the hunchback of notre dame-第58章

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m　it；　〃do　not　show　me　those　of　others！〃

〃Good　day；　madam；〃　said　the　child；　gravely。

Nevertheless；　this　shock　had；　so　to　speak；　awakened　the　recluse。　　A　long　shiver　traversed　her　frame　from　head　to　foot；　her　teeth　chattered；　she　half　raised　her　head　and　said；　pressing　her　elbows　against　her　hips；　and　clasping　her　feet　in　her　hands　as　though　to　warm　them；

〃Oh；　how　cold　it　is！〃

〃Poor　woman！〃　said　Oudarde；　with　great　compassion；　〃would　you　like　a　little　fire？〃

She　shook　her　head　in　token　of　refusal。

〃Well；〃　resumed　Oudarde；　presenting　her　with　a　flagon；　〃here　is　some　hippocras　which　will　warm　you；　drink　it。〃

Again　she　shook　her　head；　looked　at　Oudarde　fixedly　and　replied；　〃Water。〃

Oudarde　persisted；〃No；　sister；　that　is　no　beverage　for　January。　　You　must　drink　a　little　hippocras　and　eat　this　leavened　cake　of　maize；　which　we　have　baked　for　you。〃

She　refused　the　cake　which　Mahiette　offered　to　her；　and　said；　〃Black　bread。〃

〃Come；〃　said　Gervaise；　seized　in　her　turn　with　an　impulse　of　charity；　and　unfastening　her　woolen　cloak；　〃here　is　a　cloak　which　is　a　little　warmer　than　yours。〃

She　refused　the　cloak　as　she　had　refused　the　flagon　and　the　cake；　and　replied；　〃A　sack。〃

〃But；〃　resumed　the　good　Oudarde；　〃you　must　have　perceived　to　some　extent；　that　yesterday　was　a　festival。〃

〃I　do　perceive　it；〃　said　the　recluse；　〃'tis　two　days　now　since　I　have　had　any　water　in　my　crock。〃

She　added；　after　a　silence；　〃'Tis　a　festival；　I　am　forgotten。　People　do　well。　　Why　should　the　world　think　of　me；　when　I　do　not　think　of　it？　　Cold　charcoal　makes　cold　ashes。〃

And　as　though　fatigued　with　having　said　so　much；　she　dropped　her　head　on　her　knees　again。　　The　simple　and　charitable　Oudarde；　who　fancied　that　she　understood　from　her　last　words　that　she　was　complaining　of　the　cold；　replied　innocently；　〃Then　you　would　like　a　little　fire？〃

〃Fire！〃　said　the　sacked　nun；　with　a　strange　accent；　〃and　will　you　also　make　a　little　for　the　poor　little　one　who　has　been　beneath　the　sod　for　these　fifteen　years？〃

Every　limb　was　trembling；　her　voice　quivered；　her　eyes　flashed；　she　had　raised　herself　upon　her　knees；　suddenly　she　extended　her　thin；　white　hand　towards　the　child；　who　was　regarding　her　with　a　look　of　astonishment。　　〃Take　away　that　child！〃　she　cried。　　〃The　Egyptian　woman　is　about　to　pass　by。〃

Then　she　fell　face　downward　on　the　earth；　and　her　forehead　struck　the　stone；　with　the　sound　of　one　stone　against　another　stone。　　The　three　women　thought　her　dead。　　A　moment　later；　however；　she　moved；　and　they　beheld　her　drag　herself；　on　her　knees　and　elbows；　to　the　corner　where　the　little　shoe　was。　Then　they　dared　not　look；　they　no　longer　saw　her；　but　they　heard　a　thousand　kisses　and　a　thousand　sighs；　mingled　with　heartrending　cries；　and　dull　blows　like　those　of　a　head　in　contact　with　a　wall。　　Then；　after　one　of　these　blows；　so　violent　that　all　three　of　them　staggered；　they　heard　no　more。

〃Can　she　have　killed　herself？〃　said　Gervaise；　venturing　to　pass　her　head　through　the　air…hole。　　〃Sister！　　Sister　Gudule！〃

〃Sister　Gudule！〃　repeated　Oudarde。

〃Ah！　good　heavens！　she　no　longer　moves！〃　resumed　Gervaise；　〃is　she　dead？　　Gudule！　　Gudule！〃

Mahiette；　choked　to　such　a　point　that　she　could　not　speak；　made　an　effort。　　〃Wait；〃　said　she。　　Then　bending　towards　the　window；　〃Paquette！〃　she　said；　〃Paquette　le　Chantefleurie！〃

A　child　who　innocently　blows　upon　the　badly　ignited　fuse　of　a　bomb；　and　makes　it　explode　in　his　face；　is　no　more　terrified　than　was　Mahiette　at　the　effect　of　that　name；　abruptly　launched　into　the　cell　of　Sister　Gudule。

The　recluse　trembled　all　over；　rose　erect　on　her　bare　feet；　and　leaped　at　the　window　with　eyes　so　glaring　that　Mahiette　and　Oudarde；　and　the　other　woman　and　the　child　recoiled　even　to　the　parapet　of　the　quay。

Meanwhile；　the　sinister　face　of　the　recluse　appeared　pressed　to　the　grating　of　the　air…hole。　　〃Oh！　oh！〃　she　cried；　with　an　appalling　laugh；　〃'tis　the　Egyptian　who　is　calling　me！〃

