the hunchback of notre dame-第5节

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〃~Evoe　Jupiter！　　Plaudite　cives~！　　All　hail；　Jupiter！　　Applaud；　citizens！〃　shouted　the　scholars。

〃Noel！　　Noel！　good；　good；〃　shouted　the　people。

The　hand　clapping　was　deafening；　and　Jupiter　had　already　withdrawn　under　his　tapestry；　while　the　hall　still　trembled　with　acclamations。

In　the　meanwhile；　the　personage　who　had　so　magically　turned　the　tempest　into　dead　calm；　as　our　old　and　dear　Corneille　puts　it；　had　modestly　retreated　to　the　half…shadow　of　his　pillar；　and　would；　no　doubt；　have　remained　invisible　there；　motionless；　and　mute　as　before；　had　he　not　been　plucked　by　the　sleeve　by　two　young　women；　who；　standing　in　the　front　row　of　the　spectators；　had　noticed　his　colloquy　with　Michel　Giborne…Jupiter。

〃Master；〃　said　one　of　them；　making　him　a　sign　to　approach。　〃Hold　your　tongue；　my　dear　Liénarde；〃　said　her　neighbor；　pretty；　fresh；　and　very　brave；　in　consequence　of　being　dressed　up　in　her　best　attire。　　〃He　is　not　a　clerk；　he　is　a　layman；　you　must　not　say　master　to　him；　but　messire。〃

〃Messire；〃　said　Liénarde。

The　stranger　approached　the　railing。

〃What　would　you　have　of　me；　damsels？〃　he　asked；　with　alacrity。

〃Oh！　nothing；〃　replied　Liénarde；　in　great　confusion；　〃it　is　my　neighbor；　Gisquette　la　Gencienne；　who　wishes　to　speak　with　you。〃

〃Not　so；〃　replied　Gisquette；　blushing；　〃it　was　Liénarde　who　called　you　master；　I　only　told　her　to　say　messire。〃

The　two　young　girls　dropped　their　eyes。　　The　man；　who　asked　nothing　better　than　to　enter　into　conversation；　looked　at　them　with　a　smile。

〃So　you　have　nothing　to　say　to　me；　damsels？〃

〃Oh！　nothing　at　all；〃　replied　Gisquette。

〃Nothing；〃　said　Liénarde。

The　tall；　light…haired　young　man　retreated　a　step；　but　the　two　curious　maidens　had　no　mind　to　let　slip　their　prize。

〃Messire；〃　said　Gisquette；　with　the　impetuosity　of　an　open　sluice；　or　of　a　woman　who　has　made　up　her　mind；　〃do　you　know　that　soldier　who　is　to　play　the　part　of　Madame　the　Virgin　in　the　mystery？〃

〃You　mean　the　part　of　Jupiter？〃　replied　the　stranger。

〃Hé！　yes；〃　said　Liénarde；　〃isn't　she　stupid？　　So　you　know　Jupiter？〃

〃Michel　Giborne？〃　replied　the　unknown；　〃yes；　madam。〃

〃He　has　a　fine　beard！〃　said　Liénarde。

〃Will　what　they　are　about　to　say　here　be　fine？〃　inquired　Gisquette；　timidly。

〃Very　fine；　mademoiselle；〃　replied　the　unknown；　without　the　slightest　hesitation。

〃What　is　it　to　be？〃　said　Liénarde。

〃'The　Good　Judgment　of　Madame　the　Virgin；'a　morality；　if　you　please；　damsel。〃

〃Ah！　that　makes　a　difference；〃　responded　Liénarde。

A　brief　silence　ensuedbroken　by　the　stranger。

〃It　is　a　perfectly　new　morality；　and　one　which　has　never　yet　been　played。〃

〃Then　it　is　not　the　same　one；〃　said　Gisquette；　〃that　was　given　two　years　ago；　on　the　day　of　the　entrance　of　monsieur　the　legate；　and　where　three　handsome　maids　played　the　parts〃

〃Of　sirens；〃　said　Liénarde。

〃And　all　naked；〃　added　the　young　man。

Liénarde　lowered　her　eyes　modestly。　　Gisquette　glanced　at　her　and　did　the　same。　　He　continued；　with　a　smile；

