the hunchback of notre dame-第95节

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Palace；　the　Bastille；　the　Tournelles；　but　simply　seignorial　residences；　the　Petit…Bourbon；　the　H？tel　de　Sens；　the　H？tel　d'　Angoulême；　etc。；　had　battlements　on　their　walls；　and　machicolations　over　their　doors。　　Churches　were　guarded　by　their　sanctity。　　Some；　among　the　number　Notre…Dame；　were　fortified。　　The　Abbey　of　Saint…German…des…Pres　was　castellated　like　a　baronial　mansion；　and　more　brass　expended　about　it　in　bombards　than　in　bells。　　Its　fortress　was　still　to　be　seen　in　1610。　　To…day；　barely　its　church　remains。


*　　Cut…throat。　　Coupe…gueule　being　the　vulgar　word　for　cut…weazand。


Let　us　return　to　Notre…Dame。

When　the　first　arrangements　were　completed；　and　we　must　say；　to　the　honor　of　vagabond　discipline；　that　Clopin's　orders　were　executed　in　silence；　and　with　admirable　precision；　the　worthy　chief　of　the　band；　mounted　on　the　parapet　of　the　church　square；　and　raised　his　hoarse　and　surly　voice；　turning　towards　Notre…Dame；　and　brandishing　his　torch　whose　light；　tossed　by　the　wind；　and　veiled　every　moment　by　its　own　smoke；　made　the　reddish　fa？ade　of　the　church　appear　and　disappear　before　the　eye。

〃To　you；　Louis　de　Beaumont；　bishop　of　Paris；　counsellor　in　the　Court　of　Parliament；　I；　Clopin　Trouillefou；　king　of　Thunes；　grand　Co？sre；　prince　of　Argot；　bishop　of　fools；　I　say：　Our　sister；　falsely　condemned　for　magic；　hath　taken　refuge　in　your　church；　you　owe　her　asylum　and　safety。　　Now　the　Court　of　Parliament　wishes　to　seize　her　once　more　there；　and　you　consent　to　it；　so　that　she　would　be　hanged　to…morrow　in　the　Grève；　if　God　and　the　outcasts　were　not　here。　　If　your　church　is　sacred；　so　is　our　sister；　if　our　sister　is　not　sacred；　neither　is　your　church。　　That　is　why　we　call　upon　you　to　return　the　girl　if　you　wish　to　save　your　church；　or　we　will　take　possession　of　the　girl　again　and　pillage　the　church；　which　will　be　a　good　thing。　　In　token　of　which　I　here　plant　my　banner；　and　may　God　preserve　you；　bishop　of　Paris；〃

Quasimodo　could　not；　unfortunately；　hear　these　words　uttered　with　a　sort　of　sombre　and　savage　majesty。　　A　vagabond　presented　his　banner　to　Clopin；　who　planted　it　solemnly　between　two　paving…stones。　　It　was　a　pitchfork　from　whose　points　hung　a　bleeding　quarter　of　carrion　meat。

That　done；　the　King　of　Thunes　turned　round　and　cast　his　eyes　over　his　army；　a　fierce　multitude　whose　glances　flashed　almost　equally　with　their　pikes。　　After　a　momentary　pause；〃Forward；　my　Sons！〃　he　cried；　〃to　work；　locksmiths！〃

Thirty　bold　men；　square　shouldered；　and　with　pick…lock　faces；　stepped　from　the　ranks；　with　hammers；　pincers；　and　bars　of　iron　on　their　shoulders。　　They　betook　themselves　to　the　principal　door　of　the　church；　ascended　the　steps；　and　were　soon　to　be　seen　squatting　under　the　arch；　working　at　the　door　with　pincers　and　levers；　a　throng　of　vagabonds　followed　them　to　help　or　look　on。　　The　eleven　steps　before　the　portal　were　covered　with　them。

