the hunchback of notre dame-第50章

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atelet。　　Now；　we　have　noticed　that　judges　in　general　so　arrange　matters　that　their　day　of　audience　shall　also　be　their　day　of　bad　humor；　so　that　they　may　always　have　some　one　upon　whom　to　vent　it　conveniently；　in　the　name　of　the　king；　law；　and　justice。

However；　the　audience　had　begun　without　him。　　His　lieutenants；　civil；　criminal；　and　private；　were　doing　his　work；　according　to　usage；　and　from　eight　o'clock　in　the　morning；　some　scores　of　bourgeois　and　~bourgeoises~；　heaped　and　crowded　into　an　obscure　corner　of　the　audience　chamber　of　Embas　du　Chatelet；　between　a　stout　oaken　barrier　and　the　wall；　had　been　gazing　blissfully　at　the　varied　and　cheerful　spectacle　of　civil　and　criminal　justice　dispensed　by　Master　Florian　Barbedienne；

auditor　of　the　Chatelet；　lieutenant　of　monsieur　the　provost；　in　a　somewhat　confused　and　utterly　haphazard　manner。

The　hall　was　small；　low；　vaulted。　　A　table　studded　with　fleurs…de…lis　stood　at　one　end；　with　a　large　arm…chair　of　carved　oak；　which　belonged　to　the　provost　and　was　empty；　and　a　stool　on　the　left　for　the　auditor；　Master　Florian。　　Below　sat　the　clerk　of　the　court；　scribbling；　opposite　was　the　populace；　and　in　front　of　the　door；　and　in　front　of　the　table　were　many　sergeants　of　the　provostship　in　sleeveless　jackets　of　violet　camlet；　with　white　crosses。　　Two　sergeants　of　the　Parloir…　aux…Bourgeois；　clothed　in　their　jackets　of　Toussaint；　half　red；　half　blue；　were　posted　as　sentinels　before　a　low；　closed　door；　which　was　visible　at　the　extremity　of　the　hall；　behind　the　table。　　A　single　pointed　window；　narrowly　encased　in　the　thick　wall；　illuminated　with　a　pale　ray　of　January　sun　two　grotesque　figures；the　capricious　demon　of　stone　carved　as　a　tail…piece　in　the　keystone　of　the　vaulted　ceiling；　and　the　judge　seated　at　the　end　of　the　hall　on　the　fleurs…de…lis。

Imagine；　in　fact；　at　the　provost's　table；　leaning　upon　his　elbows　between　two　bundles　of　documents　of　cases；　with　his　foot　on　the　train　of　his　robe　of　plain　brown　cloth；　his　face　buried　in　his　hood　of　white　lamb's　skin；　of　which　his　brows　seemed　to　be　of　a　piece；　red；　crabbed；　winking；　bearing　majestically　the　load　of　fat　on　his　cheeks　which　met　under　his　chin；　Master　Florian　Barbedienne；　auditor　of　the　Chatelet。

Now；　the　auditor　was　deaf。　　A　slight　defect　in　an　auditor。　Master　Florian　delivered　judgment；　none　the　less；　without　appeal　and　very　suitably。　　It　is　certainly　quite　sufficient　for　a　judge　to　have　the　。air　of　listening；　and　the　venerable　auditor　fulfilled　this　condition；　the　sole　one　in　justice；　all　the　better　because　his　attention　could　not　be　distracted　by　any　noise。

Moreover；　he　had　in　the　audience；　a　pitiless　censor　of　his　deeds　and　gestures；　in　the　person　of　our　friend　Jehan　Frollo　du　Moulin；　that　little　student　of　yesterday；　that　〃stroller；〃　whom　one　was　sure　of　encountering　all　over　Paris；　anywhere　except　before　the　rostrums　of　the　professors。