〃It　was　a　very　pleasant　thing　to　see。　　To…day　it　is　a　morality　made　expressly　for　Madame　the　Demoiselle　of　Flanders。〃

〃Will　they　sing　shepherd　songs？〃　inquired　Gisquette。

〃Fie！〃　said　the　stranger；　〃in　a　morality？　you　must　not　confound　styles。　　If　it　were　a　farce；　well　and　good。〃

〃That　is　a　pity；〃　resumed　Gisquette。　　〃That　day；　at　the　Ponceau　Fountain；　there　were　wild　men　and　women；　who　fought　and　assumed　many　aspects；　as　they　sang　little　motets　and　bergerettes。〃

〃That　which　is　suitable　for　a　legate；〃　returned　the　stranger；　with　a　good　deal　of　dryness；　〃is　not　suitable　for　a　princess。〃

〃And　beside　them；〃　resumed　Liénarde；　〃played　many　brass　instruments；　making　great　melodies。〃

〃And　for　the　refreshment　of　the　passers…by；〃　continued　Gisquette；　〃the　fountain　spouted　through　three　mouths；　wine；　milk；　and　hippocrass；　of　which　every　one　drank　who　wished。〃

〃And　a　little　below　the　Ponceau；　at　the　Trinity；〃　pursued　Liénarde；　〃there　was　a　passion　performed；　and　without　any　speaking。〃

〃How　well　I　remember　that！〃　exclaimed　Gisquette；　〃God　on　the　cross；　and　the　two　thieves　on　the　right　and　the　left。〃　Here　the　young　gossips；　growing　warm　at　the　memory　of　the　entrance　of　monsieur　the　legate；　both　began　to　talk　at　once。

〃And；　further　on；　at　the　Painters'　Gate；　there　were　other　personages；　very　richly　clad。〃

〃And　at　the　fountain　of　Saint…Innocent；　that　huntsman；　who　was　chasing　a　hind　with　great　clamor　of　dogs　and　hunting…horns。〃

〃And；　at　the　Paris　slaughter…houses；　stages；　representing　the　fortress　of　Dieppe！〃

〃And　when　the　legate　passed；　you　remember；　Gisquette？　they　made　the　assault；　and　the　English　all　had　their　throats　cut。〃

〃And　against　the　gate　of　the　Chatelet；　there　were　very　fine　personages！〃

〃And　on　the　Port　au　Change；　which　was　all　draped　above！〃

〃And　when　the　legate　passed；　they　let　fly　on　the　bridge　more　than　two　hundred　sorts　of　birds；　wasn't　it　beautiful；　Liénarde？〃

〃It　will　be　better　to…day；〃　finally　resumed　their　interlocutor；　who　seemed　to　listen　to　them　with　impatience。

〃Do　you　promise　us　that　this　mystery　will　be　fine？〃　said　Gisquette。

〃Without　doubt；〃　he　replied；　then　he　added；　with　a　certain　emphasis；〃I　am　the　author　of　it；　damsels。〃

〃Truly？〃　said　the　young　girls；　quite　taken　aback。

〃Truly！〃　replied　the　poet；　bridling　a　little；　〃that　is；　to　say；　there　are　two　of　us；　Jehan　Marchand；　who　has　sawed　the　planks　and　erected　the　framework　of　the　theatre　and　the　woodwork；　and　I；　who　have　made　the　piece。　　My　name　is　Pierre　Gringoire。〃

The　author　of　the　〃Cid〃　could　not　have　said　〃Pierre　Corneille〃　with　more　pride。

Our　readers　have　been　able　to　observe；　that　a　certain　amount　of　time　must　have　already　elapsed　from　the　moment　when　Jupiter　had　retired　beneath　the　tapestry　to　the　instant　when　the　author　of　the　new　morality　had　thus　abruptly　revealed　himself　to　the　innocent　admiration　of　Gisquette　and　Liénarde。　　Remarkable　fact：　that　whole　crowd；　so　tumultuous　but　a　few　moments　before；　now　waited　amiably　on　the　word　of　the　comedian；　which　proves　the　eternal　truth；　still　experienced　every　day　in　our　theatres；　that　the　best　means　of　making　the　public　wait　patiently　is　to　assure　them　that　one　is　about　to　begin　instantly。

