the hunchback of notre dame-第69章

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Upon　the　furnace　were　accumulated　in　disorder；　all　sorts　of　vases；　earthenware　bottles；　glass　retorts；　and　mattresses　of　charcoal。　　Jehan　observed；　with　a　sigh；　that　there　was　no　frying…pan。　　〃How　cold　the　kitchen　utensils　are！〃　he　said　to　himself。

In　fact；　there　was　no　fire　in　the　furnace；　and　it　seemed　as　though　none　had　been　lighted　for　a　long　time。　　A　glass　mask；　which　Jehan　noticed　among　the　utensils　of　alchemy；　and　which　served　no　doubt；　to　protect　the　archdeacon's　face　when　he　was　working　over　some　substance　to　be　dreaded；　lay　in　one　corner　covered　with　dust　and　apparently　forgotten。　　Beside　it　lay　a　pair　of　bellows　no　less　dusty；　the　upper　side　of　which　bore　this　inscription　incrusted　in　copper　letters：　SPIRA　SPERA。

Other　inscriptions　were　written；　in　accordance　with　the　fashion　of　the　hermetics；　in　great　numbers　on　the　walls；　some　traced　with　ink；　others　engraved　with　a　metal　point。　　There　were；　moreover；　Gothic　letters；　Hebrew　letters；　Greek　letters；　and　Roman　letters；　pell…mell；　the　inscriptions　overflowed　at　haphazard；　on　top　of　each　other；　the　more　recent　effacing　the　more　ancient；　and　all　entangled　with　each　other；　like　the　branches　in　a　thicket；　like　pikes　in　an　affray。　　It　was；　in　fact；　a　strangely　confused　mingling　of　all　human　philosophies；　all　reveries；　all　human　wisdom。　　Here　and　there　one　shone　out　from　among　the　rest　like　a　banner　among　lance　heads。　Generally；　it　was　a　brief　Greek　or　Roman　device；　such　as　the　Middle　Ages　knew　so　well　how　to　formulate。~Unde？　　Inde？Homo　homini　monstrurn…Ast'ra；　castra；　nomen；　numen。Meya　Bibklov；　ueya　xaxov。Sapere　aude。　　Fiat　ubi　vult~etc。；　sometimes　a　word　devoid　of　all　apparent　sense；　~Avayxoqpayia~；　which　possibly　contained　a　bitter　allusion　to　the　regime　of　the　cloister；　sometimes　a　simple　maxim　of　clerical　discipline　formulated　in　a　regular　hexameter　~Coelestem　dominum　terrestrem　dicite　dominum~。　　There　was　also　Hebrew　jargon；　of　which　Jehan；　who　as　yet　knew　but　little　Greek；　understood　nothing；　and　all　were　traversed　in　every　direction　by　stars；　by　figures　of　men　or　animals；　and　by　intersecting　triangles；　and　this　contributed　not　a　little　to　make　the　scrawled　wall　of　the　cell　resemble　a　sheet　of　paper　over　which　a　monkey　had　drawn　back　and　forth　a　pen　filled　with　ink。

The　whole　chamber；　moreover；　presented　a　general　aspect　of　abandonment　and　dilapidation；　and　the　bad　state　of　the　utensils　induced　the　supposition　that　their　owner　had　long　been　distracted　from　his　labors　by　other　preoccupations。　Meanwhile；　this　master；　bent　over　a　vast　manuscript；　ornamented　with　fantastical　illustrations；　appeared　to　be　tormented　by　an　idea　which　incessantly　mingled　with　his　meditations。　　That　at　least　was　Jehan's　idea；　when　he　heard　him　exclaim；　with　the　thoughtful　breaks　of　a　dreamer　thinking　aloud；

〃Yes；　Manou　said　it；　and　Zoroaster　taught　it！　the　sun　is　born　from　fire；　the　moon　from　the　sun；　fire　is　the　soul　of　the　universe；　its　elementary　atoms　pour　forth　and　flow　incessantly　upon　the　world　through　infinite　channels！　　At　the　point　where　these　currents　intersect　each　other　in　the　heavens；　they　produce　light；　at　their　points　of　intersection　on　earth；　they　produce　gold。　　Light；　gold；　the　same　thing！　From　fire　to　the　concrete　state。　　The　difference　between　the　visible　and　the　palpable；　between　the　fluid　and　the　solid　in　the　same　substance；　between　water　and　ice；　nothing　more。　These　are　no　dreams；　it　is　the　general　law　of　nature。　　But　what　is　one　to　do　in　order　to　extract　from　science　the　secret　of　this　general　law？　　What！　this　light　which　inundates　my　hand　is　gold！　　These　same　atoms　dilated　in　accordance　with　a　certain　law　need　only　be　condensed　in　accordance　with　another　law。　　How　is　it　to　be　done？　　Some　have　fancied　by　burying　a　ray　of　sunlight；　Averro？s；yes；　'tis　Averro？s；　Averro？s　buried　one　under　the　first　pillar　on　the　left　of　the　sanctuary　of　the　Koran；　in　the　great　Mahometan　mosque　of　Cordova；　but　the　vault　cannot　he　opened　for　the　purpose　of　ascertaining　whether　the　operation　has　succeeded；　until　after　the　lapse　of　eight　thousand　years。

