the hunchback of notre dame-第54章

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iette　suddenly　exclaimed；〃Look　at　those　people　assembled　yonder　at　the　end　of　the　bridge！　　There　is　something　in　their　midst　that　they　are　looking　at！〃

〃In　sooth；〃　said　Gervaise；　〃I　hear　the　sounds　of　a　tambourine。　　I　believe　'tis　the　little　Esmeralda；　who　plays　her　mummeries　with　her　goat。　　Eh；　be　quick；　Mahiette！　redouble　your　pace　and　drag　along　your　boy。　　You　are　come　hither　to　visit　the　curiosities　of　Paris。　　You　saw　the　Flemings　yesterday；　you　must　see　the　gypsy　to…day。〃

〃The　gypsy！〃　said　Mahiette；　suddenly　retracing　her　steps；　and　clasping　her　son's　arm　forcibly。　　〃God　preserve　me　from　it！　　She　would　steal　my　child　from　me！　　Come；　Eustache！〃

And　she　set　out　on　a　run　along　the　quay　towards　the　Grève；　until　she　had　left　the　bridge　far　behind　her。　　In　the　meanwhile；　the　child　whom　she　was　dragging　after　her　fell　upon　his　knees；　she　halted　breathless。　　Oudarde　and　Gervaise　rejoined　her。

〃That　gypsy　steal　your　child　from　you！〃　said　Gervaise。　〃That's　a　singular　freak　of　yours！〃

Mahiette　shook　her　head　with　a　pensive　air。

〃The　singular　point　is；〃　observed　Oudarde；　〃that　~la　sachette~　has　the　same　idea　about　the　Egyptian　woman。〃

〃What　is　~la　sachette~？〃　asked　Mahiette。

〃Hé！〃　said　Oudarde；　〃Sister　Gudule。〃

〃And　who　is　Sister　Gudule？〃　persisted　Mahiette。

〃You　are　certainly　ignorant　of　all　but　your　Reims；　not　to　know　that！〃　replied　Oudarde。　　〃'Tis　the　recluse　of　the　Rat…Hole。〃

〃What！〃　demanded　Mahiette；　〃that　poor　woman　to　whom　we　are　carrying　this　cake？〃

Oudarde　nodded　affirmatively。

〃Precisely。　　You　will　see　her　presently　at　her　window　on　the　Grève。　　She　has　the　same　opinion　as　yourself　of　these　vagabonds　of　Egypt；　who　play　the　tambourine　and　tell　fortunes　to　the　public。　　No　one　knows　whence　comes　her　horror　of　the　gypsies　and　Egyptians。　　But　you；　Mahiettewhy　do　you　run　so　at　the　mere　sight　of　them？〃

〃Oh！〃　said　Mahiette；　seizing　her　child's　round　head　in　both　hands；　〃I　don't　want　that　to　happen　to　me　which　happened　to　Paquette　la　Chantefleurie。〃

〃Oh！　you　must　tell　us　that　story；　my　good　Mahiette；〃　said　Gervaise；　taking　her　arm。

〃Gladly；〃　replied　Mahiette；　〃but　you　must　be　ignorant　of　all　but　your　Paris　not　to　know　that！　　I　will　tell　you　then　（but　'tis　not　necessary　for　us　to　halt　that　I　may　tell　you　the　tale）；　that　Paquette　la　Chantefleurie　was　a　pretty　maid　of　eighteen　when　I　was　one　myself；　that　is　to　say；　eighteen　years　ago；　and　'tis　her　own　fault　if　she　is　not　to…day；　like　me；　a　good；　plump；　fresh　mother　of　six　and　thirty；　with　a　husband　and　a　son。　However；　after　the　age　of　fourteen；　it　was　too　late！　　Well；　she　was　the　daughter　of　Guybertant；　minstrel　of　the　barges　at　Reims；　the　same　who　had　played　before　King　Charles　VII。；　at　his　coronation；　when　he　descended　our　river　Vesle　from　Sillery　to　Muison；　when　Madame　the　Maid　of　Orleans　was　also　in　the　boat。　　The　old　father　died　when　Paquette　was　still　a　mere　child；　she　had　then　no　one　but　her　mother；　the　sister　of　M。　Pradon；　master…brazier　and　coppersmith　in　Paris；　Rue　Farm…　Garlin；　who　died　last　year。　　You　see　she　was　of　good　family。　The　mother　was　a　good　simple　woman；　unfortunately；　and　she　taught　Paquette　nothing　but　a　bit　of　embroidery　and　toy…making　which　did　not　prevent　the　little　one　from　growing

