the hunchback of notre dame-第17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！


arched　majestically　in　his　robe　of　purple；　spotted　with　wine；　preceded　by　buffoons　wrestling　and　executing　military　dances；　surrounded　by　his　macebearers；　his　pickpockets　and　clerks　of　the　chamber　of　accounts。　　Last　of　all　came　the　corporation　of　law　clerks；　with　its　maypoles　crowned　with　flowers；　its　black　robes；　its　music　worthy　of　the　orgy；　and　its　large　candles　of　yellow　wax。　　In　the　centre　of　this　crowd；　the　grand　officers　of　the　Brotherhood　of　Fools　bore　on　their　shoulders　a　litter　more　loaded　down　with　candles　than　the　reliquary　of　Sainte…Geneviève　in　time　of　pest；　and　on　this　litter　shone　resplendent；　with　crosier；　cope；　and　mitre；　the　new　Pope　of　the　Fools；　the　bellringer　of　Notre…Dame；　Quasimodo　the　hunchback。

Each　section　of　this　grotesque　procession　had　its　own　music。　The　Egyptians　made　their　drums　and　African　tambourines　resound。　　The　slang　men；　not　a　very　musical　race；　still　clung　to　the　goat's　horn　trumpet　and　the　Gothic　rubebbe　of　the　twelfth　century。　　The　Empire　of　Galilee　was　not　much　more　advanced；　among　its　music　one　could　hardly　distinguish　some　miserable　rebec；　from　the　infancy　of　the　art；　still　imprisoned　in　the　~re…la…mi~。　　But　it　was　around　the　Pope　of　the　Fools　that　all　the　musical　riches　of　the　epoch　were　displayed　in　a　magnificent　discord。　　It　was　nothing　but　soprano　rebecs；　counter…tenor　rebecs；　and　tenor　rebecs；　not　to　reckon　the　flutes　and　brass　instruments。　　Alas！　our　readers　will　remember　that　this　was　Gringoire's　orchestra。

It　is　difficult　to　convey　an　idea　of　the　degree　of　proud　and　blissful　expansion　to　which　the　sad　and　hideous　visage　of　Quasimodo　had　attained　during　the　transit　from　the　Palais　de　Justice；　to　the　Place　de　Grève。　　It　was　the　first　enjoyment　of　self…love　that　he　had　ever　experienced。　　Down　to　that　day；　he　had　known　only　humiliation；　disdain　for　his　condition；　disgust　for　his　person。　　Hence；　deaf　though　he　was；　he　enjoyed；　like　a　veritable　pope；　the　acclamations　of　that　throng；　which　he　hated　because　he　felt　that　he　was　hated　by　it。　　What　mattered　it　that　his　people　consisted　of　a　pack　of　fools；　cripples；　thieves；　and　beggars？　it　was　still　a　people　and　he　was　its　sovereign。　　And　he　accepted　seriously　all　this　ironical　applause；　all　this　derisive　respect；　with　which　the　crowd　mingled；　it　must　be　admitted；　a　good　deal　of　very　real　fear。　　For　the　hunchback　was　robust；　for　the　bandy…legged　fellow　was　agile；　for　the　deaf　man　was　malicious：　three　qualities　which　temper　ridicule。

We　are　far　from　believing；　however；　that　the　new　Pope　of　the　Fools　understood　both　the　sentiments　which　he　felt　and　the　sentiments　which　he　inspired。　　The　spirit　which　was　lodged　in　this　failure　of　a　body　had；　necessarily；　something　incomplete　and　deaf　about　it。　　Thus；　what　he　felt　at　the　moment　was　to　him；　absolutely　vague；　indistinct；　and　confused。　Only　joy　made　itself　felt；　only　pride　dominated。　　Around　that　sombre　and　unhappy　face；　there　hung　a　radiance。

It　was；　then；　not　without　surprise　and　alarm；　that　at　the　very　moment　when　Quasimodo　was　passing　the　Pillar　House；　in　that　semi…intoxicated　state；　a　man　was　seen　to　dart　from　the　crowd；　and　to　tear　from　his　hands；　with　a　gesture　of　anger；　his　crosier　of　gilded　wood；　the　emblem　of　his　mock　popeship。

This　man；　this　rash　individual；　was　the　man　with　the　bald　brow；　who；　a　moment　earlier；　standing　with　the　gypsy's　group　had　chilled　the　poor　girl　with　his　words　of　menace　and　of　hatred。　　He　was　dressed　in　an　eccleslastical　costume。　　At　the　moment　when　he　stood　forth　from　the　crowd；　Gringoire；　who　had　not　noticed　him　up　to　that　time；　recognized　him：　〃Hold！〃　he　said；　with　an　exclamation　of　astonishment。　〃Eh！　'tis　my　master　in　Hermes；　Dom　Claude　Frollo；　the　archdeacon！　　What　the　devil　does　he　want　of　that　old　one…　eyed　fellow？　　He'll　get　himself　devoured！〃

A　cry　of　terror　arose；　in　fact。　　The　formidable　Quasimodo　had　hurled　himself　from　the　litter；　and　the　women　turned　aside　their　eyes　in　order　not　to　see　him　tear　the　archdeacon　asunder。

