the hunchback of notre dame-第102章

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Gringoire　scratched　his　ear；　with　a　very　serious　air。　〃Stay！〃　said　he；　〃that　is　an　idea　which　would　never　have　occurred　to　me　unaided。〃

At　Dom　Claude's　proposition；　the　open　and　benign　face　of　the　poet　had　abruptly　clouded　over；　like　a　smiling　Italian　landscape；　when　an　unlucky　squall　comes　up　and　dashes　a　cloud　across　the　sun。

〃Well！　　Gringoire；　what　say　you　to　the　means？〃

〃I　say；　master；　that　I　shall　not　be　hanged；　perchance；　but　that　I　shall　be　hanged　indubitably。

〃That　concerns　us　not。〃

〃The　deuce！〃　said　Gringoire。

〃She　has　saved　your　life。　　'Tis　a　debt　that　you　are　discharging。〃

〃There　are　a　great　many　others　which　I　do　not　discharge。〃

〃Master　Pierre；　it　is　absolutely　necessary。〃

The　archdeacon　spoke　imperiously。〃

〃Listen；　Dom　Claude；〃　replied　the　poet　in　utter　consternation。　You　cling　to　that　idea；　and　you　are　wrong。　　I　do　not　see　why　I　should　get　myself　hanged　in　some　one　else's　place。〃

〃What　have　you；　then；　which　attaches　you　so　strongly　to　life？〃

〃Oh！　a　thousand　reasons！〃

〃What　reasons；　if　you　please？〃

〃What？　　The　air；　the　sky；　the　morning；　the　evening；　the　moonlight；　my　good　friends　the　thieves；　our　jeers　with　the　old　hags　of　go…betweens；　the　fine　architecture　of　Paris　to　study；　three　great　books　to　make；　one　of　them　being　against　the　bishops　and　his　mills；　and　how　can　I　tell　all？　　Anaxagoras　said　that　he　was　in　the　world　to　admire　the　sun。　　And　then；　from　morning　till　night；　I　have　the　happiness　of　passing　all　my　days　with　a　man　of　genius；　who　is　myself；　which　is　very　agreeable。〃

〃A　head　fit　for　a　mule　bell！〃　muttered　the　archdeacon。　〃Oh！　tell　me　who　preserved　for　you　that　life　which　you　render　so　charming　to　yourself？　　To　whom　do　you　owe　it　that　you　breathe　that　air；　behold　that　sky；　and　can　still　amuse　your　lark's　mind　with　your　whimsical　nonsense　and　madness？　　Where　would　you　be；　had　it　not　been　for　her？　Do　you　then　desire　that　she　through　whom　you　are　alive；　should　die？　that　she　should　die；　that　beautiful；　sweet；　adorable　creature；　who　is　necessary　to　the　light　of　the　world　and　more　divine　than　God；　while　you；　half　wise；　and　half　fool；　a　vain　sketch　of　something；　a　sort　of　vegetable；　which　thinks　that　it　walks；　and　thinks　that　it　thinks；　you　will　continue　to　live　with　the　life　which　you　have　stolen　from　her；　as　useless　as　a　candle　in　broad　daylight？　　Come；　have　a　little　pity；　Gringoire；　be　generous　in　your　turn；　it　was　she　who　set　the　example。〃

The　priest　was　vehement。　　Gringoire　listened　to　him　at　first　with　an　undecided　air；　then　he　became　touched；　and　wound　up　with　a　grimace　which　made　his　pallid　face　resemble　that　of　a　new…born　infant　with　an　attack　of　the　colic。

〃You　are　pathetic！〃　said　he；　wiping　away　a　tear。　　〃Well！　I　will　think　about　it。　　That's　a　queer　idea　of　yours。After　all；〃　he　continued　after　a　pause；　〃who　knows？　perhaps　they　will　not　hang　me。　　He　who　becomes　betrothed　does　not　always　marry。　　When　they　find　me　in　that　little　lodging　so　grotesquely　muffled　in　petticoat　and　coif；　perchance　they　will　burst　with　laughter。　　And　then；　if　they　do　hang　me；well！　the　halter　is　as　good　a　death　as　any。　　'Tis　a　death　worthy　of　a　sage　who　has　wavered　all　his　life；　a　death　which　is　neither　flesh　nor　fish；　like　the　mind　of　a　veritable　sceptic；　a　death　all　stamped　with　Pyrrhonism　and　hesitation；　which　holds　the　middle　station　betwixt　heaven　and　earth；　which　leaves　you　in　suspense。　　'Tis　a　philosopher's　death；　and　I　was　destined　thereto；　perchance。　　It　is　magnificent　to　die　as　one　has　lived。〃

The　priest　interrupted　him：　〃Is　it　agreed。〃

〃What　is　death；　after　all？〃　pursued　Gringoire　with　exaltation。　〃A　disagreeable　moment；　a　toll…gate；　the　passage　of　little　to　nothingness。　　Some　one　having　asked　Cercidas；　the　Megalopolitan；　if　he　were　willing　to　die：　'Why　not？'　he　replied；　'for　after　my　death　I　shall　see　those　great　men；　Pythagoras　among　the　philosophers；　Hecataeus　among　historians；　Homer　among　poets；　Olympus　among　musicians。'〃

The　archdeacon　gave　him　his　hand：　〃It　is　settled；　then？　You　will　come　to…morrow？〃

This　gesture　recalled　Gringoire　to　reality。

〃Ah！　i'　faith　no！〃　he　said　in　the　tone　of　a　man　just　waking　up。　　〃Be　hanged！　'tis　too　absurd。　　I　will　not。〃