very　large　and　remaining　very　poor。　　They　both　dwelt　at　Reims；　on　the　river　front；　Rue　de　Folle…Peine。　　Mark　this：　For　I　believe　it　was　this　which　brought　misfortune　to　Paquette。　In　'61；　the　year　of　the　coronation　of　our　King　Louis　XI。　whom　God　preserve！　Paquette　was　so　gay　and　so　pretty　that　she　was　called　everywhere　by　no　other　name　than　〃la　Chantefleurie〃blossoming　song。　　Poor　girl！　　She　had　handsome　teeth；　she　was　fond　of　laughing　and　displaying　them。　　Now；　a　maid　who　loves　to　laugh　is　on　the　road　to　weeping；　handsome　teeth　ruin　handsome　eyes。　　So　she　was　la　Chantefleurie。　　She　and　her　mother　earned　a　precarious　living；　they　had　been　very　destitute　since　the　death　of　the　minstrel；　their　embroidery　did　not　bring　them　in　more　than　six　farthings　a　week；　which　does　not　amount　to　quite　two　eagle　liards。　　Where　were　the　days　when　Father　Guybertant　had　earned　twelve　sous　parisian；　in　a　single　coronation；　with　a　song？　　One　winter　（it　was　in　that　same　year　of　'61）；　when　the　two　women　had　neither　fagots　nor　firewood；　it　was　very　cold；　which　gave　la　Chantefleurie　such　a　fine　color　that　the　men　called　her　Paquette！*　and　many　called　her　Pàquerette！**　and　she　was　ruined。Eustache；　just　let　me　see　you　bite　that　cake　if　you　dare！We　immediately　perceived　that　she　was　ruined；　one　Sunday　when　she　came　to　church　with　a　gold　cross　about　her　neck。　At　fourteen　years　of　age！　do　you　see？　　First　it　was　the　young　Vicomte　de　Cormontreuil；　who　has　his　bell　tower　three　leagues　distant　from　Reims；　then　Messire　Henri　de　Triancourt；　equerry　to　the　King；　then　less　than　that；　Chiart　de　Beaulion；　sergeant…at…arms；　then；　still　descending；　Guery　Aubergeon；　carver　to　the　King；　then；　Mace　de　Frépus；　barber　to　monsieur　the　dauphin；　then；　Thévenin　le　Moine；　King's　cook；　then；　the　men　growing　continually　younger　and　less　noble；　she　fell　to　Guillaume　Racine；　minstrel　of　the　hurdy　gurdy　and　to　Thierry　de　Mer；　lamplighter。　　Then；　poor　Chantefleurie；　she　belonged　to　every　one：　she　had　reached　the　last　sou　of　her　gold　piece。　　What　shall　I　say　to　you；　my　damoiselles？　　At　the　coronation；　in　the　same　year；　'61；　'twas　she　who　made　the　bed　of　the　king　of　the　debauchees！　　In　the　same　year！〃


*　　Ox…eye　daisy。

**　　Easter　daisy。


Mahiette　sighed；　and　wiped　away　a　tear　which　trickled　from　her　eyes。

〃This　is　no　very　extraordinary　history；〃　said　Gervaise；　〃and　in　the　whole　of　it　I　see　nothing　of　any　Egyptian　women　or　children。〃

〃Patience！〃　resumed　Mahiette；　〃you　will　see　one　child。In　'66；　'twill　be　sixteen　years　ago　this　month；　at　Sainte…　Paule's　day；　Paquette　was　brought　to　bed　of　a　little　girl。　The　unhappy　creature！　it　was　a　great　joy　to　her；　she　had　long　wished　for　a　child。　　Her　mother；　good　woman；　who　had　never　known　what　to　do　except　to　shut　her　eyes；　her　mother　was　dead。　　Paquette　had　no　longer　any　one　to　love　in　the　world　or　any　one　to　love　her。　　La　Chantefleurie　had　been　a　poor　creature　during　the　five　years　since　her　fall。　　She　was　alone；　alone　in　this　life；　fingers　were　pointed　at　her；　she　was　hooted　at　in　the　streets；　beaten　by　the　sergeants；　jeered　at　by　the　little　boys　in　rags。　　And　then；　twenty　had　arrived：　and　twenty　is　an　old　age　for　amorous　women。　　Folly　began　to　bring　her　in　no　more　than　her　trade　of　embroidery　in　former　days；　for　every　wrinkle　that　came；　a　crown　fled；　winter　became　hard　to　her　once　more；　wood　became　rare　again　in　her　brazier；　and　bread　in　her　cupboard。　　She　could　no　longer　work　because；　in　becoming　voluptuous；　she　had　grown　lazy；　and　she　suffered　much　more　because；　in　growing　lazy；　she　had　become　voluptuous。　At　least；　that　is　the　way　in　which　monsieur　the　cure　of　Saint…Remy　explains　why　these　women　are　colder　and　hungrier　than　other　poor　women；　when　they　are　old。〃

〃Yes；〃　remarked　Gervaise；　〃but　the　gypsies？〃

〃One　moment；　Gervaise！〃　said　Oudarde；　whose　attention　was　less　impatient。　　〃What　would　be　left　for　the　end　if　all　were　in　the　beginning？　　Continue；　Mahiette；　I　entreat　you。　That　poor　Chantefleurie！〃

Mahiette　went　on。

〃So　she　was　very　sad；　very　miserable；　and　furrowed　her　cheeks　with　tears。　　But　in　the　midst　of　her　shame；　her　folly；　her　debauchery；　it　seemed　to　her　that　she　should　be　less　wild；　less　shameful；　less　dissipated；　if　there　were　something　or　some　one　in　the　world　whom　she　could　love；　and　who　could　love　her。　　It　was　necessary　that　it　should　be　a　child；　because　only　a　child　could　be　sufficiently　innocent　for　that。　　She　had　recognized　this　fact　after　having　tried　to　love　a　thief；　the　only　man　who　wanted　her；　but　after　a　short　time；　she　perceived　that　the　thief　despised　her。　　Those　women　of　love　require　either　a　lover　or　a　child　to　fill　their　hearts。　　Otherwise；　they　are　very　unhappy。　　As　she　could　not　have　a　lover；　she　turned　wholly　towards　a　desire　for　a　child；　and　as　she　had　not　ceased　to　be　pious；　she　made　her　constant　prayer　to　the　good　God　for　it。　　So　the　good　God　took　pity　on　her；　and　gave　her　a　little　daughter。　　I　will　not　speak　to　you　of　her　joy；　it　was　a　fury　of　tears；　and　caresses；　and　kisses。　　She　nurse