第10章

类别:其他 作者:Victor Hugo字数:21720更新时间:18/12/19 16:58:50
ItiscertainthatJehanhadmadeaverybadchoiceofnamesforhistwofriends。Herealizedittoolate。 \"Andthen,\"pursuedthesagaciousClaude,\"whatsortofaninfant’soutfitisitthatistocostthreeforms,andthatforthechildofaHaudriette?SincewhenhavetheHaudriettewidowstakentohavingbabesinswaddling-clothes?\" Jehanbroketheiceoncemore。 \"Eh,well!yes!IneedmoneyinordertogoandseeIsabeaulaThierryeto-night;intheVal-d’Amour!\" \"Impurewretch!\"exclaimedthepriest。 \"~Avayveia~!\"saidJehan。 Thisquotation,whichthescholarborrowedwithmalice,perchance,fromthewallofthecell,producedasingulareffectonthearchdeacon。Hebithislipsandhiswrathwasdrownedinacrimsonflush。 \"Begone,\"hesaidtoJehan。\"Iamexpectingsomeone。\" Thescholarmadeonemoreeffort。 \"BrotherClaude,givemeatleastonelittleparisistobuysomethingtoeat。\" \"HowfarhaveyougoneintheDecretalsofGratian?\" demandedDomClaude。 \"Ihavelostmycopybooks。 \"WhereareyouinyourLatinhumanities?\" \"MycopyofHoracehasbeenstolen。\" \"WhereareyouinAristotle?\" \"I’faith!brotherwhatfatherofthechurchisit,whosaysthattheerrorsofhereticshavealwayshadfortheirlurkingplacethethicketsofAristotle’smetaphysics?AplagueonAristotle!Icarenottotearmyreligiononhismetaphysics。\" \"Youngman,\"resumedthearchdeacon,\"attheking’slastentry,therewasayounggentleman,namedPhilippedeComines,whoworeembroideredonthehousingsofhishorsethisdevice,uponwhichIcounselyoutomeditate:~Quinonlaborat,nonmanducet~。\" Thescholarremainedsilentforamoment,withhisfingerinhisear,hiseyesontheground,andadiscomfitedmien。 AllatonceheturnedroundtoClaudewiththeagilequicknessofawagtail。 \"So,mygoodbrother,yourefusemeasouparisis,wherewithtobuyacrustatabaker’sshop?\" \"~Quinonlaborat,nonmanducet~。\" Atthisresponseoftheinflexiblearchdeacon,Jehanhidhisheadinhishands,likeawomansobbing,andexclaimedwithanexpressionofdespair:\"~Orororororoi~。\" \"Whatisthemeaningofthis,sir?\"demandedClaude,surprisedatthisfreak。 \"Whatindeed!\"saidthescholar;andheliftedtoClaudehisimpudenteyesintowhichhehadjustthrusthisfistsinordertocommunicatetothemtherednessoftears;\"’tisGreek!’tisananapaestofAEschyluswhichexpressesgriefperfectly。\" Andhereheburstintoalaughsodrollandviolentthatitmadethearchdeaconsmile。ItwasClaude’sfault,infact: whyhadhesospoiledthatchild? \"Oh!goodBrotherClaude,\"resumedJehan,emboldenedbythissmile,\"lookatmywornoutboots。Isthereacothurnusintheworldmoretragicthantheseboots,whosesolesarehangingouttheirtongues?\" Thearchdeaconpromptlyreturnedtohisoriginalseverity。 \"Iwillsendyousomenewboots,butnomoney。\" \"Onlyapoorlittleparisis,brother,\"continuedthesuppliantJehan。\"IwilllearnGratianbyheart,IwillbelievefirmlyinGod,IwillbearegularPythagorasofscienceandvirtue。Butonelittleparisis,inmercy!Wouldyouhavefaminebitemewithitsjawswhicharegapinginfrontofme,blacker,deeper,andmorenoisomethanaTartarusorthenoseofamonk?\" DomClaudeshookhiswrinkledhead:\"~Quinonlaborat~——\" Jehandidnotallowhimtofinish。 \"Well,\"heexclaimed,\"tothedevilthen!Longlivejoy!I willliveinthetavern,Iwillfight,IwillbreakpotsandIwillgoandseethewenches。\"Andthereupon,hehurledhiscapatthewall,andsnappedhisfingerslikecastanets。 Thearchdeaconsurveyedhimwithagloomyair。 \"Jehan,youhavenosoul。\" \"Inthatcase,accordingtoEpicurius,Ilackasomethingmadeofanothersomethingwhichhasnoname。\" \"Jehan,youmustthinkseriouslyofamendingyourways。\" \"Oh,comenow,\"criedthestudent,gazinginturnathisbrotherandthealembicsonthefurnace,\"everythingispreposteroushere,bothideasandbottles!\" \"Jehan,youareonaveryslipperydownwardroad。Doyouknowwhitheryouaregoing?\" \"Tothewine-shop,\"saidJehan。 \"Thewine-shopleadstothepillory。\" \"’Tisasgoodalanternasanyother,andperchancewiththatone,Diogeneswouldhavefoundhisman。\" \"Thepilloryleadstothegallows。\" \"Thegallowsisabalancewhichhasamanatoneendandthewholeearthattheother。’Tisfinetobetheman。\" \"Thegallowsleadstohell。\" \"’Tisabigfire。\"。 \"Jehan,Jehan,theendwillbebad。\" \"Thebeginningwillhavebeengood。\" Atthatmoment,thesoundofafootstepwasheardonthestaircase。 \"Silence!\"saidthearchdeacon,layinghisfingeronhismouth,\"hereisMasterJacques。Listen,Jehan,\"headded,inalowvoice;\"haveacarenevertospeakofwhatyoushallhaveseenorheardhere。Hideyourselfquicklyunderthefurnace,anddonotbreathe。\" Thescholarconcealedhimself;justthenahappyideaoccurredtohim。 \"Bytheway,BrotherClaude,aformfornotbreathing。\" \"Silence!Ipromise。\" \"Youmustgiveittome。\" \"Takeit,then!\"saidthearchdeaconangrily,flinginghispurseathim。 Jehandartedunderthefurnaceagain,andthedooropened。 CHAPTERV。 THETWOMENCLOTHEDINBLACK。 Thepersonagewhoenteredworeablackgownandagloomymien。ThefirstpointwhichstrucktheeyeofourJehan(who,asthereaderwillreadilysurmise,hadensconcedhimselfinhisnookinsuchamannerastoenablehimtoseeandheareverythingathisgoodpleasure)wastheperfectsadnessofthegarmentsandthevisageofthisnew-corner。 Therewas,nevertheless,somesweetnessdiffusedoverthatface,butitwasthesweetnessofacatorajudge,anaffected,treacheroussweetness。Hewasverygrayandwrinkled,andnotfarfromhissixtiethyear,hiseyesblinked,hiseyebrowswerewhite,hislippendulous,andhishandslarge。WhenJehansawthatitwasonlythis,thatistosay,nodoubtaphysicianoramagistrate,andthatthismanhadanoseveryfarfromhismouth,asignofstupidity,henestleddowninhishole,indespairatbeingobligedtopassanindefinitetimeinsuchanuncomfortableattitude,andinsuchbadcompany。 Thearchdeacon,inthemeantime,hadnotevenrisentoreceivethispersonage。