Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 144 — page 28: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE-DAME. 28 -- . ~-- ee ee —EEE his knuckles to give them the appesrance of weeping ‘it is Greek—'tis an anapest of Hschylus, which ox- presses grief to the life.”’ He then burst into a laugh so droll and ungoverna- scholars to skip a Greek word without pronouncing it, and to say Graecum eat, non I have not even been able to discover the secret of Cassi- egitur.”’ Jehan boldly raised his eyes. cdorus, who made a lamp te burn without wick and) without oil. A simple matter, nevertheless !’’ * Pate!’ muttered Jehan. ‘* Brother,”” said he, “would you like me to explain in simple French, the | © + One single miserable thought then,”’ continued the | Greek word written there upon the wall ?’’ ble that the archdeacon could mot help smiling. It “est, “is sufficient to make 4 man weak or mad! Oh! “ Which word ?” was in fact Claude's fault; why had he so utterly how Claude Pernelle would laugh at me! She who “ ANA’TKH !” spoiled the boy ? ‘* Nay, now, my good brother Clande,”’ resumed Jehan, could not for a moment divert Nicolas Flamel from the “only leok at my worn-out buskins, Did you ever seo A slight flush Tape the pallid face of the “arch- ileacon, like the puff of smoke which betokens the “This happened not three centuries ago. prosecution of the great work! But, have I not in my hand the magic hammer of Zechiele? At every blow svyhich the dread rabbi, in the recesses of his cell struck upon this nail with this hammer, some one of his ene- mies whom he had doomed to destruction sank into the garth which awallowed him tip. The King of France himself, paving one night knocked fora frolic at his door, sank up to his knees in the pavement of Paris. Well, I have the hammer and thenail ; but then these tools are not wmore formidable in my hands than arulein the hands of a nter. And yetI should possess the same Pade could I but discover the magic word pronounced y Zechiele while striking the nail.’’ “ Nonsense |’’ thought Jehan. “TLat’s see! let's try !’’ resumed the archdeacon, with vehemence. “If I succeed, a blue spark will fly from the head of the nail—Emen Hetan! Emen Hetan! That's not it—Sigeani! Sigeani! May this nail open a grave for every man named Phobus—curses on it! for ever and ever the samo idea!” He angrily threw down the hammer, and then sunk forward in his arm-chair upon the table, so that the enormous back completely hid him from Jehan’s sight. For a fow minutes he saw no part of him but his hand convulsively clenched upon a book. All at once Dom Claude rose, took up 4 pair of compasses, and engraved in silence on the wall in capital letters, the Greek word ‘ANA TRE. “My brother is mad,” said Jehan to himself. would have been much more simple to write Fatum. Everybody is not obliged to understand Greek.” The archdeacon returned, seated himself again in his arm-chair, and Jaid his head on both his hands like one whose head aches to such a degree that he cannot hold it up. The student watched his brother with astonishment. He, who carried his heart in his hand, who observed no other law in the world but the good law of Nature, oe let his passions run off by his inclinations, and in whom the lake of powerful emotions was always dry, ~ “Tt so assiduous was he every morning in making new channels to drain it—he knew not how furiously this sea of human passions ferments and boils when it is refused any outlet ; how it swells, how it rises, how it overfiows ; how it heaves in inward convulsions, till it has broken down its dykes and burst its bed. The austere and icy envelope of Claude Frollo, that cold suriuce of inaccessible virtue, had always deceived Jehan. The jovial scholar never dreamt o ° the lava, deep and furious, which boils beneath the snowy crust of Atna. : We kuow not whether these ideas occurred to him at this moment; but, volatile as he was, he apprehended that he had seen more than he ought to have seen, that he had surprised the soul of his elder brother in one of its most secret attitudes, and he must take good care not to let Claude perceive it. Perceiving that the archdeacon had relapsed into hia former stupor, he softly drew back his head and took several steps outside the door, that his footfall might apprise the archdeacon of his arrival. . “Come in,’’ cried hia brother, from within the cell; “T have been waiting for you. Come in, Master Jacques.”’ e acholar boldly entered. The archdeacon, to whom such a visitor in auch s place was anything but welcome, started at the sightofhim. ‘What! isit you, Jehan ?”" “*Tis a J at any rate," said the student, with his ruddy, impudent, jovial face. The countenance of Dom Claude resumed its stern expression, ‘ What brings you hither ?’’ “ Brother,” replied the scholar, assuming as humble, modest, and decorous an sir as he could, and twirling his cap on his fingers with a look of innocence, “TIT am come to ask of you ’’—— | “ What ?’’ A “A little wholesome advice, which I much need.” durst not add—*“ and alittle money which Ineed J I more.’’ This last member of the sentence he forebore to utter. ‘ ‘Sir,’ said the archdeacon, in an sustere tone, ‘‘ lam highly displeased with you.’’ si Alaa !’