the hunchback of notre dame-第6章

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　young　gossips；　growing　warm　at　the　memory　of　the　entrance　of　monsieur　the　legate；　both　began　to　talk　at　once。

〃And；　further　on；　at　the　Painters'　Gate；　there　were　other　personages；　very　richly　clad。〃

〃And　at　the　fountain　of　Saint…Innocent；　that　huntsman；　who　was　chasing　a　hind　with　great　clamor　of　dogs　and　hunting…horns。〃

〃And；　at　the　Paris　slaughter…houses；　stages；　representing　the　fortress　of　Dieppe！〃

〃And　when　the　legate　passed；　you　remember；　Gisquette？　they　made　the　assault；　and　the　English　all　had　their　throats　cut。〃

〃And　against　the　gate　of　the　Chatelet；　there　were　very　fine　personages！〃

〃And　on　the　Port　au　Change；　which　was　all　draped　above！〃

〃And　when　the　legate　passed；　they　let　fly　on　the　bridge　more　than　two　hundred　sorts　of　birds；　wasn't　it　beautiful；　Liénarde？〃

〃It　will　be　better　to…day；〃　finally　resumed　their　interlocutor；　who　seemed　to　listen　to　them　with　impatience。

〃Do　you　promise　us　that　this　mystery　will　be　fine？〃　said　Gisquette。

〃Without　doubt；〃　he　replied；　then　he　added；　with　a　certain　emphasis；〃I　am　the　author　of　it；　damsels。〃

〃Truly？〃　said　the　young　girls；　quite　taken　aback。

〃Truly！〃　replied　the　poet；　bridling　a　little；　〃that　is；　to　say；　there　are　two　of　us；　Jehan　Marchand；　who　has　sawed　the　planks　and　erected　the　framework　of　the　theatre　and　the　woodwork；　and　I；　who　have　made　the　piece。　　My　name　is　Pierre　Gringoire。〃

The　author　of　the　〃Cid〃　could　not　have　said　〃Pierre　Corneille〃　with　more　pride。

Our　readers　have　been　able　to　observe；　that　a　certain　amount　of　time　must　have　already　elapsed　from　the　moment　when　Jupiter　had　retired　beneath　the　tapestry　to　the　instant　when　the　author　of　the　new　morality　had　thus　abruptly　revealed　himself　to　the　innocent　admiration　of　Gisquette　and　Liénarde。　　Remarkable　fact：　that　whole　crowd；　so　tumultuous　but　a　few　moments　before；　now　waited　amiably　on　the　word　of　the　comedian；　which　proves　the　eternal　truth；　still　experienced　every　day　in　our　theatres；　that　the　best　means　of　making　the　public　wait　patiently　is　to　assure　them　that　one　is　about　to　begin　instantly。

However；　scholar　Johannes　had　not　fallen　asleep。

〃Holà　hé！〃　he　shouted　suddenly；　in　the　midst　of　the　peaceable　waiting　which　had　followed　the　tumult。　　〃Jupiter；　Madame　the　Virgin；　buffoons　of　the　devil！　are　you　jeering　at　us？　The　piece！　the　piece！　commence　or　we　will　commence　again！〃

This　was　all　that　was　needed。

The　music　of　high　and　low　instruments　immediately　became　audible　from　the　interior　of　the　stage；　the　tapestry　was　raised；　four　personages；　in　motley　attire　and　painted　faces；　emerged　from　it；　climbed　the　steep　ladder　of　the　theatre；　and；　arrived　upon　the　upper　platform；　arranged　themselves　in　a　line　before　the　public；　whom　they　saluted　with　profound　reverences；　then　the　symphony　ceased。

The　mystery　was　about　to　begin。

The　four　personages；　after　having　reaped　a　rich　reward　of　applause　for　their　reverences；　began；　in　the　midst　of　profound　silence；　a　prologue；　which　we　gladly　spare　the　reader。　　Moreover；　as　happens　in　our　own　day；　the　public　was　more　occupied　with　the　costumes　that　the　actors　wore　than　with　the　roles　that　they　were　enacting；　and；　in　truth；　they　were　right。　　All　four　were　dressed　in　parti…colored　robes　of　yellow　and　white；　which　were　distinguished　from　each　other　only　by　the　nature　of　the　stuff；　the　first　was　of　gold　and　silver　brocade；　the　second；　of　silk；　the　third；　of　wool；　the　fourth；　of　linen。　　The　first　of　these　personages　carried　in　his　right　hand　a　sword；　the　second；　two　golden　keys；　the　third；　a　pair　of　scales；　the　fourth；　a　spade：　and；　in　order　to　aid　sluggish　minds　which　would　not　have　seen　clearly　through　the　transparency　of　these　attributes；　there　was　to　be　read；　in　large；　black　letters；　on　the　hem　of　the　robe　of　brocade；　MY　NAME　IS　NOBILITY；　on　the　hem　of　the　silken　robe；　MY　NAME　IS　CLERGY；　on　the　hem　of　the　woolen　robe；　MY　NAME　IS　MERCHANDISE；　on　the　hem　of　the　linen　robe；　MY　NAME　IS　LABOR。　The　sex　of　the　two　male　characters　was　briefly　indicated　to　every　judicious　spectator；　by　their　shorter　robes；　and　by　the　cap　which　they　wore　on　their　heads；　while　the　two　female　characters；　less　briefly　clad；　were　covered　with　hoods。