Hehadmadethelatterasigntoseathimselfonastoolnearthedoor,and,afterseveralmomentsofasilencewhichappearedtobeacontinuationofaprecedingmeditation,hesaidtohiminaratherpatronizingway,\"Goodday,MasterJacques。\" \"Greeting,master,\"repliedthemaninblack。 Therewasinthetwowaysinwhich\"MasterJacques\" waspronouncedontheonehand,andthe\"master\"bypreeminenceontheother,thedifferencebetweenmonseigneurandmonsieur,between~domine~and~domne~。Itwasevidentlythemeetingofateacherandadisciple。 \"Well!\"resumedthearchdeacon,afterafreshsilencewhichMasterJacquestookgoodcarenottodisturb,\"howareyousucceeding?\" \"Alas!master,\"saidtheother,withasadsmile,\"Iamstillseekingthestone。Plentyofashes。Butnotasparkofgold。\" DomClaudemadeagestureofimpatience。\"Iamnottalkingtoyouofthat,MasterJacquesCharmolue,butofthetrialofyourmagician。IsitnotMarcCenainethatyoucallhim?thebutleroftheCourtofAccounts?Doesheconfesshiswitchcraft?Haveyoubeensuccessfulwiththetorture?\" \"Alas!no,\"repliedMasterJacques,stillwithhissadsmile;\"wehavenotthatconsolation。Thatmanisastone。 WemighthavehimboiledintheMarchéauxPourceaux,beforehewouldsayanything。Nevertheless,wearesparingnothingforthesakeofgettingatthetruth;heisalreadythoroughlydislocated,weareapplyingalltheherbsofSaintJohn’sday; assaiththeoldcomedianPlautus,—— ~’Advorsumstimulos,laminas,crucesque,compedesque,Nerros,catenas,carceres,numellas,pedicas,boias~。’ Nothinganswers;thatmanisterrible。Iamatmywit’sendoverhim。\" \"Youhavefoundnothingnewinhishouse?\" \"I’faith,yes,\"saidMasterJacques,fumblinginhispouch; \"thisparchment。Therearewordsinitwhichwecannotcomprehend。Thecriminaladvocate,MonsieurPhilippeLheulier,nevertheless,knowsalittleHebrew,whichhelearnedinthatmatteroftheJewsoftheRueKantersten,atBrussels。\" Sosaying,MasterJacquesunrolledaparchment。\"Giveithere,\"saidthearchdeacon。Andcastinghiseyesuponthiswriting:\"Puremagic,MasterJacques!\"heexclaimed。 \"’Emen-Hétan!’’Tisthecryofthevampireswhentheyarriveatthewitches’sabbath。~Peripsum,etcumipso,etinipso~!’Tisthecommandwhichchainsthedevilinhell。 ~Hax,pax,max~!thatreferstomedicine。Aformulaagainstthebiteofmaddogs。MasterJacques!youareprocuratortothekingintheEcclesiasticalCourts:thisparchmentisabominable。\" \"Wewillputthemantothetortureoncemore。Hereagain,\"addedMasterJacques,fumblingafreshinhispouch,\"issomethingthatwehavefoundatMarcCenaine’shouse。\" ItwasavesselbelongingtothesamefamilyasthosewhichcoveredDomClaude’sfurnace。 \"Ah!\"saidthearchdeacon,\"acrucibleforalchemy。\" \"Iwillconfesstoyou,\"continuedMasterJacques,withhistimidandawkwardsmile,\"thatIhavetrieditoverthefurnace,butIhavesucceedednobetterthanwithmyown。\" Thearchdeaconbegananexaminationofthevessel。 \"Whathasheengravedonhiscrucible?~Och!och~! thewordwhichexpelsfleas!ThatMarcCenaineisanignoramus!Iverilybelievethatyouwillnevermakegoldwiththis!’Tisgoodtosetinyourbedroominsummerandthatisall!\" \"Sincewearetalkingabouterrors,\"saidtheking’sprocurator,\"Ihavejustbeenstudyingthefiguresontheportalbelowbeforeascendinghither;isyourreverencequitesurethattheopeningoftheworkofphysicsisthereportrayedonthesidetowardstheH?tel-Dieu,andthatamongthesevennudefigureswhichstandatthefeetofNotre-Dame,thatwhichhaswingsonhisheelsisMercurius?\" \"Yes,\"repliedthepriest;\"’tisAugustinNyphowhowritesit,thatItaliandoctorwhohadabeardeddemonwhoacquaintedhimwithallthings。However,wewilldescend,andIwillexplainittoyouwiththetextbeforeus。\" \"Thanks,master,\"saidCharmolue,bowingtotheearth。 \"Bytheway,Iwasonthepointofforgetting。WhendothitpleaseyouthatIshallapprehendthelittlesorceress?\" \"Whatsorceress?\" \"Thatgypsygirlyouknow,whocomeseverydaytodanceonthechurchsquare,inspiteoftheofficial’sprohibition! Shehathademoniacgoatwithhornsofthedevil,whichreads,whichwrites,whichknowsmathematicslikePicatrix,andwhichwouldsufficetohangallBohemia。Theprosecutionisallready;’twillsoonbefinished,Iassureyou!A prettycreature,onmysoul,thatdancer!Thehandsomestblackeyes!TwoEgyptiancarbuncles!Whenshallwebegin?\" Thearchdeaconwasexcessivelypale。 \"Iwilltellyouthathereafter,\"hestammered,inavoicethatwasbarelyarticulate;thenheresumedwithaneffort,\"BusyyourselfwithMarcCenaine。\" \"Beatease,\"saidCharmoluewithasmile;\"I’llbucklehimdownagainforyouontheleatherbedwhenIgethome。 But’tisadevilofaman;heweariesevenPierratTorteruehimself,whohathhandslargerthanmyown。AsthatgoodPlautussaith,—— ’~Nudusvinctus,centumpondo,esquandopendesperpedes~。’ Thetortureofthewheelandaxle!’Tisthemosteffectual! Heshalltasteit!\" DomClaudeseemedabsorbedingloomyabstraction。HeturnedtoCharmolue,—— \"MasterPierrat——MasterJacques,Imean,busyyourselfwithMarcCenaine。\" \"Yes,yes,DomClaude。Poorman!hewillhavesufferedlikeMummol。Whatanideatogotothewitches’sabbath! abutleroftheCourtofAccounts,whooughttoknowCharlemagne’stext;~Strygavelmasea~!——Inthematterofthelittlegirl,——Smelarda,astheycallher,——Iwillawaityourorders。Ah!aswepassthroughtheportal,youwillexplaintomealsothemeaningofthegardenerpaintedinrelief,whichoneseesasoneentersthechurch。IsitnottheSower?Hé! master,ofwhatareyouthinking,pray?\" DomClaude,buriedinhisownthoughts,nolongerlistenedtohim。Charmolue,followingthedirectionofhisglance,perceivedthatitwasfixedmechanicallyonthegreatspider’swebwhichdrapedthewindow。Atthatmoment,abewilderedflywhichwasseekingtheMarchsun,flungitselfthroughthenetandbecameentangledthere。Ontheagitationofhisweb,theenormousspidermadeanabruptmovefromhiscentralcell,thenwithonebound,rusheduponthefly,whichhefoldedtogetherwithhisforeantennae,whilehishideousproboscisdugintothevictim’sbead。\"Poorfly!\" saidtheking’sprocuratorintheecclesiasticalcourt;andheraisedhishandtosaveit。