the hunchback of notre dame-第36章

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why　history　has　not　transmitted　to　posterity　the　names　of　these　four　discreet　and　venerable　damsels。　　They　were　Agnes　la　Herme；　Jehanne　de　la　Tarme；　Henriette　la　Gaultière；　Gauchère　la　Violette；　all　four　widows；　all　four　dames　of　the　Chapel　Etienne　Haudry；　who　had　quitted　their　house　with　the　permission　of　their　mistress；　and　in　conformity　with　the　statutes　of　Pierre　d'Ailly；　in　order　to　come　and　hear　the　sermon。

However；　if　these　good　Haudriettes　were；　for　the　moment；　complying　with　the　statutes　of　Pierre　d'Ailly；　they　certainly　violated　with　joy　those　of　Michel　de　Brache；　and　the　Cardinal　of　Pisa；　which　so　inhumanly　enjoined　silence　upon　them。

〃What　is　this；　sister？〃　said　Agnes　to　Gauchère；　gazing　at　the　little　creature　exposed；　which　was　screaming　and　writhing　on　the　wooden　bed；　terrified　by　so　many　glances。

〃What　is　to　become　of　us；〃　said　Jehanne；　〃if　that　is　the　way　children　are　made　now？〃

〃I'm　not　learned　in　the　matter　of　children；〃　resumed　Agnes；　〃but　it　must　be　a　sin　to　look　at　this　one。〃

〃'Tis　not　a　child；　Agnes。〃

〃'Tis　an　abortion　of　a　monkey；〃　remarked　Gauchère。

〃'Tis　a　miracle；〃　interposed　Henriette　la　Gaultière。

〃Then；〃　remarked　Agnes；　〃it　is　the　third　since　the　Sunday　of　the　~Loetare~：　for；　in　less　than　a　week；　we　had　the　miracle　of　the　mocker　of　pilgrims　divinely　punished　by　Notre…Dame　d'Aubervilliers；　and　that　was　the　second　miracle　within　a　month。〃

〃This　pretended　foundling　is　a　real　monster　of　abomination；〃　resumed　Jehanne。

〃He　yells　loud　enough　to　deafen　a　chanter；〃　continued　Gauchère。　〃Hold　your　tongue；　you　little　howler！〃

〃To　think　that　Monsieur　of　Reims　sent　this　enormity　to　Monsieur　of　Paris；〃　added　la　Gaultière；　clasping　her　hands。

〃I　imagine；〃　said　Agnes　la　Herme；　〃that　it　is　a　beast；　an　animal；the　fruit　ofa　Jew　and　a　sow；　something　not　Christian；　in　short；　which　ought　to　be　thrown　into　the　fire　or　into　the　water。〃

〃I　really　hope；〃　resumed　la　Gaultière；　〃that　nobody　will　apply　for　it。〃

〃Ah；　good　heavens！〃　exclaimed　Agnes；　〃those　poor　nurses　yonder　in　the　foundling　asylum；　which　forms　the　lower　end　of　the　lane　as　you　go　to　the　river；　just　beside　Monseigneur　the　bishop！　what　if　this　little　monster　were　to　be　carried　to　them　to　suckle？　　I'd　rather　give　suck　to　a　vampire。〃

〃How　innocent　that　poor　la　Herme　is！〃　resumed　Jehanne；　〃don't　you　see；　sister；　that　this　little　monster　is　at　least　four　years　old；　and　that　he　would　have　less　appetite　for　your　breast　than　for　a　turnspit。〃

The　〃little　monster〃　we　should　find　it　difficult　ourselves　to　describe　him　otherwise；　was；　in　fact；　not　a　new…born　child。　　It　was　a　very　angular　and　very　lively　little　mass；　imprisoned　in　its　linen　sack；　stamped　with　the　cipher　of　Messire　Guillaume　Chartier；　then　bishop　of　Paris；　with　a　head　projecting。　　That　head　was　deformed　enough；　one　beheld　only　a　forest　of　red　hair；　one　eye；　a　mouth；　and　teeth。　　The　eye　wept；　the　mouth　cried；　and　the　teeth　seemed　to　ask　only　to　be　allowed　to　bite。　　The　whole　struggled　in　the　sack；　to　the　great　consternation　of　the　crowd；　which　increased　and　was　renewed　incessantly　around　it。

Dame　Aloise　de　Gondelaurier；　a　rich　and　noble　woman；　who　held　by　the　hand　a　pretty　girl　about　five　or　six　years　of　age；　and　dragged　a　long　veil　about；　suspended　to　the　golden　horn　of　her　headdress；　halted　as　she　passed　the　wooden　bed；　and　gazed　for　a　moment　at　the　wretched　creature；　while　her　charming　little　daughter；　Fleur…de…Lys　de　Gondelaurier；　spelled　out　with　her　tiny；　pretty　finger；　the　permanent　inscription　attached　to　the　wooden　bed：　〃Foundlings。〃

〃Really；〃　said　the　dame；　turning　away　in　disgust；　〃I　thought　that　they　only　exposed　children　here。〃

She　turned　her　back；　throwing　into　the　basin　a　silver　florin；　which　rang　among　the　liards；　and　made　the　poor　goodwives　of　the　chapel　of　Etienne　Haudry　open　their　eyes。

A　moment　later；　the　grave　and　learned　Robert　Mistricolle；　the　king's　protonotary；　passed；　with　an　enormous　missal　under　one　arm　and　his　wife　on　the　other　（Damoiselle　Guillemette　la　Mairesse）；　having　thus　by　his　side　his　two　regulators；spiritual　and　temporal。