He　made　one　bound　as　far　as　the　priest；　looked　at　him；　and　fell　upon　his　knees。

The　priest　tore　off　his　tiara；　broke　his　crozier；　and　rent　his　tinsel　cope。

Quasimodo　remained　on　his　knees；　with　head　bent　and　hands　clasped。　　Then　there　was　established　between　them　a　strange　dialogue　of　signs　and　gestures；　for　neither　of　them　spoke。　The　priest；　erect　on　his　feet；　irritated；　threatening；　imperious；　Quasimodo；　prostrate；　humble；　suppliant。　　And；　nevertheless；　it　is　certain　that　Quasimodo　could　have　crushed　the　priest　with　his　thumb。

At　length　the　archdeacon；　giving　Quasimodo's　powerful　shoulder　a　rough　shake；　made　him　a　sign　to　rise　and　follow　him。

Quasimodo　rose。

Then　the　Brotherhood　of　Fools；　their　first　stupor　having　passed　off；　wished　to　defend　their　pope；　so　abruptly　dethroned。　The　Egyptians；　the　men　of　slang；　and　all　the　fraternity　of　law　clerks；　gathered　howling　round　the　priest。

Quasimodo　placed　himself　in　front　of　the　priest；　set　in　play　the　muscles　of　his　athletic　fists；　and　glared　upon　the　assailants　with　the　snarl　of　an　angry　tiger。

The　priest　resumed　his　sombre　gravity；　made　a　sign　to　Quasimodo；　and　retired　in　silence。

Quasimodo　walked　in　front　of　him；　scattering　the　crowd　as　he　passed。

When　they　had　traversed　the　populace　and　the　Place；　the　cloud　of　curious　and　idle　were　minded　to　follow　them。　　Quasimodo　then　constituted　himself　the　rearguard；　and　followed　the　archdeacon；　walking　backwards；　squat；　surly；　monstrous；　bristling；　gathering　up　his　limbs；　licking　his　boar's　tusks；　growling　like　a　wild　beast；　and　imparting　to　the　crowd　immense　vibrations；　with　a　look　or　a　gesture。

Both　were　allowed　to　plunge　into　a　dark　and　narrow　street；　where　no　one　dared　to　venture　after　them；　so　thoroughly　did　the　mere　chimera　of　Quasimodo　gnashing　his　teeth　bar　the　entrance。

〃Here's　a　marvellous　thing；〃　said　Gringoire；　〃but　where　the　deuce　shall　I　find　some　supper？〃




CHAPTER　IV。

THE　INCONVENIENCES　OF　FOLLOWING　A　PRETTY　WOMAN　THROUGH　THE　STREETS　IN　THE　EVENING。



Gringoire　set　out　to　follow　the　gypsy　at　all　hazards。　　He　had　seen　her；　accompanied　by　her　goat；　take　to　the　Rue　de　la　Coutellerie；　he　took　the　Rue　de　la　Coutellerie。

〃Why　not？〃　he　said　to　himself。

Gringoire；　a　practical　philosopher　of　the　streets　of　Paris；　had　noticed　that　nothing　is　more　propitious　to　revery　than　following　a　pretty　woman　without　knowing　whither　she　is　going。　　There　was　in　this　voluntary　abdication　of　his　freewill；　in　this　fancy　submitting　itself　to　another　fancy；　which　suspects　it　not；　a　mixture　of　fantastic　independence　and　blind　obedience；　something　indescribable；　intermediate　between　slavery　and　liberty；　which　pleased　Gringoire；a　spirit　essentially　compound；　undecided；　and　complex；　holding　the　extremities　of　all　extremes；　incessantly　suspended　between　all　human　propensities；　and　neutralizing　one　by　the　other。　　He　was　fond　of　comparing　himself　to　Mahomet's　coffin；　attracted　in　two　different　directions　by　two　loadstones；　and　hesitating　eternally　between　the　heights　and　the　depths；　between　the　vault　and　the　pavement；　between　fall　and　ascent；　between　zenith　and　nadir。

If　Gringoire　had　lived　in　our　day；　what　a　fine　middle　course　he　would　hold　between　classicism　and　romanticism！

But　he　was　not　sufficiently　primitive　to　live　three　hundred　years；　and　'tis　a　pity。　　His　absence　is　a　void　which　is　but　too　sensibly　felt　to…day。

Moreover；　for　the　purpose　of　thus　following　passers…by　（and　especially　female　passers…by）　in　the　streets；　which　Gringoire　was　fond　of　doing；　there　is　no　better　disposition　than　ignorance　of　where　one　is　going　to　sleep。

So　he　walked　along；　very　thoughtfully；　behind　the　young　girl；　who　hastened　her　pace　and　made　her　goat　trot　as　she　saw　the　bourgeois　returning　home　and　the　tavernsthe　only　shops　which　had　been　open　that　dayclosing。

〃After　all；〃　he　half　thought　to　himself；　〃she　must　lodge　somewhere；　gypsies　have　kindly　hearts。　　Who　knows？〃

And　in　the　points　of　suspense　which　he　placed　after　this　reticence　in　his　mind；　there　lay　I　know　not　what　flattering　ideas。

Meanwhile；　from　time　to　time；　as　he　passed　the　last　groups　of　bourgeois　closing　their　doors；　he　caught　some　scraps　of　their　conversation；　which　broke　the　thread　of　his　pleasant　hypotheses。

Now　it　was　tw