the hunchback of notre dame-第109章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ent。

In　the　meanwhile；　the　principal　vagabonds　had　retired　beneath　the　porch　of　the　Gondelaurier　mansion；　and　were　holding　a　council　of　war。

The　Duke　of　Egypt；　seated　on　a　stone　post；　contemplated　the　phantasmagorical　bonfire；　glowing　at　a　height　of　two　hundred　feet　in　the　air；　with　religious　terror。　　Clopin　Trouillefou　bit　his　huge　fists　with　rage。

〃Impossible　to　get　in！〃　he　muttered　between　his　teeth。

〃An　old；　enchanted　church！〃　grumbled　the　aged　Bohemian；　Mathias　Hungadi　Spicali。

〃By　the　Pope's　whiskers！〃　went　on　a　sham　soldier；　who　had　once　been　in　service；　〃here　are　church　gutters　spitting　melted　lead　at　you　better　than　the　machicolations　of　Lectoure。〃

〃Do　you　see　that　demon　passing　and　repassing　in　front　of　the　fire？〃　exclaimed　the　Duke　of　Egypt。

〃Pardieu；　'tis　that　damned　bellringer；　'tis　Quasimodo；〃　said　Clopin。

The　Bohemian　tossed　his　head。　　〃I　tell　you；　that　'tis　the　spirit　Sabnac；　the　grand　marquis；　the　demon　of　fortifications。　He　has　the　form　of　an　armed　soldier；　the　head　of　a　lion。　Sometimes　he　rides　a　hideous　horse。　　He　changes　men　into　stones；　of　which　he　builds　towers。　　He　commands　fifty　legions　'Tis　he　indeed；　I　recognize　him。　　Sometimes　he　is　clad　in　a　handsome　golden　robe；　figured　after　the　Turkish　fashion。〃

〃Where　is　Bellevigne　de　l'Etoile？〃　demanded　Clopin。

〃He　is　dead。〃

Andry　the　Red　laughed　in　an　idiotic　way：　〃Notre…Dame　is　making　work　for　the　hospital；〃　said　he。

〃Is　there；　then；　no　way　of　forcing　this　door；〃　exclaimed　the　King　of　Thunes；　stamping　his　foot。

The　Duke　of　Egypt　pointed　sadly　to　the　two　streams　of　boiling　lead　which　did　not　cease　to　streak　the　black　facade；　like　two　long　distaffs　of　phosphorus。

〃Churches　have　been　known　to　defend　themselves　thus　all　by　themselves；〃　he　remarked　with　a　sigh。　　〃Saint…Sophia　at　Constantinople；　forty　years　ago；　hurled　to　the　earth　three　times　in　succession；　the　crescent　of　Mahom；　by　shaking　her　domes；　which　are　her　heads。　　Guillaume　de　Paris；　who　built　this　one　was　a　magician。〃

〃Must　we　then　retreat　in　pitiful　fashion；　like　highwaymen？〃　said　Clopin。　　〃Must　we　leave　our　sister　here；　whom　those　hooded　wolves　will　hang　to…morrow。〃

〃And　the　sacristy；　where　there　are　wagon…loads　of　gold！〃　added　a　vagabond；　whose　name；　we　regret　to　say；　we　do　not　know。

〃Beard　of　Mahom！〃　cried　Trouillefou。

〃Let　us　make　another　trial；〃　resumed　the　vagabond。

Mathias　Hungadi　shook　his　head。

〃We　shall　never　get　in　by　the　door。　　We　must　find　the　defect　in　the　armor　of　the　old　fairy；　a　hole；　a　false　postern；　some　joint　or　other。〃

〃Who　will　go　with　me？〃　said　Clopin。　　〃I　shall　go　at　it　again。　　By　the　way；　where　is　the　little　scholar　Jehan；　who　is　so　encased　in　iron？〃

〃He　is　dead；　no　doubt；〃　some　one　replied；　〃we　no　longer　hear　his　laugh。〃

The　King　of　Thunes　frowned：　〃So　much　the　worse。　　There　was　a　brave　heart　under　that　ironmongery。　　And　Master　Pierre　Gringoire？〃

〃Captain　Clopin；〃　said　Andry　the　Red；　〃he　slipped　away　before　we　reached　the　Pont…aux…Changeurs；〃