〃The　devil！〃　said　Jehan；　to　himself；　〃'tis　a　long　while　to　wait　for　a　crown！〃

〃Others　have　thought；〃　continued　the　dreamy　archdeacon；　〃that　it　would　be　better　worth　while　to　operate　upon　a　ray　of　Sirius。　　But　'tis　exceeding　hard　to　obtain　this　ray　pure；　because　of　the　simultaneous　presence　of　other　stars　whose　rays　mingle　with　it。　　Flamel　esteemed　it　more　simple　to　operate　upon　terrestrial　fire。　　Flamel！　there's　predestination　in　the　name！　　~Flamma~！　yes；　fire。　　All　lies　there。　　The　diamond　is　contained　in　the　carbon；　gold　is　in　the　fire。　　But　how　to　extract　it？　　Magistri　affirms　that　there　are　certain　feminine　names；　which　possess　a　charm　so　sweet　and　mysterious；　that　it　suffices　to　pronounce　them　during　the　operation。　　Let　us　read　what　Manon　says　on　the　matter：　'Where　women　are　honored；　the　divinities　are　rejoiced；　where　they　are　despised；　it　is　useless　to　pray　to　God。　　The　mouth　of　a　woman　is　constantly　pure；　it　is　a　running　water；　it　is　a　ray　of　sunlight。　　The　name　of　a　woman　should　be　agreeable；　sweet；　fanciful；　it　should　end　in　long　vowels；　and　resemble　words　of　benediction。'　　Yes；　the　sage　is　right；　in　truth；　Maria；　Sophia；　la　EsmeralDamnation！　always　that　thought！〃

And　he　closed　the　book　violently。

He　passed　his　hand　over　his　brow；　as　though　to　brush　away　the　idea　which　assailed　him；　then　he　took　from　the　table　a　nail　and　a　small　hammer；　whose　handle　was　curiously　painted　with　cabalistic　letters。

〃For　some　time；〃　he　said　with　a　bitter　smile；　〃I　have　failed　in　all　my　experiments！　one　fixed　idea　possesses　me；　and　sears　my　brain　like　fire。　　I　have　not　even　been　able　to　discover　the　secret　of　Cassiodorus；　whose　lamp　burned　without　wick　and　without　oil。　　A　simple　matter；　nevertheless〃

〃The　deuce！〃　muttered　Jehan　in　his　beard。

〃Hence；〃　continued　the　priest；　〃one　wretched　thought　is　sufficient　to　render　a　man　weak　and　beside　himself！　　Oh！　how　Claude　Pernelle　would　laugh　at　me。　　She　who　could　not　turn　Nicholas　Flamel　aside；　for　one　moment；　from　his　pursuit　of　the　great　work！　　What！　　I　hold　in　my　hand　the　magic　hammer　of　Zéchiélé！　at　every　blow　dealt　by　the　formidable　rabbi；　from　the　depths　of　his　cell；　upon　this　nail；　that　one　of　his　enemies　whom　he　had　condemned；　were　he　a　thousand　leagues　away；　was　buried　a　cubit　deep　in　the　earth　which　swallowed　him。　　The　King　of　France　himself；　in　consequence　of　once　having　inconsiderately　knocked　at　the　door　of　the　thermaturgist；　sank　to　the　knees　through　the　pavement　of　his　own　Paris。　　This　took　place　three　centuries　ago。　　Well！　I　possess　the　hammer　and　the　nail；　and　in　my　hands　they　are　utensils　no　more　formidable　than　a　club　in　the　hands　of　a　maker　of　edge　tools。　　And　yet　all　that　is　required　is　to　find　the　magic　word　which　Zéchiélé　pronounced　when　he　struck　his　nail。〃

〃What　nonsense！〃　thought　Jehan。

〃Let　us　see；　let　us　try！〃　resumed　the　archdeacon　briskly。　〃Were　I　to　succeed；　I　should　behold　the　blue　spark　flash　from　the　head　of　the　nail。　　Emen…Hétan！　　Emen…Hétan！　That's　not　it。　　Sigéani！　　Sigéani！　　May　this　nail　open　the　tomb　to　any　one　who　bears　the　name　of　Phoebus！　　A　curse　upon　it！　　Always　and　eternally　the　same　idea！〃

And　he　flung　away　the　hammer　in　a　rage。　　Then　he　sank　down　so　deeply　on　the　arm…chair　and　the　table；　that　Jehan　lost　him　from　view　behind　the　great　pile　of　manuscripts。　　For　the　space　of　several　minutes；　all　that　he　saw　was　his　fist　convulsively　clenched　on　a　book。　　Suddenly；　Dom　Claude　sprang　up；　seized　a　compass　and　engraved　in　silence　upon　the　wall　in　capital　letters；　this　Greek　word

　　　　　　　　　~ANArKH~。

〃My　brother　is　mad；〃　said　Jehan　to　himself；　〃it　would　have　been　far　more　simple　to　write　~Fatum~；　every　one　is　not　obliged　to　know　Greek。〃

The　archdeacon　returned　and　seated　himself　in　his　armchair；　and　placed　his　head　on　both　his　hands；　as　a　sick　man　does；　whose　head　is　heavy　and　burning。

The　student　watched　his　brother　with　surprise。　　He　did　not　know；　he　who　wore　his　heart　on　his　sleeve；　he　who　observed　only　the　good　old　law　of　Nature　in　the　world；　he　who　allowed　his　passions　to　follow　their　inclinations；　and　in　whom　the　lake　of　great　emotions　was　always　dry；　so　freely　did　he　let　it　off　each　day　by　fresh　drains；he　did　not　kno