At　that　moment；　a　scene　which　was　passing　at　the　pillory　caught　her　wild　eye。　　Her　brow　contracted　with　horror；　she　stretched　her　two　skeleton　arms　from　her　cell；　and　shrieked　in　a　voice　which　resembled　a　death…rattle；　〃So　'tis　thou　once　more；　daughter　of　Egypt！　　'Tis　thou　who　callest　me；　stealer　of　children！　　Well！　　Be　thou　accursed！　accursed！　accursed！　accursed！〃




CHAPTER　IV。

A　TEAR　FOR　A　DROP　OF　WATER。



These　words　were；　so　to　speak；　the　point　of　union　of　two　scenes；　which　had；　up　to　that　time；　been　developed　in　parallel　lines　at　the　same　moment；　each　on　its　particular　theatre；　one；　that　which　the　reader　has　just　perused；　in　the　Rat…Hole；　the　other；　which　he　is　about　to　read；　on　the　ladder　of　the　pillory。　　The　first　had　for　witnesses　only　the　three　women　with　whom　the　reader　has　just　made　acquaintance；　the　second　had　for　spectators　all　the　public　which　we　have　seen　above；　collecting　on　the　Place　de　Grève；　around　the　pillory　and　the　gibbet。

That　crowd　which　the　four　sergeants　posted　at　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning　at　the　four　corners　of　the　pillory　had　inspired　with　the　hope　of　some　sort　of　an　execution；　no　doubt；　not　a　hanging；　but　a　whipping；　a　cropping　of　ears；　something；　in　short；that　crowd　had　increased　so　rapidly　that　the　four　policemen；　too　closely　besieged；　had　had　occasion　to　〃press〃　it；　as　the　expression　then　ran；　more　than　once；　by　sound　blows　of　their　whips；　and　the　haunches　of　their　horses。

This　populace；　disciplined　to　waiting　for　public　executions；　did　not　manifest　very　much　impatience。　　It　amused　itself　with　watching　the　pillory；　a　very　simple　sort　of　monument；　composed　of　a　cube　of　masonry　about　six　feet　high　and　hollow　in　the　interior。　　A　very　steep　staircase；　of　unhewn　stone；　which　was　called　by　distinction　〃the　ladder；〃　led　to　the　upper　platform；　upon　which　was　visible　a　horizontal　wheel　of　solid　oak。　　The　victim　was　bound　upon　this　wheel；　on　his　knees；　with　his　hands　behind　his　back。　　A　wooden　shaft；　which　set　in　motion　a　capstan　concealed　in　the　interior　of　the　little　edifice；　imparted　a　rotatory　motion　to　the　wheel；　which　always　maintained　its　horizontal　position；　and　in　this　manner　presented　the　face　of　the　condemned　man　to　all　quarters　of　the　square　in　succession。　　This　was　what　was　called　〃turning〃　a　criminal。

As　the　reader　perceives；　the　pillory　of　the　Grève　was　far　from　presenting　all　the　recreations　of　the　pillory　of　the　Halles。　Nothing　architectural；　nothing　monumental。　　No　roof　to　the　iron　cross；　no　octagonal　lantern；　no　frail；　slender　columns　spreading　out　on　the　edge　of　the　roof　into　capitals　of　acanthus　leaves　and　flowers；　no　waterspouts　of　chimeras　and　monsters；　on　carved　woodwork；　no　fine　sculpture；　deeply　sunk　in　the　stone。

They　were　forced　to　content　themselves　with　those　four　stretches　of　rubble　work；　backed　with　sandstone；　and　a　wretched　stone　gibbet；　meagre　and　bare；　on　one　side。

The　entertainment　would　have　been　but　a　poor　one　for　lovers　of　Gothic　architecture。　　It　is　true　that　nothing　was　ever　less　curious　on　the　score　of　architecture　than　the　worthy　gapers　of　the　Middle　Ages；　and　that　they　cared　very　little　for　the　beauty　of　a　pillory。

The　victim　finally　arrived；　bound　to　the　tail　of　a　cart；　and　when　he　had　been　hoisted　upon　the　platform；　where　he　could　be　seen　from　all　points　of　the　Place；　bound　with　cords　and　straps　upon　the　wheel　of　the　pillory；　a　prodigious　hoot；　mingled　with　laughter　and　acclamations；　burst　forth　upon　the　Place。　　They　had　recognized　Quasimodo。

It　was　he；　in　fact。　　The　change　was　singular。　　Pilloried　on　the　very　place　where；　on　the　day　before；　he　had　been　saluted；　acclaimed；　and　proclaimed　Pope　and　Prince　of　Fools；　in　the　cortege　of　the　Duke　of　Egypt；　the　King　of　Thunes；　and　the　Emperor　of　Galilee！　　One　thing　is　certain；　and　that　is；　that　there　was　not　a　soul　in　the　crowd；　not　even　himself；　though　in　turn　triumphant　and　the　sufferer；　who　set　forth　this　combination　clearly　in　his　thought。　　Gringoire　and　his　philosophy　were　missing　at　this　spectacle。

Soon　Michel　Noiret；　sworn　trumpeter　to　the　king；　our　lord；　imposed　silence　on　the　louts；　and　proclaimed　the　sentence；　in　accordance　with　the　order　and　command　of　monsieur　the　provost。　Then　he　withdrew　behind　the　cart；　with　his　men　in　livery　surcoats。

Quasimodo；　i