　were　heard。

But　the　priest　was　not　listening　to；　was　not　looking　at；　anything　of　all　this。　　He　was　one　of　the　men　for　whom　there　are　no　mornings；　no　birds；　no　flowers。　　In　that　immense　horizon；　which　assumed　so　many　aspects　about　him；　his　contemplation　was　concentrated　on　a　single　point。

Quasimodo　was　burning　to　ask　him　what　he　had　done　with　the　gypsy；　but　the　archdeacon　seemed　to　be　out　of　the　world　at　that　moment。　　He　was　evidently　in　one　of　those　violent　moments　of　life　when　one　would　not　feel　the　earth　crumble。　He　remained　motionless　and　silent；　with　his　eyes　steadily　fixed　on　a　certain　point；　and　there　was　something　so　terrible　about　this　silence　and　immobility　that　the　savage　bellringer　shuddered　before　it　and　dared　not　come　in　contact　with　it。　Only；　and　this　was　also　one　way　of　interrogating　the　archdeacon；　he　followed　the　direction　of　his　vision；　and　in　this　way　the　glance　of　the　unhappy　deaf　man　fell　upon　the　Place　de　Grève。

Thus　he　saw　what　the　priest　was　looking　at。　　The　ladder　was　erected　near　the　permanent　gallows。　　There　were　some　people　and　many　soldiers　in　the　Place。　　A　man　was　dragging　a　white　thing；　from　which　hung　something　black；　along　the　pavement。　　This　man　halted　at　the　foot　of　the　gallows。

Here　something　took　place　which　Quasimodo　could　not　see　very　clearly。　　It　was　not　because　his　only　eye　had　not　preserved　its　long　range；　but　there　was　a　group　of　soldiers　which　prevented　his　seeing　everything。　　Moreover；　at　that　moment　the　sun　appeared；　and　such　a　flood　of　light　overflowed　the　horizon　that　one　would　have　said　that　all　the　points　in　Paris；　spires；　chimneys；　gables；　had　simultaneously　taken　fire。

Meanwhile；　the　man　began　to　mount　the　ladder。　　Then　Quasimodo　saw　him　again　distinctly。　　He　was　carrying　a　woman　on　his　shoulder；　a　young　girl　dressed　in　white；　that　young　girl　had　a　noose　about　her　neck。　　Quasimodo　recognized　her。

It　was　she。

The　man　reached　the　top　of　the　ladder。　　There　he　arranged　the　noose。　　Here　the　priest；　in　order　to　see　the　better；　knelt　upon　the　balustrade。

All　at　once　the　man　kicked　away　the　ladder　abruptly；　and　Quasimodo；　who　had　not　breathed　for　several　moments；　beheld　the　unhappy　child　dangling　at　the　end　of　the　rope　two　fathoms　above　the　pavement；　with　the　man　squatting　on　her　shoulders。　The　rope　made　several　gyrations　on　itself；　and　Quasimodo　beheld　horrible　convulsions　run　along　the　gypsy's　body。　　The　priest；　on　his　side；　with　outstretched　neck　and　eyes　starting　from　his　head；　contemplated　this　horrible　group　of　the　man　and　the　young　girl；the　spider　and　the　fly。

At　the　moment　when　it　was　most　horrible；　the　laugh　of　a　demon；　a　laugh　which　one　can　only　give　vent　to　when　one　is　no　longer　human；　burst　forth　on　the　priest's　livid　face。

Quasimodo　did　not　hear　that　laugh；　but　he　saw　it。

The　bellringer　retreated　several　paces　behind　the　archdeacon；　and　suddenly　hurling　himself　upon　him　with　fury；　with　his　huge　hands　he　pushed　him　by　the　back　over　into　the　abyss　over　which　Dom　Claude　was　leaning。