Thearchdeacon,asthoughrousedwithastart,withheldhisarmwithconvulsiveviolence。 \"MasterJacques,\"hecried,\"letfatetakeitscourse!\" Theprocuratorwheeledroundinaffright;itseemedtohimthatpincersofironhadclutchedhisarm。Thepriest’seyewasstaring,wild,flaming,andremainedrivetedonthehorriblelittlegroupofthespiderandthefly。 \"Oh,yes!\"continuedthepriest,inavoicewhichseemedtoproceedfromthedepthsofhisbeing,\"beholdhereasymbolofall。Sheflies,sheisjoyous,sheisjustborn;sheseeksthespring,theopenair,liberty:oh,yes!butlethercomeincontactwiththefatalnetwork,andthespiderissuesfromit,thehideousspider!Poordancer!poor,predestinedfly!Letthingstaketheircourse,MasterJacques,’tisfate! Alas!Claude,thouartthespider!Claude,thouarttheflyalso!Thouwertflyingtowardslearning,light,thesun。 Thouhadstnoothercarethantoreachtheopenair,thefulldaylightofeternaltruth;butinprecipitatingthyselftowardsthedazzlingwindowwhichopensupontheotherworld,——upontheworldofbrightness,intelligence,andscience——blindfly!senseless,learnedman!thouhastnotperceivedthatsubtlespider’sweb,stretchedbydestinybetwixtthelightandthee——thouhastflungthyselfheadlongintoit,andnowthouartstrugglingwithheadbrokenandmangledwingsbetweentheironantennaeoffate!MasterJacques!MasterJacques!letthespiderworkitswill!\" \"Iassureyou,\"saidCharmolue,whowasgazingathimwithoutcomprehendinghim,\"thatIwillnottouchit。Butreleasemyarm,master,forpity’ssake!Youhaveahandlikeapairofpincers。\" Thearchdeacondidnothearhim。\"Oh,madman!\"hewenton,withoutremovinghisgazefromthewindow。\"Andevencouldstthouhavebrokenthroughthatformidableweb,withthygnat’swings,thoubelievestthatthoucouldsthavereachedthelight?Alas!thatpaneofglasswhichisfurtheron,thattransparentobstacle,thatwallofcrystal,harderthanbrass,whichseparatesallphilosophiesfromthetruth,howwouldstthouhaveovercomeit?Oh,vanityofscience!howmanywisemencomeflyingfromafar,todashtheirheadsagainstthee!Howmanysystemsvainlyflingthemselvesbuzzingagainstthateternalpane!\" Hebecamesilent。Theselastideas,whichhadgraduallyledhimbackfromhimselftoscience,appearedtohavecalmedhim。JacquesCharmoluerecalledhimwhollytoasenseofrealitybyaddressingtohimthisquestion:\"Come,now,master,whenwillyoucometoaidmeinmakinggold?Iamimpatienttosucceed。\" Thearchdeaconshookhishead,withabittersmile。\"MasterJacquesreadMichelPsellus’’~DialogusdeEnergiaetOperationeDaemonum~_。’Whatwearedoingisnotwhollyinnocent。\" \"Speaklower,master!Ihavemysuspicionsofit,\"saidJacquesCharmolue。\"Butonemustpractiseabitofhermeticsciencewhenoneisonlyprocuratorofthekingintheecclesiasticalcourt,atthirtycrownstournoisayear。Onlyspeaklow。\" Atthatmomentthesoundofjawsintheactofmastication,whichproceededfrombeneaththefurnace,struckCharmolue’suneasyear。 \"What’sthat?\"heinquired。 Itwasthescholar,who,illatease,andgreatlyboredinhishiding-place,hadsucceededindiscoveringthereastalecrustandatriangleofmouldycheese,andhadsettodevouringthewholewithoutceremony,bywayofconsolationandbreakfast。 Ashewasveryhungry,hemadeagreatdealofnoise,andheaccentedeachmouthfulstrongly,whichstartledandalarmedtheprocurator。 \"’Tisacatofmine,\"saidthearchdeacon,quickly,\"whoisregalingherselfundertherewithamouse,\" ThisexplanationsatisfiedCharmolue。 \"Infact,master,\"hereplied,witharespectfulsmile,\"allgreatphilosophershavetheirfamiliaranimal。YouknowwhatServiussaith:’~Nullusenimlocussinegenioest~,——forthereisnoplacethathathnotitsspirit。’\" ButDomClaude,whostoodinterrorofsomenewfreakonthepartofJehan,remindedhisworthydisciplethattheyhadsomefiguresonthefa?adetostudytogether,andthetwoquittedthecell,totheaccompanimentofagreat\"ouf!\"fromthescholar,whobegantoseriouslyfearthathiskneewouldacquiretheimprintofhischin。 CHAPTERVI。 THEEFFECTWHICHSEVENOATHSINTHEOPENAIRCANPRODUCE。 \"~TeDeumLaudamus~!\"exclaimedMasterJehan,creepingoutfromhishole,\"thescreech-owlshavedeparted。Och! och!Hax!pax!max!fleas!maddogs!thedevil!Ihavehadenoughoftheirconversation!Myheadishumminglikeabelltower。Andmouldycheesetoboot!Comeon!Letusdescend,takethebigbrother’spurseandconvertallthesecoinsintobottles!\" Hecastaglanceoftendernessandadmirationintotheinteriorofthepreciouspouch,readjustedhistoilet,rubbeduphisboots,dustedhispoorhalfsleeves,allgraywithashes,whistledanair,indulgedinasportivepirouette,lookedabouttoseewhethertherewerenotsomethingmoreinthecelltotake,gathereduphereandthereonthefurnacesomeamuletinglasswhichmightservetobestow,intheguiseofatrinket,onIsabeaulaThierrye,finallypushedopenthedoorwhichhisbrotherhadleftunfastened,asalastindulgence,andwhichhe,inhisturn,leftopenasalastpieceofmalice,anddescendedthecircularstaircase,skippinglikeabird。 Inthemidstofthegloomofthespiralstaircase,heelbowedsomethingwhichdrewasidewithagrowl;hetookitforgrantedthatitwasQuasimodo,anditstruckhimassodrollthathedescendedtheremainderofthestaircaseholdinghissideswithlaughter。OnemerginguponthePlace,helaughedyetmoreheartily。 Hestampedhisfootwhenhefoundhimselfonthegroundonceagain。\"Oh!\"saidhe,\"goodandhonorablepavementofParis,cursedstaircase,fittoputtheangelsofJacob’sladderoutofbreath!WhatwasIthinkingoftothrustmyselfintothatstonegimletwhichpiercesthesky;allforthesakeofeatingbeardedcheese,andlookingatthebell- towersofParisthroughaholeinthewall!\" Headvancedafewpaces,andcaughtsightofthetwoscreechowls,thatistosay,DomClaudeandMasterJacquesCharmolue,absorbedincontemplationbeforeacarvingonthefa?ade。Heapproachedthemontiptoe,andheardthearchdeaconsayinalowtonetoCharmolue:\"’TwasGuillaumedePariswhocausedaJobtobecarveduponthisstoneofthehueoflapis-lazuli,gildedontheedges。