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第104章

the hunchback of notre dame-第104章

小说: the hunchback of notre dame 字数: 每页4000字

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en by his warlike accoutrements that nothing was to be seen of his person save an impertinent; red; snub nose; a rosy mouth; and bold eyes。  His belt was full of daggers and poniards; a huge sword on his hip; a rusted cross…bow at his left; and a vast jug of wine in front of him; without reckoning on his right; a fat wench with her bosom uncovered。  All mouths around him were laughing; cursing; and drinking。

Add twenty secondary groups; the waiters; male and female; running with jugs on their heads; gamblers squatting over taws; merelles;* dice; vachettes; the ardent game of tringlet; quarrels in one corner; kisses in another; and the reader will have some idea of this whole picture; over which flickered the light of a great; flaming fire; which made a thousand huge and grotesque shadows dance over the walls of the drinking shop。


*  A game played on a checker…board containing three concentric sets of squares; with small stones。  The game consisted in getting three stones in a row。


As for the noise; it was like the inside of a bell at full peal。

The dripping…pan; where crackled a rain of grease; filled with its continual sputtering the intervals of these thousand dialogues; which intermingled from one end of the apartment to the other。

In the midst of this uproar; at the extremity of the tavern; on the bench inside the chimney; sat a philosopher meditating with his feet in the ashes and his eyes on the brands。  It was Pierre Gringoire。

〃Be quick!  make haste; arm yourselves! we set out on the march in an hour!〃 said Clopin Trouillefou to his thieves。

A wench was humming;

         〃~Bonsoir mon père et ma mere;          Les derniers couvrent le feu~。〃*


* Good night; father and mother; the last cover up the fire。


Two card players were disputing;

〃Knave!〃 cried the reddest faced of the two; shaking his fist at the other; 〃I'll mark you with the club。  You can take the place of Mistigri in the pack of cards of monseigneur the king。〃

〃Ugh!〃 roared a Norman; recognizable by his nasal accent; 〃we are packed in here like the saints of Caillouville!〃

〃My sons;〃 the Duke of Egypt was saying to his audience; in a falsetto voice; 〃sorceresses in France go to the witches' sabbath without broomsticks; or grease; or steed; merely by means of some magic words。  The witches of Italy always have a buck waiting for them at their door。  All are bound to go out through the chimney。〃

The voice of the young scamp armed from head to foot; dominated the uproar。

〃Hurrah! hurrah!〃 he was shouting。  〃My first day in armor!  Outcast!  I am an outcast。  Give me something to drink。  My friends; my name is Jehan Frollo du Moulin; and I am a gentleman。  My opinion is that if God were a ~gendarme~; he would turn robber。  Brothers; we are about to set out on a fine expedition。  Lay siege to the church; burst in the doors; drag out the beautiful girl; save her from the judges; save her from the priests; dismantle the cloister; burn the bishop in his palaceall this we will do in less time than it takes for a burgomaster to eat a spoonful of soup。  Our cause is just; we will plunder Notre…Dame and that will be the end of it。  We will hang Quasimodo。  Do you know Quasimodo; ladies?  Have you seen him make himself breathless on the big bell on a grand Pentecost festival!  ~Corne du Père~!  'tis very fine!  One would say he was a devil mounted on a man。  Listen to me; my friends; I am a vagabond to the bottom of my heart; I am a member of the slang thief gang in my soul; I was born an independent thief。  I have been rich; and I have devoured all my property。  My mother wanted to make an officer of me; my father; a sub…deacon; my aunt; a councillor of inquests; my grandmother; prothonotary to the king; my great aunt; a treasurer of the short robe;and I have made myself an outcast。  I said this to my father; who spit his curse in my face; to my mother; who set to weeping and chattering; poor old lady; like yonder fagot on the and…irons。  Long live mirth!  I am a real Bicêtre。  Waitress; my dear; more wine。  I have still the wherewithal to pay。  I want no more Surène wine。  It distresses my throat。  I'd as lief; ~corboeuf~!  gargle my throat with a basket。〃

