the hunchback of notre dame-第39章

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This　justice　must；　however　be　rendered　to　him。　　Malevolence　was　not；　perhaps；　innate　in　him。　　From　his　very　first　steps　among　men；　he　had　felt　himself；　later　on　he　had　seen　himself；　spewed　out；　blasted；　rejected。　　Human　words　were；　for　him；　always　a　raillery　or　a　malediction。　　As　he　grew　up；　he　had　found　nothing　but　hatred　around　him。　　He　had　caught　the　general　malevolence。　　He　had　picked　up　the　weapon　with　which　he　had　been　wounded。

After　all；　he　turned　his　face　towards　men　only　with　reluctance；　his　cathedral　was　sufficient　for　him。　　It　was　peopled　with　marble　figures；kings；　saints；　bishops；who　at　least　did　not　burst　out　laughing　in　his　face；　and　who　gazed　upon　him　only　with　tranquillity　and　kindliness。　　The　other　statues；　those　of　the　monsters　and　demons；　cherished　no　hatred　for　him；　Quasimodo。　　He　resembled　them　too　much　for　that。　They　seemed　rather；　to　be　scoffing　at　other　men。　　The　saints　were　his　friends；　and　blessed　him；　the　monsters　were　his　friends　and　guarded　him。　　So　he　held　long　communion　with　them。　　He　sometimes　passed　whole　hours　crouching　before　one　of　these　statues；　in　solitary　conversation　with　it。　　If　any　one　came；　he　fled　like　a　lover　surprised　in　his　serenade。

And　the　cathedral　was　not　only　society　for　him；　but　the　universe；　and　all　nature　beside。　　He　dreamed　of　no　other　hedgerows　than　the　painted　windows；　always　in　flower；　no　other　shade　than　that　of　the　foliage　of　stone　which　spread　out；　loaded　with　birds；　in　the　tufts　of　the　Saxon　capitals；　of　no　other　mountains　than　the　colossal　towers　of　the　church；　of　no　other　ocean　than　Paris；　roaring　at　their　bases。

What　he　loved　above　all　else　in　the　maternal　edifice；　that　which　aroused　his　soul；　and　made　it　open　its　poor　wings；　which　it　kept　so　miserably　folded　in　its　cavern；　that　which　sometimes　rendered　him　even　happy；　was　the　bells。　　He　loved　them；　fondled　them；　talked　to　them；　understood　them。　From　the　chime　in　the　spire；　over　the　intersection　of　the　aisles　and　nave；　to　the　great　bell　of　the　front；　he　cherished　a　tenderness　for　them　all。　　The　central　spire　and　the　two　towers　were　to　him　as　three　great　cages；　whose　birds；　reared　by　himself；　sang　for　him　alone。　　Yet　it　was　these　very　bells　which　had　made　him　deaf；　but　mothers　often　love　best　that　child　which　has　caused　them　the　most　suffering。

It　is　true　that　their　voice　was　the　only　one　which　he　could　still　hear。　　On　this　score；　the　big　bell　was　his　beloved。　　It　was　she　whom　he　preferred　out　of　all　that　family　of　noisy　girls　which　bustled　above　him；　on　festival　days。　　This　bell　was　named　Marie。　　She　was　alone　in　the　southern　tower；　with　her　sister　Jacqueline；　a　bell　of　lesser　size；　shut　up　in　a　smaller　cage　beside　hers。　　This　Jacqueline　was　so　called　from　the　name　of　the　wife　of　Jean　Montagu；　who　had　given　it　to　the　church；　which　had　not　prevented　his　going　and　figuring　without　his　head　at　Montfau？on。　　In　the　second　tower　there　were　six　other　bells；　and；　finally；　six　smaller　ones　inhabited　the　belfry　over　the　crossing；　with　the　wooden　bell；　which　rang　only　between　after　dinner　on　Good　Friday　and　the　morning　of　the　day　before　Easter。　　So　Quasimodo　had　fifteen　bells　in　his　seraglio；　but　big　Marie　was　his　favorite。

No　idea　can　be　formed　of　his　delight　on　days　when　the　grand　peal　was　sounded。　　At　the　moment　when　the　archdeacon　dismissed　him；　and　said；　〃Go！〃　he　mounted　the　spiral　staircase　of　the　clock　tower　faster　than　any　one　else　could　have　descended　it。　　He　entered　perfectly　breathless　into　the　aerial　chamber　of　the　great　bell；　he　gazed　at　her　a　moment；　devoutly　and　lovingly；　then　he　gently　addressed　her　and　patted　her　with　his　hand；　like　a　good　horse；　which　is　about　to　set　out　on　a　long　journey。　　He　pitied　her　for　the　trouble　that　she　was　about　to　suffer。　　After　these　first　caresses；　he　shouted　to　his　assistants；　placed　in　the　lower　story　of　the　tower；　to　begin。　　They　grasped　the　ropes；　the　wheel　creaked；　the　enormous　capsule　of　metal　started　slowly　into　motion。　Quasimodo　followed　it　with　his　glance　and　trembled。　　The　first　shock　of　the　clapper　and　the　brazen　wall　made　the　framework　upon　which　it　was　mounted　quiver。　　Quasimodo　vibrated　with　the　bell。

