the hunchback of notre dame-第88部分

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p　of　bodies　worthy　of　the　fifth　book　of　the　Iliad！〃　　Then　he　continued　his　ascent。　　The　vagabonds　followed　him。　　There　was　one　on　every　rung。　　At　the　sight　of　this　line　of　cuirassed　backs；　undulating　as　they　rose　through　the　gloom；　one　would　have　pronounced　it　a　serpent　with　steel　scales；　which　was　raising　itself　erect　in　front　of　the　church。　Jehan　who　formed　the　head；　and　who　was　whistling；　completed　the　illusion。

The　scholar　finally　reached　the　balcony　of　the　gallery；　and　climbed　over　it　nimbly；　to　the　applause　of　the　whole　vagabond　tribe。　　Thus　master　of　the　citadel；　he　uttered　a　shout　of　joy；　and　suddenly　halted；　petrified。　　He　had　just　caught　sight　of　Quasimodo　concealed　in　the　dark；　with　flashing　eye；　behind　one　of　the　statues　of　the　kings。

Before　a　second　assailant　could　gain　a　foothold　on　the　gallery；　the　formidable　hunchback　leaped　to　the　head　of　the　ladder；　without　uttering　a　word；　seized　the　ends　of　the　two　uprights　with　his　powerful　hands；　raised　them；　pushed　them　out　from　the　wall；　balanced　the　long　and　pliant　ladder；　loaded　with　vagabonds　from　top　to　bottom　for　a　moment；　in　the　midst　of　shrieks　of　anguish；　then　suddenly；　with　superhuman　force；　hurled　this　cluster　of　men　backward　into　the　Place。　There　was　a　moment　when　even　the　most　resolute　trembled。　The　ladder；　launched　backwards；　remained　erect　and　standing　for　an　instant；　and　seemed　to　hesitate；　then　wavered；　then　suddenly；　describing　a　frightful　arc　of　a　circle　eighty　feet　in　radius；　crashed　upon　the　pavement　with　its　load　of　ruffians；　more　rapidly　than　a　drawbridge　when　its　chains　break。　There　arose　an　immense　imprecation；　then　all　was　still；　and　a　few　mutilated　wretches　were　seen；　crawling　over　the　heap　of　dead。

A　sound　of　wrath　and　grief　followed　the　first　cries　of　triumph　among　the　besiegers。　　Quasimodo；　impassive；　with　both　elbows　propped　on　the　balustrade；　looked　on。　　He　had　the　air　of　an　old；　bushy…headed　king　at　his　window。

As　for　Jehan　Frollo；　he　was　in　a　critical　position。　　He　found　himself　in　the　gallery　with　the　formidable　bellringer；　alone；　separated　from　his　companions　by　a　vertical　wall　eighty　feet　high。　　While　Quasimodo　was　dealing　with　the　ladder；　the　scholar　had　run　to　the　postern　which　he　believed　to　be　open。　　It　was　not。　　The　deaf　man　had　closed　it　behind　him　when　he　entered　the　gallery。　　Jehan　had　then　concealed　himself　behind　a　stone　king；　not　daring　to　breathe；　and　fixing　upon　the　monstrous　hunchback　a　frightened　gaze；　like　the　man；　who；　when　courting　the　wife　of　the　guardian　of　a　menagerie；　went　one　evening　to　a　love　rendezvous；　mistook　the　wall　which　he　was　to　climb；　and　suddenly　found　himself　face　to　face　with　a　white　bear。

For　the　first　few　moments；　the　deaf　man　paid　no　heed　to　him；　but　at　last　he　turned　his　head；　and　suddenly　straightened　up。　　He　had　just　caught　sight　of　the　scholar。

Jehan　prepared　himself　for　a　rough　shock；　but　the　deaf　man　remained　motionless；　only　he　had　turned　towards　the　scholar　and　was　looking　at　him。

〃Ho　ho！〃　said　Jehan；　〃what　do　you　mean　by　staring　at　me　with　that　solitary　and　melancholy　eye？〃

As　he　spoke　thus；　the　young　scamp　stealthily　adjusted　his　crossbow。

〃Quasimodo！〃　he　cried；　〃I　am　going　to　change　your　surname：　you　shall　be　called　the　blind　man。〃

