第16章
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  Thegrandeurofhousesisassuredbytheintegrityofprerogatives。Notethis,friendOlivier。\"

  Again,——

  \"Oh!oh!\"saidhe,\"Whatalongmessage!Whatdothourbrothertheemperorclaim?\"Andrunninghiseyeoverthemissiveandbreakinghisreadingwithinterjection:

  \"Surely!theGermansaresogreatandpowerful,thatitishardlycredible——Butletusnotforgettheoldproverb:’ThefinestcountyisFlanders;thefinestduchy,Milan;thefinestkingdom,France。’Isitnotso,MessieursFlemings?\"

  ThistimeCoppenolebowedincompanywithGuillaumeRym。Thehosier’spatriotismwastickled。

  ThelastdespatchmadeLouisXI。frown。

  \"Whatisthis?\"besaid,\"ComplaintsandfaultfindingagainstourgarrisonsinPicardy!Olivier,writewithdiligencetoM。theMarshaldeRouault:——Thatdisciplineisrelaxed。

  Thatthegendarmesoftheunattachedtroops,thefeudalnobles,thefreearchers,andtheSwissinflictinfiniteevilsontherustics——Thatthemilitary,notcontentwithwhattheyfindinthehousesoftherustics,constrainthemwithviolentblowsofcudgeloroflashtogoandgetwine,spices,andotherunreasonablethingsinthetown——Thatmonsieurthekingknowsthis。Thatweundertaketoguardourpeopleagainstinconveniences,larceniesandpillage——Thatsuchisourwill,byourLady!——Thatinaddition,itsuitsusnotthatanyfiddler,barber,oranysoldiervarletshouldbecladlikeaprince,invelvet,clothofsilk,andringsofgold——ThatthesevanitiesarehatefultoGod——Thatwe,whoaregentlemen,contentourselveswithadoubletofclothatsixteensolstheell,ofParis——Thatmessieursthecamp-followerscanverywellcomedowntothat,also——Commandandordain——ToMonsieurdeRouault,ourfriend——Good。\"

  Hedictatedthisletteraloud,inafirmtone,andinjerks。

  Atthemomentwhenhefinishedit,thedooropenedandgavepassagetoanewpersonage,whoprecipitatedhimselfintothechamber,cryinginaffright,——

  \"Sire!sire!thereisaseditionofthepopulaceinParis!\"

  LouisXI。’sgravefacecontracted;butallthatwasvisibleofhisemotionpassedawaylikeaflashoflightning。Hecontrolledhimselfandsaidwithtranquilseverity,——

  \"GossipJacques,youenterveryabruptly!\"

  \"Sire!sire!thereisarevolt!\"repeatedGossipJacquesbreathlessly。

  Theking,whohadrisen,graspedhimroughlybythearm,andsaidinhisear,insuchamannerastobeheardbyhimalone,withconcentratedrageandasidelongglanceattheFlemings,——

  \"Holdyourtongue!orspeaklow!\"

  Thenewcomerunderstood,andbeganinalowtonetogiveaveryterrifiedaccount,towhichthekinglistenedcalmly,whileGuillaumeRymcalledCoppenole’sattentiontothefaceanddressofthenewarrival,tohisfurredcowl,~caputiafourrata~,hisshortcape,~epitogiacurta~,hisrobeofblackvelvet,whichbespokeapresidentofthecourtofaccounts。

  Hardlyhadthispersonagegiventhekingsomeexplanations,whenLouisXI。exclaimed,burstingintoalaugh,——

  \"Intruth?Speakaloud,GossipCoictier!Whatcallisthereforyoutotalksolow?OurLadyknoweththatweconcealnothingfromourgoodfriendstheFlemings。\"

  \"Butsire……\"

  \"Speakloud!\"

  GossipCoictierwasstruckdumbwithsurprise。

  \"So,\"resumedtheking,——\"speaksir,——thereisacommotionamongtheloutsinourgoodcityofParis?\"

  \"Yes,sire。\"

  \"Andwhichismovingyousay,againstmonsieurthebailiffofthePalais-de-Justice?\"

  \"Soitappears,\"saidthegossip,whostillstammered,utterlyastoundedbytheabruptandinexplicablechangewhichhadjusttakenplaceintheking’sthoughts。

  LouisXI。continued:\"Wheredidthewatchmeettherabble?\"

  \"MarchingfromtheGrandTruanderie,towardsthePont-aux-

  Changeurs。ImetitmyselfasIwasonmywayhithertoobeyyourmajesty’scommands。Iheardsomeofthemshouting:

  ’Downwiththebailiffofthepalace!’\"

  \"Andwhatcomplaintshavetheyagainstthebailiff?\"

  \"Ah!\"saidGossipJacques,\"becauseheistheirlord。\"

  \"Really?\"

  \"Yes,sire。TheyareknavesfromtheCour-des-Miracles。

  Theyhavebeencomplainingthislongwhile,ofthebailiff,whosevassalstheyare。Theydonotwishtorecognizehimeitherasjudgeorasvoyer?\"*

  *Oneinchargeofthehighways。

  \"Yes,certainly!\"retortedthekingwithasmileofsatis-

  factionwhichhestroveinvaintodisguise。

  \"InalltheirpetitionstotheParliament,theyclaimtohavebuttwomasters。YourmajestyandtheirGod,whoisthedevil,Ibelieve。\"

  \"Eh!eh!\"saidtheking。

  Herubbedhishands,helaughedwiththatinwardmirthwhichmakesthecountenancebeam;hewasunabletodissimulatehisjoy,althoughheendeavoredatmomentstocomposehimself。Nooneunderstooditintheleast,notevenMasterOlivier。Heremainedsilentforamoment,withathoughtfulbutcontentedair。

  \"Aretheyinforce?\"hesuddenlyinquired。

  \"Yes,assuredly,sire,\"repliedGossipJacques。

  \"Howmany?\"

  \"Sixthousandattheleast。\"

  Thekingcouldnotrefrainfromsaying:\"Good!\"hewenton,——

  \"Aretheyarmed?\"

  \"Withscythes,pikes,hackbuts,pickaxes。Allsortsofveryviolentweapons。\"

  Thekingdidnotappearintheleastdisturbedbythislist。

  Jacquesconsideredithisdutytoadd,——

  \"Ifyourmajestydoesnotsendpromptsuccortothebailiff,heislost。\"

  \"Wewillsend,\"saidthekingwithanairoffalseseriousness。

  \"Itiswell。Assuredlywewillsend。Monsieurthebailiffisourfriend。Sixthousand!Theyaredesperatescamps!