Clopin　stamped　his　foot。　　〃Gueule…Dieu！　'twas　he　who　pushed　us　on　hither；　and　he　has　deserted　us　in　the　very　middle　of　the　job！　　Cowardly　chatterer；　with　a　slipper　for　a　helmet！〃

〃Captain　Clopin；〃　said　Andry　the　Red；　who　was　gazing　down　Rue　du　Parvis；　〃yonder　is　the　little　scholar。〃

〃Praised　be　Pluto！〃　said　Clopin。　　〃But　what　the　devil　is　he　dragging　after　him？〃

It　was；　in　fact；　Jehan；　who　was　running　as　fast　as　his　heavy　outfit　of　a　Paladin；　and　a　long　ladder　which　trailed　on　the　pavement；　would　permit；　more　breathless　than　an　ant　harnessed　to　a　blade　of　grass　twenty　times　longer　than　itself。

〃Victory！　　~Te　Deum~！〃　cried　the　scholar。　　〃Here　is　the　ladder　of　the　longshoremen　of　Port　Saint…Landry。〃

Clopin　approached　him。

〃Child；　what　do　you　mean　to　do；　~corne…dieu~！　　with　this　ladder？〃

〃I　have　it；〃　replied　Jehan；　panting。　　〃I　knew　where　it　was　under　the　shed　of　the　lieutenant's　house。　　There's　a　wench　there　whom　I　know；　who　thinks　me　as　handsome　as　Cupido。　I　made　use　of　her　to　get　the　ladder；　and　I　have　the　ladder；　~Pasque…Mahom~！　　The　poor　girl　came　to　open　the　door　to　me　in　her　shift。〃

〃Yes；〃　said　Clopin；　〃but　what　are　you　going　to　do　with　that　ladder？〃

Jehan　gazed　at　him　with　a　malicious；　knowing　look；　and　cracked　his　fingers　like　castanets。　　At　that　moment　he　was　sublime。　　On　his　head　he　wore　one　of　those　overloaded　helmets　of　the　fifteenth　century；　which　frightened　the　enemy　with　their　fanciful　crests。　　His　bristled　with　ten　iron　beaks；　so　that　Jehan　could　have　disputed　with　Nestor's　Homeric　vessel　the　redoubtable　title　of　~dexeubolos~。

〃What　do　I　mean　to　do　with　it；　august　king　of　Thunes？　Do　you　see　that　row　of　statues　which　have　such　idiotic　expressions；　yonder；　above　the　three　portals？〃

〃Yes。　　Well？〃

〃'Tis　the　gallery　of　the　kings　of　France。〃

〃What　is　that　to　me？〃　said　Clopin。

〃Wait！　　At　the　end　of　that　gallery　there　is　a　door　which　is　never　fastened　otherwise　than　with　a　latch；　and　with　this　ladder　I　ascend；　and　I　am　in　the　church。〃

〃Child　let　me　be　the　first　to　ascend。〃

〃No；　comrade；　the　ladder　is　mine。　　Come；　you　shall　be　the　second。〃

〃May　Beelzebub　strangle　you！〃　said　surly　Clopin；　〃I　won't　be　second　to　anybody。〃

〃Then　find　a　ladder；　Clopin！〃

Jehan　set　out　on　a　run　across　the　Place；　dragging　his　ladder　and　shouting：　〃Follow　me；　lads！〃

In　an　instant　the　ladder　was　raised；　and　propped　against　the　balustrade　of　the　lower　gallery；　above　one　of　the　lateral　doors。　　The　throng　of　vagabonds；　uttering　loud　acclamations；　crowded　to　its　foot　to　ascend。　　But　Jehan　maintained　his　right；　and　was　the　first　to　set　foot　on　the　rungs。　　The　passage　was　tolerably　long。　　The　gallery　of　the　kings　of　France　is　to…day　about　sixty　feet　above　the　pavement。　　The　eleven　steps　of　the　flight　before　the　door；　made　it　still　higher。　Jehan　mounted　slowly；　a　good　deal　incommoded　by　his　heavy　armor；　holding　his　crossbow　in　one　hand；　and　clinging　to　a　rung　with　the　other。　　When　he　reached　the　middle　of　the　ladder；　he　cast　a　melancholy　glance　at　the　poor　dead　outcasts；　with　which　the　steps　were　strewn。　　〃Alas！〃　said　he；　〃here　is　a　heap　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　Quasi