the hunchback of notre dame-第9节

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of　gold　of　the　dais；　produced　the　effect　of　a　caterpillar　on　an　orange。

The　novelty　of　this　singular　scene　excited　such　a　murmur　of　mirth　and　gayety　in　the　hall；　that　the　cardinal　was　not　slow　to　perceive　it；　he　half　bent　forward；　and；　as　from　the　point　where　he　was　placed　he　could　catch　only　an　imperfect　view　of　Trouillerfou's　ignominious　doublet；　he　very　naturally　imagined　that　the　mendicant　was　asking　alms；　and；　disgusted　with　his　audacity；　he　exclaimed：　〃Bailiff　of　the　Courts；　toss　me　that　knave　into　the　river！〃

〃Cross　of　God！　monseigneur　the　cardinal；〃　said　Coppenole；　without　quitting　Clopin's　hand；　〃he's　a　friend　of　mine。〃

〃Good！　good！〃　shouted　the　populace。　　From　that　moment；　Master　Coppenole　enjoyed　in　Paris　as　in　Ghent；　〃great　favor　with　the　people；　for　men　of　that　sort　do　enjoy　it；〃　says　Philippe　de　Comines；　〃when　they　are　thus　disorderly。〃　The　cardinal　bit　his　lips。　　He　bent　towards　his　neighbor；　the　Abbé　of　Saint　Geneviéve；　and　said　to　him　in　a　low　tone；〃Fine　ambassadors　monsieur　the　archduke　sends　here；　to　announce　to　us　Madame　Marguerite！〃

〃Your　eminence；〃　replied　the　abbé；　〃wastes　your　politeness　on　these　Flemish　swine。　　~Margaritas　ante　porcos~；　pearls　before　swine。〃

〃Say　rather；〃　retorted　the　cardinal；　with　a　smile；　〃~Porcos　ante　Margaritam~；　swine　before　the　pearl。〃

The　whole　little　court　in　cassocks　went　into　ecstacies　over　this　play　upon　words。　　The　cardinal　felt　a　little　relieved；　he　was　quits　with　Coppenole；　he　also　had　had　his　jest　applauded。

Now；　will　those　of　our　readers　who　possess　the　power　of　generalizing　an　image　or　an　idea；　as　the　expression　runs　in　the　style　of　to…day；　permit　us　to　ask　them　if　they　have　formed　a　very　clear　conception　of　the　spectacle　presented　at　this　moment；　upon　which　we　have　arrested　their　attention；　by　the　vast　parallelogram　of　the　grand　hall　of　the　palace。

In　the　middle　of　the　hall；　backed　against　the　western　wall；　a　large　and　magnificent　gallery　draped　with　cloth　of　gold；　into　which　enter　in　procession；　through　a　small；　arched　door；　grave　personages；　announced　successively　by　the　shrill　voice　of　an　usher。　　On　the　front　benches　were　already　a　number　of　venerable　figures；　muffled　in　ermine；　velvet；　and　scarlet。　　Around　the　daiswhich　remains　silent　and　dignifiedbelow；　opposite；　everywhere；　a　great　crowd　and　a　great　murmur。　　Thousands　of　glances　directed　by　the　people　on　each　face　upon　the　dais；　a　thousand　whispers　over　each　name。　　Certainly；　the　spectacle　is　curious；　and　well　deserves　the　attention　of　the　spectators。　　But　yonder；　quite　at　the　end；　what　is　that　sort　of　trestle　work　with　four　motley　puppets　upon　it；　and　more　below？　　Who　is　that　man　beside　the　trestle；　with　a　black　doublet　and　a　pale　face？　　Alas！　my　dear　reader；　it　is　Pierre　Gringoire　and　his　prologue。