* sighed the student. Dom Clau circle, and looked steadfastly at Jehan. seo you,” said he. iis was an ominous exordium. Jehan prepared himself for a fierce attack. “E day, Jehan, eeinints are brought to me of your conduct... What have you to say for about that beating which you gave to the Albert de Ramonchamp ?” “Oh!” replied Jehan, a mere bagatelle! Thescu Page am himself with making his horse run in the mud forthe on of splashing the scholars.” a And what excuse have you to make,’ resumed the ‘archdeacon, ‘‘about that affair with Mahiet Targel, aba —_ you tore? Tunicam dechiraverunt, says the culmpian “ay “Pooh! only one of the sorry Montaigu hoods! tats td pisint : , ‘* The com nt says funicam and not capettam, Have you not learned Latin ?” Jehan made no reply. “ Yes," continued the priest, is at a low ebb now. 6 Lat e is scarcely understood, the Syriac unknown, the k so hateful that it is not accounted ignorance oven in the greatest made his chair describe one-fourth of a “I wanted to ourself iscount in he study of letters — secret commotions of s volcano. The student scarcely perceivedit. ‘“ Well, Jehan,” stammered the elder brother with some effort, ‘‘ what is the meaning of that word ?’’ “ FaTALITY.” Dom Claude turned pale, and the scholar carelessly ‘‘And that word underneath, engraven by the same hand, ‘ Anagneia, signifies impurity. You see lI This Greek lesson had Yeung Jehan, who had all the art of a spoiled child, deemed it a favorable moment Assuming, therefore, as soothing a tone as possible, he thus began: ‘‘ My good brother, surely you will not look morose and take a dislike to me, merely on account of afew petty bruises and thumps given in a fair fight to a pack of little chits ibhusdam marmosetis. You seelI do know continued : do know something of Greek.” The archdeacon was silent. made him thoughtful, for hazarding his request. and en ae something of Latin, brother Clande.”’ wrinkle from the brow of the archdeacon. the point,”’ said he, dryly. age; “it is this—I want money.” and paternal expression. “You know fief of Tirechappe houses, than thirty-nine livres, Parisis. This is half as much the Paclets, but’tis no great deal.” “TI want money,” repeated Jehan, stoically. the bishopric, and that to relieve ourselves from this homage we must pay the most reverend bishop two Now I have not yet been able to save these two marks, as you well know.”’ “TI know that I want money,” repeated Jehan, for the third time. “ And what would you do with it?” At thia question a glimmer of hope danced before the eyes of Jehan. He resumed his soft and fawning manner. “Look you, my dear brother Claude, it fs not for any bad purpose that I make thisapplication. It is not to play the gallant in taverns with your unzains, or to parade the streets of Paris in a suit of gold brocade with a lackey at my heels. No, brother; it is for an act of charity.” “What act of charity ?”" inquired Claude, with some surprise. “There are two of my friends who have proposed to purchase baby-linen for the child of a poor widow in Haudry’s alms-house ; itis a real charity. It would cost three florins, and I wish to contribute my share.”’ j “A likely story!’ observed the sagacious Claude. “ What sort of baby-linen must it be to cost three florins —and that, too, for the infantof the Haudry widows ! Since when have these widows had young infants to provide clothes for ?’’ “ Well then,”’ cried Jehan, once more arming hims¢lf with his usual impudence, “I want money to go at night to see Isabeau Ja Thierrye.”’ “Dissolute wretch |'" exclaimed the priest. oa ia,’ said Jehan. — This word, which stared the scholar in the face on the wall of the cell produced an extraordinary effect on the priest. He bit his lips, and his anger was extin- guished in a deep blush. “Get you gone!” said he to Jehan; “ lexpect some one.”’ Jehan made another attempt. “Brother Claude, give me st least one petit Parisis to get something to eat.” ‘Where are you in Gratian’s decretals ?’’ asked Dom Claude. ‘*T have lost my exercises.” “ Where are you in the Latin humanities ?’’ “Somebody has stolen my Horace.” ‘Where are youfn Aristotle?’’ ; “By my fay, brother! which of the fathers of the church is it who says that heretics have in all ages sought refuge under the briars of Aristotle’s meta- physics ? Faugh upon Aristotle! I will not tear my religion to rags against.his metaphysics.” “Young man,” replied thé archdeacon, “at the last entry of the king, there was a gentleman called Philippe de Comines, who had embroidered on the trappings of his horse this motto which I counsel you to ponder well: Qui non laborat non manducet. (He that will not work neither shall he eat.) The scholar continued silent for a moment, with his finger on his ear, his eye fixed upon the floor, and a look of vexation. All at once turning toward Claude with the brisk motion of a water-wagtail, ‘‘Then,my good brother,” said he, “you réfuse me as sou to buy meas crust at the baker's?” “ Qui non laborat non manducet.”” At this inflexible answer of the archdeacon’s, Jehan covered his face with his hands, sobbed like # woman, and cried in a tone of despair: ‘‘ Oto fo to totoi!” “ What is the meaning of that?’ asked Claude, sur- prised at this vagary. “Why, said the scholar, after rubbing his oyes with But this