the hunchback of notre dame-第75部分

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bet；　windows　are　eyes。


Thereupon　the　young　man　laughed　and　caressed　the　wench。　The　crone　was　la　Falourdel；　the　girl　was　a　courtesan；　the　young　man　was　his　brother　Jehan。

He　continued　to　gaze。　　That　spectacle　was　as　good　as　any　other。

He　saw　Jehan　go　to　a　window　at　the　end　of　the　room；　open　it；　cast　a　glance　on　the　quay；　where　in　the　distance　blazed　a　thousand　lighted　casements；　and　he　heard　him　say　as　he　closed　the　sash；

〃'Pon　my　soul！　　How　dark　it　is；　the　people　are　lighting　their　candles；　and　the　good　God　his　stars。〃

Then　Jehan　came　back　to　the　hag；　smashed　a　bottle　standing　on　the　table；　exclaiming；

〃Already　empty；　~cor…boeuf~！　and　I　have　no　more　money！　Isabeau；　my　dear；　I　shall　not　be　satisfied　with　Jupiter　until　he　has　changed　your　two　white　nipples　into　two　black　bottles；　where　I　may　suck　wine　of　Beaune　day　and　night。〃

This　fine　pleasantry　made　the　courtesan　laugh；　and　Jehan　left　the　room。

Dom　Claude　had　barely　time　to　fling　himself　on　the　ground　in　order　that　he　might　not　be　met；　stared　in　the　face　and　recognized　by　his　brother。　　Luckily；　the　street　was　dark；　and　the　scholar　was　tipsy。　　Nevertheless；　he　caught　sight　of　the　archdeacon　prone　upon　the　earth　in　the　mud。

〃Oh！　　oh！〃　said　he；　〃here's　a　fellow　who　has　been　leading　a　jolly　life；　to…day。〃

He　stirred　up　Dom　Claude　with　his　foot；　and　the　latter　held　his　breath。

〃Dead　drunk；〃　resumed　Jehan。　　〃Come；　he's　full。　　A　regular　leech　detached　from　a　hogshead。　　He's　bald；〃　he　added；　bending　down；　〃'tis　an　old　man！　　~Fortunate　senex~！〃

Then　Dom　Claude　heard　him　retreat；　saying；

〃'Tis　all　the　same；　reason　is　a　fine　thing；　and　my　brother　the　archdeacon　is　very　happy　in　that　he　is　wise　and　has　money。〃

Then　the　archdeacon　rose　to　his　feet；　and　ran　without　halting；　towards　Notre…Dame；　whose　enormous　towers　he　beheld　rising　above　the　houses　through　the　gloom。

At　the　instant　when　he　arrived；　panting；　on　the　Place　du　Parvis；　he　shrank　back　and　dared　not　raise　his　eyes　to　the　fatal　edifice。

〃Oh！〃　he　said；　in　a　low　voice；　〃is　it　really　true　that　such　a　thing　took　place　here；　to…day；　this　very　morning？〃

Still；　he　ventured　to　glance　at　the　church。　　The　front　was　sombre；　the　sky　behind　was　glittering　with　stars。　　The　crescent　of　the　moon；　in　her　flight　upward　from　the　horizon；　had　paused　at　the　moment；　on　the　summit　of　the　light　hand　tower；　and　seemed　to　have　perched　itself；　like　a　luminous　bird；　on　the　edge　of　the　balustrade；　cut　out　in　black　trefoils。

The　cloister　door　was　shut；　but　the　archdeacon　always　carried　with　him　the　key　of　the　tower　in　which　his　laboratory　was　situated。　　He　made　use　of　it　to　enter　the　church。

In　the　church　he　found　the　gloom　and　silence　of　a　cavern。　By　the　deep　shadows　which　fell　in　broad　sheets　from　all　directions；　he　recognized　the　fact　that　the　hangings　for　the　ceremony　of　the　morning　had　not　yet　been　removed。　　The　great　silver　cross　shone　from　the　depths　of　the　gloom；　powdered　with　some　sparkling　points；　like　the　milky　way　of　that　sepulchral　night。　　The　long　windows　of　the　choir　showed　the　upper　extremities　of　their　arches　above　the　black　draperies；　and　their　painted　panes；　traversed　by　a　ray　of　moonlight　had　no　longer　any　hues　but　the　doubtful　colors　of　night；　a　sort　of　violet；　white　and　blue；　whose　tint　is　found　only　on　the　faces　of　the　dead。　　The　archdeacon；　on　perceiving　these　wan　spots　all　around　the　choir；　thought　he　beheld　the　mitres　of　damned　bishops。　　He　shut　his　eyes；　and　when　he　opened　them　again；　he　thought　they　were　a　circle　of　pale　visages　gazing　at　him。

