the hunchback of notre dame-第31部分

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o　had　not　penetrated；　no　height　which　he　had　not　scaled。　　He　often　climbed　many　stones　up　the　front；　aided　solely　by　the　uneven　points　of　the　carving。　　The　towers；　on　whose　exterior　surface　he　was　frequently　seen　clambering；　like　a　lizard　gliding　along　a　perpendicular　wall；　those　two　gigantic　twins；　so　lofty；　so　menacing；　so　formidable；　possessed　for　him　neither　vertigo；　nor　terror；　nor　shocks　of　amazement。

To　see　them　so　gentle　under　his　hand；　so　easy　to　scale；　one　would　have　said　that　he　had　tamed　them。　　By　dint　of　leaping；　climbing；　gambolling　amid　the　abysses　of　the　gigantic　cathedral　he　had　become；　in　some　sort；　a　monkey　and　a　goat；　like　the　Calabrian　child　who　swims　before　he　walks；　and　plays　with　the　sea　while　still　a　babe。

Moreover；　it　was　not　his　body　alone　which　seemed　fashioned　after　the　Cathedral；　but　his　mind　also。　　In　what　condition　was　that　mind？　　What　bent　had　it　contracted；　what　form　had　it　assumed　beneath　that　knotted　envelope；　in　that　savage　life？　　This　it　would　be　hard　to　determine。　　Quasimodo　had　been　born　one…eyed；　hunchbacked；　lame。　　It　was　with　great　difficulty；　and　by　dint　of　great　patience　that　Claude　Frollo　had　succeeded　in　teaching　him　to　talk。　　But　a　fatality　was　attached　to　the　poor　foundling。　　Bellringer　of　Notre…Dame　at　the　age　of　fourteen；　a　new　infirmity　had　come　to　complete　his　misfortunes：　the　bells　had　broken　the　drums　of　his　ears；　he　had　become　deaf。　　The　only　gate　which　nature　had　left　wide　open　for　him　had　been　abruptly　closed；　and　forever。

In　closing；　it　had　cut　off　the　only　ray　of　joy　and　of　light　which　still　made　its　way　into　the　soul　of　Quasimodo。　　His　soul　fell　into　profound　night。　　The　wretched　being's　misery　became　as　incurable　and　as　complete　as　his　deformity。　　Let　us　add　that　his　deafness　rendered　him　to　some　extent　dumb。　For；　in　order　not　to　make　others　laugh；　the　very　moment　that　he　found　himself　to　be　deaf；　he　resolved　upon　a　silence　which　he　only　broke　when　he　was　alone。　　He　voluntarily　tied　that　tongue　which　Claude　Frollo　had　taken　so　much　pains　to　unloose。　Hence；　it　came　about；　that　when　necessity　constrained　him　to　speak；　his　tongue　was　torpid；　awkward；　and　like　a　door　whose　hinges　have　grown　rusty。

If　now　we　were　to　try　to　penetrate　to　the　soul　of　Quasimodo　through　that　thick；　hard　rind；　if　we　could　sound　the　depths　of　that　badly　constructed　organism；　if　it　were　granted　to　us　to　look　with　a　torch　behind　those　non…transparent　organs　to　explore　the　shadowy　interior　of　that　opaque　creature；　to　elucidate　his　obscure　corners；　his　absurd　no…thoroughfares；　and　suddenly　to　cast　a　vivid　light　upon　the　soul　enchained　at　the　extremity　of　that　cave；　we　should；　no　doubt；　find　the　unhappy　Psyche　in　some　poor；　cramped；　and　ricketty　attitude；　like　those　prisoners　beneath　the　Leads　of　Venice；　who　grew　old　bent　double　in　a　stone　box　which　was　both　too　low　and　too　short　for　them。

It　is　certain　that　the　mind　becomes　atrophied　in　a　defective　body。　　Quasimodo　was　barely　conscious　of　a　soul　cast　in　his　own　image；　moving　blindly　within　him。　　The　impressions　of　objects　underwent　a　considerable　refraction　before　reaching　his　mind。　　His　brain　was　a　peculiar　medium；　the　ideas　which　passed　through　it　issued　forth　completely　distorted。　　The　reflection　which　resulted　from　this　refraction　was；　necessarily；　divergent　and　perverted。

Hence　a　thousand　optical　illusions；　a　thousand　aberrations　of　judgment；　a　thousand　deviations；　in　which　his　thought　strayed；　now　mad；　now　idiotic。

