the hunchback of notre dame-第108章

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g　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　sparkling　with　torches；　the　Easters　sparkling　with　sunshine；all　those　splendid　solemneties　wherein　chandeliers；　ciboriums；　tabernacles；　and　reliquaries；　studded　the　altars　with　a　crust　of　gold　and　diamonds。　　Certainly；　at　that　fine　moment；　thieves　and　pseudo　sufferers；　doctors　in　stealing；　and　vagabonds；　were　thinking　much　less　of　delivering　the　gypsy　than　of　pillaging　Notre…Dame。　　We　could　even　easily　believe　that　for　a　goodly　number　among　them　la　Esmeralda　was　only　a　pretext；　if　thieves　needed　pretexts。

All　at　once；　at　the　moment　when　they　were　grouping　themselves　round　the　ram　for　a　last　effort；　each　one　holding　his　breath　and　stiffening　his　muscles　in　order　to　communicate　all　his　force　to　the　decisive　blow；　a　howl　more　frightful　still　than　that　which　had　burst　forth　and　expired　beneath　the　beam；　rose　among　them。　　Those　who　did　not　cry　out；　those　who　were　still　alive；　looked。　　Two　streams　of　melted　lead　were　falling　from　the　summit　of　the　edifice　into　the　thickest　of　the　rabble。　That　sea　of　men　had　just　sunk　down　beneath　the　boiling　metal；　which　had　made；　at　the　two　points　where　it　fell；　two　black　and　smoking　holes　in　the　crowd；　such　as　hot　water　would　make　in　snow。　　Dying　men；　half　consumed　and　groaning　with　anguish；　could　be　seen　writhing　there。　　Around　these　two　principal　streams　there　were　drops　of　that　horrible　rain；　which　scattered　over　the　assailants　and　entered　their　skulls　like　gimlets　of　fire。　　It　was　a　heavy　fire　which　overwhelmed　these　wretches　with　a　thousand　hailstones。

The　outcry　was　heartrending。　　They　fled　pell…mell；　hurling　the　beam　upon　the　bodies；　the　boldest　as　well　as　the　most　timid；　and　the　parvis　was　cleared　a　second　time。

All　eyes　were　raised　to　the　top　of　the　church。　　They　beheld　there　an　extraordinary　sight。　　On　the　crest　of　the　highest　gallery；　higher　than　the　central　rose　window；　there　was　a　great　flame　rising　between　the　two　towers　with　whirlwinds　of　sparks；　a　vast；　disordered；　and　furious　flame；　a　tongue　of　which　was　borne　into　the　smoke　by　the　wind；　from　time　to　time。　　Below　that　fire；　below　the　gloomy　balustrade　with　its　trefoils　showing　darkly　against　its　glare；　two　spouts　with　monster　throats　were　vomiting　forth　unceasingly　that　burning　rain；　whose　silvery　stream　stood　out　against　the　shadows　of　the　lower　fa？ade。　　As　they　approached　the　earth；　these　two　jets　of　liquid　lead　spread　out　in　sheaves；　like　water　springing　from　the　thousand　holes　of　a　watering…pot。　　Above　the　flame；　the　enormous　towers；　two　sides　of　each　of　which　were　visible　in　sharp　outline；　the　one　wholly　black；　the　other　wholly　red；　seemed　still　more　vast　with　all　the　immensity　of　the　shadow　which　they　cast　even　to　the　sky。

Their　innumerable　sculptures　of　demons　and　dragons　assumed　a　lugubrious　aspect。　　The　restless　light　of　the　flame　made　them　move　to　the　eye。　　There　were　griffins　which　had　the　air　of　laughing；　gargoyles　which　one　fancied　one　heard　yelping；　salamanders　which　puffed　at　the　fire；　tarasques*　which　sneezed　in　the　smoke。　　And　among　the　monsters　thus　roused　from　their　sleep　of　stone　by　this　flame；　by　this　noise；　there　was　one　who　walked　about；　and　who　was　seen；　from　time　to　time；　to　pass　across　the　glowing　face　of　the　pile；　like　a　bat　in　front　of　a　candle。


*　　The　representation　of　a　monstrous　animal　solemnly　drawn　about　in　Tarascon　and　other　French　towns。


Without　doubt；　this　strange　beacon　light　would　awaken　far　away；　the　woodcutter　of　the　hills　of　Bicêtre；　terrified　to　behold　the　gigantic　shadow　of　the　towers　of　Notre…Dame　quivering　over　his　heaths。

A　terrified　silence　ensued　among　the　outcasts；　during　which　nothing　was　heard；　but　the　cries　of　alarm　of　the　canons　shut　up　in　their　cloister；　and　more　uneasy　than　horses　in　a　burning　stable；　the　furtive　sound　of　windows　hastily　opened　and　still　more　hastily　closed；　the　internal　hurly…burly　of　the　houses　and　of　the　H？tel…Dieu；　the　wind　in　the　flame；　the　last　death…rattle　of　the　dying；　and　the　continued　crackling　of　the　rain　of　lead　upon　the　pavement。

In　the　meanwhile；　the　principal　vagabonds　had　retired　beneath　the　porch　of　the　Gondelaurier