Meanwhile; the rabble applauded with shouts of laughter; and seeing that the tumult was increasing around him; the scholar cried;。

〃Oh!  what a fine noise!  ~Populi debacchantis populosa debacchatio~!〃 Then he began to sing; his eye swimming in ecstasy; in the tone of a canon intoning vespers; ~Quoe cantica! quoe organa! quoe cantilenoe! quoe meloclioe hic sine fine decantantur!  Sonant melliflua hymnorum organa; suavissima angelorum melodia; cantica canticorum mira~!  He broke off: 〃Tavern…keeper of the devil; give me some supper!〃

There was a moment of partial silence; during which the sharp voice of the Duke of Egypt rose; as he gave instructions to his Bohemians。

〃The weasel is called Adrune; the fox; Blue…foot; or the Racer of the Woods; the wolf; Gray…foot; or Gold…foot; the bear the Old Man; or Grandfather。  The cap of a gnome confers invisibility; and causes one to behold invisible things。 Every toad that is baptized must be clad in red or black velvet; a bell on its neck; a bell on its feet。  The godfather holds its head; the godmother its hinder parts。  'Tis the demon Sidragasum who hath the power to make wenches dance stark naked。〃

〃By the mass!〃 interrupted Jehan; 〃I should like to be the demon Sidragasum。〃

Meanwhile; the vagabonds continued to arm themselves and whisper at the other end of the dram…shop。

〃That poor Esmeralda!〃 said a Bohemian。  〃She is our sister。  She must be taken away from there。〃

〃Is she still at Notre…Dame?〃 went on a merchant with the appearance of a Jew。

〃Yes; pardieu!〃

〃Well! comrades!〃 exclaimed the merchant; 〃to Notre…Dame! So much the better; since there are in the chapel of Saints Féréol and Ferrution two statues; the one of John the Baptist; the other of Saint…Antoine; of solid gold; weighing together seven marks of gold and fifteen estellins; and the pedestals are of silver…gilt; of seventeen marks; five ounces。 I know that; I am a goldsmith。〃

Here they served Jehan with his supper。  As he threw himself back on the bosom of the wench beside him; he exclaimed;

〃By Saint Voult…de…Lucques; whom people call Saint Goguelu; I am perfectly happy。  I have before me a fool who gazes at me with the smooth face of an archduke。  Here is one on my left whose teeth are so long that they hide his

chin。  And then; I am like the Marshal de Gié at the siege of Pontoise; I have my right resting on a hillock。  ~Ventre… Mahom~!  Comrade! you have the air of a merchant of tennis… balls; and you come and sit yourself beside me!  I am a nobleman; my friend!  Trade is incompatible with nobility。 Get out of that!  Hola hé!  You others; don't fight!  What; Baptiste Croque…Oison; you who have such a fine nose are going to risk it against the big fists of that lout!  Fool! ~Non cuiquam datum est habere nasum~not every one is favored with a nose。  You are really divine; Jacqueline Ronge…Oreille! 'tis a pity that you have no hair!  Holà! my name is Jehan Frollo; and my brother is an archdeacon。 May the devil fly off with him!  All that I tell you is the truth。  In turning vagabond; I have gladly renounced the half of a house situated in paradise; which my brother had promised me。  ~Dimidiam domum in paradiso~。  I quote the text。  I have a fief in the Rue Tirechappe; and all the women are in love with me; as true as Saint Eloy was an excellent goldsmith; and that the five trades of the good city of Paris are the tanners; the tawers; the makers of cross…belts; the purse…makers; and the sweaters; and that Saint Laurent was burnt with eggshells。  I swear to you; comrades。


         〃~Que je ne beuvrai de piment;          Devant un an; si je cy ment~。*


*  That I will drink no spiced and honeyed wine for a year; if I am lying now。


〃'Tis moonlight; my charmer; see yonder through the window how the wind is tearing the clouds to tatters!  Even thus will I do to your gorget。Wenches; wipe the children's noses and snuff the candles。Christ and Mahom!  What am I eating here; Jupiter?  Ohé! innkeeper! the hair whi

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