The　priest　shrieked：　〃Damnation！〃　and　fell。

The　spout；　above　which　he　had　stood；　arrested　him　in　his　fall。　　He　clung　to　it　with　desperate　hands；　and；　at　the　moment　when　he　opened　his　mouth　to　utter　a　second　cry；　he　beheld　the　formidable　and　avenging　face　of　Quasimodo　thrust　over　the　edge　of　the　balustrade　above　his　head。

Then　he　was　silent。

The　abyss　was　there　below　him。　　A　fall　of　more　than　two　hundred　feet　and　the　pavement。

In　this　terrible　situation；　the　archdeacon　said　not　a　word；　uttered　not　a　groan。　　He　merely　writhed　upon　the　spout；　with　incredible　efforts　to　climb　up　again；　but　his　hands　had　no　hold　on　the　granite；　his　feet　slid　along　the　blackened　wall　without　catching　fast。　　People　who　have　ascended　the　towers　of　Notre…Dame　know　that　there　is　a　swell　of　the　stone　immediately　beneath　the　balustrade。　　It　was　on　this　retreating　angle　that　miserable　archdeacon　exhausted　himself。　　He　had　not　to　deal　with　a　perpendicular　wall；　but　with　one　which　sloped　away　beneath　him。

Quasimodo　had　but　to　stretch　out　his　hand　in　order　to　draw　him　from　the　gulf；　but　he　did　not　even　look　at　him。　　He　was　looking　at　the　Grève。　　He　was　looking　at　the　gallows。　　He　was　looking　at　the　gypsy。

The　deaf　man　was　leaning；　with　his　elbows　on　the　balustrade；　at　the　spot　where　the　archdeacon　had　been　a　moment　before；　and　there；　never　detaching　his　gaze　from　the　only　object　which　existed　for　him　in　the　world　at　that　moment；　he　remained　motionless　and　mute；　like　a　man　struck　by　lightning；　and　a　long　stream　of　tears　flowed　in　silence　from　that　eye　which；　up　to　that　time；　had　never　shed　but　one　tear。

Meanwhile；　the　archdeacon　was　panting。　　His　bald　brow　was　dripping　with　perspiration；　his　nails　were　bleeding　against　the　stones；　his　knees　were　flayed　by　the　wall。

He　heard　his　cassock；　which　was　caught　on　the　spout；　crack　and　rip　at　every　jerk　that　he　gave　it。　　To　complete　his　misfortune；　this　spout　ended　in　a　leaden　pipe　which　bent　under　the　weight　of　his　body。　　The　archdeacon　felt　this　pipe　slowly

giving　way。　　The　miserable　man　said　to　himself　that；　when　his　hands　should　be　worn　out　with　fatigue；　when　his　cassock　should　tear　asunder；　when　the　lead　should　give　way；　he　would　be　obliged　to　fall；　and　terror　seized　upon　his　very　vitals。　Now　and　then　he　glanced　wildly　at　a　sort　of　narrow　shelf　formed；　ten　feet　lower　down；　by　projections　of　the　sculpture；　and　he　prayed　heaven；　from　the　depths　of　his　distressed　soul；　that　he　might　be　allowed　to　finish　his　life；　were　it　to　last　two　centuries；　on　that　space　two　feet　square。　　Once；　he　glanced　below　him　into　the　Place；　into　the　abyss；　the　head　which　he　raised　again　had　its　eyes　closed　and　its　hair　standing　erect。

There　was　something　frightful　in　the　silence　of　these　two　men。　　While　the　archdeacon　agonized　in　this　terrible　fashion　a　few　feet　below　him；　Quasimodo　wept　and　gazed　at　the　Grève。

The　archdeacon；　seeing　that　all　his　exertions　served　only　to　weaken　the　fragile　support　which　remained　to　him；　decided　to　remain　quiet。　　There　he　hung；　embracing　the　gutter；　hardly　breathing；　no　longer　stirring；　making　no　longer　any　other　movements　than　that　mechanical　convulsion　of　the　stomach；　which　one　experiences　in　dreams　when　one　fa