Jobrepresentsthephilosopher’sstone,whichmustalsobetriedandmartyrizedinordertobecomeperfect,assaithRaymondLulle:~Subconservationeformoespeciftoesalvaanima~。\" \"Thatmakesnodifferencetome,\"saidJehan,\"’tisIwhohavethepurse。\" Atthatmomentheheardapowerfulandsonorousvoicearticulatebehindhimaformidableseriesofoaths。\"~SangDieu!Ventre。Dieu!Bédieu!CorpsdeDieu!NombrildeBelzebuth!Nomd’unpape!Comeettonnerre~。\" \"Uponmysoul!\"exclaimedJehan,\"thatcanonlybemyfriend,CaptainPhoebus!\" ThisnameofPhoebusreachedtheearsofthearchdeaconatthemomentwhenhewasexplainingtotheking’sprocuratorthedragonwhichishidingitstailinabath,fromwhichissuesmokeandtheheadofaking。DomClaudestarted,interruptedhimselfand,tothegreatamazementofCharmolue,turnedroundandbeheldhisbrotherJehanaccostingatallofficeratthedooroftheGondelauriermansion。 Itwas,infact,CaptainPhoebusdeChateaupers。Hewasbackedupagainstacornerofthehouseofhisbetrothedandswearinglikeaheathen。 \"Bymyfaith!CaptainPhoebus,\"saidJehan,takinghimbythehand,\"youarecursingwithadmirablevigor。\" \"Hornsandthunder!\"repliedthecaptain。 \"Hornsandthunderyourself!\"repliedthestudent。\"Comenow,faircaptain,whencecomesthisoverflowoffinewords?\" \"Pardonme,goodcomradeJehan,\"exclaimedPhoebus,shakinghishand,\"ahorsegoingatagallopcannothaltshort。Now,Iwasswearingatahardgallop。Ihavejustbeenwiththoseprudes,andwhenIcomeforth,Ialwaysfindmythroatfullofcurses,Imustspitthemoutorstrangle,~ventreettonnerre~!\" \"Willyoucomeanddrink?\"askedthescholar。 Thispropositioncalmedthecaptain。 \"I’mwilling,butIhavenomoney。\" \"ButIhave!\" \"Bah!let’sseeit!\" Jehanspreadoutthepursebeforethecaptain’seyes,withdignityandsimplicity。Meanwhile,thearchdeacon,whohadabandonedthedumbfoundedCharmoluewherehestood,hadapproachedthemandhaltedafewpacesdistant,watchingthemwithouttheirnoticinghim,sodeeplyweretheyabsorbedincontemplationofthepurse。 Phoebusexclaimed:\"Apurseinyourpocket,Jehan! ’tisthemooninabucketofwater,oneseesittherebut’tisnotthere。Thereisnothingbutitsshadow。Pardieu!letuswagerthatthesearepebbles!\" Jehanrepliedcoldly:\"HerearethepebbleswherewithIpavemyfob!\" Andwithoutaddinganotherword,heemptiedthepurseonaneighboringpost,withtheairofaRomansavinghiscountry。 \"TrueGod!\"mutteredPhoebus,\"targes,big-blanks,littleblanks,mailles,*everytwoworthoneofTournay,farthingsofParis,realeagleliards!’Tisdazzling!\" *Anancientcoppercoin,theforty-fourthpartofasouorthetwelfthpartofafarthing。 Jehanremaineddignifiedandimmovable。Severalliardshadrolledintothemud;thecaptaininhisenthusiasmstoopedtopickthemup。Jehanrestrainedhim。 \"Fye,CaptainPhoebusdeChateaupers!\" Phoebuscountedthecoins,andturningtowardsJehanwithsolemnity,\"Doyouknow,Jehan,thattherearethreeandtwentysousparisis!whomhaveyouplunderedto-night,intheStreetCut-Weazand?\" Jehanflungbackhisblondeandcurlyhead,andsaid,half- closinghiseyesdisdainfully,—— \"Wehaveabrotherwhoisanarchdeaconandafool。\" \"~CornedeDieu~!\"exclaimedPhoebus,\"theworthyman!\" \"Letusgoanddrink,\"saidJehan。 \"Whereshallwego?\"saidPhoebus;\"’ToEve’sApple。’\" \"No,captain,to’AncientScience。’Anoldwomansawingabaskethandle*;’tisarebus,andIlikethat。\" *~Uneviellequiscieuneanse~。 \"Aplagueonrebuses,Jehan!thewineisbetterat’Eve’sApple’;andthen,besidethedoorthereisavineinthesunwhichcheersmewhileIamdrinking。\" \"Well!heregoesforEveandherapple,\"saidthestudent,andtakingPhoebus’sarm。\"Bytheway,mydearcaptain,youjustmentionedtheRueCoupe-Gueule*Thatisaverybadformofspeech;peoplearenolongersobarbarous。Theysay,Coupe-Gorge**。\" *Cut-WeazandStreet。 **Cut-ThroatStreet。 Thetwofriendssetouttowards\"Eve’sApple。\"Itisunnecessarytomentionthattheyhadfirstgatheredupthemoney,andthatthearchdeaconfollowedthem。 Thearchdeaconfollowedthem,gloomyandhaggard。WasthisthePhoebuswhoseaccursednamehadbeenmingledwithallhisthoughtseversincehisinterviewwithGringoire?Hedidnotknowit,butitwasatleastaPhoebus,andthatmagicnamesufficedtomakethearchdeaconfollowthetwoheedlesscomradeswiththestealthytreadofawolf,listeningtotheirwordsandobservingtheirslightestgestureswithanxiousattention。Moreover,nothingwaseasierthantoheareverythingtheysaid,astheytalkedloudly,notintheleastconcernedthatthepassers-byweretakenintotheirconfidence。Theytalkedofduels,wenches,winepots,andfolly。 Attheturningofastreet,thesoundofatambourinereachedthemfromaneighboringsquare。DomClaudeheardtheofficersaytothescholar,—— \"Thunder!Letushastenoursteps!\" \"Why,Phoebus?\" \"I’mafraidlesttheBohemianshouldseeme。\" \"WhatBohemian?\" \"Thelittlegirlwiththegoat。\" \"LaSmeralda?\" \"That’sit,Jehan。Ialwaysforgetherdevilofaname。 Letusmakehaste,shewillrecognizeme。Idon’twanttohavethatgirlaccostmeinthestreet。\" \"Doyouknowher,Phoebus?\" HerethearchdeaconsawPhoebussneer,benddowntoJehan’sear,andsayafewwordstohiminalowvoice; thenPhoebusburstintoalaugh,andshookhisheadwithatriumphantair。 \"Truly?\"saidJehan。 \"Uponmysoul!\"saidPhoebus。 \"Thisevening?\" \"Thisevening。\" \"Areyousurethatshewillcome?\" \"Areyouafool,Jehan?Doesonedoubtsuchthings?\" \"CaptainPhoebus,youareahappygendarme!\" Thearchdeaconheardthewholeofthisconversation。Histeethchattered;avisibleshiverranthroughhiswholebody。 Hehaltedforamoment,leanedagainstapostlikeadrunkenman,thenfollowedthetwomerryknaves。 Atthemomentwhenheovertookthemoncemore,theyhadchangedtheirconversation。Heheardthemsingingatthetopoftheirlungstheancientrefrain,—— ~LesenfantsdesPetits-CarreauxSefontpendrecornmedesveaux~*。 *ThechildrenofthePetitsCarreauxletthemselvesbehunglikecalves。 CHAPTERVII。 THEMYSTERIOUSMONK。 