the hunchback of notre dame-第18部分

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sel；　pitchforks；　axes；　legs　staggering　with　intoxication；　huge；　bare　arms；　faces　sordid；　dull；　and　stupid。　　In　the　midst　of　this　Round　Table　of　beggary；　Clopin　Trouillefou；as　the　doge　of　this　senate；　as　the　king　of　this　peerage；　as　the　pope　of　this　conclave；　dominated；　first　by　virtue　of　the　height　of　his　hogshead；　and　next　by　virtue　of　an　indescribable；　haughty；　fierce；　and　formidable　air；　which　caused　his　eyes　to　flash；　and　corrected　in　his　savage　profile　the　bestial　type　of　the　race　of　vagabonds。　　One　would　have　pronounced　him　a　boar　amid　a　herd　of　swine。

〃Listen；〃　said　he　to　Gringoire；　fondling　his　misshapen　chin　with　his　horny　hand；　〃I　don't　see　why　you　should　not　be　hung。　　It　is　true　that　it　appears　to　be　repugnant　to　you；　and　it　is　very　natural；　for　you　bourgeois　are　not　accustomed　to　it。　You　form　for　yourselves　a　great　idea　of　the　thing。　　After　all；　we　don't　wish　you　any　harm。　　Here　is　a　means　of　extricating　yourself　from　your　predicament　for　the　moment。　　Will　you　become　one　of　us？〃

The　reader　can　judge　of　the　effect　which　this　proposition　produced　upon　Gringoire；　who　beheld　life　slipping　away　from　him；　and　who　was　beginning　to　lose　his　hold　upon　it。　　He　clutched　at　it　again　with　energy。

〃Certainly　I　will；　and　right　heartily；〃　said　he。

〃Do　you　consent；〃　resumed　Clopin；　〃to　enroll　yourself　among　the　people　of　the　knife？〃

〃Of　the　knife；　precisely；〃　responded　Gringoire。

〃You　recognize　yourself　as　a　member　of　the　free　bourgeoisie？〃*　added　the　King　of　Thunes。


*　　A　high…toned　sharper。


〃Of　the　free　bourgeoisie。〃

〃Subject　of　the　Kingdom　of　Argot？〃

〃Of　the　Kingdom　of　Argot*。〃


*　　Thieves。


〃A　vagabond？〃

〃A　vagabond。〃

〃In　your　soul？〃

〃In　my　soul。〃

〃I　must　call　your　attention　to　the　fact；〃　continued　the　king；　〃that　you　will　be　hung　all　the　same。〃

〃The　devil！〃　said　the　poet。

〃Only；〃　continued　Clopin　imperturbably；　〃you　will　be　hung　later　on；　with　more　ceremony；　at　the　expense　of　the　good　city　of　Paris；　on　a　handsome　stone　gibbet；　and　by　honest　men。　That　is　a　consolation。〃

〃Just　so；〃　responded　Gringoire。

〃There　are　other　advantages。　　In　your　quality　of　a　high…toned　sharper；　you　will　not　have　to　pay　the　taxes　on　mud；　or　the　poor；　or　lanterns；　to　which　the　bourgeois　of　Paris　are　subject。〃

〃So　be　it；〃　said　the　poet。　　〃I　agree。　　I　am　a　vagabond；　a　thief；　a　sharper；　a　man　of　the　knife；　anything　you　please；　and　I　am　all　that　already；　monsieur；　King　of　Thunes；　for　I　am　a　philosopher；　~et　omnia　in　philosophia；　omnes　in　philosopho　continentur~；all　things　are　contained　in　philosophy；　all　men　in　the　philosopher；　as　you　know。〃

The　King　of　Thunes　scowled。

〃What　do　you　take　me　for；　my　friend？　　What　Hungarian　Jew　patter　are　you　jabbering　at　us？　　I　don't　know　Hebrew。　One　isn't　a　Jew　because　one　is　a　bandit。　　I　don't　even　steal　any　longer。　　I'm　above　that；　I　kill。　　Cut…throat；　yes；　cutpurse；　no。〃

Gringoire　tried　to　slip　in　some　excuse　between　these　curt　words；　which　wrath　rendered　more　and　more　jerky。

〃I　ask　your　pardon；　monseigneur。　　It　is　not　Hebrew；　'tis　Latin。〃

〃I　tell　you；〃　resumed　Clopin　angrily；　〃that　I'm　not　a　Jew；　and　that　I'll　have　you　hung；　belly　of　the　synagogue；　like　that　little　shopkeeper　of　Judea；　who　is　by　your　side；　and　whom　I　entertain　strong　hopes　of　seeing　nailed　to　a　counter　one　of　these　days；　like　the　counterfeit　coin　that　he　is！〃

