the hunchback of notre dame-第16章

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She　shuddered　and　turned　round；　but　applause　broke　forth　and　drowned　the　morose　exclamation。

It　even　effaced　it　so　completely　from　her　mind；　that　she　continued　to　question　her　goat。

〃Djali；　what　does　Master　Guichard　Grand…Remy；　captain　of　the　pistoliers　of　the　town　do；　at　the　procession　of　Candlemas？〃

Djali　reared　himself　on　his　hind　legs；　and　began　to　bleat；　marching　along　with　so　much　dainty　gravity；　that　the　entire　circle　of　spectators　burst　into　a　laugh　at　this　parody　of　the　interested　devoutness　of　the　captain　of　pistoliers。

〃Djali；〃　resumed　the　young　girl；　emboldened　by　her　growing　success；　〃how　preaches　Master　Jacques　Charmolue；　procurator　to　the　king　in　the　ecclesiastical　court？〃

The　goat　seated　himself　on　his　hind　quarters；　and　began　to　bleat；　waving　his　fore　feet　in　so　strange　a　manner；　that；　with　the　exception　of　the　bad　French；　and　worse　Latin；　Jacques　Charmolue　was　there　complete；gesture；　accent；　and　attitude。

And　the　crowd　applauded　louder　than　ever。

〃Sacrilege！　profanation！〃　resumed　the　voice　of　the　bald　man。

The　gypsy　turned　round　once　more。

〃Ah！〃　said　she；　〃'tis　that　villanous　man！〃　Then；　thrusting　her　under　lip　out　beyond　the　upper；　she　made　a　little　pout；　which　appeared　to　be　familiar　to　her；　executed　a　pirouette　on　her　heel；　and　set　about　collecting　in　her　tambourine　the　gifts　of　the　multitude。

Big　blanks；　little　blanks；　targes*　and　eagle　liards　showered　into　it。


*　　A　blank：　an　old　French　coin；　six　blanks　were　worth　two　sous　and　a　half；　targe；　an　ancient　coin　of　Burgundy；　a　farthing。


All　at　once；　she　passed　in　front　of　Gringoire。　　Gringoire　put　his　hand　so　recklessly　into　his　pocket　that　she　halted。　〃The　devil！〃　said　the　poet；　finding　at　the　bottom　of　his　pocket　the　reality；　that　is；　to　say；　a　void。　　In　the　meantime；　the　pretty　girl　stood　there；　gazing　at　him　with　her　big　eyes；　and　holding　out　her　tambourine　to　him　and　waiting。　　Gringoire　broke　into　a　violent　perspiration。

If　he　had　all　Peru　in　his　pocket；　he　would　certainly　have　given　it　to　the　dancer；　but　Gringoire　had　not　Peru；　and；　moreover；　America　had　not　yet　been　discovered。

Happily；　an　unexpected　incident　came　to　his　rescue。

〃Will　you　take　yourself　off；　you　Egyptian　grasshopper？〃　cried　a　sharp　voice；　which　proceeded　from　the　darkest　corner　of　the　Place。

The　young　girl　turned　round　in　affright。　　It　was　no　longer　the　voice　of　the　bald　man；　it　was　the　voice　of　a　woman；　bigoted　and　malicious。

However；　this　cry；　which　alarmed　the　gypsy；　delighted　a　troop　of　children　who　were　prowling　about　there。

〃It　is　the　recluse　of　the　Tour…Roland；〃　they　exclaimed；　with　wild　laughter；　〃it　is　the　sacked　nun　who　is　scolding！　Hasn't　she　supped？　　Let's　carry　her　the　remains　of　the　city　refreshments！〃

All　rushed　towards　the　Pillar　House。

In　the　meanwhile；　Gringoire　had　taken　advantage　of　the　dancer's　embarrassment；　to　disappear。　　The　children's　shouts　had　reminded　him　that　he；　also；　had　not　supped；　so　he　ran　to　the　public　buffet。　　But　the　little　rascals　had　better　legs　than　he；　when　he　arrived；　they　had　stripped　the　table。　　There　remained　not　so　much　as　a　miserable　~camichon~　at　five　sous　the　pound。　　Nothing　remained　upon　the　wall　but　slender　fleurs…de…lis；　mingled　with　rose　bushes；　painted　in　1434　by　Mathieu　Biterne。　　It　was　a　meagre　supper。

It　is　an　unpleasant　thing　to　go　to　bed　without　supper；　it　is　a　still　less　pleasant　thing　not　to　sup　and　not　to　know　where　one　is　to　sleep。　　That　was　Gringoire's　condition。　　No　supper；　no　shelter；　he　saw　himself　pressed　on　all　sides　by　necessity；　and　he　found　necessity　very　crabbed。　　He　had　long　ago　discovered　the　truth；　that　Jupiter　created　men　during　a　fit　of　misanthropy；　and　that　during　a　wise　man's　whole　life；　his　destiny　holds　his　philosophy　in　a　state　of　siege。　　As　for　himself；　he　had　never　seen　the　blockade　so　complete；　he　heard　his　stomach　sounding　a　parley；　and　he　considered　it　very　much　out　of　place　that　evil　destiny　should　capture　his　philosophy　by　famine。

This　melancholy　revery　was　absorbing　him　more　and　more；　when　a　song；　quaint　but　full　of　sweetness；　suddenly　tore　him　from　it。　　It　was　the　young　gypsy　who　was　singing。

