the hunchback of notre dame-第58节

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s。　　I　presume　that　this　hole　is　jointly　inhabited　by　bats　and　spiders；　and　that；　consequently；　it　wages　a　double　war　of　extermination　on　the　flies）。

Every　day；　an　hour　before　sunset；　the　archdeacon　ascended　the　staircase　to　the　tower；　and　shut　himself　up　in　this　cell；　where　he　sometimes　passed　whole　nights。　　That　day；　at　the　moment　when；　standing　before　the　low　door　of　his　retreat；　he　was　fitting　into　the　lock　the　complicated　little　key　which　he　always　carried　about　him　in　the　purse　suspended　to　his　side；　a　sound　of　tambourine　and　castanets　had　reached　his　ear。　These　sounds　came　from　the　Place　du　Parvis。　　The　cell；　as　we　have　already　said；　had　only　one　window　opening　upon　the　rear　of　the　church。　　Claude　Frollo　had　hastily　withdrawn　the　key；　and　an　instant　later；　he　was　on　the　top　of　the　tower；　in　the　gloomy　and　pensive　attitude　in　which　the　maidens　had　seen　him。

There　he　stood；　grave；　motionless；　absorbed　in　one　look　and　one　thought。　　All　Paris　lay　at　his　feet；　with　the　thousand　spires　of　its　edifices　and　its　circular　horizon　of　gentle　hillswith　its　river　winding　under　its　bridges；　and　its　people　moving　to　and　fro　through　its　streets；with　the　clouds　of　its　smoke；with　the　mountainous　chain　of　its　roofs　which　presses　Notre…Dame　in　its　doubled　folds；　but　out　。of　all　the　city；　the　archdeacon　gazed　at　one　corner　only　of　the　pavement；　the　Place　du　Parvis；　in　all　that　throng　at　but　one　figure；the　gypsy。

It　would　have　been　difficult　to　say　what　was　the　nature　of　this　look；　and　whence　proceeded　the　flame　that　flashed　from　it。　　It　was　a　fixed　gaze；　which　was；　nevertheless；　full　of　trouble　and　tumult。　　And；　from　the　profound　immobility　of　his　whole　body；　barely　agitated　at　intervals　by　an　involuntary　shiver；　as　a　tree　is　moved　by　the　wind；　from　the　stiffness　of　his　elbows；　more　marble　than　the　balustrade　on　which　they　leaned；　or　the　sight　of　the　petrified　smile　which　contracted　his　face；　one　would　have　said　that　nothing　living　was　left　about　Claude　Frollo　except　his　eyes。

The　gypsy　was　dancing；　she　was　twirling　her　tambourine　on　the　tip　of　her　finger；　and　tossing　it　into　the　air　as　she　danced　Proven？al　sarabands；　agile；　light；　joyous；　and　unconscious　of　the　formidable　gaze　which　descended　perpendicularly　upon　her　head。

The　crowd　was　swarming　around　her；　from　time　to　time；　a　man　accoutred　in　red　and　yellow　made　them　form　into　a　circle；　and　then　returned；　seated　himself　on　a　chair　a　few　paces　from　the　dancer；　and　took　the　goat's　head　on　his　knees。　　This　man　seemed　to　be　the　gypsy's　companion。　　Claude　Frollo　could　not　distinguish　his　features　from　his　elevated　post。

From　the　moment　when　the　archdeacon　caught　sight　of　this　stranger；　his　attention　seemed　divided　between　him　and　the　dancer；　and　his　face　became　more　and　more　gloomy。　　All　at　once　he　rose　upright；　and　a　quiver　ran　through　his　whole　body：　〃Who　is　that　man？〃　he　muttered　between　his　teeth：　〃I　have　always　seen　her　alone　before！〃