He　started　to　flee　across　the　church。　　Then　it　seemed　to　him　that　the　church　also　was　shaking；　moving；　becoming　endued　with　animation；　that　it　was　alive；　that　each　of　the　great　columns　was　turning　into　an　enormous　paw；　which　was　beating　the　earth　with　its　big　stone　spatula；　and　that　the　gigantic　cathedral　was　no　longer　anything　but　a　sort　of　prodigious　elephant；　which　was　breathing　and　marching　with　its　pillars　for　feet；　its　two　towers　for　trunks　and　the　immense　black　cloth　for　its　housings。

This　fever　or　madness　had　reached　such　a　degree　of　intensity　that　the　external　world　was　no　longer　anything　more　for　the　unhappy　man　than　a　sort　of　Apocalypse；…　visible；　palpable；　terrible。

For　one　moment；　he　was　relieved。　　As　he　plunged　into　the　side　aisles；　he　perceived　a　reddish　light　behind　a　cluster　of　pillars。　　He　ran　towards　it　as　to　a　star。　　It　was　the　poor　lamp　which　lighted　the　public　breviary　of　Notre…Dame　night　and　day；　beneath　its　iron　grating。　　He　flung　himself　eagerly　upon　the　holy　book　in　the　hope　of　finding　some　consolation；　or　some　encouragement　there。　　The　hook　lay　open　at　this　passage　of　Job；　over　which　his　staring　eye　glanced；

〃And　a　spirit　passed　before　my　face；　and　I　heard　a　small　voice；　and　the　hair　of　my　flesh　stood　up。〃

On　reading　these　gloomy　words；　he　felt　that　which　a　blind　man　feels　when　he　feels　himself　pricked　by　the　staff　which　he　has　picked　up。　　His　knees　gave　way　beneath　him；　and　he　sank　upon　the　pavement；　thinking　of　her　who　had　died　that　day。　He　felt　so　many　monstrous　vapors　pass　and　discharge　themselves　in　his　brain；　that　it　seemed　to　him　that　his　head　had　become　one　of　the　chimneys　of　hell。

It　would　appear　that　he　remained　a　long　time　in　this　attitude；　no　longer　thinking；　overwhelmed　and　passive　beneath　the　hand　of　the　demon。　　At　length　some　strength　returned　to　him；　it　occurred　to　him　to　take　refuge　in　his　tower　beside　his　faithful　Quasimodo。　　He　rose；　and；　as　he　was　afraid；　he　took　the　lamp　from　the　breviary　to　light　his　way。　　It　was　a　sacrilege；　but　he　had　got　beyond　heeding　such　a　trifle　now。

He　slowly　climbed　the　stairs　of　the　towers；　filled　with　a　secret　fright　which　must　have　been　communicated　to　the　rare　passers…by　in　the　Place　du　Parvis　by　the　mysterious　light　of　his　lamp；　mounting　so　late　from　loophole　to　loophole　of　the　bell　tower。

All　at　once；　he　felt　a　freshness　on　his　face；　and　found　himself　at　the　door　of　the　highest　gallery。　　The　air　was　cold；　the　sky　was　filled　with　hurrying　clouds；　whose　large；　white　flakes　drifted　one　upon　another　like　the　breaking　up　of　river　ice　after　the　winter。　　The　crescent　of　the　moon；　stranded　in　the　midst　of　the　clouds；　seemed　a　celestial　vessel　caught　in　the　ice…cakes　of　the　air。

He　lowered　his　gaze；　and　contemplated　for　a　moment；　through　the　railing　of　slender　columns　which　unites　the　two　towers；　far　away；　through　a　gauze　of　mists　and　smoke；　the　silent　throng　of　the　roofs　of　Paris；　pointed；　innumerable；　crowded　and　small　like　the　waves　of　a　tranquil　sea　on　a　sum…　mer　night。

The　moon　cast　a　feeble　ray；　which　imparted　to　earth　and　heaven　an　ashy　hue。

At　that　moment　the　clock　raised　its　shrill；　cracked　voice。　Midnight　rang　out。　　The　priest　thought　of　midday；　twelve　o'clock　had　come　back　again。

