the hunchback of notre dame-第104部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ovements　than　that　mechanical　convulsion　of　the　stomach；　which　one　experiences　in　dreams　when　one　fancies　himself　falling。　　His　fixed　eyes　were　wide　open　with　a　stare。　　He　lost　ground　little　by　little；　nevertheless；　his　fingers　slipped　along　the　spout；　he　became　more　and　more　conscious　of　the　feebleness　of　his　arms　and　the　weight　of　his　body。　　The　curve　of　the　lead　which　sustained　him　inclined　more　and　more　each　instant　towards　the　abyss。

He　beheld　below　him；　a　frightful　thing；　the　roof　of　Saint…　Jean　le　Rond；　as　small　as　a　card　folded　in　two。　　He　gazed　at　the　impressive　carvings；　one　by　one；　of　the　tower；　suspended　like　himself　over　the　precipice；　but　without　terror　for　themselves　or　pity　for　him。　　All　was　stone　around　him；　before　his　eyes；　gaping　monsters；　below；　quite　at　the　bottom；　in　the　Place；　the　pavement；　above　his　head；　Quasimodo　weeping。

In　the　Parvis　there　were　several　groups　of　curious　good　people；　who　were　tranquilly　seeking　to　divine　who　the　madman　could　be　who　was　amusing　himself　in　so　strange　a　manner。　The　priest　heard　them　saying；　for　their　voices　reached　him；　clear　and　shrill：　〃Why；　he　will　break　his　neck！〃

Quasimodo　wept。

At　last　the　archdeacon；　foaming　with　rage　and　despair；　understood　that　all　was　in　vain。　　Nevertheless；　he　collected　all　the　strength　which　remained　to　him　for　a　final　effort。　　He　stiffened　himself　upon　the　spout；　pushed　against　the　wall　with　both　his　knees；　clung　to　a　crevice　in　the　stones　with　his　hands；　and　succeeded　in　climbing　back　with　one　foot；　perhaps；　but　this　effort　made　the　leaden　beak　on　which　he　rested　bend　abruptly。　　His　cassock　burst　open　at　the　same　time。　　Then；　feeling　everything　give　way　beneath　him；　with　nothing　but　his　stiffened　and　failing　hands　to　support　him；　the　unfortunate　man　closed　his　eyes　and　let　go　of　the　spout。　He　fell。

Quasimodo　watched　him　fall。

A　fall　from　such　a　height　is　seldom　perpendicular。　　The　archdeacon；　launched　into　space；　fell　at　first　head　foremost；　with　outspread　hands；　then　he　whirled　over　and　over　many　times；　the　wind　blew　him　upon　the　roof　of　a　house；　where　the　unfortunate　man　began　to　break　up。　　Nevertheless；　he　was　not　dead　when　he　reached　there。　　The　bellringer　saw　him　still　endeavor　to　cling　to　a　gable　with　his　nails；　but　the　surface　sloped　too　much；　and　he　had　no　more　strength。　　He　slid　rapidly　along　the　roof　like　a　loosened　tile；　and　dashed　upon　the　pavement。　　There　he　no　longer　moved。

Then　Quasimodo　raised　his　eyes　to　the　gypsy；　whose　body　he　beheld　hanging　from　the　gibbet；　quivering　far　away　beneath　her　white　robe　with　the　last　shudderings　of　anguish；　then　he　dropped　them　on　the　archdeacon；　stretched　out　at　the　base　of　the　tower；　and　no　longer　retaining　the　human　form；　and　he　said；　with　a　sob　which　heaved　his　deep　chest；　〃Oh！　all　that　I　have　ever　loved！〃




CHAPTER　III。

THE　MARRIAGE　OF　PHOEBUS。



Towards　evening　on　that　day；　when　the　judiciary　officers　of　the　bishop　came　to　pick　up　from　the　pavement　of　the　Parvis　the　dislocated　corpse　of　the　archdeacon；　Quasimodo　had　disappeared。

A　great　many　rumors　were　in　circulation　with　regard　to　this　adventure。　　No　one　doubted　but　that　the　day　had　come　when；　in　accordance　with　their　compact；　Quasimodo；　that　is　to　say；　the　devil；　was　to　carry　off　Claude　Frollo；　that　is　to　say；　the　sorcerer。　　It　was　presumed　that　he　had　broken　the　body　when　taking　the　soul；　like　monkeys　who　break　the　shell　to　get　at　the　nut。