  Theiraudacityismarvellous,andwearegreatlyenragedatit。

  Butwehaveonlyafewpeopleaboutusto-night。To-morrowmorningwillbetimeenough。\"

  GossipJacquesexclaimed,\"Instantly,sire!therewillbetimetosackthebailiwickascoreoftimes,toviolatetheseignory,tohangthebailiff。ForGod’ssake,sire!sendbeforeto-morrowmorning。\"

  Thekinglookedhimfullintheface。\"Ihavetoldyouto-morrowmorning。\"

  ItwasoneOfthoselookstowhichonedoesnotreply。

  Afterasilence,LouisXI。raisedhisvoiceoncemore,——

  \"Youshouldknowthat,GossipJacques。Whatwas——\"

  Hecorrectedhimself。\"Whatisthebailiff’sfeudaljurisdiction?\"

  \"Sire,thebailiffofthepalacehastheRueCalendreasfarastheRuedel’Herberie,thePlaceSaint-Michel,andthelocalitiesvulgarlyknownastheMureaux,situatednearthechurchofNotre-DamedesChampshereLouisXI。raisedthebrimofhishat,whichhotelsnumberthirteen,plustheCourdesMiracles,plustheMaladerie,calledtheBanlieue,plusthewholehighwaywhichbeginsatthatMaladerieandendsatthePorteSainte-Jacques。Ofthesediversplacesheisvoyer,high,middle,andlow,justiciary,fullseigneur。\"

  \"Blessme!\"saidtheking,scratchinghisleftearwithhisrighthand,\"thatmakesagoodlybitofmycity!Ah!monsieurthebailiffwaskingofallthat。\"

  Thistimehedidnotcorrecthimself。Hecontinueddreamily,andasthoughspeakingtohimself,——

  \"Veryfine,monsieurthebailiff!YouhadtherebetweenyourteethaprettysliceofourParis。\"

  Allatoncehebrokeoutexplosively,\"~Pasque-Dieu~!\"

  Whatpeoplearethosewhoclaimtobevoyers,justiciaries,lordsandmastersinourdomains?whohavetheirtollgatesattheendofeveryfield?theirgallowsandtheirhangmanateverycross-roadamongourpeople?SothatastheGreekbelievedthathehadasmanygodsastherewerefountains,andthePersianasmanyashebeheldstars,theFrenchmancountsasmanykingsasheseesgibbets!Pardieu!’tisanevilthing,andtheconfusionofitdispleasesme。IshouldgreatlyliketoknowwhetheritbethemercyofGodthatthereshouldbeinParisanyotherlordthantheking,anyotherjudgethanourparliament,anyotheremperorthanourselvesinthisempire!Bythefaithofmysoul!thedaymustcertainlycomewhenthereshallexistinFrancebutoneking,onelord,onejudge,oneheadsman,asthereisinparadisebutoneGod!\"

  Heliftedhiscapagain,andcontinued,stilldreamily,withtheairandaccentofahunterwhoischeeringonhispackofhounds:\"Good,mypeople!bravelydone!breakthesefalselords!doyourduty!atthem!haveatthem!pillagethem!

  takethem!sackthem!……Ah!youwanttobekings,messeigneurs?

  On,mypeopleon!\"

  Hereheinterruptedhimselfabruptly,bithislipsasthoughtotakebackhisthoughtwhichhadalreadyhalfescaped,benthispiercingeyesinturnoneachofthefivepersonswhosurroundedhim,andsuddenlygraspinghishatwithbothhandsandstaringfullatit,hesaidtoit:\"Oh!I

  wouldburnyouifyouknewwhattherewasinmyhead。\"

  Thencastingabouthimoncemorethecautiousanduneasyglanceofthefoxre-enteringhishole,——

  \"Nomatter!wewillsuccormonsieurthebailiff。

  Unfortunately,wehavebutfewtroopshereatthepresentmoment,againstsogreatapopulace。Wemustwaituntilto-morrow。

  TheorderwillbetransmittedtotheCityandeveryonewhoiscaughtwillbeimmediatelyhung。\"

  \"Bytheway,sire,\"saidGossipCoictier,\"Ihadforgottenthatinthefirstagitation,thewatchhaveseizedtwolaggardsoftheband。Ifyourmajestydesirestoseethesemen,theyarehere。\"

  \"IfIdesiretoseethem!\"criedtheking。\"What!~Pasque-

  Dieu~!Youforgetathinglikethat!Runquick,you,Olivier!

  Go,seekthem!\"

  MasterOlivierquittedtheroomandreturnedamomentlaterwiththetwoprisoners,surroundedbyarchersoftheguard。Thefirsthadacoarse,idiotic,drunkenandastonishedface。Hewasclothedinrags,andwalkedwithonekneebentanddragginghisleg。Thesecondhadapallidandsmilingcountenance,withwhichthereaderisalreadyacquainted。

  Thekingsurveyedthemforamomentwithoututteringaword,thenaddressingthefirstoneabruptly,——

  \"What’syourname?\"

  \"GieffroyPincebourde。\"

  \"Yourtrade。\"

  \"Outcast。\"

  \"Whatwereyougoingtodointhisdamnablesedition?\"

  Theoutcaststaredattheking,andswunghisarmswithastupidair。

  Hehadoneofthoseawkwardlyshapedheadswhereintelligenceisaboutasmuchatitseaseasalightbeneathanextinguisher。

  \"Iknownot,\"saidhe。\"Theywent,Iwent。\"

  \"Wereyounotgoingtooutrageouslyattackandpillageyourlord,thebailiffofthepalace?\"

  \"Iknowthattheyweregoingtotakesomethingfromsomeone。

  Thatisall。\"

  Asoldierpointedouttothekingabillhookwhichhehadseizedonthepersonofthevagabond。

  \"Doyourecognizethisweapon?\"demandedtheking。

  \"Yes;’tismybillhook;Iamavine-dresser。\"

  \"Anddoyourecognizethismanasyourcompanion?\"

  addedLouisXI。,pointingtotheotherprisoner。

  \"No,Idonotknowhim。\"

  \"Thatwilldo,\"saidtheking,makingasignwithhisfingertothesilentpersonagewhostoodmotionlessbesidethedoor,towhomwehavealreadycalledthereader’sattention。

  \"GossipTristan,hereisamanforyou。\"

  Tristanl’Hermitebowed。Hegaveanorderinalowvoicetotwoarchers,wholedawaythepoorvagabond。

  Inthemeantime,thekinghadapproachedthesecondprisoner,whowasperspiringingreatdrops:\"Yourname?\"

  \"Sire,PierreGringoire。\"

  \"Yourtrade?\"

  \"Philosopher,sire。\"

  \"Howdoyoupermityourself,knave,togoandbesiegeourfriend,monsieurthebailiffofthepalace,andwhathaveyoutosayconcerningthispopularagitation?\"

  \"Sire,Ihadnothingtodowithit。\"

  \"Come,now!youwantonwretch,werenotyouapprehendedbythewatchinthatbadcompany?\"

  \"No,sire,thereisamistake。’Tisafatality。Imaketragedies。Sire,Ientreatyourmajestytolistentome。I

  amapoet。’Tisthemelancholywayofmenofmyprofessiontoroamthestreetsbynight。Iwaspassingthere。Itwasmerechance。Iwasunjustlyarrested;Iaminnocentofthisciviltempest。Yourmajestyseesthatthevagabonddidnotrecognizeme。Iconjureyourmajesty——\"

  \"Holdyourtongue!\"saidtheking,betweentwoswallowsofhisptisan。\"Yousplitourhead!\"

  Tristanl’HermiteadvancedandpointingtoGringoire,——

  \"Sire,canthisonebehangedalso?\"

  Thiswasthefirstwordthathehaduttered。

  \"Phew!\"repliedtheking,\"Iseenoobjection。\"

  \"Iseeagreatmany!\"saidGringoire。

  Atthatmoment,ourphilosopherwasgreenerthananolive。

  Heperceivedfromtheking’scoldandindifferentmienthattherewasnootherresourcethansomethingverypathetic,andheflunghimselfatthefeetofLouisXI。,exclaiming,withgesturesofdespair:——

