the hunchback of notre dame-第8节

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as；　in　fact；　somewhat　hard；　and　we　have　already　hinted　at　it　on　the　second　page　of　this　book；for　him；　Charles　de　Bourbon；　to　be　obliged　to　feast　and　receive　cordially　no　one　knows　what　bourgeois；for　him；　a　cardinal；　to　receive　aldermen；for　him；　a　Frenchman；　and　a　jolly　companion；　to　receive　Flemish　beer…drinkers；and　that　in　public！　　This　was；　certainly；　one　of　the　most　irksome　grimaces　that　he　had　ever　executed　for　the　good　pleasure　of　the　king。

So　he　turned　toward　the　door；　and　with　the　best　grace　in　the　world　（so　well　had　he　trained　himself　to　it）；　when　the　usher　announced；　in　a　sonorous　voice；　〃Messieurs　the　Envoys　of　Monsieur　the　Duke　of　Austria。〃　　It　is　useless　to　add　that　the　whole　hall　did　the　same。

Then　arrived；　two　by　two；　with　a　gravity　which　made　a　contrast　in　the　midst　of　the　frisky　ecclesiastical　escort　of　Charles　de　Bourbon；　the　eight　and　forty　ambassadors　of　Maximilian　of　Austria；　having　at　their　head　the　reverend　Father　in　God；　Jehan；　Abbot　of　Saint…Bertin；　Chancellor　of　the　Golden　Fleece；　and　Jacques　de　Goy；　Sieur　Dauby；　Grand　Bailiff　of　Ghent。　　A　deep　silence　settled　over　the　assembly；　accompanied　by　stifled　laughter　at　the　preposterous　names　and　all　the　bourgeois　designations　which　each　of　these　personages　transmitted　with　imperturbable　gravity　to　the　usher；　who　then　tossed　names　and　titles　pell…mell　and　mutilated　to　the　crowd　below。　　There　were　Master　Loys　Roelof；　alderman　of　the　city　of　Louvain；　Messire　Clays　d'Etuelde；　alderman　of　Brussels；　Messire　Paul　de　Baeust；　Sieur　de　Voirmizelle；　President　of　Flanders；　Master　Jehan　Coleghens；　burgomaster　of　the　city　of　Antwerp；　Master　George　de　la　Moere；　first　alderman　of　the

kuere　of　the　city　of　Ghent；　Master　Gheldolf　van　der　Hage；　first　alderman　of　the　~parchous~　of　the　said　town；　and　the　Sieur　de　Bierbecque；　and　Jehan　Pinnock；　and　Jehan　Dymaerzelle；　etc。；　etc。；　etc。；　bailiffs；　aldermen；　burgomasters；　burgomasters；　aldermen；　bailiffsall　stiff；　affectedly　grave；　formal；　dressed　out　in　velvet　and　damask；　hooded　with　caps　of　black　velvet；　with　great　tufts　of　Cyprus　gold　thread；　good　Flemish　heads；　after　all；　severe　and　worthy　faces；　of　the　family　which　Rembrandt　makes　to　stand　out　so　strong　and　grave　from　the　black　background　of　his　〃Night　Patrol　〃；　personages　all　of　whom　bore；　written　on　their　brows；　that　Maximilian　of　Austria　had　done　well　in　〃trusting　implicitly；〃　as　the　manifest　ran；　〃in　their　sense；　valor；　experience；　loyalty；　and　good　wisdom。〃

There　was　one　exception；　however。　　It　was　a　subtle；　intelligent；　crafty…looking　face；　a　sort　of　combined　monkey　and　diplomat　phiz；　before　whom　the　cardinal　made　three　steps　and　a　profound　bow；　and　whose　name；　nevertheless；　was　only；　〃Guillaume　Rym；　counsellor　and　pensioner　of　the　City　of　Ghent。〃