Then　he　plunged　down　beneath　the　tortuous　vault　of　the　spiral　staircase；　and　once　more　descended。　　As　he　passed　the　door　of　the　bell　chamber；　which　was　ajar；　be　saw　something　which　struck　him；　he　beheld　Quasimodo；　who；　leaning　through　an　opening　of　one　of　those　slate　penthouses　which　resemble　enormous　blinds；　appeared　also　to　be　gazing　at　the　Place。　　He　was　engaged　in　so　profound　a　contemplation；　that　he　did　not　notice　the　passage　of　his　adopted　father。　　His　savage　eye　had　a　singular　expression；　it　was　a　charmed；　tender　look。　　〃This　is　strange！〃　murmured　Claude。　　〃Is　it　the　gypsy　at　whom　he　is　thus　gazing？〃　　He　continued　his　descent。　　At　the　end　of　a　few　minutes；　the　anxious　archdeacon　entered　upon　the　Place　from　the　door　at　the　base　of　the　tower。

〃What　has　become　of　the　gypsy　girl？〃　he　said；　mingling　with　the　group　of　spectators　which　the　sound　of　the　tambourine　had　collected。

〃I　know　not；〃　replied　one　of　his　neighbors；　〃I　think　that　she　has　gone　to　make　some　of　her　fandangoes　in　the　house　opposite；　whither　they　have　called　her。〃

In　the　place　of　the　gypsy；　on　the　carpet；　whose　arabesques　had　seemed　to　vanish　but　a　moment　previously　by　the　capricious　figures　of　her　dance；　the　archdeacon　no　longer　beheld　any　one　but　the　red　and　yellow　man；　who；　in　order　to　earn　a　few　testers　in　his　turn；　was　walking　round　the　circle；　with　his　elbows　on　his　hips；　his　head　thrown　back；　his　face　red；　his　neck　outstretched；　with　a　chair　between　his　teeth。　　To　the　chair　he　had　fastened　a　cat；　which　a　neighbor　had　lent；　and　which　was　spitting　in　great　affright。

〃Notre…Dame！〃　exclaimed　the　archdeacon；　at　the　moment　when　the　juggler；　perspiring　heavily；　passed　in　front　of　him　with　his　pyramid　of　chair　and　his　cat；　〃What　is　Master　Pierre　Gringoire　doing　here？〃

The　harsh　voice　of　the　archdeacon　threw　the　poor　fellow　into　such　a　commotion　that　he　lost　his　equilibrium；　together　with　his　whole　edifice；　and　the　chair　and　the　cat　tumbled　pell…mell　upon　the　heads　of　the　spectators；　in　the　midst　of　inextinguishable　hootings。

It　is　probable　that　Master　Pierre　Gringoire　（for　it　was　indeed　he）　would　have　had　a　sorry　account　to　settle　with　the　neighbor　who　owned　the　cat；　and　all　the　bruised　and　scratched　faces　which　surrounded　him；　if　he　had　not　hastened　to　profit　by　the　tumult　to　take　refuge　in　the　church；　whither　Claude　Frollo　had　made　him　a　sign　to　follow　him。

The　cathedral　was　already　dark　and　deserted；　the　side…aisles　were　full　of　shadows；　and　the　lamps　of　the　chapels　began　to　shine　out　like　stars；　so　black　had　the　vaulted　ceiling　become。　Only　the　great　rose　window　of　the　fa？ade；　whose　thousand　colors　were　steeped　in　a　ray　of　horizontal　sunlight；　glittered　in　the　gloom　like　a　mass　of　diamonds；　and　threw　its　dazzling　reflection　to　the　other　end　of　the　nave。

When　they　had　advanced　a　few　paces；　Dom　Claude　placed　his　back　against　a　pillar；　and　gazed　intently　at　Gringoire。　The　gaze　was　not　the　one　which　Gringoire　feared；　ashamed　as　he　was　of　having　been　caught　by　a　grave　and　learned　person　in　the　costume　of　a　buffoon。　　There　was　nothing　mocking　or　ironical　in　the　priest's　glance；　it　was　serious；　tranquil；　piercing。　　The　archdeacon　was　the　first　to　break　the　silence。