The　first　effect　of　this　fatal　organization　was　to　trouble　the　glance　which　he　cast　upon　things。　　He　received　hardly　any　immediate　perception　of　them。　　The　external　world　seemed　much　farther　away　to　him　than　it　does　to　us。

The　second　effect　of　his　misfortune　was　to　render　him　malicious。

He　was　malicious；　in　fact；　because　he　was　savage；　he　was　savage　because　he　was　ugly。　　There　was　logic　in　his　nature；　as　there　is　in　ours。

His　strength；　so　extraordinarily　developed；　was　a　cause　of　still　greater　malevolence：　〃~Malus　puer　robustus~；〃　says　Hobbes。

This　justice　must；　however　be　rendered　to　him。　　Malevolence　was　not；　perhaps；　innate　in　him。　　From　his　very　first　steps　among　men；　he　had　felt　himself；　later　on　he　had　seen　himself；　spewed　out；　blasted；　rejected。　　Human　words　were；　for　him；　always　a　raillery　or　a　malediction。　　As　he　grew　up；　he　had　found　nothing　but　hatred　around　him。　　He　had　caught　the　general　malevolence。　　He　had　picked　up　the　weapon　with　which　he　had　been　wounded。

After　all；　he　turned　his　face　towards　men　only　with　reluctance；　his　cathedral　was　sufficient　for　him。　　It　was　peopled　with　marble　figures；kings；　saints；　bishops；who　at　least　did　not　burst　out　laughing　in　his　face；　and　who　gazed　upon　him　only　with　tranquillity　and　kindliness。　　The　other　statues；　those　of　the　monsters　and　demons；　cherished　no　hatred　for　him；　Quasimodo。　　He　resembled　them　too　much　for　that。　They　seemed　rather；　to　be　scoffing　at　other　men。　　The　saints　were　his　friends；　and　blessed　him；　the　monsters　were　his　friends　and　guarded　him。　　So　he　held　long　communion　with　them。　　He　sometimes　passed　whole　hours　crouching　before　one　of　these　statues；　in　solitary　conversation　with　it。　　If　any　one　came；　he　fled　like　a　lover　surprised　in　his　serenade。

And　the　cathedral　was　not　only　society　for　him；　but　the　universe；　and　all　nature　beside。　　He　dreamed　of　no　other　hedgerows　than　the　painted　windows；　always　in　flower；　no　other　shade　than　that　of　the　foliage　of　stone　which　spread　out；　loaded　with　birds；　in　the　tufts　of　the　Saxon　capitals；　of　no　other　mountains　than　the　colossal　towers　of　the　church；　of　no　other　ocean　than　Paris；　roaring　at　their　bases。

What　he　loved　above　all　else　in　the　maternal　edifice；　that　which　aroused　his　soul；　and　made　it　open　its　poor　wings；　which　it　kept　so　miserably　folded　in　its　cavern；　that　which　sometimes　rendered　him　even　happy；　was　the　bells。　　He　loved　them；　fondled　them；　talked　to　them；　understood　them。　From　the　chime　in　the　spire；　over　the　intersection　of　the　aisles　and　nave；　to　the　great　bell　of　the　front；　he　cherished　a　tenderness　for　them　all。　　The　central　spire　and　the　two　towers　were　to　him　as　three　great　cages；　whose　birds；　reared　by　himself；　sang　for　him　alone。　　Yet　it　was　these　very　bells　which　had　made　him　deaf；　but　mothers　often　love　best　that　child　which　has　caused　them　the　most　suffering。

It　is　true　that　their　voice　was　the　only　one　which　he　could　still　hear。　　On　this　score；　the　big　bell　was　his　beloved。　　It　was　she　whom　he　preferred　out　of　all　that　family　of　noisy　girls　which　bustled　above　him；　on　festival　days。　　This　bell　was　named　Marie。　　She　was　alone　in　the　southern　tower；　with　her　sister　Jacqueline；　a　bell　of　lesser　size；　shut　up　in　a　smaller　cage　beside　hers。　　This　Jacqueline　was　so　called　from　the　name　of　the　wife　of　Jean　Montagu；　who　had　given　it　to　the　church；　which　had　not　prevented　his　going　and　figuring　without　his　head　at　Montfau？on。　　In　the　second　tower　there　were　six　other　bells；　and；　finally；　six　smaller　ones　inhabited　the　belfry　over　the　crossing；　with　the　wooden　bell；　which　rang　only　between　after　dinner　on　Good　Friday　and　the　morning　of　the　day　before　Easter。　　So　Quasimodo　had　fifteen　bells　in　his　seraglio；　but　big　Marie　was　his　favorite。

