the hunchback of notre dame-第72章

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　the　word　which　expels　fleas！　　That　Marc　Cenaine　is　an　ignoramus！　I　verily　believe　that　you　will　never　make　gold　with　this！　　'Tis　good　to　set　in　your　bedroom　in　summer　and　that　is　all！〃

〃Since　we　are　talking　about　errors；〃　said　the　king's　procurator；　〃I　have　just　been　studying　the　figures　on　the　portal　below　before　ascending　hither；　is　your　reverence　quite　sure　that　the　opening　of　the　work　of　physics　is　there　portrayed　on　the　side　towards　the　H？tel…Dieu；　and　that　among　the　seven　nude　figures　which　stand　at　the　feet　of　Notre…Dame；　that　which　has　wings　on　his　heels　is　Mercurius？〃

〃Yes；〃　replied　the　priest；　〃'tis　Augustin　Nypho　who　writes　it；　that　Italian　doctor　who　had　a　bearded　demon　who　acquainted　him　with　all　things。　　However；　we　will　descend；　and　I　will　explain　it　to　you　with　the　text　before　us。〃

〃Thanks；　master；〃　said　Charmolue；　bowing　to　the　earth。　〃By　the　way；　I　was　on　the　point　of　forgetting。　　When　doth　it　please　you　that　I　shall　apprehend　the　little　sorceress？〃

〃What　sorceress？〃

〃That　gypsy　girl　you　know；　who　comes　every　day　to　dance　on　the　church　square；　in　spite　of　the　official's　prohibition！　She　hath　a　demoniac　goat　with　horns　of　the　devil；　which　reads；　which　writes；　which　knows　mathematics　like　Picatrix；　and　which　would　suffice　to　hang　all　Bohemia。　　The　prosecution　is　all　ready；　'twill　soon　be　finished；　I　assure　you！　　A　pretty　creature；　on　my　soul；　that　dancer！　　The　handsomest　black　eyes！　　Two　Egyptian　carbuncles！　　When　shall　we　begin？〃

The　archdeacon　was　excessively　pale。

〃I　will　tell　you　that　hereafter；〃　he　stammered；　in　a　voice　that　was　barely　articulate；　then　he　resumed　with　an　effort；　〃Busy　yourself　with　Marc　Cenaine。〃

〃Be　at　ease；〃　said　Charmolue　with　a　smile；　〃I'll　buckle　him　down　again　for　you　on　the　leather　bed　when　I　get　home。　But　'tis　a　devil　of　a　man；　he　wearies　even　Pierrat　Torterue　himself；　who　hath　hands　larger　than　my　own。　　As　that　good　Plautus　saith；


　　　　　　　　　'~Nudus　vinctus；　centum　pondo；　　　　　　　　　　　es　quando　pendes　per　pedes~。'


The　torture　of　the　wheel　and　axle！　　'Tis　the　most　effectual！　He　shall　taste　it！〃

Dom　Claude　seemed　absorbed　in　gloomy　abstraction。　　He　turned　to　Charmolue；

〃Master　PierratMaster　Jacques；　I　mean；　busy　yourself　with　Marc　Cenaine。〃

〃Yes；　yes；　Dom　Claude。　　Poor　man！　he　will　have　suffered　like　Mummol。　　What　an　idea　to　go　to　the　witches'　sabbath！　a　butler　of　the　Court　of　Accounts；　who　ought　to　know　Charlemagne's　text；　~Stryga　vel　masea~！In　the　matter　of　the　little　girl；Smelarda；　as　they　call　her；I　will　await　your　orders。　　Ah！　as　we　pass　through　the　portal；　you　will　explain　to　me　also　the　meaning　of　the　gardener　painted　in　relief；　which　one　sees　as　one　enters　the　church。　　Is　it　not　the　Sower？　　Hé！　master；　of　what　are　you　thinking；　pray？〃

Dom　Claude；　buried　in　his　own　thoughts；　no　longer　listened　to　him。　　Charmolue；　following　the　direction　of　his　glance；　perceived　that　it　was　fixed　mechanically　on　the　great　spider's　web　which　draped　the　window。　　At　that　moment；　a　bewildered　fly　which　was　seeking　the　March　sun；　flung　itself　through　the　net　and　became　entangled　there。　　On　the　agitation　of　his　web；　the　enormous　spider　made　an　abrupt　move　from　his　central　cell；　then　with　one　bound；　rushed　upon　the　fly；　which　he　folded　together　with　his　fore　antennae；　while　his　hideous　proboscis　dug　into　the　victim's　bead。　　〃Poor　fly！〃　said　the　king's　procurator　in　the　ecclesiastical　court；　and　he　raised　his　hand　to　save　it。　　The　archdeacon；　as　though　roused　with　a　start；　withheld　his　arm　with　convulsive　violence。

〃Master　Jacques；〃　he　cried；　〃let　fate　take　its　course！〃　The　procurator　wheeled　round　in　affright；　it　seemed　to　him　that　pincers　of　iron　had　clutched　his　arm。　　The　priest's　eye　was　staring；　wild；　flaming；　and　remained　riveted　on　the　horrible　little　group　of　the　spider　and　the　fly。