  \"Sire!willyourmajestydeigntohearme。Sire!breaknotinthunderoversosmallathingasmyself。God’sgreatlightningdothnotbombardalettuce。Sire,youareanaugustand,verypuissantmonarch;havepityonapoormanwhoishonest,andwhowouldfinditmoredifficulttostiruparevoltthanacakeoficewouldtogiveoutaspark!Verygracioussire,kindnessisthevirtueofalionandaking。

  Alas!rigoronlyfrightensminds;theimpetuousgustsofthenorthwinddonotmakethetravellerlayasidehiscloak;

  thesun,bestowinghisrayslittlebylittle,warmshiminsuchwaysthatitwillmakehimstriptohisshirt。Sire,youarethesun。Iprotesttoyou,mysovereignlordandmaster,thatIamnotanoutcast,thief,anddisorderlyfellow。RevoltandbrigandagebelongnottotheoutfitofApollo。Iamnotthemantoflingmyselfintothosecloudswhichbreakoutintoseditiousclamor。Iamyourmajesty’sfaithfulvassal。Thatsamejealousywhichahusbandcherishethforthehonorofhiswife,theresentmentwhichthesonhathfortheloveofhisfather,agoodvassalshouldfeelforthegloryofhisking;

  heshouldpineawayforthezealofthishouse,fortheaggrandizementofhisservice。Everyotherpassionwhichshouldtransporthimwouldbebutmadness。These,sire,aremymaximsofstate:thendonotjudgemetobeaseditiousandthievingrascalbecausemygarmentiswornattheelbows。Ifyouwillgrantmemercy,sire,IwillwearitoutonthekneesinprayingtoGodforyounightandmorning!Alas!Iamnotextremelyrich,’tistrue。Iamevenratherpoor。Butnotviciousonthataccount。Itisnotmyfault。Everyoneknoweththatgreatwealthisnottobedrawnfromliterature,andthatthosewhoarebestpostedingoodbooksdonotalwayshaveagreatfireinwinter。Theadvocate’stradetakethallthegrain,andleavethonlystrawtotheotherscientificprofessions。Therearefortyveryexcellentproverbsanentthehole-riddencloakofthephilosopher。Oh,sire!

  clemencyistheonlylightwhichcanenlightentheinteriorofsogreatasoul。Clemencybeareththetorchbeforealltheothervirtues。WithoutittheyarebutblindmengropingafterGodinthedark。Compassion,whichisthesamethingasclemency,causeththeloveofsubjects,whichisthemostpowerfulbodyguardtoaprince。Whatmattersittoyourmajesty,whodazzlesallfaces,ifthereisonepoormanmoreonearth,apoorinnocentphilosophersplutteringamidtheshadowsofcalamity,withanemptypocketwhichresoundsagainsthishollowbelly?Moreover,sire,Iamamanofletters。Greatkingsmakeapearlfortheircrownsbyprotectingletters。HerculesdidnotdisdainthetitleofMusagetes。

  MathiasCorvinfavoredJeandeMonroyal,theornamentofmathematics。Now,’tisanillwaytoprotectletterstohangmenofletters。WhatastainonAlexanderifhehadhungAristoteles!Thisactwouldnotbealittlepatchonthefaceofhisreputationtoembellishit,butaverymalignantulcertodisfigureit。Sire!ImadeaveryproperepithalamiumforMademoiselleofFlandersandMonseigneurtheveryaugustDauphin。Thatisnotafirebrandofrebellion。YourmajestyseesthatIamnotascribblerofnoreputation,thatIhavestudiedexcellentlywell,andthatIpossessmuchnaturaleloquence。Havemercyuponme,sire!InsodoingyouwillperformagallantdeedtoourLady,andIsweartoyouthatIamgreatlyterrifiedattheideaofbeinghanged!\"

  Sosaying,theunhappyGringoirekissedtheking’sslippers,andGuillaumeRymsaidtoCoppenoleinalowtone:\"Hedothwelltodraghimselfontheearth。KingsareliketheJupiterofCrete,theyhaveearsonlyintheirfeet。\"AndwithouttroublinghimselfabouttheJupiterofCrete,thehosierrepliedwithaheavysmile,andhiseyesfixedonGringoire:\"Oh!that’sitexactly!IseemtohearChancellorHugonetcravingmercyofme。\"

  WhenGringoirepausedatlast,quiteoutofbreath,heraisedhisheadtremblinglytowardstheking,whowasengagedinscratchingaspotonthekneeofhisbreecheswithhisfinger-

  nail;thenhismajestybegantodrinkfromthegobletofptisan。Butheutterednotaword,andthissilencetorturedGringoire。Atlastthekinglookedathim。\"Hereisaterriblebawler!\"said,he。Then,turningtoTristanl’Hermite,\"Bali!lethimgo!\"

  Gringoirefellbackwards,quitethunderstruckwithjoy。

  \"Atliberty!\"growledTristan\"Dothnotyourmajestywishtohavehimdetainedalittlewhileinacage?\"

  \"Gossip,\"retortedLouisXI。,\"thinkyouthat’tisforbirdsofthisfeatherthatwecausetobemadecagesatthreehundredandsixty-sevenlivres,eightsous,threedeniersapiece?

  Releasehimatonce,thewantonLouisXI。wasfondofthiswordwhichformed,with~Pasque-Dieu~,thefoundationofhisjoviality,andputhimoutwithabuffet。\"

  \"Ugh!\"criedGringoire,\"whatagreatkingishere!\"

  Andforfearofacounterorder,herushedtowardsthedoor,whichTristanopenedforhimwithaverybadgrace。Thesoldierslefttheroomwithhim,pushinghimbeforethemwithstoutthwacks,whichGringoireborelikeatruestoicalphilosopher。

  Theking’sgoodhumorsincetherevoltagainstthebailiffhadbeenannouncedtohim,madeitselfapparentineveryway。Thisunwontedclemencywasnosmallsignofit。Tristanl’Hermiteinhiscornerworethesurlylookofadogwhohashadabonesnatchedawayfromhim。

  Meanwhile,thekingthrummedgaylywithhisfingersonthearmofhischair,theMarchofPont-Audemer。Hewasadissemblingprince,butonewhounderstoodfarbetterhowtohidehistroublesthanhisjoys。Theseexternalmanifestationsofjoyatanygoodnewssometimesproceededtoverygreatlengthsthus,onthedeath,ofCharlestheBold,tothepointofvowingsilverbalustradestoSaintMartinofTours;

  onhisadventtothethrone,sofarasforgettingtoorderhisfather’sobsequies。

  \"Hé!sire!\"suddenlyexclaimedJacquesCoictier,\"whathasbecomeoftheacuteattackofillnessforwhichyourmajestyhadmesummoned?\"

  \"Oh!\"saidtheking,\"Ireallysuffergreatly,mygossip。

  Thereisahissinginmyearandfieryrakesrackmychest。\"

  Coictiertooktheking’shand,andbeguntofeelofhispulsewithaknowingair。

  \"Look,Coppenole,\"saidRym,inalowvoice。\"BeholdhimbetweenCoictierandTristan。Theyarehiswholecourt。

  Aphysicianforhimself,aheadsmanforothers。\"

  Ashefelttheking’spulse,Coictierassumedanairofgreaterandgreateralarm。LouisXI。watchedhimwithsomeanxiety。Coictiergrewvisiblymoregloomy。Thebravemanhadnootherfarmthantheking’sbadhealth。Hespeculatedonittothebestofhisability。