So　saying；　he　pointed　his　finger　at　the　little；　bearded　Hungarian　Jew　who　had　accosted　Gringoire　with　his　~facitote　caritatem~；　and　who；　understanding　no　other　language　beheld　with　surprise　the　King　of　Thunes's　ill…humor　overflow　upon　him。

At　length　Monsieur　Clopin　calmed　down。

〃So　you　will　be　a　vagabond；　you　knave？〃　he　said　to　our　poet。

〃Of　course；〃　replied　the　poet。

〃Willing　is　not　all；〃　said　the　surly　Clopin；　〃good　will　doesn't　put　one　onion　the　more　into　the　soup；　and　'tis　good　for　nothing　except　to　go　to　Paradise　with；　now；　Paradise　and　the　thieves'　band　are　two　different　things。　　In　order　to　be　received　among　the　thieves；*　you　must　prove　that　you　are　good　for　something；　and　for　that　purpose；　you　must　search　the　manikin。〃


*　L'argot。


〃I'll　search　anything　you　like；〃　said　Gringoire。

Clopin　made　a　sign。　　Several　thieves　detached　themselves　from　the　circle；　and　returned　a　moment　later。　　They　brought　two　thick　posts；　terminated　at　their　lower　extremities　in　spreading　timber　supports；　which　made　them　stand　readily　upon　the　ground；　to　the　upper　extremity　of　the　two　posts　they　fitted　a　cross…beam；　and　the　whole　constituted　a　very　pretty　portable　gibbet；　which　Gringoire　had　the　satisfaction　of　beholding　rise　before　him；　in　a　twinkling。　　Nothing　was　lacking；　not　even　the　rope；　which　swung　gracefully　over　the　cross…beam。

〃What　are　they　going　to　do？〃　Gringoire　asked　himself　with　some　uneasiness。　　A　sound　of　bells；　which　he　heard　at　that　moment；　put　an　end　to　his　anxiety；　it　was　a　stuffed　manikin；　which　the　vagabonds　were　suspending　by　the　neck　from　the　rope；　a　sort　of　scarecrow　dressed　in　red；　and　so　hung　with　mule…bells　and　larger　bells；　that　one　might　have　tricked　out　thirty　Castilian　mules　with　them。　　These　thousand　tiny　bells　quivered　for　some　time　with　the　vibration　of　the　rope；　then　gradually　died　away；　and　finally　became　silent　when　the　manikin　had　been　brought　into　a　state　of　immobility　by　that　law　of　the　pendulum　which　has　dethroned　the　water　clock　and　the　hour…glass。　Then　Clopin；　pointing　out　to　Gringoire　a　rickety　old　stool　placed　beneath　the　manikin；　〃Climb　up　there。〃

〃Death　of　the　devil！〃　objected　Gringoire；　〃I　shall　break　my　neck。　　Your　stool　limps　like　one　of　Martial's　distiches；　it　has　one　hexameter　leg　and　one　pentameter　leg。〃

〃Climb！〃　repeated　Clopin。

Gringoire　mounted　the　stool；　and　succeeded；　not　without　some　oscillations　of　head　and　arms；　in　regaining　his　centre　of　gravity。

〃Now；〃　went　on　the　King　of　Thunes；　〃twist　your　right　foot　round　your　left　leg；　and　rise　on　the　tip　of　your　left　foot。〃

〃Monseigneur；〃　said　Gringoire；　〃so　you　absolutely　insist　on　my　breaking　some　one　of　my　limbs？〃

Clopin　tossed　his　head。

〃Hark　ye；　my　friend；　you　talk　too　much。　　Here's　the　gist　of　the　matter　in　two　words：　you　are　to　rise　on　tiptoe；　as　I　tell　you；　in　that　way　you　will　be　able　to　reach　the　pocket　of　the　manikin；　you　will　rummage　it；　you　will　pull　out　the　purse　that　is　there；and　if　you　do　all　this　without　our　hearing　the　sound　of　a　bell；　all　is　well：　you　shall　be　a　vagabond。　All　we　shall　then　have　to　do；　will　be　to　thrash　you　soundly　for　the　space　of　a　week。〃

〃~Ventre…Dieu~！　　I　will　be　careful；〃　said　Gringoire。　　〃And　suppose　I　do　make　the　bells　sound？〃

〃Then　you　will　be　hanged。　　Do　you　understand？〃

〃I　don't　understand　at　all；〃　replied　Gringoire。

〃Listen；　once　more。　　You　are　to　search　the　manikin；　and　take　away　its　purse；　if　a　single　bell　stirs　during　the　operation；　you　will　be　hung。　　Do　you　understand　that？〃

