the hunchback of notre dame-第11章

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〃Master　Denis　le　Mercier；　guardian　of　the　house　of　the　blind　at　Paris！〃　etc。；　etc。；　etc。

This　was　becoming　unbearable。

This　strange　accompaniment；　which　rendered　it　difficult　to　follow　the　piece；　made　Gringoire　all　the　more　indignant　because　he　could　not　conceal　from　himself　the　fact　that　the　interest　was　continually　increasing；　and　that　all　his　work　required　was　a　chance　of　being　heard。

It　was；　in　fact；　difficult　to　imagine　a　more　ingenious　and　more　dramatic　composition。　　The　four　personages　of　the　prologue　were　bewailing　themselves　in　their　mortal　embarrassment；　when　Venus　in　person；　（~vera　incessa　patuit　dea~）　presented　herself　to　them；　clad　in　a　fine　robe　bearing　the　heraldic　device　of　the　ship　of　the　city　of　Paris。　　She　had　come　herself　to　claim　the　dolphin　promised　to　the　most　beautiful。　　Jupiter；　whose　thunder　could　be　heard　rumbling　in　the　dressing…room；　supported　her　claim；　and　Venus　was　on　the　point　of　carrying　it　off；that　is　to　say；　without　allegory；　of　marrying　monsieur　the　dauphin；　when　a　young　child　clad　in　white　damask；　and　holding　in　her　hand　a　daisy　（a　transparent　personification　of　Mademoiselle　Marguerite　of　Flanders）　came　to　contest　it　with　Venus。

Theatrical　effect　and　change。

After　a　dispute；　Venus；　Marguerite；　and　the　assistants　agreed　to　submit　to　the　good　judgment　of　time　holy　Virgin。　There　was　another　good　part；　that　of　the　king　of　Mesopotamia；　but　through　so　many　interruptions；　it　was　difficult　to　make　out　what　end　he　served。　　All　these　persons　had　ascended　by　the　ladder　to　the　stage。

But　all　was　over；　none　of　these　beauties　had　been　felt　nor　understood。　　On　the　entrance　of　the　cardinal；　one　would　have　said　that　an　invisible　magic　thread　had　suddenly　drawn　all　glances　from　the　marble　table　to　the　gallery；　from　the　southern　to　the　western　extremity　of　the　hall。　　Nothing　could　disenchant　the　audience；　all　eyes　remained　fixed　there；　and　the　new…comers　and　their　accursed　names；　and　their　faces；　and　their　costumes；　afforded　a　continual　diversion。　　This　was　very　distressing。　　With　the　exception　of　Gisquette　and　Liénarde；　who　turned　round　from　time　to　time　when　Gringoire　plucked　them　by　the　sleeve；　with　the　exception　of　the　big；　patient　neighbor；　no　one　listened；　no　one　looked　at　the　poor；　deserted　morality　full　face。　　Gringoire　saw　only　profiles。

With　what　bitterness　did　he　behold　his　whole　erection　of　glory　and　of　poetry　crumble　away　bit　by　bit！　　And　to　think　that　these　people　had　been　upon　the　point　of　instituting　a　revolt　against　the　bailiff　through　impatience　to　hear　his　work！　now　that　they　had　it　they　did　not　care　for　it。　　This　same　representation　which　had　been　begun　amid　so　unanimous　an　acclamation！　　Eternal　flood　and　ebb　of　popular　favor！　　To　think　that　they　had　been　on　the　point　of　hanging　the　bailiff's　sergeant！　　What　would　he　not　have　given　to　be　still　at　that　hour　of　honey！

But　the　usher's　brutal　monologue　came　to　an　end；　every　one　had　arrived；　and　Gringoire　breathed　freely　once　more；　the　actors　continued　bravely。　　But　Master　Coppenole；　the　hosier；　must　needs　rise　of　a　sudden；　and　Gringoire　was　forced　to　listen　to　him　deliver；　amid　universal　attention；　the　following　abominable　harangue。

〃Messieurs　the　bourgeois　and　squires　of　Paris；　I　don't　know；　cross　of　God！　what　we　are　doing　here。　　I　certainly　do　see　yonder　in　the　corner　on　that　stage；　some　people　who　appear　to　be　fighting。　　I　don't　know　whether　that　is　what　you　call　a　〃mystery；〃　but　it　is　not　amusing；　they　quarrel　with　their　tongues　and　nothing　more。　　I　have　been　waiting　for　the　first　blow　this　quarter　of　an　hour；　nothing　comes；　they　are　cowards　who　only　scratch　each　other　with　insults。　　You　ought　to　send　for　the　fighters　of　London　or　Rotterdam；　and；　I　can　tell　you！　you　would　have　had　blows　of　the　fist　that　could　be　heard　in　the　Place；　but　these　men　excite　our　pity。　　They　ought　at　least；　to　give　us　a　moorish　dance；　or　some　other　mummer！　　That　is　not　what　was　told　me；　I　was　promised　a　feast　of　fools；　with　the　election　of　a　pope。　　We　have　our　pope　of　fools　at　Ghent　also；　we're　not　behindhand　in　that；　cross　of　God！　　But　this　is　the　way　we　manage　it；　we　collect　a　crowd　like　this　one　here；　then　each　person　in　turn　passes　his　head　through　a　hole；　and　makes　a　grimace　at　the　rest；　time　one　who　makes　the　ugliest；　is　elected　pope　by　general　acclamation；　that's　the　way　it　is。　　It　is　very　diverting。　　Would　you　like　to　make　your　pope　after　the　fashion　of　my　country？　　At　all　events；　it　will　be　less　wearisome　than　to　listen　to　chatterers。　If　they　wish　to　come　and　make　their　grimaces　through　the　hole；　they　can　join　the　game。　　What　say　you；　Messieurs　les　bourgeois？　　You　have　here　enough　grotesque　specimens　of　both　sexes；　to　allow　of　laughing　in　Flemish　fashion；　and　there　are　enough　of　us　ugly　in　countenance　to　hope　for　a　fine　grinning　match。〃