Few　persons　were　then　aware　who　Guillaume　Rym　was。　　A　rare　genius　who　in　a　time　of　revolution　would　have　made　a　brilliant　appearance　on　the　surface　of　events；　but　who　in　the　fifteenth　century　was　reduced　to　cavernous　intrigues；　and　to　〃living　in　mines；〃　as　the　Duc　de　Saint…Simon　expresses　it。　Nevertheless；　he　was　appreciated　by　the　〃miner〃　of　Europe；　he　plotted　familiarly　with　Louis　XI。；　and　often　lent　a　hand　to　the　king's　secret　jobs。　　All　which　things　were　quite　unknown　to　that　throng；　who　were　amazed　at　the　cardinal's　politeness　to　that　frail　figure　of　a　Flemish　bailiff。




CHAPTER　IV。

MASTER　JACQUES　COPPENOLE。



While　the　pensioner　of　Ghent　and　his　eminence　were　exchanging　very　low　bows　and　a　few　words　in　voices　still　lower；　a　man　of　lofty　stature；　with　a　large　face　and　broad　shoulders；　presented　himself；　in　order　to　enter　abreast　with　Guillaume　Rym；　one　would　have　pronounced　him　a　bull…dog　by　the　side　of　a　fox。　　His　felt　doublet　and　leather　jerkin　made　a　spot　on　the　velvet　and　silk　which　surrounded　him。　Presuming　that　he　was　some　groom　who　had　stolen　in；　the　usher　stopped　him。

〃Hold；　my　friend；　you　cannot　pass！〃

The　man　in　the　leather　jerkin　shouldered　him　aside。

〃What　does　this　knave　want　with　me？〃　said　he；　in　stentorian　tones；　which　rendered　the　entire　hall　attentive　to　this　strange　colloquy。　　〃Don't　you　see　that　I　am　one　of　them？〃

〃Your　name？〃　demanded　the　usher。

〃Jacques　Coppenole。〃

〃Your　titles？〃

〃Hosier　at　the　sign　of　the　'Three　Little　Chains；'　of　Ghent。〃

The　usher　recoiled。　　One　might　bring　one's　self　to　announce　aldermen　and　burgomasters；　but　a　hosier　was　too　much。　　The　cardinal　was　on　thorns。　　All　the　people　were　staring　and　listening。　　For　two　days　his　eminence　had　been　exerting　his　utmost　efforts　to　lick　these　Flemish　bears　into　shape；　and　to　render　them　a　little　more　presentable　to　the　public；　and　this　freak　was　startling。　　But　Guillaume　Rym；　with　his　polished　smile；　approached　the　usher。

〃Announce　Master　Jacques　Coppenole；　clerk　of　the　aldermen　of　the　city　of　Ghent；〃　he　whispered；　very　low。

〃Usher；〃　interposed　the　cardinal；　aloud；　〃announce　Master　Jacques　Coppenole；　clerk　of　the　aldermen　of　the　illustrious　city　of　Ghent。〃

This　was　a　mistake。　　Guillaume　Rym　alone　might　have　conjured　away　the　difficulty；　but　Coppenole　had　heard　the　cardinal。

〃No；　cross　of　God？〃　he　exclaimed；　in　his　voice　of　thunder；　〃Jacques　Coppenole；　hosier。　　Do　you　hear；　usher？　　Nothing　more；　nothing　less。　　Cross　of　God！　hosier；　that's　fine　enough。　Monsieur　the　Archduke　has　more　than　once　sought　his　~gant~*　in　my　hose。〃


*　　Got　the　first　idea　of　a　timing。


Laughter　and　applause　burst　forth。　　A　jest　is　always　understood　in　Paris；　and；　consequently；　always　applauded。

Let　us　add　that　Coppenole　was　of　the　people；　and　that　the　auditors　which　surrounded　him　were　also　of　the　people。　　Thus　the　communication　between　him　and　them　had　been　prompt；　electric；　and；　so　to　speak；　on　a　level。　　The　haughty　air　of　the　Flemish　hosier；　by　humiliating　the　courtiers；　had　touched　in　all　these　plebeian　souls　that　latent　sentiment　of　dignity　still　vague　and　indistinct　in　the　fifteenth　century。

This　hosier　was　an　equal；　who　had　just　held　his　own　before　monsieur　the　cardinal。　　A　very　sweet　reflection　to　poor　fellows　habituated　to　respect　and　obedience　towards　the　underlings　of　the　sergeants　of　the　bailiff　of　Sainte…Geneviève；　the　cardinal's　train…bearer。