The　shot　sped。　　The　feathered　vireton*　whizzed　and　entered　the　hunchback's　left　arm。　　Quasimodo　appeared　no　more　moved　by　it　than　by　a　scratch　to　King　Pharamond。　　He　laid　his　hand　on　the　arrow；　tore　it　from　his　arm；　and　tranquilly　broke　it　across　his　big　knee；　then　he　let　the　two　pieces　drop　on　the　floor；　rather　than　threw　them　down。　　But　Jehan　had　no　opportunity　to　fire　a　second　time。　　The　arrow　broken；　Quasimodo　breathing　heavily；　bounded　like　a　grasshopper；　and　he　fell　upon　the　scholar；　whose　armor　was　flattened　against　the　wall　by　the　blow。


*　　An　arrow　with　a　pyramidal　head　of　iron　and　copper　spiral　wings　by　which　a　rotatory　motion　was　communicated；


Then　in　that　gloom；　wherein　wavered　the　light　of　the　torches；　a　terrible　thing　was　seen。

Quasimodo　had　grasped　with　his　left　hand　the　two　arms　of　Jehan；　who　did　not　offer　any　resistance；　so　thoroughly　did　he　feel　that　he　was　lost。　　With　his　right　hand；　the　deaf　man　detached　one　by　one；　in　silence；　with　sinister　slowness；　all　the　pieces　of　his　armor；　the　sword；　the　daggers；　the　helmet；　the　cuirass；　the　leg　pieces。　　One　would　have　said　that　it　was　a　monkey　taking　the　shell　from　a　nut。　　Quasimodo　flung　the　scholar's　iron　shell　at　his　feet；　piece　by　piece。　When　the　scholar　beheld　himself　disarmed；　stripped；　weak；　and　naked　in　those　terrible　hands；　he　made　no　attempt　to　speak　to　the　deaf　man；　but　began　to　laugh　audaciously　in　his　face；　and　to　sing　with　his　intrepid　heedlessness　of　a　child　of　sixteen；　the　then　popular　ditty：…


　　　　　　　　　〃~Elle　est　bien　habillée；　　　　　　　　　　La　ville　de　Cambrai；　　　　　　　　　　Marafin　l'a　pillée~。。。〃*


*　The　city　of　Cambrai　is　well　dressed。　　Marafin　plundered　it。


He　did　not　finish。　　Quasimodo　was　seen　on　the　parapet　of　the　gallery；　holding　the　scholar　by　the　feet　with　one　hand　and　whirling　him　over　the　abyss　like　a　sling；　then　a　sound　like　that　of　a　bony　structure　in　contact　with　a　wall　was　heard；　and　something　was　seen　to　fall　which　halted　a　third　of　the　way　down　in　its　fall；　on　a　projection　in　the　architecture。　　It　was　a　dead　body　which　remained　hanging　there；　bent　double；　its　loins　broken；　its　skull　empty。

A　cry　of　horror　rose　among　the　vagabonds。

〃Vengeance！〃　shouted　Clopin。　　〃To　the　sack！〃　replied　the　multitude。　　〃Assault！　assault！〃

There　came　a　tremendous　howl；　in　which　were　mingled　all　tongues；　all　dialects；　all　accents。　　The　death　of　the　poor　scholar　imparted　a　furious　ardor　to　that　crowd。　　It　was　seized　with　shame；　and　the　wrath　of　having　been　held　so　long　in　check　before　a　church　by　a　hunchback。　　Rage　found　ladders；　multiplied　the　torches；　and；　at　the　expiration　of　a　few　minutes；　Quasimodo；　in　despair；　beheld　that　terrible　ant　heap　mount　on　all　sides　to　the　assault　of　Notre…Dame。　　Those　who　had　no　ladders　had　knotted　ropes；　those　who　had　no　ropes　climbed　by　the　projections　of　the　carvings。　　They　hung　from　each　other's　rags。　　There　were　no　means　of　resisting　that　rising　tide　of　frightful　faces；　rage　made　these　fierce　countenances　ruddy；　their　clayey　brows　were　dripping　with　sweat；　their　eyes　darted　lightnings；　all　these　grimaces；　all　these　horrors　laid　siege　to　Quasimodo。　　One　would　have　said　that　some　other　church　had　despatched　to　the　assault　of　Notre…Dame　its　gorgons；　its　dogs；　its　drées；　its　demons；　its　most　fantastic　sculptures。　　It　was　like　a　layer　of　living　monsters　on　the　stone　monsters　of　the　fa？ade。

