the hunchback of notre dame-第80章

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cold　perspiration。　　Charmolue　took　from　the　table　the　gypsy's　tambourine；　and　presenting　it　to　the　goat；　in　a　certain　manner；　asked　the　latter；

〃What　o'clock　is　it？〃

The　goat　looked　at　it　with　an　intelligent　eye；　raised　its　gilded　hoof；　and　struck　seven　blows。

It　was；　in　fact；　seven　o'clock。　　A　movement　of　terror　ran　through　the　crowd。

Gringoire　could　not　endure　it。

〃He　is　destroying　himself！〃　he　cried　aloud；　〃You　see　well　that　he　does　not　know　what　he　is　doing。〃

〃Silence　among　the　louts　at　the　end　of　the　hail！〃　said　the　bailiff　sharply。

Jacques　Charmolue；　by　the　aid　of　the　same　manoeuvres　of　the　tambourine；　made　the　goat　perform　many　other　tricks　connected　with　the　date　of　the　day；　the　month　of　the　year；　etc。；　which　the　reader　has　already　witnessed。　　And；　by　virtue　of　an　optical　illusion　peculiar　to　judicial　proceedings；　these　same　spectators　who　had；　probably；　more　than　once　applauded　in　the　public　square　Djali's　innocent　magic　were　terrified　by　it　beneath　the　roof　of　the　Palais　de　Justice。　　The　goat　was　undoubtedly　the　devil。

It　was　far　worse　when　the　procurator　of　the　king；　having　emptied　upon　a　floor　a　certain　bag　filled　with　movable　letters；　which　Djali　wore　round　his　neck；　they　beheld　the　goat　extract　with　his　hoof　from　the　scattered　alphabet　the　fatal　name　of　Phoebus。　　The　witchcraft　of　which　the　captain　had　been　the　victim　appeared　irresistibly　demonstrated；　and　in　the　eyes　of　all；　the　gypsy；　that　ravishing　dancer；　who　had　so　often　dazzled　the　passers…by　with　her　grace；　was　no　longer　anything　but　a　frightful　vampire。

However；　she　betrayed　no　sign　of　life；　neither　Djali's　graceful　evolutions；　nor　the　menaces　of　the　court；　nor　the　suppressed　imprecations　of　the　spectators　any　longer　reached　her　mind。

In　order　to　arouse　her；　a　police　officer　was　obliged　to　shake　her　unmercifully；　and　the　president　had　to　raise　his　voice；〃Girl；　you　are　of　the　Bohemian　race；　addicted　to　deeds　of　witchcraft。　　You；　in　complicity　with　the　bewitched　goat　implicated　in　this　suit；　during　the　night　of　the　twenty…ninth　of　March　last；　murdered　and　stabbed；　in　concert　with　the　powers　of　darkness；　by　the　aid　of　charms　and　underhand　practices；　a　captain　of　the　king's　arches　of　the　watch；　Phoebus　de　Chateaupers。　　Do　you　persist　in　denying　it？〃

〃Horror！〃　exclaimed　the　young　girl；　hiding　her　face　in　her　hands。　　〃My　Phoebus！　　Oh；　this　is　hell！〃

〃Do　you　persist　in　your　denial？〃　demanded　the　president　coldly。

〃Do　I　deny　it？〃　she　said　with　terrible　accents；　and　she　rose　with　flashing　eyes。

The　president　continued　squarely；

〃Then　how　do　you　explain　the　facts　laid　to　your　charge？〃

She　replied　in　a　broken　voice；

〃I　have　already　told　you。　　I　do　not　know。　　'Twas　a　priest；　a　priest　whom　I　do　not　know；　an　infernal　priest　who　pursues　me！〃

〃That　is　it；〃　retorted　the　judge；　〃the　surly　monk。〃

〃Oh；　gentlemen！　　have　mercy！　　I　am　but　a　poor　girl〃

〃Of　Egypt；〃　said　the　judge。

Master　Jacques　Charmolue　interposed　sweetly；

〃In　view　of　the　sad　obstinacy　of　the　accused；　I　demand　the　application　of　the　torture。〃

〃Granted；〃　said　the　president。

The　unhappy　girl　quivered　in　every　limb。　　But　she　rose　at　the　command　of　the　men　with　partisans；　and　walked　with　a　tolerably　firm　step；　preceded　by　Charmolue　and　the　priests　of　the　officiality；　between　two　rows　of　halberds；　towards　a　medium…sized　door　which　suddenly　opened　and　closed　again　behind　her；　and　which　produced　upon　the　grief…stricken　Gringoire　the　effect　of　a　horrible　mouth　which　had　just　devoured　her。

When　she　disappeared；　they　heard　a　plaintive　bleating；　it　was　the　little　goat　mourning。

The　sitting　of　the　court　was　suspended。　　A　counsellor　having　remarked　that　the　gentlemen　were　fatigued；　and　that　it　would　be　a　long　time　to　wait　until　the　torture　was　at　an　end；　the　president　replied　that　a　magistrate　must　know　how　to　sacrifice　himself　to　his　duty。

〃What　an　annoying　and　vexatious　hussy；〃　said　an　aged　judge；　〃to　get　herself　put　to　the　question　when　one　has　not　supped！〃




