the hunchback of notre dame-第86部分

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h　this　beam。

They　remained　for　several　minutes　with　their　eyes　in　the　air；　more　dismayed　by　that　piece　of　wood　than　by　the　king's　twenty　thousand　archers。

〃Satan！〃　muttered　the　Duke　of　Egypt；　〃this　smacks　of　magic！〃

〃'Tis　the　moon　which　threw　this　log　at　us；〃　said　Andry　the　Red。

〃Call　the　moon　the　friend　of　the　Virgin；　after　that！〃　went　on　Francois　Chanteprune。

〃A　thousand　popes！〃　exclaimed　Clopin；　〃you　are　all　fools！〃　　But　he　did　not　know　how　to　explain　the　fall　of　the　beam。

Meanwhile；　nothing　could　be　distinguished　on　the　fa？ade；　to　whose　summit　the　light　of　the　torches　did　not　reach。　　The　heavy　beam　lay　in　the　middle　of　the　enclosure；　and　groans　were　heard　from　the　poor　wretches　who　had　received　its　first　shock；　and　who　had　been　almost　cut　in　twain；　on　the　angle　of　the　stone　steps。

The　King　of　Thunes；　his　first　amazement　passed；　finally　found　an　explanation　which　appeared　plausible　to　his　companions。

〃Throat　of　God！　are　the　canons　defending　themselves？　To　the　sack；　then！　to　the　sack！〃

〃To　the　sack！〃　repeated　the　rabble；　with　a　furious　hurrah。　A　discharge　of　crossbows　and　hackbuts　against　the　front　of　the　church　followed。

At　this　detonation；　the　peaceable　inhabitants　of　the　surrounding　houses　woke　up；　many　windows　were　seen　to　open；　and　nightcaps　and　hands　holding　candles　appeared　at　the　casements。

〃Fire　at　the　windows；〃　shouted　Clopin。　　The　windows　were　immediately　closed；　and　the　poor　bourgeois；　who　had　hardly　had　time　to　cast　a　frightened　glance　on　this　scene　of　gleams　and　tumult；　returned；　perspiring　with　fear　to　their　wives；　asking　themselves　whether　the　witches'　sabbath　was　now　being　held　in　the　parvis　of　Notre…Dame；　or　whether　there　was　an　assault　of　Burgundians；　as　in　'64。　　Then　the　husbands　thought　of　theft；　the　wives；　of　rape；　and　all　trembled。

〃To　the　sack！〃　repeated　the　thieves'　crew；　but　they　dared　not　approach。　　They　stared　at　the　beam；　they　stared　at　the　church。　　The　beam　did　not　stir；　the　edifice　preserved　its　calm　and　deserted　air；　but　something　chilled　the　outcasts。

〃To　work；　locksmiths！〃　shouted　Trouillefou。　　〃Let　the　door　be　forced！〃

No　one　took　a　step。

〃Beard　and　belly！〃　said　Clopin；　〃here　be　men　afraid　of　a　beam。〃

An　old　locksmith　addressed　him

〃Captain；　'tis　not　the　beam　which　bothers　us；　'tis　the　door；　which　is　all　covered　with　iron　bars。　　Our　pincers　are　powerless　against　it。〃

〃What　more　do　you　want　to　break　it　in？〃　demanded　Clopin。

〃Ah！　we　ought　to　have　a　battering　ram。〃

The　King　of　Thunes　ran　boldly　to　the　formidable　beam；　and　placed　his　foot　upon　it：　〃Here　is　one！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃'tis　the　canons　who　send　it　to　you。〃　　And；　making　a　mocking　salute　in　the　direction　of　the　church；　〃Thanks；　canons！〃

This　piece　of　bravado　produced　its　effects；the　spell　of　the　beam　was　broken。　　The　vagabonds　recovered　their　courage；　soon　the　heavy　joist；　raised　like　a　feather　by　two　hundred　vigorous　arms；　was　flung　with　fury　against　the　great　door　which　they　had　tried　to　batter　down。　　At　the　sight　of　that　long　beam；　in　the　half…light　which　the　infrequent　torches　of　the　brigands　spread　over　the　Place；　thus　borne　by　that　crowd　of　men　who　dashed　it　at　a　run　against　the　church；　one　would　have　thought　that　he　beheld　a　monstrous　beast　with　a　thousand　feet　attacking　with　lowered　head　the　giant　of　stone。