Meanwhile；　the　Place　was　studded　with　a　thousand　torches。　This　scene　of　confusion；　till　now　hid　in　darkness；　was　suddenly　flooded　with　light。　　The　parvis　was　resplendent；　and　cast　a　radiance　on　the　sky；　the　bonfire　lighted　on　the　lofty　platform　was　still　burning；　and　illuminated　the　city　far　away。　The　enormous　silhouette　of　the　two　towers；　projected　afar　on　the　roofs　of　Paris；　and　formed　a　large　notch　of　black　in　this　light。　　The　city　seemed　to　be　aroused。　　Alarm　bells　wailed　in　the　distance。　　The　vagabonds　howled；　panted；　swore；　climbed；　and　Quasimodo；　powerless　against　so　many　enemies；　shuddering　for　the　gypsy；　beholding　the　furious　faces　approaching　ever　nearer　and　nearer　to　his　gallery；　entreated　heaven　for　a　miracle；　and　wrung　his　arms　in　despair。




CHAPTER　V。

THE　RETREAT　IN　WHICH　MONSIEUR　LOUIS　OF　FRANCE　SAYS　HIS　PRAYERS。



The　reader　has　not；　perhaps；　forgotten　that　one　moment　before　catching　sight　of　the　nocturnal　band　of　vagabonds；　Quasimodo；　as　he　inspected　Paris　from　the　heights　of　his　bell　tower；　perceived　only　one　light　burning；　which　gleamed　like　a　star　from　a　window　on　the　topmost　story　of　a　lofty　edifice　beside　the　Porte　Saint…Antoine。　　This　edifice　was　the　Bastille。　That　star　was　the　candle　of　Louis　XI。

King　Louis　XI。　had；　in　fact；　been　two　days　in　Paris。　　He　was　to　take　his　departure　on　the　next　day　but　one　for　his　citadel　of　Montilz…les…Tours。　　He　made　but　seldom　and　brief　appearance　in　his　good　city　of　Paris；　since　there　he　did　not　feel　about　him　enough　pitfalls；　gibbets；　and　Scotch　archers。

He　had　come；　that　day；　to　sleep　at　the　Bastille。　　The　great　chamber　five　toises*　square；　which　he　had　at　the　Louvre；　with　its　huge　chimney…piece　loaded　with　twelve　great　beasts　and　thirteen　great　prophets；　and　his　grand　bed；　eleven　feet　by　twelve；　pleased　him　but　little。　　He　felt　himself　lost　amid　all　this　grandeur。　　This　good　bourgeois　king　preferred　the　Bastille　with　a　tiny　chamber　and　couch。　　And　then；　the　Bastille　was　stronger　than　the　Louvre。


*　　An　ancient　long　measure　in　France；　containing　six　feet　and　nearly　five　inches　English　measure。


This　little　chamber；　which　the　king　reserved　for　himself　in　the　famous　state　prison；　was　also　tolerably　spacious　and　occupied　the　topmost　story　of　a　turret　rising　from　the　donjon　keep。　　It　was　circular　in　form；　carpeted　with　mats　of　shining　straw；　ceiled　with　beams；　enriched　with　fleurs…de…lis　of　gilded　metal　with　interjoists　in　color；　wainscoated　with　rich　woods　sown　with　rosettes　of　white　metal；　and　with　others　painted　a　fine；　bright　green；　made　of　orpiment　and　fine　indigo。

There　was　only　one　window；　a　long　pointed　casement；　latticed　with　brass　wire　and　bars　of　iron；　further　darkened　by　fine　colored　panes　with　the　arms　of　the　king　and　of　the　queen；　each　pane　being　worth　two　and　twenty　sols。

There　was　but　one　entrance；　a　modern　door；　with　a　fiat　arch；　garnished　with　a　piece　of　tapestry　on　the　inside；　and　on　the　outside　by　one　of　those　porches　of　Irish　wood；　frail　edifices　of　cabinet…work　curiously　wrought；　numbers　of　which　were　still　to　be　seen　in　old　houses　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　ago。　　〃Although　they　disfigure　and　embarrass　the　places；〃　says　Sauvel　in　despair；　〃our　old　people　are　still　unwilling　to　get　rid　of　them；　and　keep　them　in　spite　of　everybody。〃

In　this　chamber；　nothing　was　to　be　found　of　what　furnishes　ordinary　apartments；　neither　benches；　nor　trestles；　nor　forms；　nor　common　stools　in　the　form　of　a　chest；　nor　fine　stools　sustained　by　pillars　and　counter…pillars；　at　four　sols　a　piece。　Only　one　easy　arm…chair；　very　magnificent；　was　to　be　seen；　the　wood　was　painted　with　roses　on　a　red　ground；　the　seat　was　of　ruby　Cordovan　leather