the hunchback of notre dame- 第95部分

Both　retired　and　gained　their　apartments　under　the　guidance　of　the　captain　of　the　Bastille。　　Coppenole　said　to　Guillaume　Rym；

〃Hum！　　I　have　had　enough　of　that　coughing　king！　　I　have　seen　Charles　of　Burgundy　drunk；　and　he　was　less　malignant　than　Louis　XI。　when　ailing。〃

〃Master　Jacques；〃　replied　Rym；　〃'tis　because　wine　renders　kings　less　cruel　than　does　barley　water。〃




CHAPTER　VI。

LITTLE　SWORD　IN　POCKET。



On　emerging　from　the　Bastille；　Gringoire　descended　the　Rue　Saint…Antoine　with　the　swiftness　of　a　runaway　horse。　　On　arriving　at　the　Baudoyer　gate；　he　walked　straight　to　the　stone　cross　which　rose　in　the　middle　of　that　place；　as　though　he　were　able　to　distinguish　in　the　darkness　the　figure　of　a　man　clad　and　cloaked　in　black；　who　was　seated　on　the　steps　of　the　cross。

〃Is　it　you；　master？〃　said　Gringoire。

The　personage　in　black　rose。

〃Death　and　passion！　　You　make　me　boil；　Gringoire。　　The　man　on　the　tower　of　Saint…Gervais　has　just　cried　half…past　one　o'clock　in　the　morning。〃

〃Oh；〃　retorted　Gringoire；　〃'tis　no　fault　of　mine；　but　of　the　watch　and　the　king。　　I　have　just　had　a　narrow　escape。　　I　always　just　miss　being　hung。　　'Tis　my　predestination。〃

〃You　lack　everything；〃　said　the　other。　　〃But　come　quickly。　Have　you　the　password？〃

〃Fancy；　master；　I　have　seen　the　king。　　I　come　from　him。　He　wears　fustian　breeches。　　'Tis　an　adventure。〃

〃Oh！　distaff　of　words！　what　is　your　adventure　to　me！　Have　you　the　password　of　the　outcasts？〃

〃I　have　it。　　Be　at　ease。　　'Little　sword　in　pocket。'〃

〃Good。　　Otherwise；　we　could　not　make　our　way　as　far　as　the　church。　　The　outcasts　bar　the　streets。　　Fortunately；　it　appears　that　they　have　encountered　resistance。　　We　may　still　arrive　in　time。〃

〃Yes；　master；　but　how　are　we　to　get　into　Notre…Dame？〃

〃I　have　the　key　to　the　tower。〃

〃And　how　are　we　to　get　out　again？〃

〃Behind　the　cloister　there　is　a　little　door　which　opens　on　the　Terrain　and　the　water。　　I　have　taken　the　key　to　it；　and　I　moored　a　boat　there　this　morning。〃

〃I　have　had　a　beautiful　escape　from　being　hung！〃　Gringoire　repeated。

〃Eh；　quick！　　come！〃　said　the　other。

Both　descended　towards　the　city　with　long　strides。




CHAPTER　VII。

CHATEAUPERS　TO　THE　RESCUE。



The　reader　will；　perhaps；　recall　the　critical　situation　in　which　we　left　Quasimodo。　　The　brave　deaf　man；　assailed　on　all　sides；　had　lost；　if　not　all　courage；　at　least　all　hope　of　saving；　not　himself　（he　was　not　thinking　of　himself）；　but　the　gypsy。　　He　ran　distractedly　along　the　gallery。　　Notre…Dame　was　on　the　point　of　being　taken　by　storm　by　the　outcasts。　All　at　once；　a　great　galloping　of　horses　filled　the　neighboring　streets；　and；　with　a　long　file　of　torches　and　a　thick　column　of　cavaliers；　with　free　reins　and　lances　in　rest；　these　furious　sounds　debouched　on　the　Place　like　a　hurricane；

〃France！　　France！　　cut　down　the　louts！　　Chateaupers　to　the　rescue！　　Provostship！　　Provostship！〃

The　frightened　vagabonds　wheeled　round。

Quasimodo　who　did　not　hear；　saw　the　naked　swords；　the　torches；　the　irons　of　the　pikes；　all　that　cavalry；　at　the　head　of　which　he　recognized　Captain　Phoebus；　he　beheld　the　confusion　of　the　outcasts；　the　terror　of　some；　the　disturbance　among　the　bravest　of　them；　and　from　this　unexpected　succor　he　recovered　so　much　strength；　that　he　hurled　from　the　church　the　first　assailants　who　were　already　climbing　into　the　gallery。