Her　voice　was　like　her　dancing；　like　her　beauty。　　It　was　indefinable　and　charming；　something　pure　and　sonorous；　aerial；　winged；　so　to　speak。　　There　were　continual　outbursts；　melodies；　unexpected　cadences；　then　simple　phrases　strewn　with　aerial　and　hissing　notes；　then　floods　of　scales　which　would　have　put　a　nightingale　to　rout；　but　in　which　harmony　was　always　present；　then　soft　modulations　of　octaves　which　rose　and　fell；　like　the　bosom　of　the　young　singer。　　Her　beautiful　face　followed；　with　singular　mobility；　all　the　caprices　of　her　song；　from　the　wildest　inspiration　to　the　chastest　dignity。　One　would　have　pronounced　her　now　a　mad　creature；　now　a　queen。

The　words　which　she　sang　were　in　a　tongue　unknown　to　Gringoire；　and　which　seemed　to　him　to　be　unknown　to　herself；　so　little　relation　did　the　expression　which　she　imparted　to　her　song　bear　to　the　sense　of　the　words。　　Thus；　these　four　lines；　in　her　mouth；　were　madly　gay；


　　~Un　cofre　de　gran　riqueza　　　　　Hallaron　dentro　un　pilar；　　　Dentro　del；　nuevas　banderas　　　　Con　figuras　de　espantar~。*


*　　A　coffer　of　great　richness　　　　　In　a　pillar's　heart　they　found；　　　　Within　it　lay　new　banners；　　　　　With　figures　to　astound。


And　an　instant　afterwards；　at　the　accents　which　she　imparted　to　this　stanza；


　　~Alarabes　de　cavallo　　　　Sin　poderse　menear；　　　Con　espadas；　y　los　cuellos；　　　　Ballestas　de　buen　echar~；


Gringoire　felt　the　tears　start　to　his　eyes。　　Nevertheless；　her　song　breathed　joy；　most　of　all；　and　she　seemed　to　sing　like　a　bird；　from　serenity　and　heedlessness。

The　gypsy's　song　had　disturbed　Gringoire's　revery　as　the　swan　disturbs　the　water。　　He　listened　in　a　sort　of　rapture；　and　forgetfulness　of　everything。　　It　was　the　first　moment　in　the　course　of　many　hours　when　he　did　not　feel　that　he　suffered。

The　moment　was　brief。

The　same　woman's　voice；　which　had　interrupted　the　gypsy's　dance；　interrupted　her　song。

〃Will　you　hold　your　tongue；　you　cricket　of　hell？〃　it　cried；　still　from　the　same　obscure　corner　of　the　place。

The　poor　〃cricket〃　stopped　short。　　Gringoire　covered　up　his　ears。

〃Oh！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃accursed　saw　with　missing　teeth；　which　comes　to　break　the　lyre！〃

Meanwhile；　the　other　spectators　murmured　like　himself；　〃To　the　devil　with　the　sacked　nun！〃　said　some　of　them。　And　the　old　invisible　kill…joy　might　have　had　occasion　to　repent　of　her　aggressions　against　the　gypsy　had　their　attention　not　been　diverted　at　this　moment　by　the　procession　of　the　Pope　of　the　Fools；　which；　after　having　traversed　many　streets　and　squares；　debouched　on　the　Place　de　Grève；　with　all　its　torches　and　all　its　uproar。

This　procession；　which　our　readers　have　seen　set　out　from　the　Palais　de　Justice；　had　organized　on　the　way；　and　had　been　recruited　by　all　the　knaves；　idle　thieves；　and　unemployed　vagabonds　in　Paris；　so　that　it　presented　a　very　respectable　aspect　when　it　arrived　at　the　Grève。

First　came　Egypt。　　The　Duke　of　Egypt　headed　it；　on　horseback；　with　his　counts　on　foot　holding　his　bridle　and　stirrups　for　him；　behind　them；　the　male　and　female　Egyptians；　pell…mell；　with　their　little　children　crying　on　their　shoulders；　allduke；　counts；　and　populacein　rags　and　tatters。　　Then　came　the　Kingdom　of　Argot；　that　is　to　say；　all　the　thieves　of　France；　arranged　according　to　the　order　of　their　dignity；　the　minor　people　walking　first。　　Thus　defiled　by　fours；　with　the　divers　insignia　of　their　grades；　in　that　strange　faculty；　most　of　them　lame；　some　cripples；　others　one…armed；　shop　clerks；　pilgrim；　~hubins~；　bootblacks；　thimble…riggers；　street　arabs；　beggars；　the　blear…eyed　beggars；　thieves；　the　weakly；　vagabonds；　merchants；　sham　soldiers；　goldsmiths；　passed　masters　of　pickpockets；　isolated　thieves。　　A　catalogue　that　would　weary　Homer。　　In　the　centre　of　the　conclave　of　the　passed　masters　of　pickpockets；　one　had　some　difficulty　in　distinguishing　the　King　of　Argot；　the　grand　co？sre；　so　called；　crouching　in　a　little　cart　drawn　by　two　big　dogs。　　After　the　kingdom　of　the　Argotiers；　came　the　Empire　of　Galilee。　　Guillaume　Rousseau；　Emperor　of　the　Empire　of　Galilee；　marched　majestically　in　his　robe　of　p