the hunchback of notre dame-第94节

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s　very　dark。　　Paris　which；　so　to　speak　was　not　lighted　at　that　epoch；　presented　to　the　eye　a　confused　collection　of　black　masses；　cut　here　and　there　by　the　whitish　curve　of　the　Seine。　　Quasimodo　no　longer　saw　any　light　with　the　exception　of　one　window　in　a　distant　edifice；　whose　vague　and　sombre　profile　was　outlined　well　above　the　roofs；　in　the　direction　of　the　Porte　Sainte…Antoine。　There　also；　there　was　some　one　awake。

As　the　only　eye　of　the　bellringer　peered　into　that　horizon　of　mist　and　night；　he　felt　within　him　an　inexpressible　uneasiness。　　For　several　days　he　had　been　upon　his　guard。　　He　had　perceived　men　of　sinister　mien；　who　never　took　their　eyes　from　the　young　girl's　asylum；　prowling　constantly　about　the　church。　　He　fancied　that　some　plot　might　be　in　process　of　formation　against　the　unhappy　refugee。　　He　imagined　that　there　existed　a　popular　hatred　against　her；　as　against　himself；　and　that　it　was　very　possible　that　something　might　happen　soon。　　Hence　he　remained　upon　his　tower　on　the　watch；　〃dreaming　in　his　dream…place；〃　as　Rabelais　says；　with　his　eye　directed　alternately　on　the　cell　and　on　Paris；　keeping　faithful　guard；　like　a　good　dog；　with　a　thousand　suspicions　in　his　mind。

All　at　once；　while　he　was　scrutinizing　the　great　city　with　that　eye　which　nature；　by　a　sort　of　compensation；　had　made　so　piercing　that　it　could　almost　supply　the　other　organs　which　Quasimodo　lacked；　it　seemed　to　him　that　there　was　something　singular　about　the　Quay　de　la　Vieille…Pelleterie；　that　there　was　a　movement　at　that　point；　that　the　line　of　the　parapet；　standing　out　blackly　against　the　whiteness　of　the　water　was　not　straight　and　tranquil；　like　that　of　the　other　quays；　but　that　it　undulated　to　the　eye；　like　the　waves　of　a　river；　or　like　the　heads　of　a　crowd　in　motion。

This　struck　him　as　strange。　　He　redoubled　his　attention。　The　movement　seemed　to　be　advancing　towards　the　City。　There　was　no　light。　　It　lasted　for　some　time　on　the　quay；　then　it　gradually　ceased；　as　though　that　which　was　passing　were　entering　the　interior　of　the　island；　then　it　stopped　altogether；　and　the　line　of　the　quay　became　straight　and　motionless　again。

At　the　moment　when　Quasimodo　was　lost　in　conjectures；　it　seemed　to　him　that　the　movement　had　re…appeared　in　the　Rue　du　Parvis；　which　is　prolonged　into　the　city　perpendicularly　to　the　fa？ade　of　Notre…Dame。　　At　length；　dense　as　was　the　darkness；　he　beheld　the　head　of　a　column　debouch　from　that　street；　and　in　an　instant　a　crowdof　which　nothing　could　be　distinguished　in　the　gloom　except　that　it　was　a　crowdspread　over　the　Place。

This　spectacle　had　a　terror　of　its　own。　　It　is　probable　that　this　singular　procession；　which　seemed　so　desirous　of　concealing　itself　under　profound　darkness；　maintained　a　silence　no　less　profound。　　Nevertheless；　some　noise　must　have　escaped　it；　were　it　only　a　trampling。　　But　this　noise　did　not　even　reach　our　deaf　man；　and　this　great　multitude；　of　which　he　saw　hardly　anything；　and　of　which　he　heard　nothing；　though　it　was　marching　and　moving　so　near　him；　produced　upon　him　the　effect　of　a　rabble　of　dead　men；　mute；　impalpable；　lost　in　a　smoke。　　It　seemed　to　him；　that　he　beheld　advancing　towards　him　a　fog　of　men；　and　that　he　saw　shadows　moving　in　the　shadow。