However；　scholar　Johannes　had　not　fallen　asleep。

〃Holà　hé！〃　he　shouted　suddenly；　in　the　midst　of　the　peaceable　waiting　which　had　followed　the　tumult。　　〃Jupiter；　Madame　the　Virgin；　buffoons　of　the　devil！　are　you　jeering　at　us？　The　piece！　the　piece！　commence　or　we　will　commence　again！〃

This　was　all　that　was　needed。

The　music　of　high　and　low　instruments　immediately　became　audible　from　the　interior　of　the　stage；　the　tapestry　was　raised；　four　personages；　in　motley　attire　and　painted　faces；　emerged　from　it；　climbed　the　steep　ladder　of　the　theatre；　and；　arrived　upon　the　upper　platform；　arranged　themselves　in　a　line　before　the　public；　whom　they　saluted　with　profound　reverences；　then　the　symphony　ceased。

The　mystery　was　about　to　begin。

The　four　personages；　after　having　reaped　a　rich　reward　of　applause　for　their　reverences；　began；　in　the　midst　of　profound　silence；　a　prologue；　which　we　gladly　spare　the　reader。　　Moreover；　as　happens　in　our　own　day；　the　public　was　more　occupied　with　the　costumes　that　the　actors　wore　than　with　the　roles　that　they　were　enacting；　and；　in　truth；　they　were　right。　　All　four　were　dressed　in　parti…colored　robes　of　yellow　and　white；　which　were　distinguished　from　each　other　only　by　the　nature　of　the　stuff；　the　first　was　of　gold　and　silver　brocade；　the　second；　of　silk；　the　third；　of　wool；　the　fourth；　of　linen。　　The　first　of　these　personages　carried　in　his　right　hand　a　sword；　the　second；　two　golden　keys；　the　third；　a　pair　of　scales；　the　fourth；　a　spade：　and；　in　order　to　aid　sluggish　minds　which　would　not　have　seen　clearly　through　the　transparency　of　these　attributes；　there　was　to　be　read；　in　large；　black　letters；　on　the　hem　of　the　robe　of　brocade；　MY　NAME　IS　NOBILITY；　on　the　hem　of　the　silken　robe；　MY　NAME　IS　CLERGY；　on　the　hem　of　the　woolen　robe；　MY　NAME　IS　MERCHANDISE；　on　the　hem　of　the　linen　robe；　MY　NAME　IS　LABOR。　The　sex　of　the　two　male　characters　was　briefly　indicated　to　every　judicious　spectator；　by　their　shorter　robes；　and　by　the　cap　which　they　wore　on　their　heads；　while　the　two　female　characters；　less　briefly　clad；　were　covered　with　hoods。

Much　ill…will　would　also　have　been　required；　not　to　comprehend；　through　the　medium　of　the　poetry　of　the　prologue；　that　Labor　was　wedded　to　Merchandise；　and　Clergy　to　Nobility；　and　that　the　two　happy　couples　possessed　in　common　a　magnificent　golden　dolphin；　which　they　desired　to　adjudge　to　the　fairest　only。　　So　they　were　roaming　about　the　world　seeking　and　searching　for　this　beauty；　and；　after　having　successively　rejected　the　Queen　of　Golconda；　the　Princess　of　Trebizonde；　the　daughter　of　the　Grand　Khan　of　Tartary；　etc。；　Labor　and　Clergy；　Nobility　and　Merchandise；　had　come　to　rest　upon　the　marble　table　of　the　Palais　de　Justice；　and　to　utter；　in　the　presence　of　the　honest　audience；　as　many　sentences　and　maxims　as　could　then　be　dispensed　at　the　Faculty　of　Arts；　at　examinations；　sophisms；　determinances；　figures；　and　acts；　where　the　masters　took　their　degrees。

All　this　was；　in　fact；　very　fine。

Nevertheless；　in　tha