At　the　shock　of　the　beam；　the　half　metallic　door　sounded　like　an　immense　drum；　it　was　not　burst　in；　but　the　whole　cathedral　trembled；　and　the　deepest　cavities　of　the　edifice　were　heard　to　echo。

At　the　same　moment；　a　shower　of　large　stones　began　to　fall　from　the　top　of　the　fa？ade　on　the　assailants。

〃The　devil！〃　cried　Jehan；　〃are　the　towers　shaking　their　balustrades　down　on　our　heads？〃

But　the　impulse　had　been　given；　the　King　of　Thunes　had　set　the　example。　　Evidently；　the　bishop　was　defending　himself；　and　they　only　battered　the　door　with　the　more　rage；　in　spite　of　the　stones　which　cracked　skulls　right　and　left。

It　was　remarkable　that　all　these　stones　fell　one　by　one；　but　they　followed　each　other　closely。　　The　thieves　always　felt　two　at　a　time；　one　on　their　legs　and　one　on　their　heads。　　There　were　few　which　did　not　deal　their　blow；　and　a　large　layer　of　dead　and　wounded　lay　bleeding　and　panting　beneath　the　feet　of　the　assailants　who；　now　grown　furious；　replaced　each　other　without　intermission。　　The　long　beam　continued　to　belabor　the　door；　at　regular　intervals；　like　the　clapper　of　a　bell；　the　stones　to　rain　down；　the　door　to　groan。

The　reader　has　no　doubt　divined　that　this　unexpected　resistance　which　had　exasperated　the　outcasts　came　from　Quasimodo。

Chance　had；　unfortunately；　favored　the　brave　deaf　man。

When　he　had　descended　to　the　platform　between　the　towers；　his　ideas　were　all　in　confusion。　　He　had　run　up　and　down　along　the　gallery　for　several　minutes　like　a　madman；　surveying　from　above；　the　compact　mass　of　vagabonds　ready　to　hurl　itself　on　the　church；　demanding　the　safety　of　the　gypsy　from　the　devil　or　from　God。　　The　thought　had　occurred　to　him　of　ascending　to　the　southern　belfry　and　sounding　the　alarm；　but　before　he　could　have　set　the　bell　in　motion；　before　Marie's　voice　could　have　uttered　a　single　clamor；　was　there　not　time　to　burst　in　the　door　of　the　church　ten　times　over？　It　was　precisely　the　moment　when　the　locksmiths　were　advancing　upon　it　with　their　tools。　　What　was　to　be　done？

All　at　once；　he　remembered　that　some　masons　had　been　at　work　all　day　repairing　the　wall；　the　timber…work；　and　the　roof　of　the　south　tower。　　This　was　a　flash　of　light。　　The　wall　was　of　stone；　the　roof　of　lead；　the　timber…work　of　wood。　　（That　prodigious　timber…work；　so　dense　that　it　was　called　〃the　forest。〃）

Quasimodo　hastened　to　that　tower。　　The　lower　chambers　were；　in　fact；　full　of　materials。　　There　were　piles　of　rough　blocks　of　stone；　sheets　of　lead　in　rolls；　bundles　of　laths；　heavy　beams　already　notched　with　the　saw；　heaps　of　plaster。

Time　was　pressing；　The　pikes　and　hammers　were　at　work　below。　　With　a　strength　which　the　sense　of　danger　increased　tenfold；　he　seized　one　of　the　beamsthe　longest　and　heaviest；　he　pushed　it　out　through　a　loophole；　then；　grasping　it　again　outside　of　the　tower；　he　made　it　slide　along　the　angle　of　the　balustrade　which　surrounds　the　platform；　and　let　it　fly　into　the　abyss。　　The　enormous　timber；　during　that　fall　of　a　hundred　and　sixty　feet；　scraping　the　wall；　breaking　the　carvings；　turned　many　times　on　its　centre；　like　the　arm　of　a　windmill　flying　off　alone　through　space。　　At　last　it　reached　the　ground；　the　horrible　cry　arose；　and　the　black　beam；　as　it　rebounded　from　the　pavement；　resembled　a　serpent　leaping。