Then　his　fears　returned　to　him；　the　idea　of　an　attempt　against　the　gypsy　presented　itself　once　more　to　his　mind。　He　was　conscious；　in　a　confused　way；　that　a　violent　crisis　was　approaching。　　At　that　critical　moment　he　took　counsel　with　himself；　with　better　and　prompter　reasoning　than　one　would　have　expected　from　so　badly　organized　a　brain。　　Ought　he　to　awaken　the　gypsy？　to　make　her　escape？　　Whither？　　The　streets　were　invested；　the　church　backed　on　the　river。　　No　boat；　no　issue！There　was　but　one　thing　to　be　done；　to　allow　himself　to　be　killed　on　the　threshold　of　Notre…Dame；　to　resist　at　least　until　succor　arrived；　if　it　should　arrive；　and　not　to　trouble　la　Esmeralda's　sleep。　　This　resolution　once　taken；　he　set　to　examining　the　enemy　with　more　tranquillity。

The　throng　seemed　to　increase　every　moment　in　the　church　square。　　Only；　he　presumed　that　it　must　be　making　very　little　noise；　since　the　windows　on　the　Place　remained　closed。　All　at　once；　a　flame　flashed　up；　and　in　an　instant　seven　or　eight　lighted　torches　passed　over　the　heads　of　the　crowd；　shaking　their　tufts　of　flame　in　the　deep　shade。　　Quasimodo　then　beheld　distinctly　surging　in　the　Parvis　a　frightful　herd　of　men　and　women　in　rags；　armed　with　scythes；　pikes；　billhooks　and　partisans；　whose　thousand　points　glittered。　　Here　and　there　black　pitchforks　formed　horns　to　the　hideous　faces。　He　vaguely　recalled　this　populace；　and　thought　that　he　recognized　all　the　heads　who　had　saluted　him　as　Pope　of　the　Fools　some　months　previously。　　One　man　who　held　a　torch　in　one　hand　and　a　club　in　the　other；　mounted　a　stone　post　and　seemed　to　be　haranguing　them。　　At　the　same　time　the　strange　army　executed　several　evolutions；　as　though　it　were　taking　up　its　post　around　the　church。　　Quasimodo　picked　up　his　lantern　and　descended　to　the　platform　between　the　towers；　in　order　to　get　a　nearer　view；　and　to　spy　out　a　means　of　defence。

Clopin　Trouillefou；　on　arriving　in　front　of　the　lofty　portal　of　Notre…Dame　had；　in　fact；　ranged　his　troops　in　order　of　battle。　　Although　he　expected　no　resistance；　he　wished；　like　a　prudent　general；　to　preserve　an　order　which　would　permit　him　to　face；　at　need；　a　sudden　attack　of　the　watch　or　the　police。　　He　had　accordingly　stationed　his　brigade　in　such　a　manner　that；　viewed　from　above　and　from　a　distance；　one　would　have　pronounced　it　the　Roman　triangle　of　the　battle　of　Ecnomus；　the　boar's　head　of　Alexander　or　the　famous　wedge　of　Gustavus　Adolphus。　　The　base　of　this　triangle　rested　on　the　back　of　the　Place　in　such　a　manner　as　to　bar　the　entrance　of　the　Rue　du　Parvis；　one　of　its　sides　faced　H？tel…Dieu；　the　other　the　Rue　Saint…Pierre…aux…Boeufs。　　Clopin　Trouillefou　had　placed　himself　at　the　apex　with　the　Duke　of　Egypt；　our　friend　Jehan；　and　the　most　daring　of　the　scavengers。