We　have　all　forgotten　him　completely。

This　is　precisely　what　he　feared。

From　the　moment　of　the　cardinal's　entrance；　Gringoire　had　never　ceased　to　tremble　for　the　safety　of　his　prologue。　　At　first　he　had　enjoined　the　actors；　who　had　stopped　in　suspense；　to　continue；　and　to　raise　their　voices；　then；　perceiving　that　no　one　was　listening；　he　had　stopped　them；　and；　during　the　entire　quarter　of　an　hour　that　the　interruption　lasted；　he　had　not　ceased　to　stamp；　to　flounce　about；　to　appeal　to　Gisquette　and　Liénarde；　and　to　urge　his　neighbors　to　the　continuance　of　the　prologue；　all　in　vain。　　No　one　quitted　the　cardinal；　the　embassy；　and　the　gallerysole　centre　of　this　vast　circle　of　visual　rays。　　We　must　also　believe；　and　we　say　it　with　regret；　that　the　prologue　had　begun　slightly　to　weary　the　audience　at　the　moment　when　his　eminence　had　arrived；　and　created　a　diversion　in　so　terrible　a　fashion。　　After　all；　on　the　gallery　as　well　as　on　the　marble　table；　the　spectacle　was　the　same：　the　conflict　of　Labor　and　Clergy；　of　Nobility　and　Merchandise。　　And　many　people　preferred　to　see　them　alive；　breathing；　moving；　elbowing　each　other　in　flesh　and　blood；　in　this　Flemish　embassy；　in　this　Episcopal　court；　under　the　cardinal's　robe；　under　Coppenole's　jerkin；　than　painted；　decked　out；　talking　in　verse；　and；　so　to　speak；　stuffed　beneath　the　yellow　amid　white　tunics　in　which　Gringoire　had　so　ridiculously　clothed　them。

Nevertheless；　when　our　poet　beheld　quiet　reestablished　to　some　extent；　he　devised　a　stratagem　which　might　have　redeemed　all。

〃Monsieur；〃　he　said；　turning　towards　one　of　his　neighbors；　a　fine；　big　man；　with　a　patient　face；　〃suppose　we　begin　again。〃

〃What？〃　said　his　neighbor。

〃Hé！　the　Mystery；〃　said　Gringoire。

〃As　you　like；〃　returned　his　neighbor。

This　semi…approbation　sufficed　for　Gringoire；　and；　conducting　his　own　affairs；　he　began　to　shout；　confounding　himself　with　the　crowd　as　much　as　possible：　〃Begin　the　mystery　again！　begin　again！〃

〃The　devil！〃　said　Joannes　de　Molendino；　〃what　are　they　jabbering　down　yonder；　at　the　end　of　the　hall？〃　（for　Gringoire　was　making　noise　enough　for　four。）　　〃Say；　comrades；　isn't　that　mystery　finished？　　They　want　to　begin　it　all　over　again。　　That's　not　fair！〃

〃No；　no！〃　shouted　all　the　scholars。　　〃Down　with　the　mystery！　　Down　with　it！〃

But　Gringoire　had　multiplied　himself；　and　only　shouted　the　more　vigorously：　〃Begin　again！　begin　again！〃

These　clamors　attracted　the　attention　of　the　cardinal。

〃Monsieur　Bailiff　of　the　Courts；〃　said　he　to　a　tall；　black　man；　placed　a　few　paces　from　him；　〃are　those　knaves　in　a　holy…water　vessel；　that　they　make　such　a　hellish　noise？〃

The　bailiff　of　the　courts　was　a　sort　of　amphibious　magistrate；　a　sort　of　bat　of　the　judicial　order；　related　to　both　the　rat　and　the　bird；　the　judge　and　the　soldier。

He　approached　his　eminence；　and　not　without　a　good　deal　of　fear　of　the　latter's　displeasure；　he　awkwardly　explained　to　him　the　seeming　disrespect　of　the　audience：　that　noonday　had　arrived　before　his　eminence；　and　that　the　comedians　had　been　forced　to　begin　without　waiting　for　his　eminence。

The　cardinal　burst　into　a　laugh。

〃On　my　faith；　the　rector　of　the　university　ought　to　have　done　the　same。　　What　say　you；　Master　Guillaume　Rym？〃

〃Monseigneur；〃　replied　Guillaume　Rym；　〃let　us　be　content　with　having　escaped　half　of　the　comedy。　　There　is　at　least　that　much　gained。〃