〃Oh！〃　he　said　in　a　very　low　tone；　〃she　must　be　cold　now。〃

All　at　once；　a　gust　of　wind　extinguished　his　lamp；　and　almost　at　the　same　instant；　he　beheld　a　shade；　a　whiteness；　a　form；　a　woman；　appear　from　the　opposite　angle　of　the　tower。　He　started。　　Beside　this　woman　was　a　little　goat；　which　mingled　its　bleat　with　the　last　bleat　of　the　clock。

He　had　strength　enough　to　look。　　It　was　she。

She　was　pale；　she　was　gloomy。　　Her　hair　fell　over　her　shoulders　as　in　the　morning；　but　there　was　no　longer　a　rope　on　her　neck；　her　hands　were　no　longer　bound；　she　was　free；　she　was　dead。

She　was　dressed　in　white　and　had　a　white　veil　on　her　head。

She　came　towards　him；　slowly；　with　her　gaze　fixed　on　the　sky。　　The　supernatural　goat　followed　her。　　He　felt　as　though　made　of　stone　and　too　heavy　to　flee。　　At　every　step　which　she　took　in　advance；　he　took　one　backwards；　and　that　was　all。　In　this　way　he　retreated　once　more　beneath　the　gloomy　arch　of　the　stairway。　　He　was　chilled　by　the　thought　that　she　might　enter　there　also；　had　she　done　so；　he　would　have　died　of　terror。

She　did　arrive；　in　fact；　in　front　of　the　door　to　the　stairway；　and　paused　there　for　several　minutes；　stared　intently　into　the　darkness；　but　without　appearing　to　see　the　priest；　and　passed　on。　　She　seemed　taller　to　him　than　when　she　had　been　alive；　he　saw　the　moon　through　her　white　robe；　he　heard　her　breath。

When　she　had　passed　on；　he　began　to　descend　the　staircase　again；　with　the　slowness　which　he　had　observed　in　the　spectre；　believing　himself　to　be　a　spectre　too；　haggard；　with　hair　on　end；　his　extinguished　lamp　still　in　his　hand；　and　as　he　descended　the　spiral　steps；　he　distinctly　heard　in　his　ear　a　voice　laughing　and　repeating；

〃A　spirit　passed　before　my　face；　and　I　heard　a　small　voice；　and　the　hair　of　my　flesh　stood　up。〃





CHAPTER　II。

HUNCHBACKED；　ONE　EYED；　LAME。



Every　city　during　the　Middle　Ages；　and　every　city　in　France　down　to　the　time　of　Louis　XII。　had　its　places　of　asylum。　These　sanctuaries；　in　the　midst　of　the　deluge　of　penal　and　barbarous　jurisdictions　which　inundated　the　city；　were　a　species　of　islands　which　rose　above　the　level　of　human　justice。　Every　criminal　who　landed　there　was　safe。　　There　were　in　every　suburb　almost　as　many　places　of　asylum　as　gallows。　It　was　the　abuse　of　impunity　by　the　side　of　the　abuse　of　punishment；　two　bad　things　which　strove　to　correct　each　other。　　The　palaces　of　the　king；　the　hotels　of　the　princes；　and　especially　churches；　possessed　the　right　of　asylum。　　Sometimes　a　whole　city　which　stood　in　need　of　being　repeopled　was　temporarily　created　a　place　of　refuge。　　Louis　XI。　made　all　Paris　a　refuge　in　1467。

His　foot　once　within　the　asylum；　the　criminal　was　sacred；　but　he　must　beware　of　leaving　it；　one　step　outside　the　sanctuary；　and　he　fell　back　into　the　flood。　　The　wheel；　the　gibbet；　the　strappado；　kept　good　guard　around　the　place　of　refuge；　and　lay　in　watch　incessantly　for　their　prey；　like　sharks　around　a　vessel。　　Hence；　condemned　men　were　to　be　seen　whose　hair　had　grown　white　in　a　cloister；　on　the　steps　of　a　palace；　in　the　enclosure　of　an　abbey；　beneath　the　porch　of　a　church；　in　this　manner　the　asylum　was　a　prison　as　much　as　any　other。　　It　sometimes　happened　that　a　solemn　decree　of　parliament　violated　the　asylum　and　restored　the　condemned　man　to　the　executioner；　but　this　was　of　rare　occurrence。　　Parliaments　were　afraid　of　the　bishops；　and　when　there　was　friction　between　these　two　robes；　the　gown　had　but　a　poor　chance　against　the　cassock。