the hunchback of notre dame-第56章

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a　child　were　heard　in　Paquette's　room。　　The　mother；　burst　into　shrieks　of　laughter；　ascended　the　stairs　as　though　on　wings；　and　entered。A　frightful　thing　to　tell；　Oudarde！　　Instead　of　her　pretty　little　Agnes；　so　rosy　and　so　fresh；　who　was　a　gift　of　the　good　God；　a　sort　of　hideous　little　monster；　lame；　one…eyed；　deformed；　was　crawling　and　squalling　over　the　floor。　　She　hid　her　eyes　in　horror。　　'Oh！'　said　she；　'have　the　witches　transformed　my　daughter　into　this　horrible　animal？'　　They　hastened　to　carry　away　the　little　club…foot；　he　would　have　driven　her　mad。　　It　was　the　monstrous　child　of　some　gypsy　woman；　who　had　given　herself　to　the　devil。　　He　appeared　to　be　about　four　years　old；　and　talked　a　language　which　was　no　human　tongue；　there　were　words　in　it　which　were　impossible。　　La　Chantefleurie　flung　herself　upon　the　little　shoe；　all　that　remained　to　her　of　all　that　she　loved。　　She　remained　so　long　motionless　over　it；　mute；　and　without　breath；　that　they　thought　she　was　dead。　Suddenly　she　trembled　all　over；　covered　her　relic　with　furious　kisses；　and　burst　out　sobbing　as　though　her　heart　were　broken。　I　assure　you　that　we　were　all　weeping　also。　　She　said：　'Oh；　my　little　daughter！　my　pretty　little　daughter！　where　art　thou？'and　it　wrung　your　very　heart。　　I　weep　still　when　I　think　of　it。　　Our　children　are　the　marrow　of　our　bones；　you　see。…My　poor　Eustache！　thou　art　so　fair！If　you　only　knew　how　nice　he　is！　yesterday　he　said　to　me：　'I　want　to　be　a　gendarme；　that　I　do。'　　Oh！　my　Eustache！　if　I　were　to　lose　thee！All　at　once　la　Chantefleurie　rose；　and　set　out　to　run　through　Reims；　screaming：　'To　the　gypsies'　camp！　to　the　gypsies'　camp！　　Police；　to　burn　the　witches！'　　The　gypsies　were　gone。　　It　was　pitch　dark。　　They　could　not　be　followed。　On　the　morrow；　two　leagues　from　Reims；　on　a　heath　between　Gueux　and　Tilloy；　the　remains　of　a　large　fire　were　found；　some　ribbons　which　had　belonged　to　Paquette's　child；　drops　of　blood；　and　the　dung　of　a　ram。　　The　night　just　past　had　been　a　Saturday。　　There　was　no　longer　any　doubt　that　the　Egyptians　had　held　their　Sabbath　on　that　heath；　and　that　they　had　devoured　the　child　in　company　with　Beelzebub；　as　the　practice　is　among　the　Mahometans。　　When　La　Chantefleurie　learned　these　horrible　things；　she　did　not　weep；　she　moved　her　lips　as　though　to　speak；　but　could　not。　　On　the　morrow；　her　hair　was　gray。　　On　the　second　day；　she　had　disappeared。

〃'Tis　in　truth；　a　frightful　tale；〃　said　Oudarde；　〃and　one　which　would　make　even　a　Burgundian　weep。〃

〃I　am　no　longer　surprised；〃　added　Gervaise；　〃that　fear　of　the　gypsies　should　spur　you　on　so　sharply。〃

〃And　you　did　all　the　better；〃　resumed　Oudarde；　〃to　flee　with　your　Eustache　just　now；　since　these　also　are　gypsies　from　Poland。〃

〃No；〃　said　Gervais；　〃'tis　said　that　they　come　from　Spain　and　Catalonia。〃

〃Catalonia？　'tis　possible；〃　replied　Oudarde。　　〃Pologne；　Catalogue；　Valogne；　I　always　confound　those　three　provinces；　One　thing　is　certain；　that　they　are　gypsies。〃

〃Who　certainly；〃　added　Gervaise；　〃have　teeth　long　enough　to　eat　little　children。　　I　should　not　be　surprised　if　la　Sméralda　ate　a　little　of　them　also；　though　she　pretends　to　be　dainty。　Her　white　goat　knows　tricks　that　are　too　malicious　for　there　not　to　be　some　impiety　underneath　it　all。〃

Mahiette　walked　on　in　silence。　　She　was　absorbed　in　that　revery　which　is；　in　some　sort；　the　continuation　of　a　mournful　tale；　and　which　ends　only　after　having　communicated　the　emotion；　from　vibration　to　vibration；　even　to　the　very　last　fibres　of　the　heart。　　Nevertheless；　Gervaise　addressed　her；　〃And　did　they　ever　learn　what　became　of　la　Chantefleurie？〃　Mahiette　made　no　reply。　　Gervaise　repeated　her　question；　and　shook　her　arm；　calling　her　by　name。　　Mahiette　appeared　to　awaken　from　her　thoughts。

〃What　became　of　la　Chantefleurie？〃　she　said；　repeating　mechanically　the　words　whose　impression　was　still　fresh　in　her　ear；　then；　ma　king　an　effort　to　recall　her　attention　to　the　meaning　of　her　words；　〃Ah！〃　she　continued　briskly；　〃no　one　ever　found　out。〃