Theillustriouswineshopof\"Eve’sApple\"wassituatedintheUniversity,atthecorneroftheRuedelaRondelleandtheRuedelaBatonnier。Itwasaveryspaciousandverylowhailonthegroundfloor,withavaultedceilingwhosecentralspringresteduponahugepillarofwoodpaintedyellow; tableseverywhere,shiningpewterjugshangingonthewalls,alwaysalargenumberofdrinkers,aplentyofwenches,awindowonthestreet,avineatthedoor,andoverthedooraflaringpieceofsheet-iron,paintedwithanappleandawoman,rustedbytherainandturningwiththewindonanironpin。Thisspeciesofweather-vanewhichlookeduponthepavementwasthesignboard。 Nightwasfalling;thesquarewasdark;thewine-shop,fullofcandles,flamedafarlikeaforgeinthegloom;thenoiseofglassesandfeasting,ofoathsandquarrels,whichescapedthroughthebrokenpanes,wasaudible。Throughthemistwhichthewarmthoftheroomspreadoverthewindowinfront,ahundredconfusedfigurescouldbeseenswarming,andfromtimetotimeaburstofnoisylaughterbrokeforthfromit。Thepassers-bywhoweregoingabouttheirbusiness,slippedpastthistumultuouswindowwithoutglancingatit。 Onlyatintervalsdidsomelittleraggedboyraisehimselfontiptoeasfarastheledge,andhurlintothedrinking-shop,thatancient,jeeringhoot,withwhichdrunkenmenwerethenpursued:\"AuxHouls,saouls,saouls,saouls!\" Nevertheless,onemanpacedimperturbablybackandforthinfrontofthetavern,gazingatitincessantly,andgoingnofurtherfromitthanapikernanfromhissentry-box。Hewasenvelopedinamantletohisverynose。Thismantlehehadjustpurchasedoftheold-clothesman,inthevicinityofthe\"Eve’sApple,\"nodoubttoprotecthimselffromthecoldoftheMarchevening,possiblyalso,toconcealhiscostume。 Fromtimetotimehepausedinfrontofthedimwindowwithitsleadenlattice,listened,looked,andstampedhisfoot。 Atlengththedoorofthedram-shopopened。Thiswaswhatheappearedtobewaitingfor。Twobooncompanionscameforth。Therayoflightwhichescapedfromthedoorcrimsonedforamomenttheirjovialfaces。 Themaninthemantlewentandstationedhimselfonthewatchunderaporchontheothersideofthestreet。 \"~Corneettonnerre~!\"saidoneofthecomrades。\"Seveno’clockisonthepointofstriking。’Tisthehourofmyappointedmeeting。\" \"Itellyou,\"repeatedhiscompanion,withathicktongue,\"thatIdon’tliveintheRuedesMauvaisesParoles,~indignusquiintermalaverbahabitat~。IhavealodgingintheRueJean-Pain-Mollet,~invicoJohannisPain-Mollet~。Youaremorehornedthanaunicornifyouassertthecontrary。 Everyoneknowsthathewhooncemountsastrideabearisneverafterafraid;butyouhaveanoseturnedtodaintieslikeSaint-Jacquesofthehospital。\" \"Jehan,myfriend,youaredrunk,\"saidtheother。 Theotherrepliedstaggering,\"Itpleasesyoutosayso,Phoebus;butithathbeenprovedthatPlatohadtheprofileofahound。\" Thereaderhas,nodoubt,alreadyrecognizedourtwobravefriends,thecaptainandthescholar。Itappearsthatthemanwhowaslyinginwaitforthemhadalsorecognizedthem,forheslowlyfollowedallthezigzagsthatthescholarcausedthecaptaintomake,whobeingamorehardeneddrinkerhadretainedallhisself-possession。Bylisteningtothemattentively,themaninthemantlecouldcatchinitsentiretythefollowinginterestingconversation,—— \"~Corbacque~!Dotrytowalkstraight,masterbachelor; youknowthatImustleaveyou。Hereitisseveno’clock。 Ihaveanappointmentwithawoman。\" \"Leavemethen!Iseestarsandlancesoffire。YouareliketheChateaudeDampmartin,whichisburstingwithlaughter。\" \"Bythewartsofmygrandmother,Jehan,youareravingwithtoomuchrabidness。Bytheway,Jehan,haveyouanymoneyleft?\" \"MonsieurRector,thereisnomistake;thelittlebutcher’sshop,~parvaboucheria~。\" \"Jehau!myfriendJehan!YouknowthatImadeanappointmentwiththatlittlegirlattheendofthePontSaint- Michel,andIcanonlytakehertotheFalourdel’s,theoldcroneofthebridge,andthatImustpayforachamber。Theoldwitchwithawhitemoustachewouldnottrustme。Jehan! forpity’ssake!Havewedrunkupthewholeofthecuré’spurse?Haveyounotasingleparisisleft?\" \"Theconsciousnessofhavingspenttheotherhourswellisajustandsavorycondimentforthetable。\" \"Bellyandguts!atrucetoyourwhimsicalnonsense!Tellme,Jehanofthedevil!haveyouanymoneyleft?Giveittome,~bédieu~!\"orIwillsearchyou,wereyouasleprousasJob,andasscabbyasCaesar!\" \"Monsieur,theRueGaliacheisastreetwhichhathatoneendtheRuedelaVerrerie,andattheothertheRuedelaTixeranderie。\" \"Well,yes!mygoodfriendJehan,mypoorcomrade,theRueGaliacheisgood,verygood。Butinthenameofheavencollectyourwits。Imusthaveasouparisis,andtheappointmentisforseveno’clock。\" \"Silencefortherondo,andattentiontotherefrain,—— \"~Quandlesratsmangerontlescas,Leroiseraseigneurd’Arras; Quandlamer,quiestgrandeetle(eSeraalaSaint-Jeangele(e,Onverra,par-dessuslaglace,Sortirceuxd’Arrasdeleurplace~*。\" *Whentheratseatthecats,thekingwillbelordofArras; whentheseawhichisgreatandwide,isfrozenoveratSt。 John’stide,menwillseeacrosstheice,thosewhodwellinArrasquittheirplace。 \"Well,scholarofAntichrist,mayyoubestrangledwiththeentrailsofyourmother!\"exclaimedPhoebus,andhegavethedrunkenscholararoughpush;thelatterslippedagainstthewall,andslidflabbilytothepavementofPhilipAugustus。Aremnantoffraternalpity,whichneverabandonstheheartofadrinker,promptedPhoebustorollJehanwithhisfootupononeofthosepillowsofthepoor,whichProvidencekeepsinreadinessatthecornerofallthestreetpostsofParis,andwhichtherichblightwiththenameof\"arubbish- heap。\"ThecaptainadjustedJehan’sheaduponaninclinedplaneofcabbage-stumps,andontheveryinstant,thescholarfelltosnoringinamagnificentbass。Meanwhile,allmalicewasnotextinguishedinthecaptain’sheart。\"Somuchtheworseifthedevil’scartpicksyouuponitspassage!\"hesaidtothepoor,sleepingclerk;andhestrodeoff。 Themaninthemantle,whohadnotceasedtofollowhim,haltedforamomentbeforetheprostratescholar,asthoughagitatedbyindecision;then,utteringaprofoundsigh,healsostrodeoffinpursuitofthecaptain。 