Coppenole　proudly　saluted　his　eminence；　who　returned　the　salute　of　the　all…powerful　bourgeois　feared　by　Louis　XI。　Then；　while　Guillaume　Rym；　a　〃sage　and　malicious　man；〃　as　Philippe　de　Comines　puts　it；　watched　them　both　with　a　smile　of　raillery　and　superiority；　each　sought　his　place；　the　cardinal　quite　abashed　and　troubled；　Coppenole　tranquil　and　haughty；　and　thinking；　no　doubt；　that　his　title　of　hosier　was　as　good　as　any　other；　after　all；　and　that　Marie　of　Burgundy；　mother　to　that　Marguerite　whom　Coppenole　was　to…day　bestowing　in　marriage；　would　have　been　less　afraid　of　the　cardinal　than　of　the　hosier；　for　it　is　not　a　cardinal　who　would　have　stirred　up　a　revolt　among　the　men　of　Ghent　against　the　favorites　of　the　daughter　of　Charles　the　Bold；　it　is　not　a　cardinal　who　could　have　fortified　the　populace　with　a　word　against　her　tears　and　prayers；　when　the　Maid　of　Flanders　came　to　supplicate　her　people　in　their　behalf；　even　at　the　very　foot　of　the　scaffold；　while　the　hosier　had　only　to　raise　his　leather　elbow；　in　order　to　cause　to　fall　your　two　heads；　most　illustrious　seigneurs；　Guy　d'Hymbercourt　and　Chancellor　Guillaume　Hugonet。

Nevertheless；　all　was　over　for　the　poor　cardinal；　and　he　was　obliged　to　quaff　to　the　dregs　the　bitter　cup　of　being　in　such　bad　company。

The　reader　has；　probably；　not　forgotten　the　impudent　beggar　who　had　been　clinging　fast　to　the　fringes　of　the　cardinal's　gallery　ever　since　the　beginning　of　the　prologue。　　The　arrival　of　the　illustrious　guests　had　by　no　means　caused　him　to　relax　his　hold；　and；　while　the　prelates　and　ambassadors　were　packing　themselves　into　the　stallslike　genuine　Flemish　herringshe　settled　himself　at　his　ease；　and　boldly　crossed　his　legs　on　the　architrave。　　The　insolence　of　this　proceeding　was　extraordinary；　yet　no　one　noticed　it　at　first；　the　attention　of　all　being　directed　elsewhere。　　He；　on　his　side；　perceived　nothing　that　was　going　on　in　the　hall；　he　wagged　his　head　with　the　unconcern　of　a　Neapolitan；　repeating　from　time　to　time；　amid　the　clamor；　as　from　a　mechanical　habit；　〃Charity；　please！〃　　And；　assuredly；　he　was；　out　of　all　those　present；　the　only　one　who　had　not　deigned　to　turn　his　head　at　the　altercation　between　Coppenole　and　the　usher。　　Now；　chance　ordained　that　the　master　hosier　of　Ghent；　with　whom　the　people　were　already　in　lively　sympathy；　and　upon　whom　all　eyes　were　rivetedshould　come　and　seat　himself　in　the　front　row　of　the　gallery；　directly　above　the　mendicant；　and　people　were　not　a　little　amazed　to　see　the　Flemish　ambassador；　on　concluding　his　inspection　of　the　knave　thus　placed　beneath　his　eyes；　bestow　a　friendly　tap　on　that　ragged　shoulder。　　The　beggar　turned　round；　there　was　surprise；　recognition；　a　lighting　up　of　the　two　countenances；　and　so　forth；　then；　without　paying　the　slightest　heed　in　the　world　to　the　spectators；　the　hosier　and　the　wretched　being　began　to　converse　in　a　low　tone；　holding　each　other's　hands；　in　the　meantime；　while　the　rags　of　Clopin　Trouillefou；　spread　out　upon　the　cloth　of　gold　of　the　dais；　produced　the　effect　of　a　caterpillar　on　an　orange。

The　novelty　of　this　singu