  \"Oh!oh!\"hemurmuredatlength,\"thisisseriousindeed。\"

  \"Isitnot?\"saidtheking,uneasily。

  \"~Pulsuscreber,anhelans,crepitans,irregularis~,\"continuedtheleech。

  \"~Pasque-Dieu~!\"

  \"Thismaycarryoffitsmaninlessthanthreedays。\"

  \"OurLady!\"exclaimedtheking。\"Andtheremedy,gossip?\"

  \"Iammeditatinguponthat,sire。\"

  HemadeLouisXI。putouthistongue,shookhishead,madeagrimace,andintheverymidstoftheseaffectations,——

  \"Pardieu,sire,\"hesuddenlysaid,\"Imusttellyouthatthereisareceivershipoftheroyalprerogativesvacant,andthatIhaveanephew。\"

  \"Igivethereceivershiptoyournephew,GossipJacques,\"

  repliedtheking;\"butdrawthisfirefrommybreast。\"

  \"Sinceyourmajestyissoclement,\"repliedtheleech,\"youwillnotrefusetoaidmealittleinbuildingmyhouse,RueSaint-André-des-Arcs。\"

  \"Heugh!\"saidtheking。

  \"Iamattheendofmyfinances,\"pursuedthedoctor;

  anditwouldreallybeapitythatthehouseshouldnothavearoof;notonaccountofthehouse,whichissimpleandthoroughlybourgeois,butbecauseofthepaintingsofJehanFourbault,whichadornitswainscoating。ThereisaDianaflyingintheair,butsoexcellent,sotender,sodelicate,ofsoingenuousanaction,herhairsowellcoiffedandadornedwithacrescent,herfleshsowhite,thatsheleadsintotemptationthosewhoregardhertoocuriously。ThereisalsoaCeres。

  Sheisanotherveryfairdivinity。Sheisseatedonsheavesofwheatandcrownedwithagallantgarlandofwheatearsinterlacedwithsalsifyandotherflowers。Neverwereseenmoreamorouseyes,moreroundedlimbs,anoblerair,oramoregracefullyflowingskirt。Sheisoneofthemostinnocentandmostperfectbeautieswhomthebrushhaseverproduced。\"

  \"Executioner!\"grumbledLouisXI。,\"whatareyoudrivingat?\"

  \"Imusthavearoofforthesepaintings,sire,and,although’tisbutasmallmatter,Ihavenomoremoney。\"

  \"Howmuchdothyourroofcost?\"

  \"Whyaroofofcopper,embellishedandgilt,twothousandlivresatthemost。\"

  \"Ah,assassin!\"criedtheking,\"Heneverdrawsoutoneofmyteethwhichisnotadiamond。\"

  \"AmItohavemyroof?\"saidCoictier。

  \"Yes;andgotothedevil,butcureme。\"

  JacquesCoictierbowedlowandsaid,——

  \"Sire,itisarepellentwhichwillsaveyou。Wewillapplytoyourloinsthegreatdefensivecomposedofcerate,Armenianbole,whiteofegg,oil,andvinegar。Youwillcontinueyourptisanandwewillanswerforyourmajesty。\"

  Aburningcandledoesnotattractonegnatalone。MasterOlivier,perceivingthekingtobeinaliberalmood,andjudgingthemomenttobepropitious,approachedinhisturn。

  \"Sire——\"

  \"Whatisitnow?\"saidLouisXI。

  \"Sire,yourmajestyknoweththatSimonRadinisdead?\"

  \"Well?\"

  \"Hewascouncillortothekinginthematterofthecourtsofthetreasury。\"

  \"Well?\"

  \"Sire,hisplaceisvacant。\"

  Ashespokethus,MasterOlivier’shaughtyfacequitteditsarrogantexpressionforalowlyone。Itistheonlychangewhichevertakesplaceinacourtier’svisage。Thekinglookedhimwellinthefaceandsaidinadrytone,——\"I

  understand。\"

  Heresumed,\"MasterOlivier,theMarshaldeBoucicautwaswonttosay,’There’snomastersavetheking,therearenofishessaveinthesea。’IseethatyouagreewithMonsieurdeBoucicaut。

  Nowlistentothis;wehaveagoodmemory。In’68

  wemadeyouvaletofourchamber:in’69,guardianofthefortressofthebridgeofSaint-Cloud,atahundredlivresofTournayinwagesyouwantedthemofParis。InNovember,’73,bylettersgiventoGergeole,weinstitutedyoukeeperoftheWoodofVincennes,intheplaceofGilbertAcle,equerry;in’75,gruyer*oftheforestofRouvray-lez-

  Saint-Cloud,intheplaceofJacquesleMaire;in’78,wegraciouslysettledonyou,byletterspatentsealeddoublywithgreenwax,anincomeoftenlivresparisis,foryouandyourwife,onthePlaceoftheMerchants,situatedattheSchoolSaint-Germain;in’79,wemadeyougruyeroftheforestofSenart,inplaceofthatpoorJehanDaiz;thencaptainoftheChateauofLoches;thengovernorofSaint-

  Quentin;thencaptainofthebridgeofMeulan,ofwhichyoucauseyourselftobecalledcomte。Outofthefivesolsfinepaidbyeverybarberwhoshavesonafestivalday,therearethreesolsforyouandwehavetherest。WehavebeengoodenoughtochangeyournameofLeMauvaisTheEvil,whichresembledyourfacetooclosely。In’76,wegrantedyou,tothegreatdispleasureofournobility,armorialbearingsofathousandcolors,whichgiveyouthebreastofapeacock。~Pasque-Dieu~!Arenotyousurfeited?Isnotthedraughtoffishessufficientlyfineandmiraculous?Areyounotafraidthatonesalmonmorewillmakeyourboatsink?

  Pridewillbeyourruin,gossip。Ruinanddisgracealwayspresshardontheheelsofpride。Considerthisandholdyourtongue。\"

  *Alordhavingarightonthewoodsofhisvassals。

  Thesewords,utteredwithseverity,madeMasterOlivier’sfacereverttoitsinsolence。

  \"Good!\"hemuttered,almostaloud,\"’tiseasytoseethatthekingisillto-day;hegivethalltotheleech。\"

  LouisXI。farfrombeingirritatedbythispetulantinsult,resumedwithsomegentleness,\"Stay,IwasforgettingthatI

  madeyoumyambassadortoMadameMarie,atGhent。Yes,gentlemen,\"addedthekingturningtotheFlemings,\"thismanhathbeenanambassador。There,mygossip,\"hepursued,addressingMasterOlivier,\"letusnotgetangry;weareoldfriends。’Tisverylate。Wehaveterminatedourlabors。Shaveme。\"

  Ourreadershavenot,withoutdoubt,waiteduntilthepresentmomenttorecognizeinMasterOlivierthatterribleFigarowhomProvidence,thegreatmakerofdramas,mingledsoartisticallyinthelongandbloodycomedyofthereignofLouisXI。Wewillnothereundertaketodevelopthatsingularfigure。Thisbarberofthekinghadthreenames。AtcourthewaspolitelycalledOlivierleDaimtheDeer;

  amongthepeopleOliviertheDevil。HisrealnamewasOlivierleMauvais。

  Accordingly,OlivierleMauvaisremainedmotionless,sulkingattheking,andglancingaskanceatJacquesCoictier。

  \"Yes,yes,thephysician!\"hesaidbetweenhisteeth。

  \"Ah,yes,thephysician!\"retortedLouisXI。,withsingulargoodhumor;\"thephysicianhasmorecreditthanyou。

  ’Tisverysimple;hehastakenholduponusbythewholebody,andyouholdusonlybythechin。Come,mypoorbarber,allwillcomeright。WhatwouldyousayandwhatwouldbecomeofyourofficeifIwereakinglikeChilperic,whosegestureconsistedinholdinghisbeardinonehand?

