the hunchback of notre dame-第81章

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

〃You　persist？〃　said　Jacques　Charmolue。　　〃Then　it　grieves　me　deeply；　but　I　must　fulfil　my　office。〃

〃Monsieur　le　Procureur　du　Roi；〃　said　Pierrat　abruptly；　〃How　shall　we　begin？〃

Charmolue　hesitated　for　a　moment　with　the　ambiguous　grimace　of　a　poet　in　search　of　a　rhyme。

〃With　the　boot；〃　he　said　at　last。

The　unfortunate　girl　felt　herself　so　utterly　abandoned　by　God　and　men；　that　her　head　fell　upon　her　breast　like　an　inert　thing　which　has　no　power　in　itself。

The　tormentor　and　the　physician　approached　her　simultaneously。　At　the　same　time；　the　two　assistants　began　to　fumble　among　their　hideous　arsenal。

At　the　clanking　of　their　frightful　irons；　the　unhappy　child　quivered　like　a　dead　frog　which　is　being　galvanized。　　〃Oh！〃　she　murmured；　so　low　that　no　one　heard　her；　〃Oh；　my　Phoebus！〃　Then　she　fell　back　once　more　into　her　immobility　and　her　marble　silence。　　This　spectacle　would　have　rent　any　other　heart　than　those　of　her　judges。　　One　would　have　pronounced　her　a　poor　sinful　soul；　being　tortured　by　Satan　beneath　the　scarlet　wicket　of　hell。　　The　miserable　body　which　that　frightful　swarm　of　saws；　wheels；　and　racks　were　about　to　clasp　in　their　clutches；　the　being　who　was　about　to　be　manipulated　by　the　harsh　hands　of　executioners　and　pincers；　was　that　gentle；　white；　fragile　creature；　a　poor　grain　of　millet　which　human　justice　was　handing　over　to　the　terrible　mills　of　torture　to　grind。　　Meanwhile；　the　callous　hands　of　Pierrat　Torterue's　assistants　had　bared　that　charming　leg；　that　tiny　foot；　which　had　so　often　amazed　the　passers…by　with　their　delicacy　and　beauty；　in　the　squares　of　Paris。

〃'Tis　a　shame！〃　muttered　the　tormentor；　glancing　at　these　graceful　and　delicate　forms。

Had　the　archdeacon　been　present；　he　certainly　would　have　recalled　at　that　moment　his　symbol　of　the　spider　and　the　fly。　Soon　the　unfortunate　girl；　through　a　mist　which　spread　before　her　eyes；　beheld　the　boot　approach；　she　soon　beheld　her　foot　encased　between　iron　plates　disappear　in　the　frightful　apparatus。　Then　terror　restored　her　strength。

〃Take　that　off！〃　she　cried　angrily；　and　drawing　herself　up；　with　her　hair　all　dishevelled：　〃Mercy！〃

She　darted　from　the　bed　to　fling　herself　at　the　feet　of　the　king's　procurator；　but　her　leg　was　fast　in　the　heavy　block　of　oak　and　iron；　and　she　sank　down　upon　the　boot；　more　crushed　than　a　bee　with　a　lump　of　lead　on　its　wing。

At　a　sign　from　Charmolue；　she　was　replaced　on　the　bed；　and　two　coarse　hands　adjusted　to　her　delicate　waist　the　strap　which　hung　from　the　ceiling。

〃For　the　last　time；　do　you　confess　the　facts　in　the　case？〃　demanded　Charmolue；　with　his　imperturbable　benignity。

〃I　am　innocent。〃

〃Then；　mademoiselle；　how　do　you　explain　the　circumstance　laid　to　your　charge？〃

〃Alas；　monseigneur；　I　do　not　know。〃

〃So　you　deny　them？〃

〃All！〃

〃Proceed；〃　said　Charmolue　to　Pierrat。

Pierrat　turned　the　handle　of　the　screw…jack；　the　boot　was　contracted；　and　the　unhappy　girl　uttered　one　of　those　horrible　cries　which　have　no　orthography　in　any　human　language。

〃Stop！〃　said　Charmolue　to　Pierrat。　　〃Do　you　confess？〃　he　said　to　the　gypsy。

〃All！〃　cried　the　wretched　girl。　　〃I　confess！　　I　confess！　Mercy！〃

She　had　not　calculated　her　strength　when　she　faced　the　torture。　　Poor　child；　whose　life　up　to　that　time　had　been　so　joyous；　so　pleasant；　so　sweet；　the　first　pain　had　conquered　her！

〃Humanity　forces　me　to　tell　you；〃　remarked　the　king's　procurator；　〃that　in　confessing；　it　is　death　that　you　must　expect。〃

〃I　certainly　hope　so！〃　said　she。　　And　she　fell　back　upon　the　leather　bed；　dying；　doubled　up；　allowing　herself　to　hang　suspended　from　the　strap　buckled　round　her　waist。

〃Come；　fair　one；　hold　up　a　little；〃　said　Master　Pierrat；　raising　her。　　〃You　have　the　air　of　the　lamb　of　the　Golden　Fleece　which　hangs　from　Monsieur　de　Bourgogne's　neck。〃

Jacques　Charmolue　raised　his　voice；

〃Clerk；　write。　　Young　Bohemian　maid；　you　confess　your　participation　in　the　feasts；　witches'　sabbaths；　and　witchcrafts　of　hell；　with　ghosts；　hags；　and　vampires？　　Answer。〃