〃Can　these　rascals　continue　their　farce？〃　asked　the　bailiff。

〃Continue；　continue；〃　said　the　cardinal；　〃it's　all　the　same　to　me。　　I'll　read　my　breviary　in　the　meantime。〃

The　bailiff　advanced　to　the　edge　of　the　estrade；　and　cried；　after　having　invoked　silence　by　a　wave　of　the　hand；

〃Bourgeois；　rustics；　and　citizens；　in　order　to　satisfy　those　who　wish　the　play　to　begin　again；　and　those　who　wish　it　to　end；　his　eminence　orders　that　it　be　continued。〃

Both　parties　were　forced　to　resign　themselves。　　But　the　public　and　the　author　long　cherished　a　grudge　against　the　cardinal。

So　the　personages　on　the　stage　took　up　their　parts；　and　Gringoire　hoped　that　the　rest　of　his　work；　at　least；　would　be　listened　to。　　This　hope　was　speedily　dispelled　like　his　other　illusions；　silence　had　indeed；　been　restored　in　the　audience；　after　a　fashion；　but　Gringoire　had　not　observed　that　at　the　moment　when　the　cardinal　gave　the　order　to　continue；　the　gallery　was　far　from　full；　and　that　after　the　Flemish　envoys　there　had　arrived　new　personages　forming　part　of　the　cortege；　whose　names　and　ranks；　shouted　out　in　the　midst　of　his　dialogue　by　the　intermittent　cry　of　the　usher；　produced　considerable　ravages　in　it。　　Let　the　reader　imagine　the　effect　in　the　midst　of　a　theatrical　piece；　of　the　yelping　of　an　usher；　flinging　in　between　two　rhymes；　and　often　in　the　middle　of　a　line；　parentheses　like　the　following；

〃Master　Jacques　Charmolue；　procurator　to　the　king　in　the　Ecclesiastical　Courts！〃

〃Jehan　de　Harlay；　equerry　guardian　of　the　office　of　chevalier　of　the　night　watch　of　the　city　of　Paris！〃

〃Messire　Galiot　de　Genoilhac；　chevalier；　seigneur　de　Brussac；　master　of　the　king's　artillery！〃

〃Master　Dreux…Raguier；　surveyor　of　the　woods　and　forests　of　the　king　our　sovereign；　in　the　land　of　France；　Champagne　and　Brie！〃

〃Messire　Louis　de　Graville；　chevalier；　councillor；　and　chamberlain　of　the　king；　admiral　of　France；　keeper　of　the　Forest　of　Vincennes！〃

〃Master　Denis　le　Mercier；　guardian　of　the　house　of　the　blind　at　Paris！〃　etc。；　etc。；　etc。

This　was　becoming　unbearable。

This　strange　accompaniment；　which　rendered　it　difficult　to　follow　the　piece；　made　Gringoire　all　the　more　indignant　because　he　could　not　conceal　from　himself　the　fact　that　the　interest　was　continually　increasing；　and　that　all　his　work　required　was　a　chance　of　being　heard。

It　was；　in　fact；　difficult　to　imagine　a　more　ingenious　and　more　dramatic　composition。　　The　four　personages　of　the　prologue　were　bewailing　themselves　in　their　mortal　embarrassment；　when　Venus　in　person；　（~vera　incessa　patuit　dea~）　presented　herself　to　them；　clad　in　a　fine　robe　bearing　the　heraldic　device　of　the　ship　of　the　city　of　Paris。　　She　had　come　herself　to　claim　the　dolphin　promised　to　the　most　beautiful。　　Jupiter；　whose　thunder　could　be　heard　rumbling　in　the　dressing…room；　supported　her　claim；　and　Venus　was　on　the　point　of　carrying　it　off；that　is　to　say；　without　allegory；　of　marrying　monsieur　the　dauphin；　when　a　young　child　clad　in　white　damask；　and　holding　in　her　hand　a　daisy　（a　transparent　personification　of　Mademoise