We,likethem,willleaveJehantoslumberbeneaththeopensky,andwillfollowthemalso,ifitpleasesthereader。 OnemergingintotheRueSaint-André-des-Arcs,CaptainPhoebusperceivedthatsomeonewasfollowinghim。Onglancingsidewaysbychance,heperceivedasortofshadowcrawlingafterhimalongthewalls。Hehalted,ithalted;heresumedhismarch,itresumeditsmarch。Thisdisturbedhimnotovermuch。\"Ah,bah!\"hesaidtohimself,\"Ihavenotasou。\" HepausedinfrontoftheColleged’Autun。Itwasatthiscollegethathehadsketchedoutwhathecalledhisstudies,and,throughascholar’steasinghabitwhichstilllingeredinhim,heneverpassedthefa?adewithoutinflictingonthestatueofCardinalPierreBertrand,sculpturedtotherightoftheportal,theaffrontofwhichPriapuscomplainssobitterlyinthesatireofHorace,~Olimtruncuseramficulnus~。Hehaddonethiswithsomuchunrelentinganimositythattheinscription,~Eduensisepiscopus~,hadbecomealmosteffaced。 Therefore,hehaltedbeforethestatueaccordingtohiswont。 Thestreetwasutterlydeserted。Atthemomentwhenhewascoollyretyinghisshoulderknots,withhisnoseintheair,hesawtheshadowapproachinghimwithslowsteps,soslowthathehadampletimetoobservethatthisshadowworeacloakandahat。Onarrivingnearhim,ithaltedandremainedmoremotionlessthanthestatueofCardinalBertrand。 Meanwhile,itriveteduponPhoebustwointenteyes,fullofthatvaguelightwhichissuesinthenighttimefromthepupilsofacat。 Thecaptainwasbrave,andwouldhavecaredverylittleforahighwayman,witharapierinhishand。Butthiswalkingstatue,thispetrifiedman,frozehisblood。Therewerethenincirculation,strangestoriesofasurlymonk,anocturnalprowleraboutthestreetsofParis,andtheyrecurredconfusedlytohismemory。Heremainedforseveralminutesinstupefaction,andfinallybrokethesilencewithaforcedlaugh。 \"Monsieur,ifyouarearobber,asIhopeyouare,youproduceuponmetheeffectofaheronattackinganutshell。I amthesonofaruinedfamily,mydearfellow。Tryyourhandnearbyhere。Inthechapelofthiscollegethereissomewoodofthetruecrosssetinsilver。\" ThehandoftheshadowemergedfrombeneathitsmantleanddescendeduponthearmofPhoebuswiththegripofaneagle’stalon;atthesametimetheshadowspoke,—— \"CaptainPhoebusdeChateaupers!\" What,thedevil!\"saidPhoebus,\"youknowmyname!\" \"Iknownotyournamealone,\"continuedthemaninthemantle,withhissepulchralvoice。\"Youhavearendezvousthisevening。\" \"Yes,\"repliedPhoebusinamazement。 \"Atseveno’clock。\" \"Inaquarterofanhour。\" \"AtlaFalourdel’s。\" \"Precisely。\" \"ThelewdhagofthePontSaint-Michel。\" \"OfSaintMichelthearchangel,asthePaterNostersaith。\" \"Impiouswretch!\"mutteredthespectre。\"Withawoman?\" \"~Confiteor~,——Iconfess。\" \"Whoiscalled——?\" \"LaSmeralda,\"saidPhoebus,gayly。Allhisheedlessnesshadgraduallyreturned。 Atthisname,theshadow’sgraspshookthearmofPhoebusinafury。 \"CaptainPhoebusdeChateaupers,thouliest!\" Anyonewhocouldhavebeheldatthatmomentthecaptain’sinflamedcountenance,hisleapbackwards,soviolentthathedisengagedhimselffromthegripwhichheldhim,theproudairwithwhichheclappedhishandonhisswordhilt,and,inthepresenceofthiswraththegloomyimmobilityofthemaninthecloak,——anyonewhocouldhavebeheldthiswouldhavebeenfrightened。TherewasinitatouchofthecombatofDonJuanandthestatue。 \"ChristandSatan!\"exclaimedthecaptain。\"ThatisawordwhichrarelystrikestheearofaChateaupers!Thouwiltnotdarerepeatit。\" \"Thouliest!\"saidtheshadowcoldly。 Thecaptaingnashedhisteeth。Surlymonk,phantom,superstitions,——hehadforgottenallatthatmoment。Henolongerbeheldanythingbutaman,andaninsult。 \"Ah!thisiswell!\"hestammered,inavoicestifledwithrage。Hedrewhissword,thenstammering,forangeraswellasfearmakesamantremble:\"Here!Onthespot!Comeon!Swords!Swords!Bloodonthepavement!\" Buttheotherneverstirred。Whenhebeheldhisadversaryonguardandreadytoparry,—— \"CaptainPhoebus,\"hesaid,andhistonevibratedwithbitterness,\"youforgetyourappointment。\" TheragesofmenlikePhoebusaremilk-soups,whoseebullitioniscalmedbyadropofcoldwater。Thissimpleremarkcausedtheswordwhichglitteredinthecaptain’shandtobelowered。 \"Captain,\"pursuedtheman,\"to-morrow,thedayafterto-morrow,amonthhence,tenyearshence,youwillfindmereadytocutyourthroat;butgofirsttoyourrendezvous。\" \"Insooth,\"saidPhoebus,asthoughseekingtocapitulatewithhimself,\"thesearetwocharmingthingstobeencounteredinarendezvous,——aswordandawench;butI donotseewhyIshouldmisstheoneforthesakeoftheother,whenIcanhaveboth。\" Hereplacedhisswordinitsscabbard。 \"Gotoyourrendezvous,\"saidtheman。 \"Monsieur,\"repliedPhoebuswithsomeembarrassment,\"manythanksforyourcourtesy。Infact,therewillbeampletimeto-morrowforustochopupfatherAdam’sdoubletintoslashesandbuttonholes。Iamobligedtoyouforallowingmetopassonemoreagreeablequarterofanhour。I certainlydidhopetoputyouinthegutter,andstillarriveintimeforthefairone,especiallyasithasabetterappearancetomakethewomenwaitalittleinsuchcases。Butyoustrikemeashavingtheairofagallantman,anditissafertodeferouraffairuntilto-morrow。SoIwillbetakemyselftomyrendezvous;itisforseveno’clock,asyouknow。\"HerePhoebusscratchedhisear。\"Ah。~CorneDieu~!Ihadforgotten! Ihaven’tasoutodischargethepriceofthegarret,andtheoldcronewillinsistonbeingpaidinadvance。Shedistrustsme。\" \"Hereisthewherewithaltopay。\" Phoebusfeltthestranger’scoldhandslipintohisalargepieceofmoney。Hecouldnotrefrainfromtakingthemoneyandpressingthehand。 \"~VraiDieu~!\"heexclaimed,\"youareagoodfellow!\" \"Onecondition,\"saidtheman。\"ProvetomethatIhavebeenwrongandthatyouwerespeakingthetruth。HidemeinsomecornerwhenceIcanseewhetherthiswomanisreallytheonewhosenameyouuttered。\" \"Oh!\"repliedPhoebus,\"’tisallonetome。