the hunchback of notre dame-第91章

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c　order；　he　threw　his　leg　over　the　balustrade　of　the　gallery；　seized　the　rope　with　his　feet；　his　knees　and　his　hands；　then　he　was　seen　to　glide　down　the　fa？ade；　as　a　drop　of　rain　slips　down　a　window…　pane；　rush　to　the　two　executioners　with　the　swiftness　of　a　cat　which　has　fallen　from　a　roof；　knock　them　down　with　two　enormous　fists；　pick　up　the　gypsy　with　one　hand；　as　a　child　would　her　doll；　and　dash　back　into　the　church　with　a　single　bound；　lifting　the　young　girl　above　his　head　and　crying　in　a　formidable　voice；

〃Sanctuary！〃

This　was　done　with　such　rapidity；　that　had　it　taken　place　at　night；　the　whole　of　it　could　have　been　seen　in　the　space　of　a　single　flash　of　lightning。

〃Sanctuary！　　Sanctuary！〃　repeated　the　crowd；　and　the　clapping　of　ten　thousand　hands　made　Quasimodo's　single　eye　sparkle　with　joy　and　pride。

This　shock　restored　the　condemned　girl　to　her　senses。　　She　raised　her　eyelids；　looked　at　Quasimodo；　then　closed　them　again　suddenly；　as　though　terrified　by　her　deliverer。

Charmolue　was　stupefied；　as　well　as　the　executioners　and　the　entire　escort。　　In　fact；　within　the　bounds　of　Notre…Dame；　the　condemned　girl　could　not　be　touched。　　The　cathedral　was　a　place　of　refuge。　　All　temporal　jurisdiction　expired　upon　its　threshold。

Quasimodo　had　halted　beneath　the　great　portal；　his　huge　feet　seemed　as　solid　on　the　pavement　of　the　church　as　the　heavy　Roman　pillars。　　His　great；　bushy　head　sat　low　between　his　shoulders；　like　the　heads　of　lions；　who　also　have　a　mane　and　no　neck。　　He　held　the　young　girl；　who　was　quivering　all　over；　suspended　from　his　horny　hands　like　a　white　drapery；　but　he　carried　her　with　as　much　care　as　though　he　feared　to　break　her　or　blight　her。　　One　would　have　said　that　he　felt　that　she　was　a　delicate；　exquisite；　precious　thing；　made　for　other　hands　than　his。　　There　were　moments　when　he　looked　as　if　not　daring　to　touch　her；　even　with　his　breath。　　Then；　all　at　once；　he　would　press　her　forcibly　in　his　arms；　against　his　angular　bosom；　like　his　own　possession；　his　treasure；　as　the　mother　of　that　child　would　have　done。　　His　gnome's　eye；　fastened　upon　her；　inundated　her　with　tenderness；　sadness；　and　pity；　and　was　suddenly　raised　filled　with　lightnings。　　Then　the　women　laughed　and　wept；　the　crowd　stamped　with　enthusiasm；　for；　at　that　moment　Quasimodo　had　a　beauty　of　his　own。　　He　was　handsome；　he；　that　orphan；　that　foundling；　that　outcast；　he　felt　himself　august　and　strong；　he　gazed　in　the　face　of　that　society　from　which　he　was　banished；　and　in　which　he　had　so　powerfully　intervened；　of　that　human　justice　from　which　he　had　wrenched　its　prey；　of　all　those　tigers　whose　jaws　were　forced　to　remain　empty；　of　those　policemen；　those　judges；　those　executioners；　of　all　that　force　of　the　king　which　he；　the　meanest　of　creatures；　had　just　broken；　with　the　force　of　God。

And　then；　it　was　touching　to　behold　this　protection　which　had　fallen　from　a　being　so　hideous　upon　a　being　so　unhappy；　a　creature　condemned　to　death　saved　by　Quasimodo。　　They　were　two　extremes　of　natural　and　social　wretchedness；　coming　into　contact　and　aiding　each　other。

Meanwhile；　after　several　moments　of　triumph；　Quasimodo　had　plunged　abruptly　into　the　church　with　his　burden。　　The　populace；　fond　of　all　prowess；　sought　him　with　their　eyes；　beneath　the　gloomy　nave；　regretting　that　he　had　so　speedily　disappeared　from　their　acclamations。　　All　at　once；　he　was　seen　to　re…appear　at　one　of　the　extremities　of　the　gallery　of　the　kings　of　France；　he　traversed　it；　running　like　a　madman；　raising　his　conquest　high　in　his　arms　and　shouting：　〃Sanctuary！〃　The　crowd　broke　forth　into　fresh　applause。　　The　gallery　passed；　he　plunged　once　more　into　the　interior　of　the　church。　　A　moment　later；　he　re…appeared　upon　the　upper　platform；　with　the　gypsy　still　in　his　arms；　still　running　madly；　still　crying；　〃Sanctuary！〃　and　the　throng　applauded。　Finally；　he　made　his　appearance　for　the　third　time　upon　the　summit　of　the　tower　where　hung　the　great　bell；　from　that　point　he　seemed　to　be　showing　to　the　entire　city　the　girl　whom　he　had　saved；　and　his　voice　of　thunder；　that　voice　which　was　so　rarely　heard；　and　which　he　never　heard　himself；　repeated　thrice　with　frenzy；　even　to　the　clouds：　〃Sanctuary！　Sanctuary！　　Sanctuary！〃