  Come,gossipmine,fulfilyouroffice,shaveme。Gogetwhatyouneedtherefor。\"

  Olivierperceivingthatthekinghadmadeuphismindtolaugh,andthattherewasnowayofevenannoyinghim,wentoffgrumblingtoexecutehisorders。

  Thekingrose,approachedthewindow,andsuddenlyopeningitwithextraordinaryagitation,——

  \"Oh!yes!\"heexclaimed,clappinghishands,\"yonderisarednessintheskyovertheCity。’Tisthebailiffburning。

  Itcanbenothingelsebutthat。Ah!mygoodpeople!hereyouareaidingmeatlastintearingdowntherightsoflordship!\"

  ThenturningtowardstheFlemings:\"Come,lookatthis,gentlemen。Isitnotafirewhichglowethyonder?\"

  ThetwomenofGhentdrewnear。

  \"Agreatfire,\"saidGuillaumeRym。

  \"Oh!\"exclaimedCoppenole,whoseeyessuddenlyflashed,\"thatremindsmeoftheburningofthehouseoftheSeigneurd’Hymbercourt。Theremustbeagoodlyrevoltyonder。\"

  \"Youthinkso,MasterCoppenole?\"AndLouisXI。’sglancewasalmostasjoyousasthatofthehosier。\"Willitnotbedifficulttoresist?\"

  \"CrossofGod!Sire!Yourmajestywilldamagemanycompaniesofmenofwarthereon。\"

  \"Ah!I!’tisdifferent,\"returnedtheking。\"IfIwilled。\"

  Thehosierrepliedhardily,——

  \"IfthisrevoltbewhatIsuppose,sire,youmightwillinvain。\"

  \"Gossip,\"saidLouisXI。,\"withthetwocompaniesofmyunattachedtroopsandonedischargeofaserpentine,shortworkismadeofapopulaceoflouts。\"

  Thehosier,inspiteofthesignsmadetohimbyGuillaumeRym,appeareddeterminedtoholdhisownagainsttheking。

  \"Sire,theSwisswerealsolouts。MonsieurtheDukeofBurgundywasagreatgentleman,andheturneduphisnoseatthatrabblerout。AtthebattleofGrandson,sire,hecried:’Menofthecannon!Fireonthevillains!’andhesworebySaint-George。ButAdvoyerScharnachtalhurledhimselfonthehandsomedukewithhisbattle-clubandhispeople,andwhentheglitteringBurgundianarmycameincontactwiththesepeasantsinbullhides,itflewinpieceslikeapaneofglassattheblowofapebble。Manylordswerethenslainbylow-bornknaves;andMonsieurdeChateau-Guyon,thegreatestseigneurinBurgundy,wasfounddead,withhisgrayhorse,inalittlemarshmeadow。\"

  \"Friend,\"returnedtheking,\"youarespeakingofabattle。

  Thequestionhereisofamutiny。AndIwillgaintheupperhandofitassoonasitshallpleasemetofrown。\"

  Theotherrepliedindifferently,——

  \"Thatmaybe,sire;inthatcase,’tisbecausethepeople’shourhathnotyetcome。\"

  GuillaumeRymconsidereditincumbentonhimtointervene,——

  \"MasterCoppenole,youarespeakingtoapuissantking。\"

  \"Iknowit,\"repliedthehosier,gravely。

  \"Lethimspeak,MonsieurRym,myfriend,\"saidtheking;

  \"Ilovethisfranknessofspeech。Myfather,CharlestheSeventh,wasaccustomedtosaythatthetruthwasailing;I

  thoughtherdead,andthatshehadfoundnoconfessor。MasterCoppenoleundeceivethme。\"

  Then,layinghishandfamiliarlyonCoppenole’sshoulder,——

  \"Youweresaying,MasterJacques?\"

  \"Isay,sire,thatyoumaypossiblybeintheright,thatthehourofthepeoplemaynotyethavecomewithyou。\"

  LouisXI。gazedathimwithhispenetratingeye,——

  \"Andwhenwillthathourcome,master?\"

  \"Youwillhearitstrike。\"

  \"Onwhatclock,ifyouplease?\"

  Coppenole,withhistranquilandrusticcountenance,madethekingapproachthewindow。

  \"Listen,sire!Thereishereadonjonkeep,abelfry,cannons,bourgeois,soldiers;whenthebelfryshallhum,whenthecannonsshallroar,whenthedonjonshallfallinruinsamidgreatnoise,whenbourgeoisandsoldiersshallhowlandslayeachother,thehourwillstrike。\"

  Louis’sfacegrewsombreanddreamy。Heremainedsilentforamoment,thenhegentlypattedwithhishandthethickwallofthedonjon,asonestrokesthehaunchesofasteed。

  \"Oh!no!\"saidhe。\"Youwillnotcrumblesoeasily,willyou,mygoodBastille?\"

  AndturningwithanabruptgesturetowardsthesturdyFleming,——

  \"Haveyouneverseenarevolt,MasterJacques?\"

  \"Ihavemadethem,\"saidthehosier。

  \"Howdoyousettoworktomakearevolt?\"saidtheking。

  \"Ah!\"repliedCoppenole,\"’tisnotverydifficult。Thereareahundredways。Inthefirstplace,theremustbediscontentinthecity。Thethingisnotuncommon。Andthen,thecharacteroftheinhabitants。ThoseofGhentareeasytostirintorevolt。Theyalwayslovetheprince’sson;theprince,never。Well!Onemorning,Iwillsuppose,someoneentersmyshop,andsaystome:’FatherCoppenole,thereisthisandthereisthat,theDemoiselleofFlanderswishestosaveherministers,thegrandbailiffisdoublingtheimpostonshagreen,orsomethingelse,’——whatyouwill。Ileavemyworkasitstands,Icomeoutofmyhosier’sstall,andIshout:

  ’Tothesack?’Thereisalwayssomesmashedcaskathand。

  Imountit,andIsayaloud,inthefirstwordsthatoccurtome,whatIhaveonmyheart;andwhenoneisofthepeople,sire,onealwayshassomethingontheheart:Thenpeopletroopup,theyshout,theyringthealarmbell,theyarmtheloutswithwhattheytakefromthesoldiers,themarketpeoplejoinin,andtheysetout。Anditwillalwaysbethus,solongastherearelordsintheseignories,bourgeoisinthebourgs,andpeasantsinthecountry。\"

  \"Andagainstwhomdoyouthusrebel?\"inquiredtheking;

  \"againstyourbailiffs?againstyourlords?\"

  \"Sometimes;thatdepends。Againsttheduke,also,sometimes。\"

  LouisXI。returnedandseatedhimself,saying,withasmile,——

  \"Ah!heretheyhaveonlygotasfarasthebailiffs。\"

  AtthatinstantOlivierleDaimreturned。Hewasfollowedbytwopages,whoboretheking’stoiletarticles;butwhatstruckLouisXI。wasthathewasalsoaccompaniedbytheprovostofParisandthechevalierofthewatch,whoappearedtobeinconsternation。Thespitefulbarberalsoworeanairofconsternation,whichwasoneofcontentmentbeneath,however。

  Itwashewhospokefirst。

  \"Sire,Iaskyourmajesty’spardonforthecalamitousnewswhichIbring。\"

  Thekingturnedquicklyandgrazedthematonthefloorwiththefeetofhischair,——

  \"Whatdoesthismean?\"

  \"Sire,\"resumedOlivierleDaim,withthemaliciousairofamanwhorejoicesthatheisabouttodealaviolentblow,\"’tisnotagainstthebailiffofthecourtsthatthispopularseditionisdirected。\"

  \"Againstwhom,then?\"

  \"Againstyou,sire?’