〃Oh；　yes！〃　continued　the　priest；　in　a　voice　which　seemed　to　proceed　from　the　depths　of　his　being；　〃behold　here　a　symbol　of　all。　　She　flies；　she　is　joyous；　she　is　just　born；　she　seeks　the　spring；　the　open　air；　liberty：　oh；　yes！　but　let　her　come　in　contact　with　the　fatal　network；　and　the　spider　issues　from　it；　the　hideous　spider！　　Poor　dancer！　poor；　predestined　fly！　　Let　things　take　their　course；　Master　Jacques；　'tis　fate！　Alas！　　Claude；　thou　art　the　spider！　　Claude；　thou　art　the　fly　also！　　Thou　wert　flying　towards　learning；　light；　the　sun。　Thou　hadst　no　other　care　than　to　reach　the　open　air；　the　full　daylight　of　eternal　truth；　but　in　precipitating　thyself　towards　the　dazzling　window　which　opens　upon　the　other　world；upon　the　world　of　brightness；　intelligence；　and　scienceblind　fly！　senseless；　learned　man！　thou　hast　not　perceived　that　subtle　spider's　web；　stretched　by　destiny　betwixt　the　light　and　theethou　hast　flung　thyself　headlong　into　it；　and　now　thou　art　struggling　with　head　broken　and　mangled　wings　between　the　iron　antennae　of　fate！　　Master　Jacques！　　Master　Jacques！　let　the　spider　work　its　will！〃

〃I　assure　you；〃　said　Charmolue；　who　was　gazing　at　him　without　comprehending　him；　〃that　I　will　not　touch　it。　　But　release　my　arm；　master；　for　pity's　sake！　　You　have　a　hand　like　a　pair　of　pincers。〃

The　archdeacon　did　not　hear　him。　　〃Oh；　madman！〃　he　went　on；　without　removing　his　gaze　from　the　window。　　〃And　even　couldst　thou　have　broken　through　that　formidable　web；　with　thy　gnat's　wings；　thou　believest　that　thou　couldst　have　reached　the　light？　　Alas！　that　pane　of　glass　which　is　further　on；　that　transparent　obstacle；　that　wall　of　crystal；　harder　than　brass；　which　separates　all　philosophies　from　the　truth；　how　wouldst　thou　have　overcome　it？　　Oh；　vanity　of　science！　how　many　wise　men　come　flying　from　afar；　to　dash　their　heads　against　thee！　　How　many　systems　vainly　fling　themselves　buzzing　against　that　eternal　pane！〃

He　became　silent。　　These　last　ideas；　which　had　gradually　led　him　back　from　himself　to　science；　appeared　to　have　calmed　him。　　Jacques　Charmolue　recalled　him　wholly　to　a　sense　of　reality　by　addressing　to　him　this　question：　〃Come；　now；　master；　when　will　you　come　to　aid　me　in　making　gold？　　I　am　impatient　to　succeed。〃

The　archdeacon　shook　his　head；　with　a　bitter　smile。　　〃Master　Jacques　read　Michel　Psellus'　'~Dialogus　de　Energia　et　Operatione　Daemonum~_。'　　What　we　are　doing　is　not　wholly　innocent。〃

〃Speak　lower；　master！　　I　have　my　suspicions　of　it；〃　said　Jacques　Charmolue。　　〃But　one　must　practise　a　bit　of　hermetic　science　when　one　is　only　procurator　of　the　king　in　the　ecclesiastical　court；　at　thirty　crowns　tournois　a　year。　　Only　speak　low。〃

At　that　moment　the　sound　of　jaws　in　the　act　of　mastication；　which　proceeded　from　beneath　the　furnace；　struck　Charmolue's　uneasy　ear。

〃What's　that？〃　he　inquired。

It　was　the　scholar；　who；　ill　at　ease；　and　greatly　bored　in　his　hiding…place；　had　succeeded　in　discovering　there　a　stale　crust　and　a　triangle　of　mouldy　cheese；　and　had　set　to　devouring　the　whole　without　ceremony；　by　way　of　consolation　and　breakfast。　As　he　was　very　hungry；　he　made　a　great　deal　of　noise；　and　he　accented　each　mouthful　strongly；　which　startled　and　alarmed　the　procurator。

〃'Tis　a　cat　of　mine；〃　said　the　archdeacon；　quickly；　〃who　is　regaling　herself　under　there　with　a　mouse；〃

This　explanation　satisfied　Charmolue。

〃In　fact；　master；〃　he　replied；　with　a　respectful　smile；　〃all　great　philosophers　have　their　familiar　animal。　　You　know　what　Servius　saith：　'~Nullus　enim　locus　sine　genio　est~；for　there　is　no　place　that　hath　not　its　spirit。'〃

But　Dom　Claude；　who　stood　in　terror　of　some　new　freak　on　the　part　of　Jehan；　reminded　his　worthy　disciple　that　they　had　some　figures　on　the　fa？ade　to　study　together；　and　the　two　quitted　the　cell；　to　the　accompaniment　of　a　great　〃ouf！〃　from　the　scholar；　who　began　to　seriously　fear　that　his　knee　would　acquire　the　imprint　of　his　chin。




CHAPTER　VI。

THE　EFFECT　WHICH　SEVEN　OATHS　IN　THE　OPEN　AIR　CAN　PRODUCE。



〃~Te　Deum　Laudamus~！〃　exclaimed　Master　Jehan；　creeping　out　from　his　hole；　〃the　screech…owls　have　departed。　　Och！　och！　　Hax！　pax！　max！　fleas！　mad　dogs！　the　devil！　　I　have　had　enough　of　their　conversation！　　My　head　is　humming　like　a　bell　tower。　　And　mouldy　cheese　to　boot！　　Come　on！　　Let　us　descend；　take　the　big　brother's　purse　and　convert　all　these　coins　into　bottles！〃

He　cast　a　glance　of　tenderness　a