CHAPTER　II。

CONTINUATION　OF　THE　CROWN　WHICH　WAS　CHANGED　INTO　A　DRY　LEAF。



After　ascending　and　descending　several　steps　in　the　corridors；　which　were　so　dark　that　they　were　lighted　by　lamps　at　mid…day；　La　Esmeralda；　still　surrounded　by　her　lugubrious　escort；　was　thrust　by　the　police　into　a　gloomy　chamber。　This　chamber；　circular　in　form；　occupied　the　ground　floor　of　one　of　those　great　towers；　which；　even　in　our　own　century；　still　pierce　through　the　layer　of　modern　edifices　with　which　modern　Paris　has　covered　ancient　Paris。　　There　were　no　windows　to　this　cellar；　no　other　opening　than　the　entrance；　which　was　low；　and　closed　by　an　enormous　iron　door。　　Nevertheless；　light　was　not　lacking；　a　furnace　had　been　constructed　in　the　thickness　of　the　wall；　a　large　fire　was　lighted　there；　which　filled　the　vault　with　its　crimson　reflections　and　deprived　a　miserable　candle；　which　stood　in　one　corner；　of　all　radiance。　　The　iron　grating　which　served　to　close　the　oven；　being　raised　at　that　moment；　allowed　only　a　view　at　the　mouth　of　the　flaming　vent…hole　in　the　dark　wall；　the　lower　extremity　of　its　bars；　like　a　row　of　black　and　pointed　teeth；　set　flat　apart；　which　made　the　furnace　resemble　one　of　those　mouths　of　dragons　which　spout　forth　flames　in　ancient　legends。　　By　the　light　which　escaped　from　it；　the　prisoner　beheld；　all　about　the　room；　frightful　instruments　whose　use　she　did　not　understand。　　In　the　centre　lay　a　leather　mattress；　placed　almost　flat　upon　the　ground；　over　which　hung　a　strap　provided　with　a　buckle；　attached　to　a　brass　ring　in　the　mouth　of　a　flat…nosed　monster　carved　in　the　keystone　of　the　vault。　Tongs；　pincers；　large　ploughshares；　filled　the　interior　of　the　furnace；　and　glowed　in　a　confused　heap　on　the　coals。　　The　sanguine　light　of　the　furnace　illuminated　in　the　chamber　only　a　confused　mass　of　horrible　things。

This　Tartarus　was　called　simply；　The　Question　Chamber。

On　the　bed；　in　a　negligent　attitude；　sat　Pierrat　Torterue；　the　official　torturer。　　His　underlings；　two　gnomes　with　square　faces；　leather　aprons；　and　linen　breeches；　were　moving　the　iron　instruments　on　the　coals。

In　vain　did　the　poor　girl　summon　up　her　courage；　on　entering　this　chamber　she　was　stricken　with　horror。

The　sergeants　of　the　bailiff　of　the　courts　drew　up　in　line　on　one　side；　the　priests　of　the　officiality　on　the　other。　　A　clerk；　inkhorn；　and　a　table　were　in　one　corner。

Master　Jacques　Charmolue　approached　the　gypsy　with　a　very　sweet　smile。

〃My　dear　child；〃　said　he；　〃do　you　still　persist　in　your　denial？〃

〃Yes；〃　she　replied；　in　a　dying　voice。

〃In　that　case；〃　replied　Charmolue；　〃it　will　be　very　painful　for　us　to　have　to　question　you　more　urgently　than　we　should　like。　　Pray　take　the　trouble　to　seat　yourself　on　this　bed。　Master　Pierrat；　make　room　for　mademoiselle；　and　close　the　door。〃

Pierrat　rose　with　a　growl。

〃If　I　shut　the　door；〃　he　muttered；　〃my　fire　will　go　out。〃

〃Well；　my　dear　fellow；〃　replied　Charmolue；　〃leave　it　open　then。〃

Meanwhile；　la　Esmeralda　had　remained　standing。　　That　leather　bed　on　which　so　many　unhappy　wretches　had　writhed；　frightened　her。　　Terror　chilled　the　very　marrow　of　her　bones；　she　stood　there　bewildered　and　stupefied。　　At　a　sign　from　Charmolue；　the　two　assistants　took　her　and　placed　her　in　a　sitting　posture　on　the　bed。　　They　did　her　no　harm；　but　when　these　men　touched　her；　when　that　leather　touched　her；　she　felt　all　her　blood　retreat　to　her　heart。　　She　cast　a　frightened　look　around　the　chamber。　　It　seemed　to　her　as　though　she　beheld　advancing　from　all　quarters　towards　her；　with　the　intention　of　crawling　up　her　body　and　biting　and　pinching　her；　all　those　hideous　implements　of　torture；　which　as　compared　to　the　instruments　of　all　sorts　she　had　hitherto　seen；　were　like　what　bats；　centipedes；　and　spiders　are　among　insects　and　birds。

〃Where　is　the　physician？〃　asked　Charmolue。

〃Here；〃　replied　a　black　gown　whom　she　had　not　before　noticed。

She　shuddered。

〃Mademoiselle；〃　resumed　the　caressing　voice　of　the　procucrator　of　the　Ecclesiastical　court；　〃for　the　third　time；　do　you　persist　in　denying　the　deeds　of　which　you　are　accused？〃

This　time　she　could　only　make　a　sign　with　her　head。

〃You　persist？〃　said　Jacques　Charmolue。　　〃Then　it　grieves　me　deeply；　bu