  Theagedkingroseerectandstraightasayoungman,——

  \"Explainyourself,Olivier!Andguardyourheadwell,gossip;forIsweartoyoubythecrossofSaint-L?that,ifyoulietousatthishour,theswordwhichseveredtheheadofMonsieurdeLuxembourgisnotsonotchedthatitcannotyetseveryours!\"

  Theoathwasformidable;LouisXI。hadonlysworntwiceinthecourseofhislifebythecrossofSaint-L?。

  Olivieropenedhismouthtoreply。

  \"Sire——\"

  \"Onyourknees!\"interruptedthekingviolently。\"Tristan,haveaneyetothisman。\"

  Olivierkneltdownandsaidcoldly,——

  \"Sire,asorceresswascondemnedtodeathbyyourcourtofparliament。ShetookrefugeinNotre-Dame。Thepeoplearetryingtotakeherfromthencebymainforce。Monsieurtheprovostandmonsieurthechevalierofthewatch,whohavejustcomefromtheriot,areheretogivemethelieifthisisnotthetruth。ThepopulaceisbesiegingNotre-Dame。\"

  \"Yes,indeed!\"saidthekinginalowvoice,allpaleandtremblingwithwrath。\"Notre-Dame!TheylaysiegetoourLady,mygoodmistressinhercathedral!——Rise,Olivier。

  Youareright。IgiveyouSimonRadin’scharge。Youareright。’TisIwhomtheyareattacking。Thewitchisundertheprotectionofthischurch,thechurchisundermyprotection。

  AndIthoughtthattheywereactingagainstthebailiff!

  ’Tisagainstmyself!\"

  Then,renderedyoungbyfury,hebegantowalkupanddownwithlongstrides。Henolongerlaughed,hewasterrible,hewentandcame;thefoxwaschangedintoahyaena。

  Heseemedsuffocatedtosuchadegreethathecouldnotspeak;hislipsmoved,andhisfleshlessfistswereclenched。

  Allatonceheraisedhishead,hisholloweyeappearedfulloflight,andhisvoiceburstforthlikeaclarion:\"Downwiththem,Tristan!Aheavyhandfortheserascals!Go,Tristan,myfriend!slay!slay!\"

  Thiseruptionhavingpassed,hereturnedtohisseat,andsaidwithcoldandconcentratedwrath,——

  \"Here,Tristan!ThereareherewithusintheBastillethefiftylancesoftheVicomtedeGif,whichmakesthreehundredhorse:youwilltakethem。ThereisalsothecompanyofourunattachedarchersofMonsieurdeChateaupers:youwilltakeit。Youareprovostofthemarshals;youhavethemenofyourprovostship:youwilltakethem。AttheH?telSaint-Polyouwillfindfortyarchersofmonsieurthedauphin’snewguard:youwilltakethem。And,withallthese,youwillhastentoNotre-Dame。Ah!messieurs,loutsofParis,doyouflingyourselvesthusagainstthecrownofFrance,thesanctityofNotre-Dame,andthepeaceofthiscommonwealth!Exterminate,Tristan!exterminate!andletnotasingleoneescape,exceptitbeforMontfau?on。\"

  Tristanbowed。\"’Tiswell,sire。\"

  Headded,afterasilence,\"AndwhatshallIdowiththesorceress?\"

  Thisquestioncausedthekingtomeditate。

  \"Ah!\"saidhe,\"thesorceress!Monsieurd’Estouteville,whatdidthepeoplewishtodowithher?\"

  \"Sire,\"repliedtheprovostofParis,\"IimaginethatsincethepopulacehascometotearherfromherasyluminNotre-

  Dame,’tisbecausethatimpunitywoundsthem,andtheydesiretohangher。\"

  Thekingappearedtoreflectdeeply:then,addressingTristanl’Hermite,\"Well!gossip,exterminatethepeopleandhangthesorceress。\"

  \"That’sit,\"saidRyminalowtonetoCoppenole,\"punishthepeopleforwillingathing,andthendowhattheywish。\"

  \"Enough,sire,\"repliedTristan。\"IfthesorceressisstillinNotre-Dame,mustshebeseizedinspiteofthesanctuary?\"

  \"~Pasque-Dieu~!thesanctuary!\"saidtheking,scratchinghisear。\"Butthewomanmustbehung,nevertheless。\"

  Here,asthoughseizedwithasuddenidea,heflunghimselfonhiskneesbeforehischair,tookoffhishat,placeditontheseat,andgazingdevoutlyatoneoftheleadenamuletswhichloadeditdown,\"Oh!\"saidhe,withclaspedhands,\"ourLadyofParis,mygraciouspatroness,pardonme。Iwillonlydoitthisonce。Thiscriminalmustbepunished。Iassureyou,madamethevirgin,mygoodmistress,thatsheisasorceresswhoisnotworthyofyouramiableprotection。

  Youknow,madame,thatmanyverypiousprinceshaveoversteppedtheprivilegesofthechurchesforthegloryofGodandthenecessitiesoftheState。SaintHugues,bishopofEngland,permittedKingEdwardtohangawitchinhischurch。Saint-LouisofFrance,mymaster,transgressed,withthesameobject,thechurchofMonsieurSaint-Paul;andMonsieurAlphonse,sonofthekingofJerusalem,theverychurchoftheHolySepulchre。Pardonme,then,forthisonce。OurLadyofParis,Iwillneverdosoagain,andIwillgiveyouafinestatueofsilver,liketheonewhichIgavelastyeartoOurLadyofEcouys。Sobeit。\"

  Hemadethesignofthecross,rose,donnedhishatoncemore,andsaidtoTristan,——

  \"Bediligent,gossip。TakeMonsieurChateauperswithyou。Youwillcausethetocsintobesounded。Youwillcrushthepopulace。Youwillseizethewitch。’Tissaid。

  AndImeanthebusinessoftheexecutiontobedonebyyou。

  Youwillrendermeanaccountofit。Come,Olivier,Ishallnotgotobedthisnight。Shaveme。\"

  Tristanl’Hermitebowedanddeparted。Thentheking,dismissingRymandCoppenolewithagesture,——

  \"Godguardyou,messieurs,mygoodfriendstheFlemings。

  Go,takealittlerepose。Thenightadvances,andwearenearerthemorningthantheevening。\"

  BothretiredandgainedtheirapartmentsundertheguidanceofthecaptainoftheBastille。CoppenolesaidtoGuillaumeRym,——