She　added；　after　a　pause；

〃Some　said　that　she　had　been　seen　to　quit　Reims　at　nightfall　by　the　Fléchembault　gate；　others；　at　daybreak；　by　the　old　Basée　gate。　　A　poor　man　found　her　gold　cross　hanging　on　the　stone　cross　in　the　field　where　the　fair　is　held。　　It　was　that　ornament　which　had　wrought　her　ruin；　in　'61。　　It　was　a　gift　from　the　handsome　Vicomte　de　Cormontreuil；　her　first　lover。　Paquette　had　never　been　willing　to　part　with　it；　wretched　as　she　had　been。　　She　had　clung　to　it　as　to　life　itself。　　So；　when　we　saw　that　cross　abandoned；　we　all　thought　that　she　was　dead。　　Nevertheless；　there　were　people　of　the　Cabaret　les　Vantes；　who　said　that　they　had　seen　her　pass　along　the　road　to　Paris；　walking　on　the　pebbles　with　her　bare　feet。　　But；　in　that　case；　she　must　have　gone　out　through　the　Porte　de　Vesle；　and　all　this　does　not　agree。　　Or；　to　speak　more　truly；　I　believe　that　she　actually　did　depart　by　the　Porte　de　Vesle；　but　departed　from　this　world。〃

〃I　do　not　understand　you；〃　said　Gervaise。

〃La　Vesle；〃　replied　Mahiette；　with　a　melancholy　smile；　〃is　the　river。〃

〃Poor　Chantefleurie！〃　said　Oudarde；　with　a　shiver；〃drowned！〃

〃Drowned！〃　resumed　Mahiette；　〃who　could　have　told　good　Father　Guybertant；　when　he　passed　under　the　bridge　of　Tingueux　with　the　current；　singing　in　his　barge；　that　one　day　his　dear　little　Paquette　would　also　pass　beneath　that　bridge；　but　without　song　or　boat。

〃And　the　little　shoe？〃　asked　Gervaise。

〃Disappeared　with　the　mother；〃　replied　Mahiette。

〃Poor　little　shoe！〃　said　Oudarde。

Oudarde；　a　big　and　tender　woman；　would　have　been　well　pleased　to　sigh　in　company　with　Mahiette。　　But　Gervaise；　more　curious；　had　not　finished　her　questions。

〃And　the　monster？〃　she　said　suddenly；　to　Mahiette。

〃What　monster？〃　inquired　the　latter。

〃The　little　gypsy　monster　left　by　the　sorceresses　in　Chantefleurie's　chamber；　in　exchange　for　her　daughter。　　What　did　you　do　with　it？　　I　hope　you　drowned　it　also。〃

〃No。〃　replied　Mahiette。

〃What？　　You　burned　it　then？　　In　sooth；　that　is　more　just。　A　witch　child！〃

〃Neither　the　one　nor　the　other；　Gervaise。　　Monseigneur　the　archbishop　interested　himself　in　the　child　of　Egypt；　exorcised　it；　blessed　it；　removed　the　devil　carefully　from　its　body；　and　sent　it　to　Paris；　to　be　exposed　on　the　wooden　bed　at　Notre…　Dame；　as　a　foundling。〃

〃Those　bishops！〃　grumbled　Gervaise；　〃because　they　are　learned；　they　do　nothing　like　anybody　else。　　I　just　put　it　to　you；　Oudarde；　the　idea　of　placing　the　devil　among　the　foundlings！　　For　that　little　monster　was　assuredly　the　devil。　Well；　Mahiette；　what　did　they　do　with　it　in　Paris？　　I　am　quite　sure　that　no　charitable　person　wanted　it。〃

〃I　do　not　know；〃　replied　the　Rémoise；　〃'twas　just　at　that　time　that　my　husband　bought　the　office　of　notary；　at　Bern；　two　leagues　from　the　town；　and　we　were　no　longer　occupied　with　that　story；　besides；　in　front　of　Bern；　stand　the　two　hills　of　Cernay；　which　hide　the　towers　of　the　cathedral　in　Reims　from　view。〃

While　chatting　thus；　the　three　worthy　~bourgeoises~　had　arrived　at　the　Place　de　Grève。　　In　their　absorption；　they　had　passed　the　public　breviary　of　the　Tour…Roland　without　stopping；　and　took　their　way　mechanically　towards　the　pillory　around　which　the　throng　was　growing　more　dense　with　every　moment。　　It　is　probable　that　the　spectacle　which　at　that　moment　attracted　all　looks　in　that　direction；　would　have　made　them　forget　completely　the　Rat…Hole；　and　the　halt　which　they　intended　to　make　there；　if　big　Eustache；　six　years　of　age；　whom　Mahiette　was　dragging　along　by　the　hand；　had　not　abruptly　recalled　the　object　to　them：　〃Mother；〃　said　he；　as　though　some　instinct　warned　him　that　the　Rat…Hole　was　behind　him；　〃can　I　eat　the　cake　now？〃

If　Eustache　had　been　more　adroit；　that　is　to　say；　less　greedy；　he　would　have　continued　to　wait；　and　would　only　have　hazarded　that　simple　question；　〃Mother；　can　I　eat　the　cake；　now？〃　on　their　return　to　the　University；　to　Master　Andry　Musnier's；　Rue　Madame　la　Valence；　when　he　had　the　two　arms　of　the　Seine　and　the　five　bridges　of　the　city　between　the　Rat…Hole　and　the　cake。

This　question；　highly　imprudent　at　the　moment　when　Eustache　put　it；　aroused　Mahiette's　attention。

〃By　the　way；〃　she　exclaimed；　〃we　are　forgetting