〃Noel！　　Noel！〃　shouted　the　populace　in　its　turn；　and　that　immense　acclamation　flew　to　astonish　the　crowd　assembled　at　the　Grève　on　the　other　bank；　and　the　recluse　who　was　still　waiting　with　her　eyes　riveted　on　the　gibbet。





BOOK　NINTH。






CHAPTER　I。

DELIRIUM。



Claude　Frollo　was　no　longer　in　Notre…Dame　when　his　adopted　son　so　abruptly　cut　the　fatal　web　in　which　the　archdeacon　and　the　gypsy　were　entangled。　　On　returning　to　the　sacristy　he　had　torn　off　his　alb；　cope；　and　stole；　had　flung　all　into　the　hands　of　the　stupefied　beadle；　had　made　his　escape　through　the　private　door　of　the　cloister；　had　ordered　a　boatman　of　the　Terrain　to　transport　him　to　the　left　bank　of　the　Seine；　and　had　plunged　into　the　hilly　streets　of　the　University；　not　knowing　whither　he　was　going；　encountering　at　every　step　groups　of　men　and　women　who　were　hurrying　joyously　towards　the　Pont　Saint…Michel；　in　the　hope　of　still　arriving　in　time　to　see　the　witch　hung　there；pale；　wild；　more　troubled；　more　blind　and　more　fierce　than　a　night　bird　let　loose　and　pursued　by　a　troop　of　children　in　broad　daylight。　　He　no　longer　knew　where　he　was；　what　he　thought；　or　whether　he　were　dreaming。　　He　went　forward；　walking；　running；　taking　any　street　at　haphazard；　making　no　choice；　only　urged　ever　onward　away　from　the　Grève；　the　horrible　Grève；　which　he　felt　confusedly；　to　be　behind　him。

In　this　manner　he　skirted　Mount　Sainte…Geneviève；　and　finally　emerged　from　the　town　by　the　Porte　Saint…Victor。　He　continued　his　flight　as　long　as　he　could　see；　when　he　turned　round；　the　turreted　enclosure　of　the　University；　and　the　rare　houses　of　the　suburb；　but；　when；　at　length；　a　rise　of　ground　had　completely　concealed　from　him　that　odious　Paris；　when　he　could　believe　himself　to　be　a　hundred　leagues　distant　from　it；　in　the　fields；　in　the　desert；　he　halted；　and　it　seemed　to　him　that　he　breathed　more　freely。

Then　frightful　ideas　thronged　his　mind。　　Once　more　he　could　see　clearly　into　his　soul；　and　he　shuddered。　　He　thought　of　that　unhappy　girl　who　had　destroyed　him；　and　whom　he　had　destroyed。　　He　cast　a　haggard　eye　over　the　double；　tortuous　way　which　fate　had　caused　their　two　destinies　to　pursue　up　to　their　point　of　intersection；　where　it　had　dashed　them　against　each　other　without　mercy。　　He　meditated　on　the　folly　of　eternal　vows；　on　the　vanity　of　chastity；　of　science；　of　religion；　of　virtue；　on　the　uselessness　of　God。　He　plunged　to　his　heart's　content　in　evil　thoughts；　and　in　proportion　as　he　sank　deeper；　he　felt　a　Satanic　laugh　burst　forth　within　him。

And　as　he　thus　sifted　his　soul　to　the　bottom；　when　he　perceived　how　large　a　space　nature　had　prepared　there　for　the　passions；　he　sneered　still　more　bitterly。　　He　stirred　up　in　the　depths　of　his　heart　all　his　hatred；　all　his　malevolence；　and；　with　the　cold　glance　of　a　physician　who　examines　a　patient；　he　recognized　the　fact　that　this　malevolence　was　nothing　but　vitiated　love；　that　love；　that　source　of　every　virtue　in　man；　turned　to　horrible　things　in　the　heart　of　a　priest；　and　that　a　man　constituted　like　himself；　in　making　himself　a　priest；　made　himself　a　demon。　　Then　he　laughed　frightfully；　and　suddenly　became　pale　again；　when　he　considered　the　most　sinister　side　of　his　fatal　passion；　of　that　corrosive；　venomous　malignant；　implacable　love；　which　had　ended　only　in　the　gibbet　for　one　of　them　and　in　hell　for　the　other；　condemnation　for　her；　damnation　for　him。

And　then　his　laughter　came　again；　when　he　reflected　that　Phoebus　was　alive；　that　after　all；　the　captain　lived；　was　gay　and　happy；　had　handsomer　doublets　than　ever；　and　a　new　mistress　whom　he　was　conducting　to　see　the　old　one　hanged。　His　sneer　redoubled　its　bitterness　when　he　reflected　that　out　of　the　living　beings　whose　death　he　had　desired；　the　gypsy；　the　only　creature　whom　he　did　not　hate；　was　the　only　one　who　had　not　escaped　him。

Then　from　the　captain；　his　thought　passed　to　the　people；　and　there　came　to　him　a　jealousy　of　an　unprecedented　sort。　He　reflected　that　the　people　also；　the　entire　po