the hunchback of notre dame-第12章

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eak；　from　the　jowl　to　the　muzzle。　　Let　the　reader　imagine　all　these　grotesque　figures　of　the　Pont　Neuf；　those　nightmares　petrified　beneath　the　hand　of　Germain　Pilon；　assuming　life　and　breath；　and　coming　in　turn　to　stare　you　in　the　face　with　burning　eyes；　all　the　masks　of　the　Carnival　of　Venice　passing　in　succession　before　your　glass；in　a　word；　a　human　kaleidoscope。

The　orgy　grew　more　and　more　Flemish。　　Teniers　could　have　given　but　a　very　imperfect　idea　of　it。　　Let　the　reader　picture　to　himself　in　bacchanal　form；　Salvator　Rosa's　battle。　　There　were　no　longer　either　scholars　or　ambassadors　or　bourgeois　or　men　or　women；　there　was　no　longer　any　Clopin　Trouillefou；　nor　Gilles　Lecornu；　nor　Marie　Quatrelivres；　nor　Robin　Poussepain。　All　was　universal　license。　　The　grand　hall　was　no　longer　anything　but　a　vast　furnace　of　effrontry　and　joviality；　where　every　mouth　was　a　cry；　every　individual　a　posture；　everything　shouted　and　howled。　　The　strange　visages　which　came；　in　turn；　to　gnash　their　teeth　in　the　rose　window；　were　like　so　many　brands　cast　into　the　brazier；　and　from　the　whole　of　this　effervescing　crowd；　there　escaped；　as　from　a　furnace；　a　sharp；　piercing；　stinging　noise；　hissing　like　the　wings　of　a　gnat。

〃Ho　hé！　curse　it！〃

〃Just　look　at　that　face！〃

〃It's　not　good　for　anything。〃

〃Guillemette　Maugerepuis；　just　look　at　that　bull's　muzzle；　it　only　lacks　the　horns。　　It　can't　be　your　husband。〃

〃Another！〃

〃Belly　of　the　pope！　what　sort　of　a　grimace　is　that？〃

〃Hola　hé！　that's　cheating。　　One　must　show　only　one's　face。〃

〃That　damned　Perrette　Callebotte！　she's　capable　of　that！〃

〃Good！　　Good！〃

〃I'm　stifling！〃

〃There's　a　fellow　whose　ears　won't　go　through！〃　Etc。；　etc。

But　we　must　do　justice　to　our　friend　Jehan。　　In　the　midst　of　this　witches'　sabbath；　he　was　still　to　be　seen　on　the　top　of　his　pillar；　like　the　cabin…boy　on　the　topmast。　　He　floundered　about　with　incredible　fury。　　His　mouth　was　wide　open；　and　from　it　there　escaped　a　cry　which　no　one　heard；　not　that　it　was　covered　by　the　general　clamor；　great　as　that　was　but　because　it　attained；　no　doubt；　the　limit　of　perceptible　sharp　sounds；　the　thousand　vibrations　of　Sauveur；　or　the　eight　thousand　of　Biot。

As　for　Gringoire；　the　first　moment　of　depression　having　passed；　he　had　regained　his　composure。　　He　had　hardened　himself　against　adversity。…〃Continue！〃　he　had　said　for　the　third　time；　to　his　comedians；　speaking　machines；　then　as　he　was　marching　with　great　strides　in　front　of　the　marble　table；　a　fancy　seized　him　to　go　and　appear　in　his　turn　at　the　aperture　of　the　chapel；　were　it　only　for　the　pleasure　of　making　a　grimace　at　that　ungrateful　populace。〃But　no；　that　would　not　be　worthy　of　us；　no；　vengeance！　let　us　combat　until　the　end；〃　he　repeated　to　himself；　〃the　power　of　poetry　over　people　is　great；　I　will　bring　them　back。　　We　shall　see　which　will　carry　the　day；　grimaces　or　polite　literature。〃

Alas！　he　had　been　left　the　sole　spectator　of　his　piece。　It　was　far　worse　than　it　had　been　a　little　while　before。　　He　no　longer　beheld　anything　but　backs。

I　am　mistaken。　　The　big；　patient　man；　whom　he　had　already　consulted　in　a　critical　moment；　had　remained　with　his　face　turned　towards　the　stage。　　As　for　Gisquette　and　Liénarde；　they　had　deserted　him　long　ago。

Gringoire　was　touched　to　the　heart　by　the　fidelity　of　his　only　spectator。　　He　approached　him　and　addressed　him；　shaking　his　arm　slightly；　for　the　good　man　was　leaning　on　the　balustrade　and　dozing　a　little。

〃Monsieur；〃　said　Gringoire；　〃I　thank　you！〃

〃Monsieur；〃　replied　the　big　man　with　a　yawn；　〃for　what？〃

〃I　see　what　wearies　you；〃　resumed　the　poet；　〃'tis　all　this　noise　which　prevents　your　hearing　comfortably。　　But　be　at　ease！　your　name　shall　descend　to　posterity！　　Your　name；　if　you　please？〃

〃Renauld　Chateau；　guardian　of　the　seals　of　the　Chatelet　of　Paris；　at　your　service。〃

〃Monsieur；　you　are　the　only　representive　of　the　muses　here；〃　said　Gringoire。

〃You　are　too　kind；　sir；〃　said　the　guardian　of　the　seals　at　the　Chatelet。

〃You　are　the　only　one；〃　resumed　Gringoire；　〃who　has　listened　to　the　piece　decorously。　　What　do　you　think　of　it？〃