〃Farewell；　then！〃　and　the　archdeacon　added　between　his　teeth：　〃I'll　find　you　again！〃

〃I　do　not　want　that　devil　of　a　man　to　find　me；〃　thought　Gringoire；　and　he　ran　after　Dom　Claude。　　〃Stay；　monsieur　the　archdeacon；　no　ill…feeling　between　old　friends！　　You　take　an　interest　in　that　girl；　my　wife；　I　mean；　and　'tis　well。　　You　have　devised　a　scheme　to　get　her　out　of　Notre…Dame；　but　your　way　is　extremely　disagreeable　to　me；　Gringoire。　　If　I　had　only　another　one　myself！　　I　beg　to　say　that　a　luminous　inspiration　has　just　occurred　to　me。　　If　I　possessed　an　expedient　for　extricating　her　from　a　dilemma；　without　compromising　my　own　neck　to　the　extent　of　a　single　running　knot；　what　would　you　say　to　it？　　Will　not　that　suffice　you？　　Is　it　absolutely　necessary　that　I　should　be　hanged；　in　order　that　you　may　be　content？〃

The　priest　tore　out　the　buttons　of　his　cassock　with　impatience：　〃Stream　of　words！　　What　is　your　plan？〃

〃Yes；〃　resumed　Gringoire；　talking　to　himself　and　touching　his　nose　with　his　forefinger　in　sign　of　meditation；〃that's　it！The　thieves　are　brave　fellows！The　tribe　of　Egypt　love　her！They　will　rise　at　the　first　word！Nothing　easier！A　sudden　stroke。Under　cover　of　the　disorder；　they　will　easily　carry　her　off！Beginning　to…morrow　evening。　They　will　ask　nothing　better。

〃The　plan！　speak；〃　cried　the　archdeacon　shaking　him。

Gringoire　turned　majestically　towards　him：　〃Leave　me！　You　see　that　I　am　composing。〃　He　meditated　for　a　few　moments　more；　then　began　to　clap　his　hands　over　his　thought；　crying：　〃Admirable！　　success　is　sure！〃

〃The　plan！〃　repeated　Claude　in　wrath。

Gringoire　was　radiant。

〃Come；　that　I　may　tell　you　that　very　softly。　　'Tis　a　truly　gallant　counter…plot；　which　will　extricate　us　all　from　the　matter。　Pardieu；　it　must　be　admitted　that　I　am　no　fool。〃

He　broke　off。

〃Oh；　by　the　way！　　is　the　little　goat　with　the　wench？〃

〃Yes。　　The　devil　take　you！〃

〃They　would　have　hanged　it　also；　would　they　not？〃

〃What　is　that　to　me？〃

〃Yes；　they　would　have　hanged　it。　　They　hanged　a　sow　last　month。　　The　headsman　loveth　that；　he　eats　the　beast　afterwards。　Take　my　pretty　Djali！　　Poor　little　lamb！〃

〃Malediction！〃　exclaimed　Dom　Claude。　　〃You　are　the　executioner。　　What　means　of　safety　have　you　found；　knave？　Must　your　idea　be　extracted　with　the　forceps？〃

〃Very　fine；　master；　this　is　it。〃

Gringoire　bent　his　head　to　the　archdeacon's　head　and　spoke　to　him　in　a　very　low　voice；　casting　an　uneasy　glance　the　while　from　one　end　to　the　other　of　the　street；　though　no　one　was　passing。　　When　he　had　finished；　Dom　Claude　took　his　hand　and　said　coldly　：　〃'Tis　well。　　Farewell　until　to…morrow。〃

〃Until　to…morrow；〃　repeated　Gringoire。　　And；　while　the　archdeacon　was　disappearing　in　one　direction；　he　set　off　in　the　other；　saying　to　himself　in　a　low　voice：　〃Here's　a　grand　affair；　Monsieur　Pierre　Gringoire。　　Never　mind！　　'Tis　not　written　that　because　one　is　of　small　account　one　should　take　fright　at　a　great　enterprise。　　Bitou　carried　a　great　bull　on　his　shoulders；　the　water…wagtails；　the　warblers；　and　the　buntings　traverse　the　ocean。〃




CHAPTER　II。

TURN　VAGABOND。



On　re…entering　the　cloister；　the　archdeacon　found　at　the　door　of　his　cell　his　brother　Jehan　du　Moulin；　who　was　waiting　for　him；　and　who　had　beguiled　the　tedium　of　waiting　by　drawing　on　the　wall　with　a　bit　of　charcoal；　a　profile　of　his　elder　brother；　enriched　with　a　monstrous　nose。

Dom　Claude　hardly　looked　at　his　brother；　his　thoughts　were　elsewhere。　　That　merry　scamp's　face　whose　beaming　had　so　often　restored　serenity　to　the　priest's　sombre　physiognomy；　was　now　powerless　to　melt　the　gloom　which　grew　more　dense　every　day　over　that　corrupted；　mephitic；　and　stagnant　soul。

〃Brother；〃　said　Jehan　timidly；　〃I　am　come　to　see　you。〃

The　archdeacon　did　not　even　raise　his　eyes。

〃What　then？〃

〃Brother；〃　resumed　the　hypocrite；　〃you　are　so　good　to　me；　and　you　give　me　such　wise　counsels　that　I　always　return　to　you。〃

〃What　next？〃

〃Alas！　　brother；　you　were　perfectly　right　when　you　said　to　me；〃Jehan！　　Jehan！　~cessat　doctorum　doctri