〃Foundling！〃　he　said；　after　examining　the　object；　〃found；　apparently；　on　the　banks　of　the　river　Phlegethon。〃

〃One　can　only　see　one　eye；〃　observed　Damoiselle　Guillemette；　〃there　is　a　wart　on　the　other。〃

〃It's　not　a　wart；〃　returned　Master　Robert　Mistricolle；　〃it　is　an　egg　which　contains　another　demon　exactly　similar；　who　bears　another　little　egg　which　contains　another　devil；　and　so　on。〃

〃How　do　you　know　that？〃　asked　Guillemette　la　Mairesse。

〃I　know　it　pertinently；〃　replied　the　protonotary。

〃Monsieur　le　protonotare；〃　asked　Gauchère；　〃what　do　you　prognosticate　of　this　pretended　foundling？〃

〃The　greatest　misfortunes；〃　replied　Mistricolle。

〃Ah！　good　heavens！〃　said　an　old　woman　among　the　spectators；　〃and　that　besides　our　having　had　a　considerable　pestilence　last　year；　and　that　they　say　that　the　English　are　going　to　disembark　in　a　company　at　Harfleur。〃

〃Perhaps　that　will　prevent　the　queen　from　coming　to　Paris　in　the　month　of　September；〃　interposed　another；　〃trade　is　so　bad　already。〃

〃My　opinion　is；〃　exclaimed　Jehanne　de　la　Tarme；　〃that　it　would　be　better　for　the　louts　of　Paris；　if　this　little　magician　were　put　to　bed　on　a　fagot　than　on　a　plank。〃

〃A　fine；　flaming　fagot；〃　added　the　old　woman。

〃It　would　be　more　prudent；〃　said　Mistricolle。

For　several　minutes；　a　young　priest　had　been　listening　to　the　reasoning　of　the　Haudriettes　and　the　sentences　of　the　notary。　　He　had　a　severe　face；　with　a　large　brow；　a　profound　glance。　　He　thrust　the　crowd　silently　aside；　scrutinized　the　〃little　magician；〃　and　stretched　out　his　hand　upon　him。　　It　was　high　time；　for　all　the　devotees　were　already　licking　their　chops　over　the　〃fine；　flaming　fagot。〃

〃I　adopt　this　child；〃　said　the　priest。

He　took　it　in　his　cassock　and　carried　it　off。　　The　spectators　followed　him　with　frightened　glances。　　A　moment　later；　he　had　disappeared　through　the　〃Red　Door；〃　which　then　led　from　the　church　to　the　cloister。

When　the　first　surprise　was　over；　Jehanne　de　la　Tarme　bent　down　to　the　ear　of　la　Gaultière；

〃I　told　you　so；　sister；that　young　clerk；　Monsieur　Claude　Frollo；　is　a　sorcerer。〃




CHAPTER　II。

CLAUDE　FROLLO。



In　fact；　Claude　Frollo　was　no　common　person。

He　belonged　to　one　of　those　middle…class　families　which　were　called　indifferently；　in　the　impertinent　language　of　the　last　century；　the　high　~bourgeoise~　or　the　petty　nobility。　　This　family　had　inherited　from　the　brothers　Paclet　the　fief　of　Tirechappe；　which　was　dependent　upon　the　Bishop　of　Paris；　and　whose　twenty…one　houses　had　been　in　the　thirteenth　century　the　object　of　so　many　suits　before　the　official。　　As　possessor　of　this　fief；　Claude　Frollo　was　one　of　the　twenty…seven　seigneurs　keeping　claim　to　a　manor　in　fee　in　Paris　and　its　suburbs；　and　for　a　long　time；　his　name　was　to　be　seen　inscribed　in　this　quality；　between　the　H？tel　de　Tancarville；　belonging　to　Master　Fran？ois　Le　Rez；　and　the　college　of　Tours；　in　the　records　deposited　at　Saint　Martin　des　Champs。

Claude　Frollo　had　been　destined　from　infancy；　by　his　parents；　to　the　ecclesiastical　profession。　　He　had　been　taught　to　read　in　Latin；　he　had　been　trained　to　keep　his　eyes　on　the　ground　and　to　speak　low。　　While　still　a　child；　his　father　had　cloistered　him　in　the　college　of　Torchi　in　the　University。　There　it　was　that　he　had　grown　up；　on　the　missal　and　the　lexicon。

Moreover；　he　was　a　sad；　grave；　serious　child；　who　studied　ardently；　and　learned　quickly；　he　never　uttered　a　loud　cry　in　recreation　hour；　mixed　but　little　in　the　bacchanals　of　the　Rue　du　Fouarre；　did　not　know　what　it　was　to　~dare　alapas　et　capillos　laniare~；　and　had　cut　no　figure　in　that　revolt　of　1463；　which　the　annalists　register　gravely；　under　the　title　of　〃The　sixth　trouble　of　the　University。〃　　He　seldom　rallied　the　poor　students　of　Montaigu　on　the　~cappettes~　from　which　they　derived　their　name；　or　the　bursars　of　the　college　of　Dormans　on　their　shaved　tonsure；　and　their　surtout　parti…colored　of　bluish…green；　blue；　and　violet　cloth；　~azurini　coloris　et　bruni~；　as　says　the　charter　of　the　Cardinal　des　Quatre…Couronnes。

On　the　other　hand；　he　was　assiduous　at　the　great　and　the　small　schools　of　the　Rue　Saint