This　is　why　the　archdeacon　was　not　interred　in　consecrated　earth。

Louis　XI。　died　a　year　later；　in　the　month　of　August；　1483。

As　for　Pierre　Gringoire；　he　succeeded　in　saving　the　goat；　and　he　won　success　in　tragedy。　　It　appears　that；　after　having　tasted　astrology；　philosophy；　architecture；　hermetics；all　vanities；　he　returned　to　tragedy；　vainest　pursuit　of　all。　　This　is　what　he　called　〃coming　to　a　tragic　end。〃　　This　is　what　is　to　be　read；　on　the　subject　of　his　dramatic　triumphs；　in　1483；　in　the　accounts　of　the　〃Ordinary：〃　　〃To　Jehan　Marchand　and　Pierre　Gringoire；　carpenter　and　composer；　who　have　made　and　composed　the　mystery　made　at　the　Ch？telet　of　Paris；　at　the　entry　of　Monsieur　the　Legate；　and　have　ordered　the　personages；　clothed　and　dressed　the　same；　as　in　the　said　mystery　was　required；　and　likewise；　for　having　made　the　scaffoldings　thereto　necessary；　and　for　this　deed；one　hundred　livres。〃

Phoebus　de　Chateaupers　also　came　to　a　tragic　end。　　He　married。




CHAPTER　IV。

THE　MARRIAGE　OF　QUASIMODO。



We　have　just　said　that　Quasimodo　disappeared　from　Notre…　Dame　on　the　day　of　the　gypsy's　and　of　the　archdeacon's　death。　He　was　not　seen　again；　in　fact；　no　one　knew　what　had　become　of　him。

During　the　night　which　followed　the　execution　of　la　Esmeralda；　the　night　men　had　detached　her　body　from　the　gibbet；　and　had　carried　it；　according　to　custom；　to　the　cellar　of　Montfau？on。

Montfau？on　was；　as　Sauval　says；　〃the　most　ancient　and　the　most　superb　gibbet　in　the　kingdom。〃　　Between　the　faubourgs　of　the　Temple　and　Saint　Martin；　about　a　hundred　and　sixty　toises　from　the　walls　of　Paris；　a　few　bow　shots　from　La　Courtille；　there　was　to　be　seen　on　the　crest　of　a　gentle；　almost　imperceptible　eminence；　but　sufficiently　elevated　to　be　seen　for　several　leagues　round　about；　an　edifice　of　strange　form；　bearing　considerable　resemblance　to　a　Celtic　cromlech；　and　where　also　human　sacrifices　were　offered。

Let　the　reader　picture　to　himself；　crowning　a　limestone　hillock；　an　oblong　mass　of　masonry　fifteen　feet　in　height；　thirty　wide；　forty　long；　with　a　gate；　an　external　railing　and　a　platform；　on　this　platform　sixteen　enormous　pillars　of　rough　hewn　stone；　thirty　feet　in　height；　arranged　in　a　colonnade　round　three　of　the　four　sides　of　the　mass　which　support　them；　bound　together　at　their　summits　by　heavy　beams；　whence　hung　chains　at　intervals；　on　all　these　chains；　skeletons；　in　the　vicinity；　on　the　plain；　a　stone　cross　and　two　gibbets　of　secondary　importance；　which　seemed　to　have　sprung　up　as　shoots　around　the　central　gallows；　above　all　this；　in　the　sky；　a　perpetual　flock　of　crows；　that　was　Montfau？on。

At　the　end　of　the　fifteenth　century；　the　formidable　gibbet　which　dated　from　1328；　was　already　very　much　dilapidated；　the　beams　were　wormeaten；　the　chains　rusted；　the　pillars　green　with　mould；　the　layers　of　hewn　stone　were　all　cracked　at　their　joints；　and　grass　was　growing　on　that　platform　which　no　feet　touched。　　The　monument　made　a　horrible　profile　against　the　sky；　especially　at　night　when　there　was　a　little　moonlight　on　those　white　skulls；　or　when　the　breeze　of　evening　brushed　the　chains　and　the　skeletons；　and　swayed　all　these　in　the　darkness。　　The　presence　of　this　gibbet　sufficed　to　render　gloomy　all　the　surrounding　places。