But　the　door　stood　firm。　　〃The　devil！　'tis　hard　and　obstinate！〃　said　one。　　〃It　is　old；　and　its　gristles　have　become　bony；〃　said　another。　　〃Courage；　comrades！〃　resumed　Clopin。　〃I　wager　my　head　against　a　dipper　that　you　will　have　opened　the　door；　rescued　the　girl；　and　despoiled　the　chief　altar　before　a　single　beadle　is　awake。　　Stay！　　I　think　I　hear　the　lock　breaking　up。〃

Clopin　was　interrupted　by　a　frightful　uproar　which　re…　sounded　behind　him　at　that　moment。　　He　wheeled　round。　An　enormous　beam　had　just　fallen　from　above；　it　had　crushed　a　dozen　vagabonds　on　the　pavement　with　the　sound　of　a　cannon；　breaking　in　addition；　legs　here　and　there　in　the　crowd　of　beggars；　who　sprang　aside　with　cries　of　terror。　　In　a　twinkling；　the　narrow　precincts　of　the　church　parvis　were　cleared。　　The　locksmiths；　although　protected　by　the　deep　vaults　of　the　portal；　abandoned　the　door　and　Clopin　himself　retired　to　a　respectful　distance　from　the　church。

〃I　had　a　narrow　escape！〃　cried　Jehan。　　〃I　felt　the　wind；　of　it；　~tête…de…boeuf~！　but　Pierre　the　Slaughterer　is　slaughtered！〃

It　is　impossible　to　describe　the　astonishment　mingled　with　fright　which　fell　upon　the　ruffians　in　company　with　this　beam。

They　remained　for　several　minutes　with　their　eyes　in　the　air；　more　dismayed　by　that　piece　of　wood　than　by　the　king's　twenty　thousand　archers。

〃Satan！〃　muttered　the　Duke　of　Egypt；　〃this　smacks　of　magic！〃

〃'Tis　the　moon　which　threw　this　log　at　us；〃　said　Andry　the　Red。

〃Call　the　moon　the　friend　of　the　Virgin；　after　that！〃　went　on　Francois　Chanteprune。

〃A　thousand　popes！〃　exclaimed　Clopin；　〃you　are　all　fools！〃　　But　he　did　not　know　how　to　explain　the　fall　of　the　beam。

Meanwhile；　nothing　could　be　distinguished　on　the　fa？ade；　to　whose　summit　the　light　of　the　torches　did　not　reach。　　The　heavy　beam　lay　in　the　middle　of　the　enclosure；　and　groans　were　heard　from　the　poor　wretches　who　had　received　its　first　shock；　and　who　had　been　almost　cut　in　twain；　on　the　angle　of　the　stone　steps。

The　King　of　Thunes；　his　first　amazement　passed；　finally　found　an　explanation　which　appeared　plausible　to　his　companions。

〃Throat　of　God！　are　the　canons　defending　themselves？　To　the　sack；　then！　to　the　sack！〃

〃To　the　sack！〃　repeated　the　rabble；　with　a　furious　hurrah。　A　discharge　of　crossbows　and　hackbuts　against　the　front　of　the　church　followed。

At　this　detonation；　the　peaceable　inhabitants　of　the　surrounding　houses　woke　up；　many　windows　were　seen　to　open；　and　nightcaps　and　hands　holding　candles　appeared　at　the　casements。

〃Fire　at　the　windows；〃　shouted　Clopin。　　The　windows　were　immediately　closed；　and　the　poor　bourgeois；　who　had　hardly　had　time　to　cast　a　frightened　glance　on　this　scene　of　gleams　and　tumult；　returned；　perspiring　with　fear　to　their　wives；　asking　themselves　whether　the　witches'　sabbath　was　now　being　held　in　the　parvis　of　Notre…Dame；　or　whether　there　was　an　assault　of　Burgundians；　as　in　'64。　　Then　the　husbands　thought　of　theft；　the　wives；　of　rape；　and　all　trembled。

〃To　the　sack！〃　repeated　the　thieves'　crew；　but　they　dared　not　approach。　　They　stared　at　the　beam；　they　stared　at　the　church。　　The　beam　did　not　stir；　the　edifice　preserved　its　calm　and　deserted　air；　but　something　chilled　the　outcasts。