Wewilltake,theSainte-Marthechamber;youcanlookatyoureasefromthekennelhardby。\" \"Comethen,\"saidtheshadow。 \"Atyourservice,\"saidthecaptain,\"IknownotwhetheryouareMesserDiavolusinperson;butletusbegoodfriendsforthisevening;to-morrowIwillrepayyouallmydebts,bothofpurseandsword。\" Theysetoutagainatarapidpace。Attheexpirationofafewminutes,thesoundoftheriverannouncedtothemthattheywereonthePontSaint-Michel,thenloadedwithhouses。 \"Iwillfirstshowyoutheway,\"saidPhoebustohiscompanion,\"IwillthengoinsearchofthefaironewhoisawaitingmenearthePetit-Chatelet。\" Hiscompanionmadenoreply;hehadnotutteredawordsincetheyhadbeenwalkingsidebyside。Phoebushaltedbeforealowdoor,andknockedroughly;alightmadeitsappearancethroughthecracksofthedoor。 \"Whoisthere?\"criedatoothlessvoice。 \"~Corps-Dieu!Tête-Dieu!Ventre-Dieu~!\"repliedthecaptain。 Thedooropenedinstantly,andallowedthenew-cornerstoseeanoldwomanandanoldlamp,bothofwhichtrembled。 Theoldwomanwasbentdouble,cladintatters,withashakinghead,piercedwithtwosmalleyes,andcoiffedwithadishclout;wrinkledeverywhere,onhandsandfaceandneck;herlipsretreatedunderhergums,andabouthermouthshehadtuftsofwhitehairswhichgaveherthewhiskeredlookofacat。 Theinteriorofthedenwasnolessdilapitatedthanshe; therewerechalkwalls,blackenedbeamsintheceiling,adismantledchimney-piece,spiders’websinallthecorners,inthemiddleastaggeringherdoftablesandlamestools,adirtychildamongtheashes,andatthebackastaircase,orrather,awoodenladder,whichendedinatrapdoorintheceiling。 Onenteringthislair,Phoebus’smysteriouscompanionraisedhismantletohisveryeyes。Meanwhile,thecaptain,swearinglikeaSaracen,hastenedto\"makethesunshineinacrown\"assaithouradmirableRégnier。 \"TheSainte-Marthechamber,\"saidhe。 Theoldwomanaddressedhimasmonseigneur,andshutupthecrowninadrawer。ItwasthecoinwhichthemanintheblackmantlehadgiventoPhoebus。Whileherbackwasturned,thebushy-headedandraggedlittleboywhowasplayingintheashes,adroitlyapproachedthedrawer,abstractedthecrown,andputinitsplaceadryleafwhichhehadpluckedfromafagot。 Theoldcronemadeasigntothetwogentlemen,asshecalledthem,tofollowher,andmountedtheladderinadvanceofthem。Onarrivingattheupperstory,shesetherlamponacoffer,and,Phoebus,likeafrequentvisitorofthehouse,openedadoorwhichopenedonadarkhole。\"Enterhere,mydearfellow,\"hesaidtohiscompanion。Themaninthemantleobeyedwithoutawordinreply,thedoorcloseduponhim;heheardPhoebusboltit,andamomentlaterdescendthestairsagainwiththeagedhag。Thelighthaddisappeared。 CHAPTERVIII。 THEUTILITYOFWINDOWSWHICHOPENONTHERIVER。 ClaudeFrollo(forwepresumethatthereader,moreintelligentthanPhoebus,hasseeninthiswholeadventurenoothersurlymonkthanthearchdeacon),ClaudeFrollogropedaboutforseveralmomentsinthedarklairintowhichthecaptainhadboltedhim。Itwasoneofthosenookswhicharchitectssometimesreserveatthepointofjunctionbetweentheroofandthesupportingwall。Averticalsectionofthiskennel,asPhoebushadsojustlystyledit,wouldhavemadeatriangle。 Moreover,therewasneitherwindownorair-hole,andtheslopeoftheroofpreventedonefromstandingupright。Accordingly,Claudecroucheddowninthedust,andtheplasterwhichcrackedbeneathhim;hisheadwasonfire;rummagingaroundhimwithhishands,befoundonthefloorabitofbrokenglass,whichhepressedtohisbrow,andwhosecool- nessaffordedhimsomerelief。 Whatwastakingplaceatthatmomentinthegloomysoulofthearchdeacon?Godandhimselfcouldaloneknow。 InwhatorderwashearranginginhismindlaEsmeralda,Phoebus,JacquesCharmolue,hisyoungbrothersobeloved,yetabandonedbyhiminthemire,hisarchdeacon’scassock,hisreputationperhapsdraggedtolaFalourdel’s,alltheseadventures,alltheseimages?Icannotsay。Butitiscertainthattheseideasformedinhismindahorriblegroup。 Hehadbeenwaitingaquarterofanhour;itseemedtohimthathehadgrownacenturyolder。Allatoncebeheardthecreakingoftheboardsofthestairway;someonewasascending。Thetrapdooropenedoncemore;alightreappeared。 Therewasatolerablylargecrackintheworm-eatendoorofhisden;heputhisfacetoit。Inthismannerhecouldseeallthatwentonintheadjoiningroom。Thecat-facedoldcronewasthefirsttoemergefromthetrap-door,lampinhand;thenPhoebus,twirlinghismoustache,thenathirdperson,thatbeautifulandgracefulfigure,laEsmeralda。 Thepriestbeheldherrisefrombelowlikeadazzlingapparition。Claudetrembled,acloudspreadoverhiseyes,hispulsesbeatviolently,everythingrustledandwhirledaroundhim;henolongersawnorheardanything。 Whenherecoveredhimself,PhoebusandEsmeraldawerealoneseatedonthewoodencofferbesidethelampwhichmadethesetwoyouthfulfiguresandamiserablepalletattheendoftheatticstandoutplainlybeforethearchdeacon’seyes。 Besidethepalletwasawindow,whosepanesbrokenlikeaspider’swebuponwhichrainhasfallen,allowedaview,throughitsrentmeshes,ofacornerofthesky,andthemoonlyingfarawayonaneiderdownbedofsoftclouds。 Theyounggirlwasblushing,confused,palpitating。Herlong,droopinglashesshadedhercrimsoncheeks。Theofficer,towhomshedarednotlifthereyes,wasradiant。Mechanically,andwithacharminglyunconsciousgesture,shetracedwiththetipofherfingerincoherentlinesonthebench,andwatchedherfinger。Herfootwasnotvisible。Thelittlegoatwasnestlinguponit。 Thecaptainwasverygallantlyclad;hehadtuftsofembroideryathisneckandwrists;agreateleganceatthatday。 ItwasnotwithoutdifficultythatDomClaudemanagedtohearwhattheyweresaying,throughthehummingoftheblood,whichwasboilinginhistemples。 (Aconversationbetweenloversisaverycommonplaceaffair。Itisaperpetual\"Iloveyou。\"Amusicalphrasewhichisveryinsipidandverybaldforindifferentlisteners,whenitisnotornamentedwithsome~fioriture~;butClaudewasnotanindifferentlistener。) \"Oh!\"saidtheyounggirl,withoutraisinghereyes,\"donotdespiseme,monseigneurPhoebus。