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〃Ugh!〃 roared a Norman; recognizable by his nasal accent; 〃we are packed in here like the saints of Caillouville!〃
〃My sons;〃 the Duke of Egypt was saying to his audience; in a falsetto voice; 〃sorceresses in France go to the witches' sabbath without broomsticks; or grease; or steed; merely by means of some magic words。 The witches of Italy always have a buck waiting for them at their door。 All are bound to go out through the chimney。〃
The voice of the young scamp armed from head to foot; dominated the uproar。
〃Hurrah! hurrah!〃 he was shouting。 〃My first day in armor! Outcast! I am an outcast。 Give me something to drink。 My friends; my name is Jehan Frollo du Moulin; and I am a gentleman。 My opinion is that if God were a ~gendarme~; he would turn robber。 Brothers; we are about to set out on a fine expedition。 Lay siege to the church; burst in the doors; drag out the beautiful girl; save her from the judges; save her from the priests; dismantle the cloister; burn the bishop in his palaceall this we will do in less time than it takes for a burgomaster to eat a spoonful of soup。 Our cause is just; we will plunder Notre…Dame and that will be the end of it。 We will hang Quasimodo。 Do you know Quasimodo; ladies? Have you seen him make himself breathless on the big bell on a grand Pentecost festival! ~Corne du Père~! 'tis very fine! One would say he was a devil mounted on a man。 Listen to me; my friends; I am a vagabond to the bottom of my heart; I am a member of the slang thief gang in my soul; I was born an independent thief。 I have been rich; and I have devoured all my property。 My mother wanted to make an officer of me; my father; a sub…deacon; my aunt; a councillor of inquests; my grandmother; prothonotary to the king; my great aunt; a treasurer of the short robe;and I have made myself an outcast。 I said this to my father; who spit his curse in my face; to my mother; who set to weeping and chattering; poor old lady; like yonder fagot on the and…irons。 Long live mirth! I am a real Bicêtre。 Waitress; my dear; more wine。 I have still the wherewithal to pay。 I want no more Surène wine。 It distresses my throat。 I'd as lief; ~corboeuf~! gargle my throat with a basket。〃
Meanwhile; the rabble applauded with shouts of laughter; and seeing that the tumult was increasing around him; the scholar cried;。
〃Oh! what a fine noise! ~Populi debacchantis populosa debacchatio~!〃 Then he began to sing; his eye swimming in ecstasy; in the tone of a canon intoning vespers; ~Quoe cantica! quoe organa! quoe cantilenoe! quoe meloclioe hic sine fine decantantur! Sonant melliflua hymnorum organa; suavissima angelorum melodia; cantica canticorum mira~! He broke off: 〃Tavern…keeper of the devil; give me some supper!〃
There was a moment of partial silence; during which the sharp voice of the Duke of Egypt rose; as he gave instructions to his Bohemians。
〃The weasel is called Adrune; the fox; Blue…foot; or the Racer of the Woods; the wolf; Gray…foot; or Gold…foot; the bear the Old Man; or Grandfather。 The cap of a gnome confers invisibility; and causes one to behold invisible things。 Every toad that is baptized must be clad in red or black velvet; a bell on its neck; a bell on its feet。 The godfather holds its head; the godmother its hinder parts。 'Tis the demon Sidragasum who hath the power to make wenches dance stark naked。〃
〃By the mass!〃 interrupted Jehan; 〃I should like to be the demon Sidragasum。〃
Meanwhile; the vagabonds continued to arm themselves and whisper at the other end of the dram…shop。
〃That poor Esmeralda!〃 said a Bohemian。 〃She is our sister。 She must be taken away from there。〃
〃Is she still at Notre…Dame?〃 went on a merchant with the appearance of a Jew。
〃Yes; pardieu!〃
〃Well! comrades!〃 exclaimed the merchant; 〃to Notre…Dame! So much the better; since there are in the chapel of Saints Féréol and Ferrution two statues; the one of John the Baptist; the other of Saint…Antoine; of solid gold; weighing together seven marks of gold and fifteen estellins; and the pedestals are of silver…gilt; of seventeen marks; five ounces。 I know that; I am a goldsmith。〃
Here they served Jehan with his supper。 As he threw himself back on the bosom of the wench beside him; he exclaimed;
〃By Saint Voult…de…Lucques; whom people call Saint Goguelu; I am perfectly happy。 I have before me a fool who gazes at me with the smooth face of an archduke。 Here is one on my left whose teeth are so long that they hide his
chin。 And then; I am like the Marshal de Gié at the siege of Pontoise; I have my right resting on a hillock。 ~Ventre… Mahom~! Comrade! you have the air of a merchant of tennis… balls; and you come and sit yourself beside me! I am a nobleman; my friend! Trade is incompatible with nobility。 Get out of that! Hola hé! You others; don't fight! What; Baptiste Croque…Oison; you who have such a fine nose are going to risk it against the big fists of that lout! Fool! ~Non cuiquam datum est habere nasum~not every one is favored with a nose。 You are really divine; Jacqueline Ronge…Oreille! 'tis a pity that you have no hair! Holà! my name is Jehan Frollo; and my brother is an archdeacon。 May the devil fly off with him! All that I tell you is the truth。 In turning vagabond; I have gladly renounced the half of a house situated in paradise; which my brother had promised me。 ~Dimidiam domum in paradiso~。 I quote the text。 I have a fief in the Rue Tirechappe; and all the women are in love with me; as true as Saint Eloy was an excellent goldsmith; and that the five trades of the good city of Paris are the tanners; the tawers; the makers of cross…belts; the purse…makers; and the sweaters; and that Saint Laurent was burnt with eggshells。 I swear to you; comrades。
〃~Que je ne beuvrai de piment; Devant un an; si je cy ment~。*
* That I will drink no spiced and honeyed wine for a year; if I am lying now。
〃'Tis moonlight; my charmer; see yonder through the window how the wind is tearing the clouds to tatters! Even thus will I do to your gorget。Wenches; wipe the children's noses and snuff the candles。Christ and Mahom! What am I eating here; Jupiter? Ohé! innkeeper! the hair which is not on the heads of your hussies one finds in your omelettes。 Old woman! I like bald omelettes。 May the devil confound you!A fine hostelry of Beelzebub; where the hussies comb their heads with the forks!
〃~Et je n'ai moi; Par la sang…Dieu! Ni foi; ni loi; Ni feu; ni lieu; Ni roi; Ni Dieu。〃*
* And by the blood of God; I have neither faith nor law; nor fire nor dwelling…place; nor king nor God。
In the meantime; Clopin Trouillefou had finished the distribution of arms。 He approached Gringoire; who appeared to be plunged in a profound revery; with his feet on an andiron。
〃Friend Pierre;〃 said the King of Thunes; 〃what the devil are you thinking about?〃
Gringoire turned to him with a melancholy smile。
〃I love the fire; my dear lord。 Not for the trivial reason that fire warms the feet or cooks our soup; but because it has sparks。 Sometimes I pass whole hours in watching the sparks。 I