canting hypocrisy had notits accustomed effect upon the stern senior. It did pot removea single “Come to “ Well, then,” replied Jehan, screwing up his cour- At this straightforward declaration the counténance of the archdeacon all at once assumed a magisterial Monsieur Jehan,” said he, ‘‘ that our produces no more, deducting ground-rent and other outgoings for the twenty-one even sous, six deniers ain as In the time of “You know that the official hag decided that our marks in silver gilt at the rate of six livres Parisis. | cellent idea occurred to him. a more lamentable sight ?” The archdeacon had quickly resumed his former sternness. “I will send you mew buskins, but no money.” . “Only one poor petit Parisis, brother!” besought Jehan. “I will learn Gratian by heart, I will be a good Christian, a real Pythagoras of learning and virtue. One petit Parisis, pray! Would you let mo fall a prey to hunger which is staring me in the face ?’’ Dom Clande shvok his wrinkled brow. “ Qué non a — “ Well, then,” cried Jehan, interrupting him, “ jollity for ever! I will game, I will fight, I will go to the tay- ern and the bordel t” | So saying he threw up his cap, and snapped his fin- gers like castanets. The archdeacon eyed him with gloomy look, “Jehan,” said. he, ‘‘ you are onavery slippery de- scent. Know you whither you are going ?”’ ‘To the tavern,”’ said Jehan. “The tavern leads to the pillory.’’ ‘*’'Tis a lantern like any other; and it was perhaps the one with which Diogenes found his man.” “The pillory leads to the gallows.” “The gallows is a balance, which has aman at one end and all the world at the other. "Tis s fine thing to be the man.” | “The gallows leads to hell.”’ “That is 4 rousing fire.” “Jehan, Jehan, the end will be bad.” | “The beginning at least will haye been good.” At this moment the sound of a footfall was heard on the atairs. “Silence!” said the archdeacon; “here i# Maater Jacques. Hark ye, Jehan,”’ added he, in a lower tone, ‘be sure not to mention what you shall have seen and twenty-one houses are liable to the payment of fines fo | heard here. Quick! hide yourself under thig furnace, ' and don’t so much as breathe.” The scholar crept under the furnace, Here an ox- “By-the-by, brother Claude, I must have a florin for not breathing.” “Silence | you shall have it.” “But give it me now.” “There, take it!’’ said the archdeacon, angriy, throwing him his pouch. Jehan crawled as far ae he could unier the furnace and the door opened. CHAPTER YV. ‘THE €WO MEN IN BLACK. \ THe person who entered had 8 black gown and a os look. Our friend Jehan who had contrived © arrange himself in his hiding-place in such « manner as to hear and see all that , wae struck at the first glance by the perfect ss Of the garb and the countenanes of the visitor. A certain gentleness at the same time overspread that face; but it was the gentleness of acat orajudge. Theman was very gray, wrinkled, and hard upon sixty ; with white eyebrows, hanging lip, and large hands. When Jehan saw that it was nobody, that is to say, in all probability some physician or magistrate,and that his nose was at a great distance from his mouth, @ gure sign of atupidity, he shrank back in hia hole, vexed at the prospect of having to pass an indefinite time in so confined a posture and in auch scurvy company. The archdeacon meanwhile had not risem to this personage. He motioned to him to be seated on s stool near the door, and after a few moment's silence, in which he seemed to be pursing # previous modita- tion, he said with the tone of @ patron to his client, ‘* Good-morrow, Master Jacquos."’ “ Good-morrow, master,”’ replied the man in black. In the two ways of pronouncing on the one haad that Master Jacques, and on the other that maser by way of eminence, there was a8 much difference as’ be- tween Monseignour, and Monsieur; it cloarly bespoke the teacher and the disciple. “Well,” resumed the archdeacon, after snother silence, which Master Jacques took caro_not to inter- rupt, “have you.succeeded ?” “Alas| master,”’ said the other with s sorrowful smile, “I keep puffing away. More ashes than I waat, but not an atom of gold.” A gesture of displeasure escaped Dom Claude. “T was not talking of that, ter Jacques Ohar- molue, but of the proceedings against your sorcerer, Marc Cenaine, I think you called him, the butler of the Gourt of Accompts. Doth he confess his guilt? Has the torture produced the desired effect ?"’ “ Alas! no,” replied Master Jacqdtes, still with his gad smile; ‘‘ we have not that consolation. The man is as hard as aflint. We might boil him in the Swine Market before he would! confess. However, we are sparing no pains to get at the truth: hia joints are all dislocated. We are tryingeverything we can think of. as old Plautus says: Advyorsum stiniulos, laminas crucesqnue, compedes quo, Nervos, catenas, carceres, numellas, pedicas, boias— but all to no purpose. Oh! he is a terrible fellow. He fairly puzzles me.” “ Have you found nothing further in his house?” “Yes,"’ said Master Jacquos, groping in hia pouch ; “this parchment. Thore are words upon it whioh our comprehension; snd yet Monsieur Philippe eulier, the criminal advocate, knows something of Hebrew, which he picked up in the affair of the Jows at Brussels.” EO JOOKSTGO