〃Vah！〃　he　cried；　with　a　senseless　burst　of　laughter。　　However；　the　movement　of　the　bass　was　accelerated；　and；　in　proportion　as　it　described　a　wider　angle；　Quasimodo's　eye　opened　also　more　and　more　widely；　phosphoric　and　flaming。　　At　length　the　grand　peal　began；　the　whole　tower　trembled；　woodwork；　leads；　cut　stones；　all　groaned　at　once；　from　the　piles　of　the　foundation　to　the　trefoils　of　its　summit。　　Then　Quasimodo　boiled　and　frothed；　he　went　and　came；　he　trembled　from　head　to　foot　with　the　tower。　　The　bell；　furious；　running　riot；　presented　to　the　two　walls　of　the　tower　alternately　its　brazen　throat；　whence　escaped　that　tempestuous　breath；　which　is　audible　leagues　away。　　Quasimodo　stationed　himself　in　front　of　this　open　throat；　he　crouched　and　rose　with　the　oscillations　of　the　bell；　breathed　in　this　overwhelming　breath；　gazed　by　turns　at　the　deep　place；　which　swarmed　with　people；　two　hundred　feet　below　him；　and　at　that　enormous；　brazen　tongue　which　came；　second　after　second；　to　howl　in　his　ear。

It　was　the　only　speech　which　he　understood；　the　only　sound　which　broke　for　him　the　universal　silence。　　He　swelled　out　in　it　as　a　bird　does　in　the　sun。　　All　of　a　sudden；　the　frenzy　of　the　bell　seized　upon　him；　his　look　became　extraordinary；　he　lay　in　wait　for　the　great　bell　as　it　passed；　as　a　spider　lies　in　wait　for　a　fly；　and　flung　himself　abruptly　upon　it；　with　might　and　main。　　Then；　suspended　above　the　abyss；　borne　to　and　fro　by　the　formidable　swinging　of　the　bell；　he　seized　the　brazen　monster　by　the　ear…laps；　pressed　it　between　both　knees；　spurred　it　on　with　his　heels；　and　redoubled　the　fury　of　the　peal　with　the　whole　shock　and　weight　of　his　body。　　Meanwhile；　the　tower　trembled；　he　shrieked　and　gnashed　his　teeth；　his　red　hair　rose　erect；　his　breast　heaving　like　a　bellows；　his　eye　flashed　flames；　the　monstrous　bell　neighed；　panting；　beneath　him；　and　then　it　was　no　longer　the　great　bell　of　Notre…　Dame　nor　Quasimodo：　it　was　a　dream；　a　whirlwind；　a　tempest；　dizziness　mounted　astride　of　noise；　a　spirit　clinging　to　a　flying　crupper；　a　strange　centaur；　half　man；　half　bell；　a　sort　of　horrible　Astolphus；　borne　away　upon　a　prodigious　hippogriff　of　living　bronze。

The　presence　of　this　extraordinary　being　caused；　as　it　were；　a　breath　of　life　to　circulate　throughout　the　entire　cathedral。　It　seemed　as　though　there　escaped　from　him；　at　least　according　to　the　growing　superstitions　of　the　crowd；　a　mysterious　emanation　which　animated　all　the　stones　of　Notre…Dame；　and　made　the　deep　bowels　of　the　ancient　church　to　palpitate。　　It　sufficed　for　people　to　know　that　he　was　there；　to　make　them　believe　that　they　beheld　the　thousand　statues　of　the　galleries　and　the　fronts　in　motion。　　And　the　cathedral　did　indeed　seem　a　docile　and　obedient　creature　beneath　his　hand；　it　waited　on　his　will　to　raise　its　great　voice；　it　was　possessed　and　filled　with　Quasimodo；　as　with　a　familiar　spirit。　　One　would　have　said　that　he　made　the　immense　edifice　breathe。　　He　was　everywhere　about　it；　in　fact；　he　multiplied　himself　on　all　points　of　the　structure。　　Now　one　perceived　with　affright　at　the　very　top　of　one　of　the　towers；　a　fantastic　dwarf　climbing；　writhing；　crawling　on　all　fours；　descending　outside　above　the　abyss；　leaping　from　projection　to　projection；　and　going　to　ransack　the　belly　of　some　sculptured　gorgon；　it　was　Quasimodo　dislodging　the　crows。　　Again；　in　some　obscure　corner　of　the　church　one　came　in　contact　with　a　sort　of　living　chimera；　crouching　and　scowling；　it　was　Quasimodo　engaged　in　thought。　Sometimes　one　caught　sight；　upon　a　bell　tower；　of　an　enormous　head　and　a　bundle　of　disordered　limbs　swinging　furiously　at　the　end　of　a　rope；　it　was　Quasimodo　ringing　vespers　or　the　Angelus。　　Often　at　night　a　hideous　form　was　seen　wandering　along　the　frail　balustrade　of　carved　lacework；　which　crowns　the　towers　and　borders　the　circumference　of　the　apse；　again　it　was　the　hunchback　of　Notre…Dame。　　Then；　said　the　women　of　the　neighborhood；　the　whole　church　took　on　something　fantastic；　supernatural；　horrible；　eyes　and　mouths　were　opened；　here　and　there；　one　heard　the　dogs；　the　monsters；　and　the　gargoyles　of