Quasimodo　beheld　the　outcasts　scatter　at　the　fall　of　the　beam；　like　ashes　at　the　breath　of　a　child。　　He　took　advantage　of　their　fright；　and　while　they　were　fixing　a　superstitious　glance　on　the　club　which　had　fallen　from　heaven；　and　while　they　were　putting　out　the　eyes　of　the　stone　saints　on　the　front　with　a　discharge　of　arrows　and　buckshot；　Quasimodo　was　silently　piling　up　plaster；　stones；　and　rough　blocks　of　stone；　even　the　sacks　of　tools　belonging　to　the　masons；　on　the　edge　of　the　balustrade　from　which　the　beam　had　already　been　hurled。

Thus；　as　soon　as　they　began　to　batter　the　grand　door；　the　shower　of　rough　blocks　of　stone　began　to　fall；　and　it　seemed　to　them　that　the　church　itself　was　being　demolished　over　their　heads。

Any　one　who　could　have　beheld　Quasimodo　at　that　moment　would　have　been　frightened。　　Independently　of　the　projectiles　which　he　had　piled　upon　the　balustrade；　he　had　collected　a　heap　of　stones　on　the　platform　itself。　　As　fast　as　the　blocks　on　the　exterior　edge　were　exhausted；　he　drew　on　the　heap。　Then　he　stooped　and　rose；　stooped　and　rose　again　with　incredible　activity。　　His　huge　gnome's　head　bent　over　the　balustrade；　then　an　enormous　stone　fell；　then　another；　then　another。　From　time　to　time；　he　followed　a　fine　stone　with　his　eye；　and　when　it　did　good　execution；　he　said；　〃Hum！〃

Meanwhile；　the　beggars　did　not　grow　discouraged。　　The　thick　door　on　which　they　were　venting　their　fury　had　already　trembled　more　than　twenty　times　beneath　the　weight　of　their　oaken　battering…ram；　multiplied　by　the　strength　of　a　hundred　men。　　The　panels　cracked；　the　carved　work　flew　into　splinters；　the　hinges；　at　every　blow；　leaped　from　their　pins；　the　planks　yawned；　the　wood　crumbled　to　powder；　ground　between　the　iron　sheathing。　　Fortunately　for　Quasimodo；　there　was　more　iron　than　wood。

Nevertheless；　he　felt　that　the　great　door　was　yielding。　Although　he　did　not　hear　it；　every　blow　of　the　ram　reverberated　simultaneously　in　the　vaults　of　the　church　and　within　it。　From　above　he　beheld　the　vagabonds；　filled　with　triumph　and　rage；　shaking　their　fists　at　the　gloomy　fa？ade；　and　both　on　the　gypsy's　account　and　his　own　he　envied　the　wings　of　the　owls　which　flitted　away　above　his　head　in　flocks。

His　shower　of　stone　blocks　was　not　sufficient　to　repel　the　assailants。

At　this　moment　of　anguish；　he　noticed；　a　little　lower　down　than　the　balustrade　whence　he　was　crushing　the　thieves；　two　long　stone　gutters　which　discharged　immediately　over　the　great　door；　the　internal　orifice　of　these　gutters　terminated　on　the　pavement　of　the　platform。　　An　idea　occurred　to　him；　he　ran　in　search　of　a　fagot　in　his　bellringer's　den；　placed　on　this　fagot　a　great　many　bundles　of　laths；　and　many　rolls　of　lead；　munitions　which　he　had　not　employed　so　far；　and　having　arranged　this　pile　in　front　of　the　hole　to　the　two　gutters；　he　set　it　on　fire　with　his　lantern。

During　this　time；　since　the　stones　no　longer　fell；　the　outcasts　ceased　to　gaze　into　the　air。　　The　bandits；　panting　like　a　pack　of　hounds　who　are　forcing　a　boar　into　his　lair；　pressed　tumultuously　round　the　great　door；　all　disfigured　by　the　battering　ram；　but　still　standing。　　They　were　waiting　with　a　quiver　for　the　great　blow　which　should　split　it　open。　　They　vied　with　each　other　in　pressing　as　close　as　possible；　in　order　to　dash　among　the　first；　when　it　should　open；　into　that　opulent　cathedral；　a　vast　reservoir　where　the　wealth　of　three　centuries　had　been　piled　up。　　They　reminded　each　other　with　roars　of　exultation　and　greedy　lust；　of　the　beautiful　silver　crosses；　the　fine　copes　of　brocade；　the　beautiful　tombs　of　silver　gilt；　the　great　magnificences　of　the　choir；　the　dazzling　festivals；　the　Christmasses　sparklin