No　idea　can　be　formed　of　his　delight　on　days　when　the　grand　peal　was　sounded。　　At　the　moment　when　the　archdeacon　dismissed　him；　and　said；　〃Go！〃　he　mounted　the　spiral　staircase　of　the　clock　tower　faster　than　any　one　else　could　have　descended　it。　　He　entered　perfectly　breathless　into　the　aerial　chamber　of　the　great　bell；　he　gazed　at　her　a　moment；　devoutly　and　lovingly；　then　he　gently　addressed　her　and　patted　her　with　his　hand；　like　a　good　horse；　which　is　about　to　set　out　on　a　long　journey。　　He　pitied　her　for　the　trouble　that　she　was　about　to　suffer。　　After　these　first　caresses；　he　shouted　to　his　assistants；　placed　in　the　lower　story　of　the　tower；　to　begin。　　They　grasped　the　ropes；　the　wheel　creaked；　the　enormous　capsule　of　metal　started　slowly　into　motion。　Quasimodo　followed　it　with　his　glance　and　trembled。　　The　first　shock　of　the　clapper　and　the　brazen　wall　made　the　framework　upon　which　it　was　mounted　quiver。　　Quasimodo　vibrated　with　the　bell。

〃Vah！〃　he　cried；　with　a　senseless　burst　of　laughter。　　However；　the　movement　of　the　bass　was　accelerated；　and；　in　proportion　as　it　described　a　wider　angle；　Quasimodo's　eye　opened　also　more　and　more　widely；　phosphoric　and　flaming。　　At　length　the　grand　peal　began；　the　whole　tower　trembled；　woodwork；　leads；　cut　stones；　all　groaned　at　once；　from　the　piles　of　the　foundation　to　the　trefoils　of　its　summit。　　Then　Quasimodo　boiled　and　frothed；　he　went　and　came；　he　trembled　from　head　to　foot　with　the　tower。　　The　bell；　furious；　running　riot；　presented　to　the　two　walls　of　the　tower　alternately　its　brazen　throat；　whence　escaped　that　tempestuous　breath；　which　is　audible　leagues　away。　　Quasimodo　stationed　himself　in　front　of　this　open　throat；　he　crouched　and　rose　with　the　oscillations　of　the　bell；　breathed　in　this　overwhelming　breath；　gazed　by　turns　at　the　deep　place；　which　swarmed　with　people；　two　hundred　feet　below　him；　and　at　that　enormous；　brazen　tongue　which　came；　second　after　second；　to　howl　in　his　ear。

It　was　the　only　speech　which　he　understood；　the　only　sound　which　broke　for　him　the　universal　silence。　　He　swelled　out　in　it　as　a　bird　does　in　the　sun。　　All　of　a　sudden；　the　frenzy　of　the　bell　seized　upon　him；　his　look　became　extraordinary；　he　lay　in　wait　for　the　great　bell　as　it　passed；　as　a　spider　lies　in　wait　for　a　fly；　and　flung　himself　abruptly　upon　it；　with　might　and　main。　　Then；　suspended　above　the　abyss；　borne　to　and　fro　by　the　formidable　swinging　of　the　bell；　he　seized　the　brazen　monster　by　the　ear…laps；　pressed　it　between　both　knees；　spurred　it　on　with　his　heels；　and　redoubled　the　fury　of　the　peal　with　the　whole　shock　and　weight　of　his　body。　　Meanwhile；　the　tower　trembled；　he　shrieked　and　gnashed　his　teeth；　his　red　hair　rose　erect；　his　breast　heaving　like　a　bellows；　his　eye　flashed　flames；　the　monstrous　bell　neighed；　panting；　beneath　him；　and　then　it　was　no　longer　the　great　bell　of　Notre…　Dame　nor　Quasimodo：　it　was　a　dream；　a　whirlwind；　a　tempest；　dizziness　mounted　astride　of　noise；　a　spirit　clinging　to　a　flying　crupper；　a　strange　centaur；　half　man；　half　bell；　a　sort　of　horrible　Astolphus；　borne