IfeelthatwhatIamdoingisnotright。\" \"Despiseyou,myprettychild!\"repliedtheofficerwithanairofsuperioranddistinguishedgallantry,\"despiseyou,~tête-Dieu~!andwhy?\" \"Forhavingfollowedyou!\" \"Onthatpoint,mybeauty,wedon’tagree。Ioughtnottodespiseyou,buttohateyou。\" Theyounggirllookedathiminaffright:\"Hateme!whathaveIdone?\" \"Forhavingrequiredsomuchurging。\" \"Alas!\"saidshe,\"’tisbecauseIambreakingavow。I shallnotfindmyparents!Theamuletwillloseitsvirtue。 Butwhatmattersit?WhatneedhaveIoffatherormothernow?\" Sosaying,shefixeduponthecaptainhergreatblackeyes,moistwithjoyandtenderness。 \"DeviltakemeifIunderstandyou!\"exclaimedPhoebus。 LaEsmeraldaremainedsilentforamoment,thenateardroppedfromhereyes,asighfromherlips,andshesaid,—— \"Oh!monseigneur,Iloveyou。\" Suchaperfumeofchastity,suchacharmofvirtuesurroundedtheyounggirl,thatPhoebusdidnotfeelcompletelyathiseasebesideher。Butthisremarkemboldenedhim: \"Youloveme!\"hesaidwithrapture,andhethrewhisarmroundthegypsy’swaist。Hehadonlybeenwaitingforthisopportunity。 Thepriestsawit,andtestedwiththetipofhisfingerthepointofaponiardwhichheworeconcealedinhisbreast。 \"Phoebus,\"continuedtheBohemian,gentlyreleasingherwaistfromthecaptain’stenacioushands,\"Youaregood,youaregenerous,youarehandsome;yousavedme,mewhoamonlyapoorchildlostinBohemia。Ihadlongbeendreamingofanofficerwhoshouldsavemylife。’TwasofyouthatI wasdreaming,beforeIknewyou,myPhoebus;theofficerofmydreamhadabeautifuluniformlikeyours,agrandlook,asword;yournameisPhoebus;’tisabeautifulname。Iloveyourname;Iloveyoursword。Drawyoursword,Phoebus,thatImayseeit。\" \"Child!\"saidthecaptain,andheunsheathedhisswordwithasmile。 Thegypsylookedatthehilt,theblade;examinedthecipherontheguardwithadorablecuriosity,andkissedthesword,saying,—— Youaretheswordofabraveman。Ilovemycaptain。\" Phoebusagainprofitedbytheopportunitytoimpressuponherbeautifulbentneckakisswhichmadetheyounggirlstraightenherselfupasscarletasapoppy。Thepriestgnashedhisteethoveritinthedark。 \"Phoebus,\"resumedthegypsy,\"letmetalktoyou。Praywalkalittle,thatImayseeyouatfullheight,andthatI mayhearyourspursjingle。Howhandsomeyouare!\" Thecaptainrosetopleaseher,chidingherwithasmileofsatisfaction,—— \"Whatachildyouare!Bytheway,mycharmer,haveyouseenmeinmyarcher’sceremonialdoublet?\" \"Alas!no,\"shereplied。 \"Itisveryhandsome!\" Phoebusreturnedandseatedhimselfbesideher,butmuchcloserthanbefore。 \"Listen,mydear——\" Thegypsygavehimseverallittletapswithherprettyhandonhismouth,withachildishmirthandgraceandgayety。 \"No,no,Iwillnotlistentoyou。Doyouloveme?Iwantyoutotellmewhetheryouloveme。\" \"DoIlovethee,angelofmylife!\"exclaimedthecaptain,halfkneeling。\"Mybody,myblood,mysoul,allarethine; allareforthee。Ilovethee,andIhaveneverlovedanyonebutthee。\" Thecaptainhadrepeatedthisphrasesomanytimes,inmanysimilarconjunctures,thathedelivereditallinonebreath,withoutcommittingasinglemistake。Atthispassionatedeclaration,thegypsyraisedtothedirtyceilingwhichservedfortheskiesaglancefullofangelichappiness。 \"Oh!\"shemurmured,\"thisisthemomentwhenoneshoulddie!\" Phoebusfound\"themoment\"favorableforrobbingherofanotherkiss,whichwenttotorturetheunhappyarchdeaconinhisnook。\"Die!\"exclaimedtheamorouscaptain,\"Whatareyousaying,mylovelyangel?’Tisatimeforliving,orJupiterisonlyascamp!Dieatthebeginningofsosweetathing!~Corne-de-boeuf~,whatajest!Itisnotthat。Listen,mydearSimilar,Esmenarda——Pardon!youhavesoprodigiouslySaracenanamethatInevercangetitstraight。’Tisathicketwhichstopsmeshort。\" \"Goodheavens!\"saidthepoorgirl,\"andIthoughtmynameprettybecauseofitssingularity!Butsinceitdispleasesyou,IwouldthatIwerecalledGoton。\" \"Ah!donotweepforsuchatrifle,mygracefulmaid! ’tisanametowhichonemustgetaccustomed,thatisall。 WhenIonceknowitbyheart,allwillgosmoothly。Listenthen,mydearSimilar;Iadoreyoupassionately。Iloveyousothat’tissimplymiraculous。Iknowagirlwhoisburstingwithrageoverit——\" Thejealousgirlinterruptedhim:\"Who?\" \"Whatmattersthattous?\"saidPhoebus;\"doyouloveme?\" \"Oh!\"——saidshe。 \"Well!thatisall。YoushallseehowIloveyoualso。 MaythegreatdevilNeptunusspearmeifIdonotmakeyouthehappiestwomanintheworld。Wewillhaveaprettylittlehousesomewhere。Iwillmakemyarchersparadebeforeyourwindows。Theyareallmounted,andsetatdefiancethoseofCaptainMignon。Thereare~voulgiers,cranequiniers~andhand~couleveiniers~*。IwilltakeyoutothegreatsightsoftheParisiansatthestorehouseofRully。 Eightythousandarmedmen,thirtythousandwhiteharnesses,shortcoatsorcoatsofmail;thesixty-sevenbannersofthetrades; thestandardsoftheparliaments,ofthechamberofaccounts,ofthetreasuryofthegenerals,oftheaidesofthemint;adevilishfinearray,inshort!IwillconductyoutoseethelionsoftheH?telduRoi,whicharewildbeasts。Allwomenlovethat。\" *Varietiesofthecrossbow。 Forseveralmomentstheyounggirl,absorbedinhercharmingthoughts,wasdreamingtothesoundofhisvoice,withoutlisteningtothesenseofhiswords。 \"Oh!howhappyyouwillbe!\"continuedthecaptain,andatthesametimehegentlyunbuckledthegypsy’sgirdle。 \"Whatareyoudoing?\"shesaidquickly。This\"actofviolence\"hadrousedherfromherrevery。 \"Nothing,\"repliedPhoebus,\"Iwasonlysayingthatyoumustabandonallthisgarboffolly,andthestreetcornerwhenyouarewithme。\" \"WhenIamwithyou,Phoebus!\"saidtheyounggirltenderly。 Shebecamepensiveandsilentoncemore。 Thecaptain,emboldenedbyhergentleness,claspedherwaistwithoutresistance;thenbegansoftlytounlacethepoorchild’scorsage,anddisarrangedhertuckertosuchanextentthatthepantingpriestbeheldthegypsy’sbeautifulshoulderemergefromthegauze,asroundandbrownasthemoonrisingthroughthemistsofthehorizon。