the hunchback of notre dame-第42章

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ce　of　monsieur　the　archdeacon　of　Josas。

However；　he　redoubled　his　severity；　and　had　never　been　more　exemplary。　　By　profession　as　well　as　by　character；　he　had　always　held　himself　aloof　from　women；　he　seemed　to　hate　them　more　than　ever。　　The　mere　rustling　of　a　silken　petticoat　caused　his　hood　to　fall　over　his　eyes。　　Upon　this　score　he　was　so　jealous　of　austerity　and　reserve；　that　when　the　Dame　de　Beaujeu；　the　king's　daughter；　came　to　visit　the　cloister　of　Notre…Dame；　in　the　month　of　December；　1481；　he　gravely　opposed　her　entrance；　reminding　the　bishop　of　the　statute　of　the　Black　Book；　dating　from　the　vigil　of　Saint…Barthélemy；　1334；　which　interdicts　access　to　the　cloister　to　〃any　woman　whatever；　old　or　young；　mistress　or　maid。〃　Upon　which　the　bishop　had　been　constrained　to　recite　to　him　the　ordinance　of　Legate　Odo；　which　excepts　certain　great　dames；　~aliquoe　magnates　mulieres；　quoe　sine　scandalo　vitari　non　possunt~。　And　again　the　archdeacon　had　protested；　objecting　that　the　ordinance　of　the　legate；　which　dated　back　to　1207；　was　anterior　by　a　hundred　and　twenty…seven　years　to　the　Black　Book；　and　consequently　was　abrogated　in　fact　by　it。　　And　he　had　refused　to　appear　before　the　princess。

It　was　also　noticed　that　his　horror　for　Bohemian　women　and　gypsies　had　seemed　to　redouble　for　some　time　past。　　He　had　petitioned　the　bishop　for　an　edict　which　expressly　forbade　the　Bohemian　women　to　come　and　dance　and　beat　their　tambourines　on　the　place　of　the　Parvis；　and　for　about　the　same　length　of　time；　he　had　been　ransacking　the　mouldy　placards　of　the　officialty；　in　order　to　collect　the　cases　of　sorcerers　and　witches　condemned　to　fire　or　the　rope；　for　complicity　in　crimes　with　rams；　sows；　or　goats。




CHAPTER　VI。

UNPOPULARITY。



The　archdeacon　and　the　bellringer；　as　we　have　already　said；　were　but　little　loved　by　the　populace　great　and　small；　in　the　vicinity　of　the　cathedral。　　When　Claude　and　Quasimodo　went　out　together；　which　frequently　happened；　and　when　they　were　seen　traversing　in　company；　the　valet　behind　the　master；　the　cold；　narrow；　and　gloomy　streets　of　the　block　of　Notre…Dame；　more　than　one　evil　word；　more　than　one　ironical　quaver；　more　than　one　insulting　jest　greeted　them　on　their　way；　unless　Claude　Frollo；　which　was　rarely　the　case；　walked　with　head　upright　and　raised；　showing　his　severe　and　almost　august　brow　to　the　dumbfounded　jeerers。

Both　were　in　their　quarter　like　〃the　poets〃　of　whom　Régnier　speaks；


　　　〃All　sorts　of　persons　run　after　poets；　　　　As　warblers　fly　shrieking　after　owls。〃


Sometimes　a　mischievous　child　risked　his　skin　and　bones　for　the　ineffable　pleasure　of　driving　a　pin　into　Quasimodo's　hump。　Again；　a　young　girl；　more　bold　and　saucy　than　was　fitting；　brushed　the　priest's　black　robe；　singing　in　his　face　the　sardonic　ditty；　〃niche；　niche；　the　devil　is　caught。〃　Sometimes　a　group　of　squalid　old　crones；　squatting　in　a　file　under　the　shadow　of　the　steps　to　a　porch；　scolded　noisily　as　the　archdeacon　and　the　bellringer　passed；　and　tossed　them　this　encouraging　welcome；　with　a　curse：　〃Hum！　there's　a　fellow　whose　soul　is　made　like　the　other　one's　body！〃　　Or　a　band　of　schoolboys　and　street　urchins；　playing　hop…scotch；　rose　in　a　body　and　saluted　him　classically；　with　some　cry　in　Latin：　〃~Eia！　eia！　Claudius　cum　claudo~！〃

But　the　insult　generally　passed　unnoticed　both　by　the　priest　and　the　bellringer。　　Quasimodo　was　too　deaf　to　hear　all　these　gracious　things；　and　Claude　was　too　dreamy。





BOOK　FIFTH。






CHAPTER　I。

~ABBAS　BEATI　MARTINI~。



Dom　Claude's　fame　had　spread　far　and　wide。　　It　procured　for　him；　at　about　the　epoch　when　he　refused　to　see　Madame　de　Beaujeu；　a　visit　which　he　long　remembered。