〃Come　now；　Master　Pierre。　　You　are　to　explain　many　things　to　me。　　And　first　of　all；　how　comes　it　that　you　have　not　been　seen　for　two　months；　and　that　now　one　finds　you　in　the　public　squares；　in　a　fine　equipment　in　truth！　　Motley　red　and　yellow；　like　a　Caudebec　apple？〃

〃Messire；〃　said　Gringoire；　piteously；　〃it　is；　in　fact；　an　amazing　accoutrement。　　You　see　me　no　more　comfortable　in　it　than　a　cat　coiffed　with　a　calabash。　　'Tis　very　ill　done；　I　am　conscious；　to　expose　messieurs　the　sergeants　of　the　watch　to　the　liability　of　cudgelling　beneath　this　cassock　the　humerus　of　a　Pythagorean　philosopher。　　But　what　would　you　have；　my　reverend　master？　'tis　the　fault　of　my　ancient　jerkin；　which　abandoned　me　in　cowardly　wise；　at　the　beginning　of　the　winter；　under　the　pretext　that　it　was　falling　into　tatters；　and　that　it　required　repose　in　the　basket　of　a　rag…picker。　What　is　one　to　do？　　Civilization　has　not　yet　arrived　at　the　point　where　one　can　go　stark　naked；　as　ancient　Diogenes　wished。　　Add　that　a　very　cold　wind　was　blowing；　and　'tis　not　in　the　month　of　January　that　one　can　successfully　attempt　to　make　humanity　take　this　new　step。　　This　garment　presented　itself；　I　took　it；　and　I　left　my　ancient　black　smock；　which；　for　a　hermetic　like　myself；　was　far　from　being　hermetically　closed。　　Behold　me　then；　in　the　garments　of　a　stage…player；　like　Saint　Genest。　　What　would　you　have？　'tis　an　eclipse。　Apollo　himself　tended　the　flocks　of　Admetus。〃

〃'Tis　a　fine　profession　that　you　are　engaged　in！〃　replied　the　archdeacon。

〃I　agree；　my　master；　that　'tis　better　to　philosophize　and　poetize；　to　blow　the　flame　in　the　furnace；　or　to　receive　it　from　carry　cats　on　a　shield。　　So；　when　you　addressed　me；　I　was　as　foolish　as　an　ass　before　a　turnspit。　　But　what　would　you　have；　messire？　　One　must　eat　every　day；　and　the　finest　Alexandrine　verses　are　not　worth　a　bit　of　Brie　cheese。　　Now；　I　made　for　Madame　Marguerite　of　Flanders；　that　famous　epithalamium；　as　you　know；　and　the　city　will　not　pay　me；　under　the　pretext　that　it　was　not　excellent；　as　though　one　could　give　a　tragedy　of　Sophocles　for　four　crowns！　Hence；　I　was　on　the　point　of　dying　with　hunger。　　Happily；　I　found　that　I　was　rather　strong　in　the　jaw；　so　I　said　to　this　jaw；perform　some　feats　of　strength　and　of　equilibrium：　nourish　thyself。　　~Ale　te　ipsam~。　　A　pack　of　beggars　who　have　become　my　good　friends；　have　taught　me　twenty　sorts　of　herculean　feats；　and　now　I　give　to　my　teeth　every　evening　the　bread　which　they　have　earned　during　the　day　by　the　sweat　of　my　brow。　　After　all；　concede；　I　grant　that　it　is　a　sad　employment　for　my　intellectual　faculties；　and　that　man　is　not　made　to　pass　his　life　in　beating　the　tambourine　and　biting　chairs。　　But；　reverend　master；　it　is　not　sufficient　to　pass　one's　life；　one　must　earn　the　means　for　life。''

Dom　Claude　listened　in　silence。　　All　at　once　his　deep…set　eye　assumed　so　sagacious　and　penetrating　an　expression；　that　Gringoire　felt　himself；　so　to　speak；　searched　to　the　bottom　of　the　soul　by　that　glance。

〃Very　good；　Master　Pierre；　but　how　comes　it　that　you　are　now　in　company　with　that　gypsy　dancer？〃

〃In　faith！〃　said　Gringoire；　〃'tis　becau