It　was；　in　fact；　the　king's　troops　who　had　arrived。　The　vagabonds　behaved　bravely。　　They　defended　themselves　like　desperate　men。　　Caught　on　the　flank；　by　the　Rue　Saint…　Pierre…aux…Boeufs；　and　in　the　rear　through　the　Rue　du　Parvis；　driven　to　bay　against　Notre…Dame；　which　they　still　assailed　and　Quasimodo　defended；　at　the　same　time　besiegers　and　besieged；　they　were　in　the　singular　situation　in　which　Comte　Henri　Harcourt；　~Taurinum　obsessor　idem　et　obsessus~；　as　his　epitaph　says；　found　himself　later　on；　at　the　famous　siege　of　Turin；　in　1640；　between　Prince　Thomas　of　Savoy；　whom　he　was　besieging；　and　the　Marquis　de　Leganez；　who　was　blockading　him。

The　battle　was　frightful。　　There　was　a　dog's　tooth　for　wolf's　flesh；　as　P。　Mathieu　says。　　The　king's　cavaliers；　in　whose　midst　Phoebus　de　Chateaupers　bore　himself　valiantly；　gave　no　quarter；　and　the　slash　of　the　sword　disposed　of　those　who　escaped　the　thrust　of　the　lance。　　The　outcasts；　badly　armed　foamed　and　bit　with　rage。　　Men；　women；　children；　hurled　themselves　on　the　cruppers　and　the　breasts　of　the　horses；　and　hung　there　like　cats；　with　teeth；　finger　nails　and　toe　nails。　Others　struck　the　archers'　in　the　face　with　their　torches。　Others　thrust　iron　hooks　into　the　necks　of　the　cavaliers　and　dragged　them　down。　　They　slashed　in　pieces　those　who　fell。

One　was　noticed　who　had　a　large；　glittering　scythe；　and　who；　for　a　long　time；　mowed　the　legs　of　the　horses。　　He　was　frightful。　　He　was　singing　a　ditty；　with　a　nasal　intonation；　he　swung　and　drew　back　his　scythe　incessantly。　　At　every　blow　he　traced　around　him　a　great　circle　of　severed　limbs。　　He　advanced　thus　into　the　very　thickest　of　the　cavalry；　with　the　tranquil　slowness；　the　lolling　of　the　head　and　the　regular　breathing　of　a　harvester　attacking　a　field　of　wheat。　　It　was　Chopin　Trouillefou。　　A　shot　from　an　arquebus　laid　him　low。

In　the　meantime；　windows　had　been　opened　again。　　The　neighbors　hearing　the　war　cries　of　the　king's　troops；　had　mingled　in　the　affray；　and　bullets　rained　upon　the　outcasts　from　every　story。　　The　Parvis　was　filled　with　a　thick　smoke；　which　the　musketry　streaked　with　flame。　　Through　it　one　could　confusedly　distinguish　the　front　of　Notre…Dame；　and　the　decrepit　H？tel…Dieu　with　some　wan　invalids　gazing　down　from　the　heights　of　its　roof　all　checkered　with　dormer　windows。

At　length　the　vagabonds　gave　way。　　Weariness；　the　lack　of　good　weapons；　the　fright　of　this　surprise；　the　musketry　from　the　windows；　the　valiant　attack　of　the　king's　troops；　all　overwhelmed　them。　　They　forced　the　line　of　assailants；　and　fled　in　every　direction；　leaving　the　Parvis　encumbered　with　dead。

When　Quasimodo；　who　had　not　ceased　to　fight　for　a　moment；　beheld　this　rout；　he　fell　on　his　knees　and　raised　his　hands　to　heaven；　then；　intoxicated　with　joy；　he　ran；　he　ascended　with　the　swiftness　of　a　bird　to　that　cell；　the　approaches　to　which　he　had　so　intrepidly　defended。　　He　had　but　one　thought　now；　it　was　to　kneel　before　her　whom　he　had　just　saved　for　the　second　time。