〃Yes；〃　she　said；　so　low　that　her　words　were　lost　in　her　breathing。

〃You　confess　to　having　seen　the　ram　which　Beelzebub　causes　to　appear　in　the　clouds　to　call　together　the　witches'　sabbath；　and　which　is　beheld　by　socerers　alone？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃You　confess　to　having　adored　the　heads　of　Bophomet；　those　abominable　idols　of　the　Templars？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃To　having　had　habitual　dealings　with　the　devil　under　the　form　of　a　goat　familiar；　joined　with　you　in　the　suit？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Lastly；　you　avow　and　confess　to　having；　with　the　aid　of　the　demon；　and　of　the　phantom　vulgarly　known　as　the　surly　monk；　on　the　night　of　the　twenty…ninth　of　March　last；　murdered　and　assassinated　a　captain　named　Phoebus　de　Chateaupers？〃

She　raised　her　large；　staring　eyes　to　the　magistrate；　and　replied；　as　though　mechanically；　without　convulsion　or　agitation；

〃Yes。〃

It　was　evident　that　everything　within　her　was　broken。

〃Write；　clerk；〃　said　Charmolue。　　And；　addressing　the　torturers；　〃Release　the　prisoner；　and　take　her　back　to　the　court。〃

When　the　prisoner　had　been　〃unbooted；〃　the　procurator　of　the　ecclesiastical　court　examined　her　foot；　which　was　still　swollen　with　pain。　　〃Come；〃　said　he；　〃there's　no　great　harm　done。　　You　shrieked　in　good　season。　　You　could　still　dance；　my　beauty！〃

Then　he　turned　to　his　acolytes　of　the　officiality；　〃Behold　justice　enlightened　at　last！　　This　is　a　solace；　gentlemen！　　Madamoiselle　will　bear　us　witness　that　we　have　acted　with　all　possible　gentleness。〃




CHAPTER　III。

END　OF　THE　CROWN　WHICH　WAS　TURNED　INTO　A　DRY　LEAF。



When　she　re…entered　the　audience　hall；　pale　and　limping；　she　was　received　with　a　general　murmur　of　pleasure。　　On　the　part　of　the　audience　there　was　the　feeling　of　impatience　gratified　which　one　experiences　at　the　theatre　at　the　end　of　the　last　entr'acte　of　the　comedy；　when　the　curtain　rises　and　the　conclusion　is　about　to　begin。　　On　the　part　of　the　judges；　it　was　the　hope　of　getting　their　suppers　sooner。

The　little　goat　also　bleated　with　joy。　　He　tried　to　run　towards　his　mistress；　but　they　had　tied　him　to　the　bench。

Night　was　fully　set　in。　　The　candles；　whose　number　had　not　been　increased；　cast　so　little　light；　that　the　walls　of　the　hall　could　not　be　seen。　　The　shadows　there　enveloped　all　objects　in　a　sort　of　mist。　　A　few　apathetic　faces　of　judges　alone　could　be　dimly　discerned。　　Opposite　them；　at　the　extremity　of　the　long　hail；　they　could　see　a　vaguely　white　point　standing　out　against　the　sombre　background。　　This　was　the　accused。

She　had　dragged　herself　to　her　place。　　When　Charmolue　had　installed　himself　in　a　magisterial　manner　in　his　own；　he　seated　himself；　then　rose　and　said；　without　exhibiting　too　much　self…complacency　at　his　success；〃The　accused　has　confessed　all。〃

〃Bohemian　girl；〃　the　president　continued；　〃have　you　avowed　all　your　deeds　of　magic；　prostitution；　and　assassination　on　Phoebus　de　Chateaupers。〃

Her　heart　contracted。　　She　was　heard　to　sob　amid　the　darkness。

〃Anything　you　like；〃　she　replied　feebly；　〃but　kill　me　quickly！〃

〃Monsieur；　procurator　of　the　king　in　the　ecclesiastical　courts；〃　said　the　president；　〃the　chamber　is　ready　to　hear　you　in　your　charge。〃

Master　Charmolue　exhibited　an　alarming　note　book；　and　began　to　read；　with　many　gestures　and　the　exaggerated　accentuation　of　the　pleader；　an　oration　in　Latin；　wherein　all　the　proofs　of　the　suit　were　piled　up　in　Ciceronian　periphrases；　flanked　with　quotations　from　Plautus；　his　favorite　comic　author。　　We　regret　that　we　are　not　able　to　offer　to　our　readers　this　remarkable　piece。　　The　orator　pronounced　it　with　marvellous　action。　　Before　he　had　finished　the　exordium；　the　perspiration　was　starting　from　his　brow；　and　his　eyes　from　his　bead。

All　at　once；　in　the　middle　of　a　fine　period；　he　interrupted　himself；　and　his　glance；　ordinarily　so　gentle　and　even　stupid；　became　menacing。

〃Gentlemen；〃　he　exclaimed　（this　time　in　French；　for　it　was　not　in　his　copy　book）；　〃Satan　is　so　mixed　up　in　this　affair；　that　here　he　is　present　at　our　debates；　and　making　sport　of　their　majesty。　　Behold！〃

So　saying；　he　pointed　to　the　little　goat；　who；　on　seeing　Charmolue　gesticulating；　had；　in　point