It　was　in　the　evening。　　He　had　just　retired；　after　the　office；　to　his　canon's　cell　in　the　cloister　of　Notre…Dame。　　This　cell；　with　the　exception；　possibly；　of　some　glass　phials；　relegated　to　a　corner；　and　filled　with　a　decidedly　equivocal　powder；　which　strongly　resembled　the　alchemist's　〃powder　of　projection；〃　presented　nothing　strange　or　mysterious。　　There　were；　indeed；　here　and　there；　some　inscriptions　on　the　walls；　but　they　were　pure　sentences　of　learning　and　piety；　extracted　from　good　authors。　　The　archdeacon　had　just　seated　himself；　by　the　light　of　a　three…jetted　copper　lamp；　before　a　vast　coffer　crammed　with　manuscripts。　　He　had　rested　his　elbow　upon　the　open　volume　of　_Honorius　d'Autun_；　~De　predestinatione　et　libero　arbitrio~；　and　he　was　turning　over；　in　deep　meditation；　the　leaves　of　a　printed　folio　which　he　had　just　brought；　the　sole　product　of　the　press　which　his　cell　contained。　　In　the　midst　of　his　revery　there　came　a　knock　at　his　door。　　〃Who's　there？〃　cried　the　learned　man；　in　the　gracious　tone　of　a　famished　dog；　disturbed　over　his　bone。

A　voice　without　replied；　〃Your　friend；　Jacques　Coictier。〃　He　went　to　open　the　door。

It　was；　in　fact；　the　king's　physician；　a　person　about　fifty　years　of　age；　whose　harsh　physiognomy　was　modified　only　by　a　crafty　eye。　　Another　man　accompanied　him。　　Both　wore　long　slate…colored　robes；　furred　with　minever；　girded　and　closed；　with　caps　of　the　same　stuff　and　hue。　　Their　hands　were　concealed　by　their　sleeves；　their　feet　by　their　robes；　their　eyes　by　their　caps。

〃God　help　me；　messieurs！〃　said　the　archdeacon；　showing　them　in；　〃I　was　not　expecting　distinguished　visitors　at　such　an　hour。〃　And　while　speaking　in　this　courteous　fashion　he　cast　an　uneasy　and　scrutinizing　glance　from　the　physician　to　his　companion。

〃'Tis　never　too　late　to　come　and　pay　a　visit　to　so　considerable　a　learned　man　as　Dom　Claude　Frollo　de　Tirechappe；〃　replied　Doctor　Coictier；　whose　Franche…Comté　accent　made　all　his　phrases　drag　along　with　the　majesty　of　a　train…robe。

There　then　ensued　between　the　physician　and　the　archdeacon　one　of　those　congratulatory　prologues　which；　in　accordance　with　custom；　at　that　epoch　preceded　all　conversations　between　learned　men；　and　which　did　not　prevent　them　from　detesting　each　other　in　the　most　cordial　manner　in　the　world。　However；　it　is　the　same　nowadays；　every　wise　man's　mouth　complimenting　another　wise　man　is　a　vase　of　honeyed　gall。

Claude　Frollo's　felicitations　to　Jacques　Coictier　bore　reference　principally　to　the　temporal　advantages　which　the　worthy　physician　had　found　means　to　extract；　in　the　course　of　his　much　envied　career；　from　each　malady　of　the　king；　an　operation　of　alchemy　much　better　and　more　certain　than　the　pursuit　of　the　philosopher's　stone。

〃In　truth；　Monsieur　le　Docteur　Coictier；　I　felt　great　joy　on　learning　of　the　bishopric　given　your　nephew；　my　reverend　seigneur　Pierre　Verse。　　Is　he　not　Bishop　of　Amiens？〃

〃Yes；　monsieur　Archdeacon；　it　is　a　grace　and　mercy　of　God。〃

〃Do　you　know　that　you　made　a　great　figure　on　Christmas　Day　at　the　bead　of　your　company　of　the　chamber　of　accounts；　Monsieur　President？〃

〃Vice…President；　Dom　Claude。　　Alas！　nothing　more。〃

〃How　is　your　superb　house　in　the　Rue　Saint…André　des　Arcs　coming　on？　　'Tis　a　Louvre。　　I　love　greatly　the　apricot　tree　which　is　carved　on　the　door；　with　this　play　of　words：　'A　L'ABRI…COTIERSheltered　from　reefs。'〃

〃Alas！　Master　Claude；　all　that　masonry　costeth　me　dear。　In　proportion　as　the　house　is　erected；　I　am　ruined。〃

〃Ho！　have　you　not　your　revenues　from　the　jail；　and　the　bailiwick　of　the　Palais；　and　the　rents　of　all　the　houses；　sheds；　stalls；　and　booths　of　the　enclosure？　　'Tis　a　fine　breast　to　suck。〃

〃My　castellany　of　Poissy　has　brought　me　in　nothing　this　year。〃

〃But　your　tolls　of　Triel；　of　Saint…James；　of　Saint…Germainen…Laye　are　always　good。〃

〃Six　score　livres；　and　not　even　Parisian　livres　at　that。〃

〃You　have　your　office　of　counsellor　to　the　king。　　That　is　fixed。〃

〃Yes；　brother　Claude；　but　that　accursed　seigneury　of　Poligny；　which　people　make　so　much　noise　about；　is　worth　not　sixty　gold　crowns；　year　out　and　year　in。〃

In　the　compliments　which　Dom　Claude　addressed　to　Jacques　Coictier；　there　was　that　sardonical；　biting；　and　covertly　mocking　accent；　and　the　sad　cruel　smile　of　a　superior　and　unhappy　man　who　toys　for　a　moment；　by　way　of　distraction；　with　the　dense　prosperity　of　a　vulgar　man。　　The　other　did　not　perceive　it。

〃Upon　my　soul；〃　said　Claude　at　length；　pressing　his　hand；　〃I　am　glad　to　see　you　and　in　such　good　health。