〃Good；〃　said　Gringoire；　〃I　understand　that。　　And　then？〃

〃If　you　succeed　in　removing　the　purse　without　our　hearing　the　bells；　you　are　a　vagabond；　and　you　will　be　thrashed　for　eight　consecutive　days。　　You　understand　now；　no　doubt？〃

〃No；　monseigneur；　I　no　longer　understand。　　Where　is　the　advantage　to　me？　hanged　in　one　case；　cudgelled　in　the　other？〃

〃And　a　vagabond；〃　resumed　Clopin；　〃and　a　vagabond；　is　that　nothing？　　It　is　for　your　interest　that　we　should　beat　you；　in　order　to　harden　you　to　blows。〃

〃Many　thanks；〃　replied　the　poet。

〃Come；　make　haste；〃　said　the　king；　stamping　upon　his　cask；　which　resounded　like　a　huge　drum！　　Search　the　manikin；　and　let　there　be　an　end　to　this！　　I　warn　you　for　the　last　time；　that　if　I　hear　a　single　bell；　you　will　take　the　place　of　the　manikin。〃

The　band　of　thieves　applauded　Clopin's　words；　and　arranged　themselves　in　a　circle　round　the　gibbet；　with　a　laugh　so　pitiless　that　Gringoire　perceived　that　he　amused　them　too　much　not　to　have　everything　to　fear　from　them。　　No　hope　was　left　for　him；　accordingly；　unless　it　were　the　slight　chance　of　succeeding　in　the　formidable　operation　which　was　imposed　upon　him；　he　decided　to　risk　it；　but　it　was　not　without　first　having　addressed　a　fervent　prayer　to　the　manikin　he　was　about　to　plunder；　and　who　would　have　been　easier　to　move　to　pity　than　the　vagabonds。　　These　myriad　bells；　with　their　little　copper　tongues；　seemed　to　him　like　the　mouths　of　so　many　asps；　open　and　ready　to　sting　and　to　hiss。

〃Oh！〃　he　said；　in　a　very　low　voice；　〃is　it　possible　that　my　life　depends　on　the　slightest　vibration　of　the　least　of　these　bells？　　Oh！〃　he　added；　with　clasped　hands；　〃bells；　do　not　ring；　hand…bells　do　not　clang；　mule…bells　do　not　quiver！〃

He　made　one　more　attempt　upon　Trouillefou。

〃And　if　there　should　come　a　gust　of　wind？〃

〃You　will　be　hanged；〃　replied　the　other；　without　hesitation。

Perceiving　that　no　respite；　nor　reprieve；　nor　subterfuge　was　possible；　he　bravely　decided　upon　his　course　of　action；　he　wound　his　right　foot　round　his　left　leg；　raised　himself　on　his　left　foot；　and　stretched　out　his　arm：　but　at　the　moment　when　his　hand　touched　the　manikin；　his　body；　which　was　now　supported　upon　one　leg　only；　wavered　on　the　stool　which　had　but　three；　he　made　an　involuntary　effort　to　support　himself　by　the　manikin；　lost　his　balance；　and　fell　heavily　to　the　ground；　deafened　by　the　fatal　vibration　of　the　thousand　bells　of　the　manikin；　which；　yielding　to　the　impulse　imparted　by　his　hand；　described　first　a　rotary　motion；　and　then　swayed　majestically　between　the　two　posts。

〃Malediction！〃　he　cried　as　he　fell；　and　remained　as　though　dead；　with　his　face　to　the　earth。

Meanwhile；　he　heard　the　dreadful　peal　above　his　head；　the　diabolical　laughter　of　the　vagabonds；　and　the　voice　of　Trouillefou　saying；

〃Pick　me　up　that　knave；　and　hang　him　without　ceremony。〃　He　rose。　　They　had　already　detached　the　manikin　to　make　room　for　him。

The　thieves　made　him　mount　the　stool；　Clopin　came　to　him；　passed　the　rope　about　his　neck；　and；　tapping　him　on　the　shoulder；

〃Adieu；　my　friend。　　You　can't　escape　now；　even　if　you　digested　with　the　pope's　guts。〃

The　word　〃Mercy！〃　died　away　upon　Gringoire's　lips。　　He　cast　his　eyes　about　him；　but　there　was　no　hope：　all　were　laughing。

〃Bellevigne　de　l'Etoile；〃　said　the　King　of　Thunes　to　an　enormous　vagabond；　who　stepped　out　from　the　ranks；　〃climb　upon　the　cross　beam。〃