When　he　entered　the　cell；　he　found　it　empty。





BOOK　ELEVENTH。






CHAPTER　I。

THE　LITTLE　SHOE。



La　Esmeralda　was　sleeping　at　the　moment　when　the　outcasts　assailed　the　church。

Soon　the　ever…increasing　uproar　around　the　edifice；　and　the　uneasy　bleating　of　her　goat　which　had　been　awakened；　had　roused　her　from　her　slumbers。　　She　had　sat　up；　she　had　listened；　she　had　looked；　then；　terrified　by　the　light　and　noise；　she　had　rushed　from　her　cell　to　see。　　The　aspect　of　the　Place；　the　vision　which　was　moving　in　it；　the　disorder　of　that　nocturnal　assault；　that　hideous　crowd；　leaping　like　a　cloud　of　frogs；　half　seen　in　the　gloom；　the　croaking　of　that　hoarse　multitude；　those　few　red　torches　running　and　crossing　each　other　in　the　darkness　like　the　meteors　which　streak　the　misty　surfaces　of　marshes；　this　whole　scene　produced　upon　her　the　effect　of　a　mysterious　battle　between　the　phantoms　of　the　witches'　sabbath　and　the　stone　monsters　of　the　church。　Imbued　from　her　very　infancy　with　the　superstitions　of　the　Bohemian　tribe；　her　first　thought　was　that　she　had　caught　the　strange　beings　peculiar　to　the　night；　in　their　deeds　of　witchcraft。　　Then　she　ran　in　terror　to　cower　in　her　cell；　asking　of　her　pallet　some　less　terrible　nightmare。

But　little　by　little　the　first　vapors　of　terror　had　been　dissipated；　from　the　constantly　increasing　noise；　and　from　many　other　signs　of　reality；　she　felt　herself　besieged　not　by　spectres；　but　by　human　beings。　　Then　her　fear；　though　it　did　not　increase；　changed　its　character。　　She　had　dreamed　of　the　possibility　of　a　popular　mutiny　to　tear　her　from　her　asylum。　The　idea　of　once　more　recovering　life；　hope；　Phoebus；　who　was　ever　present　in　her　future；　the　extreme　helplessness　of　her　condition；　flight　cut　off；　no　support；　her　abandonment；　her　isolation；these　thoughts　and　a　thousand　others　overwhelmed　her。　　She　fell　upon　her　knees；　with　her　head　on　her　bed；　her　hands　clasped　over　her　head；　full　of　anxiety　and　tremors；　and；　although　a　gypsy；　an　idolater；　and　a　pagan；　she　began　to　entreat　with　sobs；　mercy　from　the　good　Christian　God；　and　to　pray　to　our　Lady；　her　hostess。　　For　even　if　one　believes　in　nothing；　there　are　moments　in　life　when　one　is　always　of　the　religion　of　the　temple　which　is　nearest　at　hand。

She　remained　thus　prostrate　for　a　very　long　time；　trembling　in　truth；　more　than　praying；　chilled　by　the　ever…closer　breath　of　that　furious　multitude；　understanding　nothing　of　this　outburst；　ignorant　of　what　was　being　plotted；　what　was　being　done；　what　they　wanted；　but　foreseeing　a　terrible　issue。

In　the　midst　of　this　anguish；　she　heard　some　one　walking　near　her。　　She　turned　round。　　Two　men；　one　of　whom　carried　a　lantern；　had　just　entered　her　cell。　　She　uttered　a　feeble　cry。

〃Fear　nothing；〃　said　a　voice　which　was　not　unknown　to　her；　〃it　is　I。〃

〃Who　are　you？〃　she　asked。

〃Pierre　Gringoire。〃

This　name　reassured　her。　　She　raised　her　eyes　once　more；　and　recognized　the　poet　in　very　fact。　　But　there　stood　beside　him　a　black　figure　veiled　from　head　to　foot；　which　struck　her　by　its　silence。

〃Oh！〃　continued　Gringoire　in　a　tone　of　reproach；　〃Djali　recognized　me　before　you！〃

The　little　goat　had　not；　in　fact；　waited　for　Gringoire　to　announce　his　name。　　No　sooner　had　he　entered　than　it　rubbed　itself　gently　against　his　knees；　covering　the　poet　with　caresses　and　with　white　hairs；　for　it　was　shedding　its　hair。　　Gringoire　returned　the　caresses。

〃Who　is　this　with　you？〃　said　the　gypsy；　in　a　low　voice。

〃Be　at　ease；〃　replied　Gringoire。　　〃'Tis　one　of　my　friends。〃　Then　the　philosopher　setting　his　lantern　on　the　ground；　crouched　upon　the　stones；　and　exclaimed　enthusiastically；　as　he　pressed　Djali　in　his　arms；

〃Oh！　'tis　a　graceful　beast；　more　considerable　no　doubt；　for　it's　neatness　than　for　its　size；　but　ingenious；　subtle；　and　lettered　as　a　grammarian！　　Let　us　see；　my　Djali；　hast　thou　forgotten　any　of　t