〃He！　he！〃　replied　the　fat　magistrate；　half　aroused；　〃it's　tolerably　jolly；　that's　a　fact。〃

Gringoire　was　forced　to　content　himself　with　this　eulogy；　for　a　thunder　of　applause；　mingled　with　a　prodigious　acclamation；　cut　their　conversation　short。　　The　Pope　of　the　Fools　had　been　elected。

〃Noel！　　Noel！　　Noel！〃*　shouted　the　people　on　all　sides。　That　was；　in　fact；　a　marvellous　grimace　which　was　beaming　at　that　moment　through　the　aperture　in　the　rose　window。　After　all　the　pentagonal；　hexagonal；　and　whimsical　faces；　which　had　succeeded　each　other　at　that　hole　without　realizing　the　ideal　of　the　grotesque　which　their　imaginations；　excited　by　the　orgy；　had　constructed；　nothing　less　was　needed　to　win　their　suffrages　than　the　sublime　grimace　which　had　just　dazzled　the　assembly。　　Master　Coppenole　himself　applauded；　and　Clopin　Trouillefou；　who　had　been　among　the　competitors　（and　God　knows　what　intensity　of　ugliness　his　visage　could　attain）；　confessed　himself　conquered：　We　will　do　the　same。　　We　shall　not　try　to　give　the　reader　an　idea　of　that　tetrahedral　nose；　that　horseshoe　mouth；　that　little　left　eye　obstructed　with　a　red；　bushy；　bristling　eyebrow；　while　the　right　eye　disappeared　entirely　beneath　an　enormous　wart；　of　those　teeth　in　disarray；　broken　here　and　there；　like　the　embattled　parapet　of　a　fortress；　of　that　callous　lip；　upon　which　one　of　these　teeth　encroached；　like　the　tusk　of　an　elephant；　of　that　forked　chin；　and　above　all；　of　the　expression　spread　over　the　whole；　of　that　mixture　of　malice；　amazement；　and　sadness。　　Let　the　reader　dream　of　this　whole；　if　he　can。


*　　The　ancient　French　hurrah。


The　acclamation　was　unanimous；　people　rushed　towards　the　chapel。　　They　made　the　lucky　Pope　of　the　Fools　come　forth　in　triumph。　　But　it　was　then　that　surprise　and　admiration　attained　their　highest　pitch；　the　grimace　was　his　face。

Or　rather；　his　whole　person　was　a　grimace。　　A　huge　head；　bristling　with　red　hair；　between　his　shoulders　an　enormous　hump；　a　counterpart　perceptible　in　front；　a　system　of　thighs　and　legs　so　strangely　astray　that　they　could　touch　each　other　only　at　the　knees；　and；　viewed　from　the　front；　resembled　the　crescents　of　two　scythes　joined　by　the　handles；　large　feet；　monstrous　hands；　and；　with　all　this　deformity；　an　indescribable　and　redoubtable　air　of　vigor；　agility；　and　courage；strange　exception　to　the　eternal　rule　which　wills　that　force　as　well　as　beauty　shall　be　the　result　of　harmony。　　Such　was　the　pope　whom　the　fools　had　just　chosen　for　themselves。

One　would　have　pronounced　him　a　giant　who　had　been　broken　and　badly　put　together　again。

When　this　species　of　cyclops　appeared　on　the　threshold　of　the　chapel；　motionless；　squat；　and　almost　as　broad　as　he　was　tall；　squared　on　the　base；　as　a　great　man　says；　with　his　doublet　half　red；　half　violet；　sown　with　silver　bells；　and；　above　all；　in　the　perfection　of　his　ugliness；　the　populace　recognized　him　on　the　instant；　and　shouted　with　one　voice；

〃'Tis　Quasimodo；　the　bellringer！　'tis　Quasimodo；　the　hunchback　of　Notre…Dame！　　Quasimodo；　the　one…eyed！　　Quasimodo；　the　bandy…legged！　　Noel！　　Noel！〃

It　will　be　seen　that　the　poor　fellow　had　a　choice　of　surnames。

〃Let　the　women　with　child　beware！〃　shouted　the　scholars。

〃Or　those　who　wish　to　be；〃　resumed　Joannes。

The　women　did；　in　fact；　hide　their　faces。

〃Oh！　the　horrible　monkey！〃　said　one　of　them。

〃As　wicked　as　he　is　ugly；〃　retorted　another。

〃He's　the　devil；〃　added　a　third。

〃I　have　the　misfortune　to　live　near　Notre…Dame；　I　hear　him　prowling　round　the　eaves　by　night。〃

〃With　the　cats。〃

〃He's　always　on　our　roofs。〃

〃He　throws　spells　down　our　chimneys。〃

〃The　other　evening；　he　came　and　made　a　grimace　at　me　through　my　attic　window。　　I　thought　that　it　was　a　man。　Such　a　fright　as　I　had！〃

〃I'm　sure　that　he　goes　to　the　witches'　sabbath。　　Once　he　left　a　broom　on　my　leads。〃

〃Oh！　what　a　displeasing　hunchback's　face！〃

〃Oh！　what　an　ill…favored　soul！〃

〃Whew！〃

The　men；　on　the　contrary；　were　delighted　and　applauded。　Quasimodo；　the　object　of　the　tumult；　still　stood　on　the　threshold　of　the　chapel；　sombre　and　grave；　and　allowed　the