〃To　work；　locksmiths！〃　shouted　Trouillefou。　　〃Let　the　door　be　forced！〃

No　one　took　a　step。

〃Beard　and　belly！〃　said　Clopin；　〃here　be　men　afraid　of　a　beam。〃

An　old　locksmith　addressed　him

〃Captain；　'tis　not　the　beam　which　bothers　us；　'tis　the　door；　which　is　all　covered　with　iron　bars。　　Our　pincers　are　powerless　against　it。〃

〃What　more　do　you　want　to　break　it　in？〃　demanded　Clopin。

〃Ah！　we　ought　to　have　a　battering　ram。〃

The　King　of　Thunes　ran　boldly　to　the　formidable　beam；　and　placed　his　foot　upon　it：　〃Here　is　one！〃　he　exclaimed；　〃'tis　the　canons　who　send　it　to　you。〃　　And；　making　a　mocking　salute　in　the　direction　of　the　church；　〃Thanks；　canons！〃

This　piece　of　bravado　produced　its　effects；the　spell　of　the　beam　was　broken。　　The　vagabonds　recovered　their　courage；　soon　the　heavy　joist；　raised　like　a　feather　by　two　hundred　vigorous　arms；　was　flung　with　fury　against　the　great　door　which　they　had　tried　to　batter　down。　　At　the　sight　of　that　long　beam；　in　the　half…light　which　the　infrequent　torches　of　the　brigands　spread　over　the　Place；　thus　borne　by　that　crowd　of　men　who　dashed　it　at　a　run　against　the　church；　one　would　have　thought　that　he　beheld　a　monstrous　beast　with　a　thousand　feet　attacking　with　lowered　head　the　giant　of　stone。

At　the　shock　of　the　beam；　the　half　metallic　door　sounded　like　an　immense　drum；　it　was　not　burst　in；　but　the　whole　cathedral　trembled；　and　the　deepest　cavities　of　the　edifice　were　heard　to　echo。

At　the　same　moment；　a　shower　of　large　stones　began　to　fall　from　the　top　of　the　fa？ade　on　the　assailants。

〃The　devil！〃　cried　Jehan；　〃are　the　towers　shaking　their　balustrades　down　on　our　heads？〃

But　the　impulse　had　been　given；　the　King　of　Thunes　had　set　the　example。　　Evidently；　the　bishop　was　defending　himself；　and　they　only　battered　the　door　with　the　more　rage；　in　spite　of　the　stones　which　cracked　skulls　right　and　left。

It　was　remarkable　that　all　these　stones　fell　one　by　one；　but　they　followed　each　other　closely。　　The　thieves　always　felt　two　at　a　time；　one　on　their　legs　and　one　on　their　heads。　　There　were　few　which　did　not　deal　their　blow；　and　a　large　layer　of　dead　and　wounded　lay　bleeding　and　panting　beneath　the　feet　of　the　assailants　who；　now　grown　furious；　replaced　each　other　without　intermission。　　The　long　beam　continued　to　belabor　the　door；　at　regular　intervals；　like　the　clapper　of　a　bell；　the　stones　to　rain　down；　the　door　to　groan。

The　reader　has　no　doubt　divined　that　this　unexpected　resistance　which　had　exasperated　the　outcasts　came　from　Quasimodo。

Chance　had；　unfortunately；　favored　the　brave　deaf　man。

When　he　had　descended　to　the　platform　between　the　towers；　his　ideas　were　all　in　confusion。　　He　had　run　up　and　down　along　the　gallery　for　several　minutes　like　a　madman；　surveying　from　above；　the　compact　mass　of　vagabonds　ready　to　hurl　itself　on　the　church；　demanding　the　safety　of　the　gypsy　from　the　devil　or　from　God。　　The　thought　had　occurred　to　him　of　ascending　to　the　southern　belfry　and　sounding　the　alarm；　but　before　he　could　have　set　the　bell　in　motion；　before　Marie's　voice　could　have　uttered　a　single　clamor；　was　there　not　time　to　burst　in　the