  \"Hum!Ihavehadenoughofthatcoughingking!IhaveseenCharlesofBurgundydrunk,andhewaslessmalignantthanLouisXI。whenailing。\"

  \"MasterJacques,\"repliedRym,\"’tisbecausewinerenderskingslesscruelthandoesbarleywater。\"

  CHAPTERVI。

  LITTLESWORDINPOCKET。

  OnemergingfromtheBastille,GringoiredescendedtheRueSaint-Antoinewiththeswiftnessofarunawayhorse。OnarrivingattheBaudoyergate,hewalkedstraighttothestonecrosswhichroseinthemiddleofthatplace,asthoughhewereabletodistinguishinthedarknessthefigureofamancladandcloakedinblack,whowasseatedonthestepsofthecross。

  \"Isityou,master?\"saidGringoire。

  Thepersonageinblackrose。

  \"Deathandpassion!Youmakemeboil,Gringoire。ThemanonthetowerofSaint-Gervaishasjustcriedhalf-pastoneo’clockinthemorning。\"

  \"Oh,\"retortedGringoire,\"’tisnofaultofmine,butofthewatchandtheking。Ihavejusthadanarrowescape。I

  alwaysjustmissbeinghung。’Tismypredestination。\"

  \"Youlackeverything,\"saidtheother。\"Butcomequickly。

  Haveyouthepassword?\"

  \"Fancy,master,Ihaveseentheking。Icomefromhim。

  Hewearsfustianbreeches。’Tisanadventure。\"

  \"Oh!distaffofwords!whatisyouradventuretome!

  Haveyouthepasswordoftheoutcasts?\"

  \"Ihaveit。Beatease。’Littleswordinpocket。’\"

  \"Good。Otherwise,wecouldnotmakeourwayasfarasthechurch。Theoutcastsbarthestreets。Fortunately,itappearsthattheyhaveencounteredresistance。Wemaystillarriveintime。\"

  \"Yes,master,buthowarewetogetintoNotre-Dame?\"

  \"Ihavethekeytothetower。\"

  \"Andhowarewetogetoutagain?\"

  \"BehindthecloisterthereisalittledoorwhichopensontheTerrainandthewater。Ihavetakenthekeytoit,andI

  mooredaboattherethismorning。\"

  \"Ihavehadabeautifulescapefrombeinghung!\"Gringoirerepeated。

  \"Eh,quick!come!\"saidtheother。

  Bothdescendedtowardsthecitywithlongstrides。

  CHAPTERVII。

  CHATEAUPERSTOTHERESCUE。

  Thereaderwill,perhaps,recallthecriticalsituationinwhichweleftQuasimodo。Thebravedeafman,assailedonallsides,hadlost,ifnotallcourage,atleastallhopeofsaving,nothimselfhewasnotthinkingofhimself,butthegypsy。Herandistractedlyalongthegallery。Notre-Damewasonthepointofbeingtakenbystormbytheoutcasts。

  Allatonce,agreatgallopingofhorsesfilledtheneighboringstreets,and,withalongfileoftorchesandathickcolumnofcavaliers,withfreereinsandlancesinrest,thesefurioussoundsdebouchedonthePlacelikeahurricane,——

  \"France!France!cutdownthelouts!Chateauperstotherescue!Provostship!Provostship!\"

  Thefrightenedvagabondswheeledround。

  Quasimodowhodidnothear,sawthenakedswords,thetorches,theironsofthepikes,allthatcavalry,attheheadofwhichherecognizedCaptainPhoebus;hebeheldtheconfusionoftheoutcasts,theterrorofsome,thedisturbanceamongthebravestofthem,andfromthisunexpectedsuccorherecoveredsomuchstrength,thathehurledfromthechurchthefirstassailantswhowerealreadyclimbingintothegallery。

  Itwas,infact,theking’stroopswhohadarrived。

  Thevagabondsbehavedbravely。Theydefendedthemselveslikedesperatemen。Caughtontheflank,bytheRueSaint-

  Pierre-aux-Boeufs,andintherearthroughtheRueduParvis,driventobayagainstNotre-Dame,whichtheystillassailedandQuasimododefended,atthesametimebesiegersandbesieged,theywereinthesingularsituationinwhichComteHenriHarcourt,~Taurinumobsessoridemetobsessus~,ashisepitaphsays,foundhimselflateron,atthefamoussiegeofTurin,in1640,betweenPrinceThomasofSavoy,whomhewasbesieging,andtheMarquisdeLeganez,whowasblockadinghim。

  Thebattlewasfrightful。Therewasadog’stoothforwolf’sflesh,asP。Mathieusays。Theking’scavaliers,inwhosemidstPhoebusdeChateaupersborehimselfvaliantly,gavenoquarter,andtheslashofthesworddisposedofthosewhoescapedthethrustofthelance。Theoutcasts,badlyarmedfoamedandbitwithrage。Men,women,children,hurledthemselvesonthecruppersandthebreastsofthehorses,andhungtherelikecats,withteeth,fingernailsandtoenails。

  Othersstruckthearchers’inthefacewiththeirtorches。

  Othersthrustironhooksintothenecksofthecavaliersanddraggedthemdown。Theyslashedinpiecesthosewhofell。

  Onewasnoticedwhohadalarge,glitteringscythe,andwho,foralongtime,mowedthelegsofthehorses。Hewasfrightful。Hewassingingaditty,withanasalintonation,heswunganddrewbackhisscytheincessantly。Ateveryblowhetracedaroundhimagreatcircleofseveredlimbs。Headvancedthusintotheverythickestofthecavalry,withthetranquilslowness,thelollingoftheheadandtheregularbreathingofaharvesterattackingafieldofwheat。ItwasChopinTrouillefou。Ashotfromanarquebuslaidhimlow。

  Inthemeantime,windowshadbeenopenedagain。Theneighborshearingthewarcriesoftheking’stroops,hadmingledintheaffray,andbulletsrainedupontheoutcastsfromeverystory。TheParviswasfilledwithathicksmoke,whichthemusketrystreakedwithflame。ThroughitonecouldconfusedlydistinguishthefrontofNotre-Dame,andthedecrepitH?tel-Dieuwithsomewaninvalidsgazingdownfromtheheightsofitsroofallcheckeredwithdormerwindows。

  Atlengththevagabondsgaveway。Weariness,thelackofgoodweapons,thefrightofthissurprise,themusketryfromthewindows,thevaliantattackoftheking’stroops,alloverwhelmedthem。Theyforcedthelineofassailants,andfledineverydirection,leavingtheParvisencumberedwithdead。

  WhenQuasimodo,whohadnotceasedtofightforamoment,beheldthisrout,hefellonhiskneesandraisedhishandstoheaven;then,intoxicatedwithjoy,heran,heascendedwiththeswiftnessofabirdtothatcell,theapproachestowhichhehadsointrepidlydefended。Hehadbutonethoughtnow;itwastokneelbeforeherwhomhehadjustsavedforthesecondtime。