An　enterprise　like　that　which　the　vagabonds　were　now　undertaking　against　Notre…Dame　was　not　a　very　rare　thing　in　the　cities　of　the　Middle　Ages。　　What　we　now　call　the　〃police〃　did　not　exist　then。　　In　populous　cities；　especially　in　capitals；　there　existed　no　single；　central；　regulating　power。　　Feudalism　had　constructed　these　great　communities　in　a　singular　manner。　　A　city　was　an　assembly　of　a　thousand　seigneuries；　which　divided　it　into　compartments　of　all　shapes　and　sizes。　　Hence；　a　thousand　conflicting　establishments　of　police；　that　is　to　say；　no　police　at　all。　　In　Paris；　for　example；　independently　of　the　hundred　and　forty…one　lords　who　laid　claim　to　a　manor；　there　were　five　and　twenty　who　laid　claim　to　a　manor　and　to　administering　justice；　from　the　Bishop　of　Paris；　who　had　five　hundred　streets；　to　the　Prior　of　Notre…　Dame　des　Champs；　who　had　four。　　All　these　feudal　justices　recognized　the　suzerain　authority　of　the　king　only　in　name。　All　possessed　the　right　of　control　over　the　roads。　　All　were　at　home。　　Louis　XI。；　that　indefatigable　worker；　who　so　largely　began　the　demolition　of　the　feudal　edifice；　continued　by　Richelieu　and　Louis　XIV。　　for　the　profit　of　royalty；　and　finished　by　Mirabeau　for　the　benefit　of　the　people；Louis　XI。　had　certainly　made　an　effort　to　break　this　network　of　seignories　which　covered　Paris；　by　throwing　violently　across　them　all　two　or　three　troops　of　general　police。　　Thus；　in　1465；　an　order　to　the　inhabitants　to　light　candles　in　their　windows　at　nightfall；　and　to　shut　up　their　dogs　under　penalty　of　death；　in　the　same　year；　an　order　to　close　the　streets　in　the　evening　with　iron　chains；　and　a　prohibition　to　wear　daggers　or　weapons　of　offence　in　the　streets　at　night。　　But　in　a　very　short　time；　all　these　efforts　at　communal　legislation　fell　into　abeyance。　The　bourgeois　permitted　the　wind　to　blow　out　their　candles　in　the　windows；　and　their　dogs　to　stray；　the　iron　chains　were　stretched　only　in　a　state　of　siege；　the　prohibition　to　wear　daggers　wrought　no　other　changes　than　from　the　name　of　the　Rue　Coupe…Gueule　to　the　name　of　the　Rue…Coupe…Gorge*　which　is　an　evident　progress。　　The　old　scaffolding　of　feudal　jurisdictions　remained　standing；　an　immense　aggregation　of　bailiwicks　and　seignories　crossing　each　other　all　over　the　city；　interfering　with　each　other；　entangled　in　one　another；　enmeshing　each　other；　trespassing　on　each　other；　a　useless　thicket　of　watches；　sub…watches　and　counter…watches；　over　which；　with　armed　force；　passed　brigandage；　rapine；　and　sedition。　　Hence；　in　this　disorder；　deeds　of　violence　on　the　part　of　the　populace　directed　against　a　palace；　a　hotel；　or　house　in　the　most　thickly　populated　quarters；　were　not　unheard…of　occurrences。　　In　the　majority　of　such　cases；　the　neighbors　did　not　meddle　with　the　matter　unless　the　pillaging　extended　to　themselves。　They　stopped　up　their　ears　to　the　musket　shots；　closed　their　shutters；　barricaded　their　doors；　allowed　the　matter　to　be　concluded　with　or　without　the　watch；　and　the　next　day　it　was　said　in　Paris；　〃Etienne　Barbette　was　broken　open　last　night。　The　Marshal　de　Clermont　was　seized　last　night；　etc。〃　　Hence；　not　only　the　royal　habitations；　the　Louvre；　the　Palace；　the　Bastille；　the　Tournelles；　but　simply　seignorial　residences；　the　Petit…Bourbon；　the　H？tel