The　mass　of　masonry　which　served　as　foundation　to　the　odious　edifice　was　hollow。　　A　huge　cellar　had　been　constructed　there；　closed　by　an　old　iron　grating；　which　was　out　of　order；　into　which　were　cast　not　only　the　human　remains；　which　were　taken　from　the　chains　of　Montfau？on；　but　also　the　bodies　of　all　the　unfortunates　executed　on　the　other　permanent　gibbets　of　Paris。　　To　that　deep　charnel…house；　where　so　many　human　remains　and　so　many　crimes　have　rotted　in　company；　many　great　ones　of　this　world；　many　innocent　people；　have　contributed　their　bones；　from　Enguerrand　de　Marigni；　the　first　victim；　and　a　just　man；　to　Admiral　de　Coligni；　who　was　its　last；　and　who　was　also　a　just　man。

As　for　the　mysterious　disappearance　of　Quasimodo；　this　is　all　that　we　have　been　able　to　discover。

About　eighteen　months　or　two　years　after　the　events　which　terminate　this　story；　when　search　was　made　in　that　cavern　for　the　body　of　Olivier　le　Daim；　who　had　been　hanged　two　days　previously；　and　to　whom　Charles　VIII。　had　granted　the　favor　of　being　buried　in　Saint　Laurent；　in　better　company；　they　found　among　all　those　hideous　carcasses　two　skeletons；　one　of　which　held　the　other　in　its　embrace。　　One　of　these　skeletons；　which　was　that　of　a　woman；　still　had　a　few　strips　of　a　garment　which　had　once　been　white；　and　around　her　neck　was　to　be　seen　a　string　of　adrézarach　beads　with　a　little　silk　bag　ornamented　with　green　glass；　which　was　open　and　empty。　These　objects　were　of　so　little　value　that　the　executioner　had　probably　not　cared　for　them。　　The　other；　which　held　this　one　in　a　close　embrace；　was　the　skeleton　of　a　man。　　It　was　noticed　that　his　spinal　column　was　crooked；　his　head　seated　on　his　shoulder　blades；　and　that　one　leg　was　shorter　than　the　other。　Moreover；　there　was　no　fracture　of　the　vertebrae　at　the　nape　of　the　neck；　and　it　was　evident　that　he　had　not　been　hanged。　Hence；　the　man　to　whom　it　had　belonged　had　come　thither　and　had　died　there。　　When　they　tried　to　detach　the　skeleton　which　he　held　in　his　embrace；　he　fell　to　dust。




NOTE

ADDED　TO　THE　DEFINITIVE　EDITION。



It　is　by　mistake　that　this　edition　was　announced　as　augmented　by　many　new　chapters。　　The　word　should　have　been　unpublished。　　In　fact；　if　by　new；　newly　made　is　to　be　understood；　the　chapters　added　to　this　edition　are　not　new。　They　were　written　at　the　same　time　as　the　rest　of　the　work；　they　date　from　the　same　epoch；　and　sprang　from　the　same　thought；　they　have　always　formed　a　part　of　the　manuscript　of　〃Notre…Dame…de…Paris。〃　Moreover；　the　author　cannot　comprehend　how　fresh　developments　could　be　added　to　a　work　of　this　character　after　its　completion。　　This　is　not　to　be　done　at　will。　　According　to　his　idea；　a　romance　is　born　in　a　manner　that　is；　in　some　sort；　necessary；　with　all　its　chapters；　a　drama　is　born　with　all　its　scenes。　　Think　not　that　there　is　anything　arbitrary　in　the　numbers　of　parts　of　which　that　whole；　that　mysterious　microcosm　which　you　call　a　drama　or　a　romance；　is　composed。　　Grafting　and　soldering　take　badly　on　works　of　this　nature；　which　should　gush　forth　in　a　single　stream　and　so　remain。　　The　thing　once　done；　do　not　change　your　mind；　do　not　touch　it　up。　　The　book　once　published；　the　sex　of　the　work；　whether　virile　or　not；　has　been　recognized　and　proclaimed；　when　the　child　has　once　uttered　his　first　cry　he　is　born；　there　he　is；　he　is　made　so；　neither　father　nor　mother　can　do　anything；　he　belongs　to　the　air　and　to　the　sun；　let　him　live　or　die；　such　as　he　is。　　Has　your　book　been　a　failure？　So　much　the　worse。　　Add　no　chapters　to　an　unsuccessful　book。　　Is　it　incomplete？　　You　should　have　completed