Much　ill…will　would　also　have　been　required；　not　to　comprehend；　through　the　medium　of　the　poetry　of　the　prologue；　that　Labor　was　wedded　to　Merchandise；　and　Clergy　to　Nobility；　and　that　the　two　happy　couples　possessed　in　common　a　magnificent　golden　dolphin；　which　they　desired　to　adjudge　to　the　fairest　only。　　So　they　were　roaming　about　the　world　seeking　and　searching　for　this　beauty；　and；　after　having　successively　rejected　the　Queen　of　Golconda；　the　Princess　of　Trebizonde；　the　daughter　of　the　Grand　Khan　of　Tartary；　etc。；　Labor　and　Clergy；　Nobility　and　Merchandise；　had　come　to　rest　upon　the　marble　table　of　the　Palais　de　Justice；　and　to　utter；　in　the　presence　of　the　honest　audience；　as　many　sentences　and　maxims　as　could　then　be　dispensed　at　the　Faculty　of　Arts；　at　examinations；　sophisms；　determinances；　figures；　and　acts；　where　the　masters　took　their　degrees。

All　this　was；　in　fact；　very　fine。

Nevertheless；　in　that　throng；　upon　which　the　four　allegories　vied　with　each　other　in　pouring　out　floods　of　metaphors；　there　was　no　ear　more　attentive；　no　heart　that　palpitated　more；　not　an　eye　was　more　haggard；　no　neck　more　outstretched；　than　the　eye；　the　ear；　the　neck；　and　the　heart　of　the　author；　of　the　poet；　of　that　brave　Pierre　Gringoire；　who　had　not　been　able　to　resist；　a　moment　before；　the　joy　of　telling　his　name　to　two　pretty　girls。　　He　had　retreated　a　few　paces　from　them；　behind　his　pillar；　and　there　he　listened；　looked；　enjoyed。　　The　amiable　applause　which　had　greeted　the　beginning　of　his　prologue　was　still　echoing　in　his　bosom；　and　he　was　completely　absorbed　in　that　species　of　ecstatic　contemplation　with　which　an　author　beholds　his　ideas　fall；　one　by　one；　from　the　mouth　of　the　actor　into　the　vast　silence　of　the　audience。　　Worthy　Pierre　Gringoire！

It　pains　us　to　say　it；　but　this　first　ecstasy　was　speedily　disturbed。　　Hardly　had　Gringoire　raised　this　intoxicating　cup　of　joy　and　triumph　to　his　lips；　when　a　drop　of　bitterness　was　mingled　with　it。

A　tattered　mendicant；　who　could　not　collect　any　coins；　lost　as　he　was　in　the　midst　of　the　crowd；　and　who　had　not　probably　found　sufficient　indemnity　in　the　pockets　of　his　neighbors；　had　hit　upon　the　idea　of　perching　himself　upon　some　conspicuous　point；　in　order　to　attract　looks　and　alms。　　He　had；　accordingly；　hoisted　himself；　during　the　first　verses　of　the　prologue；　with　the　aid　of　the　pillars　of　the　reserve　gallery；　to　the　cornice　which　ran　round　the　balustrade　at　its　lower　edge；　and　there　he　had　seated　himself；　soliciting　the　attention　and　the　pity　of　the　multitude；　with　his　rags　and　a　hideous　sore　which　covered　his　right　arm。　　However；　he　uttered　not　a　word。

The　silence　which　he　preserved　allowed　the　prologue　to　proceed　without　hindrance；　and　no　perceptible　disorder　would　have　ensued；　if　ill…luck　had　not　willed　that　the　scholar　Joannes　should　catch　sight；　from　the　heights　of　his　pillar；　of　the　mendicant　and　his　grimaces。　　A　wild　fit　of　laughter　took　possession　of　the　young　scamp；　who；　without　caring　that　he　was　interrupting　the　spectacle；　and　disturbing　the　universal　composure；　shouted　boldly；

〃Look！　see　that　sickly　creature　asking　alms！〃

Any　one　who　has　thrown　a　stone　into　a　frog　pond；　or　fired　a　shot　into　a　covey　of　birds；　can　form　an　idea　of　the　effect　produced　by　these　incongruous　words；　in　the　midst　of　the　general　attention。　　It　made　Gringoire　shudder　as　though　it　had　been　an　electric　shock。　　The　prologue　stopped　short；　and　all　heads　turned　tumultuously　towards　the　beggar；　who；　far　from　being　disconcerted　by　this；　saw；　in　this　incident；　a　good　opportunity　for　reaping　his　harvest；　and　who　began　to　whine　in　a　doleful　way；　half　closing　his　eyes　the　while；〃Charity；　please！〃

〃Wellupon　my　soul；〃　resumed　Joannes；　〃it's　Clopin　Trouillefou！　　Holà　he；　my　friend；　did　your　sore　bother　you　on　the　leg；　that　you　have　transferred　it　to　your　arm？〃　So　saying；　with　the　dexterity　of　a　monkey；　he　flung　a　bit　of　silver　into　the　gray　felt　hat　which　the　beggar　held　in　his　ailing　arm。　　The　mendicant　received　both　the　alms　and　the　sarcasm　without　wincing；　and　contin