  Whenheenteredthecell,hefounditempty。

  BOOKELEVENTH。

  CHAPTERI。

  THELITTLESHOE。

  LaEsmeraldawassleepingatthemomentwhentheoutcastsassailedthechurch。

  Soontheever-increasinguproararoundtheedifice,andtheuneasybleatingofhergoatwhichhadbeenawakened,hadrousedherfromherslumbers。Shehadsatup,shehadlistened,shehadlooked;then,terrifiedbythelightandnoise,shehadrushedfromhercelltosee。TheaspectofthePlace,thevisionwhichwasmovinginit,thedisorderofthatnocturnalassault,thathideouscrowd,leapinglikeacloudoffrogs,halfseeninthegloom,thecroakingofthathoarsemultitude,thosefewredtorchesrunningandcrossingeachotherinthedarknesslikethemeteorswhichstreakthemistysurfacesofmarshes,thiswholesceneproduceduponhertheeffectofamysteriousbattlebetweenthephantomsofthewitches’sabbathandthestonemonstersofthechurch。

  ImbuedfromherveryinfancywiththesuperstitionsoftheBohemiantribe,herfirstthoughtwasthatshehadcaughtthestrangebeingspeculiartothenight,intheirdeedsofwitchcraft。Thensheraninterrortocowerinhercell,askingofherpalletsomelessterriblenightmare。

  Butlittlebylittlethefirstvaporsofterrorhadbeendissipated;fromtheconstantlyincreasingnoise,andfrommanyothersignsofreality,shefeltherselfbesiegednotbyspectres,butbyhumanbeings。Thenherfear,thoughitdidnotincrease,changeditscharacter。Shehaddreamedofthepossibilityofapopularmutinytotearherfromherasylum。

  Theideaofoncemorerecoveringlife,hope,Phoebus,whowaseverpresentinherfuture,theextremehelplessnessofhercondition,flightcutoff,nosupport,herabandonment,herisolation,——thesethoughtsandathousandothersoverwhelmedher。Shefelluponherknees,withherheadonherbed,herhandsclaspedoverherhead,fullofanxietyandtremors,and,althoughagypsy,anidolater,andapagan,shebegantoentreatwithsobs,mercyfromthegoodChristianGod,andtopraytoourLady,herhostess。Forevenifonebelievesinnothing,therearemomentsinlifewhenoneisalwaysofthereligionofthetemplewhichisnearestathand。

  Sheremainedthusprostrateforaverylongtime,tremblingintruth,morethanpraying,chilledbytheever-closerbreathofthatfuriousmultitude,understandingnothingofthisoutburst,ignorantofwhatwasbeingplotted,whatwasbeingdone,whattheywanted,butforeseeingaterribleissue。

  Inthemidstofthisanguish,sheheardsomeonewalkingnearher。Sheturnedround。Twomen,oneofwhomcarriedalantern,hadjustenteredhercell。Sheutteredafeeblecry。

  \"Fearnothing,\"saidavoicewhichwasnotunknowntoher,\"itisI。\"

  \"Whoareyou?\"sheasked。

  \"PierreGringoire。\"

  Thisnamereassuredher。Sheraisedhereyesoncemore,andrecognizedthepoetinveryfact。Buttherestoodbesidehimablackfigureveiledfromheadtofoot,whichstruckherbyitssilence。

  \"Oh!\"continuedGringoireinatoneofreproach,\"Djalirecognizedmebeforeyou!\"

  Thelittlegoathadnot,infact,waitedforGringoiretoannouncehisname。Nosoonerhadheenteredthanitrubbeditselfgentlyagainsthisknees,coveringthepoetwithcaressesandwithwhitehairs,foritwassheddingitshair。Gringoirereturnedthecaresses。

  \"Whoisthiswithyou?\"saidthegypsy,inalowvoice。

  \"Beatease,\"repliedGringoire。\"’Tisoneofmyfriends。\"

  Thenthephilosophersettinghislanternontheground,croucheduponthestones,andexclaimedenthusiastically,ashepressedDjaliinhisarms,——

  \"Oh!’tisagracefulbeast,moreconsiderablenodoubt,forit’sneatnessthanforitssize,butingenious,subtle,andletteredasagrammarian!Letussee,myDjali,hastthouforgottenanyofthyprettytricks?HowdoesMasterJacquesCharmolue?……\"

  Themaninblackdidnotallowhimtofinish。HeapproachedGringoireandshookhimroughlybytheshoulder。

  Gringoirerose。

  \"’Tistrue,\"saidhe:\"Iforgotthatweareinhaste。Butthatisnoreasonmaster,forgettingfuriouswithpeopleinthismanner。Mydearandlovelychild,yourlifeisindanger,andDjali’salso。Theywanttohangyouagain。Weareyourfriends,andwehavecometosaveyou。Followus。\"

  \"Isittrue?\"sheexclaimedindismay。

  \"Yes,perfectlytrue。Comequickly!\"

  \"Iamwilling,\"shestammered。\"Butwhydoesnotyourfriendspeak?\"

  \"Ah!\"saidGringoire,\"’tisbecausehisfatherandmotherwerefantasticpeoplewhomadehimofataciturntemperament。\"

  Shewasobligedtocontentherselfwiththisexplanation。

  Gringoiretookherbythehand;hiscompanionpickedupthelanternandwalkedoninfront。Fearstunnedtheyounggirl。

  Sheallowedherselftobeledaway。Thegoatfollowedthem,frisking,sojoyousatseeingGringoireagainthatitmadehimstumbleeverymomentbythrustingitshornsbetweenhislegs。

  \"Suchislife,\"saidthephilosopher,everytimethathecamenearfallingdown;\"’tisoftenourbestfriendswhocauseustobeoverthrown。\"

  Theyrapidlydescendedthestaircaseofthetowers,crossedthechurch,fullofshadowsandsolitude,andallreverberatingwithuproar,whichformedafrightfulcontrast,andemergedintothecourtyardofthecloisterbythereddoor。

  Thecloisterwasdeserted;thecanonshadfledtothebishop’spalaceinordertopraytogether;thecourtyardwasempty,afewfrightenedlackeyswerecrouchingindarkcorners。TheydirectedtheirstepstowardsthedoorwhichopenedfromthiscourtupontheTerrain。Themaninblackopeneditwithakeywhichhehadabouthim。OurreadersareawarethattheTerrainwasatongueoflandenclosedbywallsonthesideoftheCityandbelongingtothechapterofNotre-Dame,whichterminatedtheislandontheeast,behindthechurch。Theyfoundthisenclosureperfectlydeserted。Therewasherelesstumultintheair。Theroaroftheoutcasts’assaultreachedthemmoreconfusedlyandlessclamorously。Thefreshbreezewhichfollowsthecurrentofastream,rustledtheleavesoftheonlytreeplantedonthepointoftheTerrain,withanoisethatwasalreadyperceptible。Buttheywerestillveryclosetodanger。Thenearestedificestothemwerethebishop’spalaceandthechurch。Itwasplainlyevidentthattherewasgreatinternalcommotioninthebishop’spalace。Itsshadowymasswasallfurrowedwithlightswhichflittedfromwindowtowindow;as,whenonehasjustburnedpaper,thereremainsasombreedificeofashesinwhichbrightsparksrunathousandeccentriccourses。Besidethem,theenormoustowersofNotre-Dame,thusviewedfrombehind,withthelongnaveabovewhichtheyrisecutoutinblackagainsttheredandvastlightwhichfilledtheParvis,resembledtwogiganticandironsofsomecyclopeanfire-grate。

  WhatwastobeseenofParisonallsideswaveredbeforetheeyeinagloommingledwithlight。Rembrandthassuchbackgroundstohispictures。

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