Gringoire　would　have　liked　to　retort；　stupefaction；　rage；　indignation；　deprived　him　of　words。　　Moreover；　the　suggestion　of　the　popular　hosier　was　received　with　such　enthusiasm　by　these　bourgeois　who　were　flattered　at　being　called　〃squires；〃　that　all　resistance　was　useless。　　There　was　nothing　to　be　done　but　to　allow　one's　self　to　drift　with　the　torrent。　Gringoire　hid　his　face　between　his　two　hands；　not　being　so　fortunate　as　to　have　a　mantle　with　which　to　veil　his　head；　like　Agamemnon　of　Timantis。



CHAPTER　V。

QUASIMODO。



In　the　twinkling　of　an　eye；　all　was　ready　to　execute　Coppenole's　idea。　　Bourgeois；　scholars　and　law　clerks　all　set　to　work。　　The　little　chapel　situated　opposite　the　marble　table　was　selected　for　the　scene　of　the　grinning　match。　　A　pane　broken　in　the　pretty　rose　window　above　the　door；　left　free　a　circle　of　stone　through　which　it　was　agreed　that　the　competitors　should　thrust　their　heads。　　In　order　to　reach　it；　it　was　only　necessary　to　mount　upon　a　couple　of　hogsheads；　which　had　been　produced　from　I　know　not　where；　and　perched　one　upon　the　other；　after　a　fashion。　　It　was　settled　that　each　candidate；　man　or　woman　（for　it　was　possible　to　choose　a　female　pope）；　should；　for　the　sake　of　leaving　the　impression　of　his　grimace　fresh　and　complete；　cover　his　face　and　remain　concealed　in　the　chapel　until　the　moment　of　his　appearance。　　In　less　than　an　instant；　the　chapel　was　crowded　with　competitors；　upon　whom　the　door　was　then　closed。

Coppenole；　from　his　post；　ordered　all；　directed　all；　arranged　all。　　During　the　uproar；　the　cardinal；　no　less　abashed　than　Gringoire；　had　retired　with　all　his　suite；　under　the　pretext　of　business　and　vespers；　without　the　crowd　which　his　arrival　had　so　deeply　stirred　being　in　the　least　moved　by　his　departure。　Guillaume　Rym　was　the　only　one　who　noticed　his　eminence's　discomfiture。　　The　attention　of　the　populace；　like　the　sun；　pursued　its　revolution；　having　set　out　from　one　end　of　the　hall；　and　halted　for　a　space　in　the　middle；　it　had　now　reached　the　other　end。　　The　marble　table；　the　brocaded　gallery　had　each　had　their　day；　it　was　now　the　turn　of　the　chapel　of　Louis　XI。　Henceforth；　the　field　was　open　to　all　folly。　　There　was　no　one　there　now；　but　the　Flemings　and　the　rabble。

The　grimaces　began。　　The　first　face　which　appeared　at　the　aperture；　with　eyelids　turned　up　to　the　reds；　a　mouth　open　like　a　maw；　and　a　brow　wrinkled　like　our　hussar　boots　of　the　Empire；　evoked　such　an　inextinguishable　peal　of　laughter　that　Homer　would　have　taken　all　these　louts　for　gods。　Nevertheless；　the　grand　hall　was　anything　but　Olympus；　and　Gringoire's　poor　Jupiter　knew　it　better　than　any　one　else。　　A　second　and　third　grimace　followed；　then　another　and　another；　and　the　laughter　and　transports　of　delight　went　on　increasing。　There　was　in　this　spectacle；　a　peculiar　power　of　intoxication　and　fascination；　of　which　it　would　be　difficult　to　convey　to　the　reader　of　our　day　and　our　salons　any　idea。

Let　the　reader　picture　to　himself　a　series　of　visages　presenting　successively　all　geometrical　forms；　from　the　triangle　to　the　trapezium；　from　the　cone　to　the　polyhedron；　all　human　expressions；　from　wrath　to　lewdness；　all　ages；　from　the　wrinkles　of　the　new…born　babe　to　the　wrinkles　of　the　aged　and　dying；　all　religious　phantasmagories；　from　Faun　to　Beelzebub；　all　animal　profiles；　from　the　maw　to　the　beak；　from　the　jowl　to　the　muzzle。　　Let　the　reader　imagine　all　these　grotesque　figures　o