〃Stay；〃　he　said　in　a　low　tone　to　his　companion；　Robin　Poussepain；　who　was　grinning　at　his　side；　while　he　was　making　his　comments　on　the　scenes　which　were　being　unfolded　before　his　eyes；　〃yonder　is　Jehanneton　du　Buisson。　　The　beautiful　daughter　of　the　lazy　dog　at　the　Marché…Neuf！Upon　my　soul；　he　is　condemning　her；　the　old　rascal！　he　has　no　more　eyes　than　ears。　　Fifteen　sous；　four　farthings；　parisian；　for　having　worn　two　rosaries！　　'Tis　somewhat　dear。　　~Lex　duri　carminis~。　　Who's　that？　　Robin　Chief…de…Ville；　hauberkmaker。　　For　having　been　passed　and　received　master　of　the　said　trade！　　That's　his　entrance　money。　　He！　two　gentlemen　among　these　knaves！　　Aiglet　de　Soins；　Hutin　de　Mailly　Two　equerries；　~Corpus　Christi~！　　Ah！　they　have　been　playing　at　dice。　　When　shall　I　see　our　rector　here？　　A　hundred　livres　parisian；　fine　to　the　king！　　That　Barbedienne　strikes　like　a　deaf　man；as　he　is！　　I'll　be　my　brother　the　archdeacon；　if　that　keeps　me　from　gaming；　gaming　by　day；　gaming　by　night；　living　at　play；　dying　at　play；　and　gaming　away　my　soul　after　my　shirt。　　Holy　Virgin；　what　damsels！　　One　after　the　other　my　lambs。　　Ambroise　Lécuyere；　Isabeau　la　Paynette；　Bérarde　Gironin！　　I　know　them　all；　by　Heavens！　　A　fine！　a　fine！　That's　what　will　teach　you　to　wear　gilded　girdles！　ten　sous　parisis！　you　coquettes！　　Oh！　the　old　snout　of　a　judge！　deaf　and　imbecile！　　Oh！　　Florian　the　dolt！　　Oh！　　Barbedienne　the　blockhead！　　There　he　is　at　the　table！　　He's　eating　the　plaintiff；　he's　eating　the　suits；　he　eats；　he　chews；　he　crams；　he　fills　himself。　　Fines；　lost　goods；　taxes；　expenses；　loyal　charges；　salaries；　damages；　and　interests；　gehenna；　prison；　and　jail；　and　fetters　with　expenses　are　Christmas　spice　cake　and　marchpanes　of　Saint…John　to　him！　　Look　at　him；　the　pig！Come！　Good！　　Another　amorous　woman！　　Thibaud…la…Thibaude；　neither　more　nor　less！　　For　having　come　from　the　Rue　Glatigny！　　What　fellow　is　this？　　Gieffroy　Mabonne；　gendarme　bearing　the　crossbow。　　He　has　cursed　the　name　of　the　Father。　　A　fine　for　la　Thibaude！　　A　fine　for　Gieffroy！　　A　fine　for　them　both！　　The　deaf　old　fool！　he　must　have　mixed　up　the　two　cases！　　Ten　to　one　that　he　makes　the　wench　pay　for　the　oath　and　the　gendarme　for　the　amour！　　Attention；　Robin　Poussepain！　　What　are　they　going　to　bring　in？　　Here　are　many　sergeants！　　By　Jupiter！　all　the　bloodhounds　of　the　pack　are　there。　　It　must　be　the　great　beast　of　the　hunta　wild　boar。　　And　'tis　one；　Robin；　'tis　one。　　And　a　fine　one　too！　~Hercle~！　'tis　our　prince　of　yesterday；　our　Pope　of　the　Fools；　our　bellringer；　our　one…eyed　man；　our　hunchback；　our　grimace！　'Tis　Quasimodo！〃

It　was　he　indeed。

It　was　Quasimodo；　bound；　encircled；　roped；　pinioned；　and　under　good　guard。　　The　squad　of　policemen　who　surrounded　him　was　assisted　by　the　chevalier　of　the　watch　in　person；　wearing　the　arms　of　France　embroidered　on　his　breast；　and　the　arms　of　the　city　on　his　back。　　There　was　nothing；　however；　about　Quasimodo；　except　his　deformity；　which　could　justify　the　display　of　halberds　and　arquebuses；　he　was　gloomy；　silent；　and　tranquil。　　Only　now　and　then　did　his　single　eye　cast　a　sly　and　wrathful　glance　upon　the　bonds　with　which　he　was　loaded。

He　cast　the　same　glance　about　him；　but　it　was　so　dull　and　sleepy　that　the　women　only　pointed　him　out　to　each　other　in　derision。

Meanwhile　Master　Florian；　the　auditor；　turned　over　attentively　the　document　in　the　complaint　entered　against　Quasimodo；　which　the　clerk　handed　him；　and；　having　thus　glanced　at　it；　appeared　to　reflect　for　a　moment。　　Thanks　to　this　precaution；　which　he　always　was　careful　to　take　at　the　moment　when　on　the　point　of　beginning　an　examination；　he　knew　beforehand　the　names；　titles；　and　misdeeds　of　the　accused；　made　cut　and　dried　responses　to　questions　foreseen；　and　succeeded　in　extricating　himself　from　all　the　windings　of　the　interrogation　without　allowing　his　deafness　to　be　too　apparent。　　The　written　charges　were　to　him　what　the　dog　is　to　the　blind　man。　　If　his　deafness　did　happen　to　betray　him　here　and　there；　by　some　incoherent　apostrophe　or　some　unintelligible　question；　it　passed　for　profundity　with　some；　and　for　imbecility　with　others。　　In　neither　case　did　the　honor　of　the　magistracy　sustain　any　injury；　for　it　is　far　better　that　a　judge　should　be　reputed　imbecile　or　profound　than　deaf。　　Hence　he　took　great　care　to　conceal　his　deafness　from　the　eyes　of　all；　and　he　generally　succeeded　so　well　that　he　had　reached　the　point　of　deluding　himself；　which　is；　by　the　way；　easier　than　is　supposed。　　All　hunchbacks　walk　with　their　heads　held　high；　all　stutterers　harangue；　all　deaf　people　speak　low。　　As　for　him；　he　believed；　at　the　most；　that　his　ear　was　a　little　refractory。　　It　was　the　sole　concession　which　he　made　on　this　point　to　public　opinion；　in　his　moments　of　frankness　and　examination　of　his　conscience。

Having；　then；　thoroughly　ruminated　Quasimodo's　affair；　he　threw　back　his　head　and　half　closed　his　eyes；　for　the　sake　of　more　majesty　and　impartiality；　so　that；　at　that　moment；　he　was　both　deaf　and　blind。　　A　double　condition；　without　which　no　judge　is　perfect。　　It　was　in　this　magisterial　attitude　that　he　began　the　examination。

〃Your　name？〃

Now　this　was　a　case　which　had　not　been　〃provided　for　by　law；〃　where　a　deaf　man　should　be　obliged　to　question　a　deaf　man。

Quasimodo；　whom　nothing　warned　that　a　question　had　been　addressed　to　him；　continued　to