Beadle's New York Dime Library, No. 144 — page 31: what you’re looking at

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

’ THE HUNCHBACKX OF NOTRL-DAME. 31 with a consequential air of gallantry; “ despise you! ! and why ?”’ ‘For haying accompanied you.” | “TI perceive, my beauty, that we don’t understand one another. I ought, by rights, not to despise you, | . but to hate you.” The girl looked at himin alarm. “Hate me! what then have I done?” ‘For wanting so much solicitation.’’ “Alas!"’ said she, ‘Iam -breaking a vow—I shall never find my parents’ again—The charm will lose its | virtue. But no matter! what need have I at present of father and mother ?” As she thus spoke, she fixed on the captain her large, | dark eyes, moist with delight and tenderness. “I declared. do not comprehend you!” exclaimed Phoebus. La Esmeralda was silent for a moment; a,tear then “What are you about?" said she, sharply, roused, State of extreme anxiety. from her reverie. “ Nothing,’’ replied Phebus; “I was only saying that you must lay aside this strange mountebank dress when you arewith me.”’ . . “When lam with you, my Phebus!” said the girl, affec- tionately; and again she became silent and thoughtful. All at once she turned toward him. “Phebus,’ said she, with an expression of infinite love, ‘‘instruct me in thy religion.” ‘My religion !’’ cried the captain, bursting into a horse-laugh ‘‘linstruct youin my religion? Blood and hunter! What do you want with my. religion ?”’ “That we may be married,”’ replied the Egyptian. The captain’s face assumed a mixed expression pf sur- prise, disdain, and.licentious passion. ‘Pooh!’ said he; “ what should we marry for ?”’ The Bohemian turned pale, and sorrowfully drooped trickled from her eye, a sigh burst from her lips, and , her_head, she said, ‘‘Oh, Monseigheur, I love you!’’ There was around this young female such an odor of chastity, such a charm of virtue, that Phoebus did not teel quite at ease by her side. This confession, how- ever, emboldened him. ‘You dolove me!’ with transport, throwing his arm round the waist of the Egyptian, having only waited for such an occasion. | » “ Phoebus,’ resumed the Bohemian, gently removing | from her waist the tenacious hand of the captain,“ you | are kind, you are generous, you are handsome; you gaved me, who am but a poor toundling.« I have long been dreaming about an officersaving my life. It was you that I dreamt of before I knew you; the officer of my dreams had a handsome uniform like you, the look of a gentleman, andasword. Your name is Phebus; _ *tiwa fine name; I love your name, I love your sword. -_ / Never loyed any but thee.” 4 another kiss, w one ought to die !”" Draw your sword, Phebus—let me look at it.” ‘Strange girl!’’ said the captain, unsheathing his aword, with asmile. The Egyptian looked at the han dle, and at the blade, examined with especial curiosity the cipher on the hilt, and kissed the weapon, saying, ** You belong to a brave man.” _ As she bent overit, Phebus availed himself of this opportunity to imprint a kiss upon her beantiful neck. .The girl suddenly raised her head, with a face crim soned like acherry The priest gnashed his teeth in the dark. os tain Phebus,’ the Egyptian a began, “let i) metalk to you. Just stand up a walk, and let me hear your spurs rattle. Gemini! how handsome you are!” The captain rose in*compliance with her wish and said in a tone of rebuke, yet with asmile of satisfaction, ‘“‘Why, how childish you are !—But, my dear, did you ever see me in my state uniform ?’’ ‘Ah, no!’”’ replied she. ‘You would say that is handsome.” Phebus went and again seated himselt beside her, but much closer than before. “Hark you, my dear” —— — The Egyptian patted his lips with her pretty hand, with the grace and playfulness of achild. “No. no, I 'won't hearken to you. Do you love me? I want you to tell me if you love me.” . “DoTllove thee, angel of my life?’ exclaimed the Captain, half sinking on his knees. ‘‘Llove thee, and The captain had so often repeated this declaration in many a’similar conjuncture, that he brought it out without boggling or making a single blunder, At this im aa@oned apostrophe, the neyp ten raised her éyes, with alook’of angelic He gage oward the’ dirty ceil- ing which here ursuped the place of heaven. ‘’Oh!”’ she softly murmured, ‘‘thisis the moment at which Phoebus wep ny it a seasonable moment for stealing ich inflicted fresh torment on thé mis- érable archdéacon in his hiding-place. “To die!’ cried the amorous captain. ‘ What are Se (ts talking of, my angel? Why, ‘tis the very time to . this! Agood joke, by the devil’s horns—No, no, that ' other. My archers shal ve, or Jupiteris acheat! Die atsuch a moment as won't do. Hark ye, my dear-Similar—I beg pardon, Esmenarda—but you have such a prodigiously out- landish name, that I can’t,beat it.into my head.”’» “Good God t”’ said the poor girl, ‘‘ and I thought ita retty name forits singularity. But, since you dislike t, I will change it to whatever you please.” ‘Nay, my darling, don’t think about such trifles! ‘tis a name one must get used to, that’s all. When once I have learned it by heart, I shall _ it off-hand. But listen, my dear Similar; I passienately adore you. I cannot tell how much I love you; and J know a dam- sel whois bursting witherage about it.’’ **Who is that?’ inquired the jealous girl. “ That is nothing tothe purpose " said Phebus. ‘Do you loye me ?’’ " “Dol?” said she. ee “Well, that is enough. You shall see how I love you too. May the great evil Neptunus spit me upon his prong, if I don’t. make youthe happiest girl in the world. We will have a pretty little box somewhere or parade under your windows. * They are all on horseback, and Captain Mignon’s are —_ fools to them. I will take you to the Grange de — "tis a magnificent sight. Eighty thousand stand of arms; thirty thousand suits of bright armor, cuirasses or brigandines; the sixty-seven banners of the trades; the standards of the Parliament, the Chamber of Ac- compts, the ‘workera of the Mint—in short, a devil of a train. I will take you tosee the lionst‘in the King’s Hotel, which all the women are very fond of.” For some moments the damsel, absorbed in her own charming thoughts was drinking in the intoxicating |, _ tones of voice, without attending to the meaning of his words. . ' “Oh! you shall be 80 happy!’’ continued the cap- tain, at the same timie examining the buckle of her belt, said he, | in his kindest tones, “My sweet One,’’ resumed Phebus, tenderly, “ these are silly notions. Of what useis marriage? Do people love one another the less for not having mangled Latin in the shop of @ priest?’ As he thus spoke his eye glistened more and more. " Dom Claude, meanwhile, was watching all that passed. The planks.of which the door was made were so decayed as to leave large chasms for his hawk’s eye. The priest quiyéred and.boiled at the scene. The sight of the beauteous girl thus (/ele-a-tete with the ardent officer seemed to infuse molten leadinto his veins, An extraordinary commotiontook place within him. Who- ever could have seeh, at that moment, the face of the unhappy man closely pressed against the crevices of the door, would. have taken it for the faee of a tiger looking throughthe bars of a cage at some jackal de- youring a gazelle. Hiseye flamedlike a candle through the chasms, All at.once, Phebus snatched away the.neckerchief ofthe Egyptain. The poor girl, who had continued pale and thoughtful, startedup, and hastily retreated from tle enterprising officer. casting. a glance at her bare shoulders, blushing, confused, and dumb with shame, she crossed her two finely-turned arms over her bosom to concealit. But for the flush that crimsoned her cheeks, whoever had seen her thus silent, motion- less, and with downcast eyes, woukd have taken her for astatue of Modesty. ' This attack of the captain’s eye upon her toilet had uncovered the,mysterious amulet which she wore about her neck. ‘* What is that?’ said he, seizing this pretext for ap- prosehing the beautiful creature whom his vehemence ad. just alarmed. “Touch it not,’ answered she, sharply ; ‘tis my pro tector. It is this.that will enable me to find my family,if Ido nothing unworthy ofit Oh, leave me, captain, [beseech you! Ah, mother! my poor mother! whereart thou? Help, help thy child! Pray, Captain Phebus, give me my neckerchief!” * Oh, Mademoiselle!” said Phebus, stepping back, in. a tone of indifference, “I see plainly that,you love me not.” ‘Not love him |’ exclaimed the unhappy girl. at the same time clinging to the captain, and making him sit down by her. ‘* Not love thee,my Phebus? Naughty man to say so!. Wouldst thou break my heart? Iam thine... Of what use to me is the amulet! what need have I of a mother! to.me thon art father and mother, since I loye thee! Phebus, my_ beloved Phoebus, look at me; thou wilt not put away from thee one who comes to place herself in thy hands! My soul, my life, my ail, arathine. So Iam but loved, [ shall be the proudest and happiest of women. And when Iam grown old andugly, Phebus, when I shall be no longer fit forthee to love, then permit me.to be thy servant, Others shall thén embroider, scarfs for thee, but thou wilt Jet me clean thy boots and thy spurs, and brush thy uniform. Thou wilt grant me that indulgence, wilt thou not, my Phabvs? Mean- while takeme; letme belong to thee and be the only object of thy love! We Egyptians.want nothing else but air and love.” é As.she thus spoke, she threw her arms.round the neck of the officer, and with a sweet smile and tearful eye fixed.upon him a beseeching look. The captain pressed his burning lips to her bosom, , All at once above the head of the captain she. belreld another head—a livid, green, convulsive face, with the look of one of the damned; close to this face was a hand holding a dagger. It was the face and the hand of the priest. Unperceivéd by them, he had contrived to break open the crazy door, and there he was ! The girl was struck speechless and motionless with horror by this terrible apparation ; like a dove raising her head atthe moment when a falcon with glaring eyes is looking into her nest, She had not even the power to shriek. She saw the dagger descend wpon the captain, and risé again reeking. “ Perdition!’ he ex- claimed, and fell. She swooned. | , At the moment when her eyes closed, and her senses were forsaking her, she thought that she felt a kiss, burning as a hot iron, impressed upon ‘her lips. On coming to herself, she was’ surrounded by soldiers belonging to the watch. Thecaptain was carried aWay bathed in his blood. The priest was gone. The win- dow at the furtherend of the chamber, which looked toward the river, was wide open. A cloak, supposed to belong to the officer, was picked up, and she heard the mén saying to one another, ‘“ "Tis a sorceress ‘who has stabbed a captain.” , BOOK VII. CHAPTER I. THE CROWN TRANSFORMED INTO A DRY LEAY. For upward of a month Gringoire and the whole of thecrew in the Cour des Miracles had been in a La Esmeralda was missing They knew neither what had Become of her, which sorely grieved the Duke of Egypt and his vagabond subjects .nor what had become of her goat, which redoubled Gringoire’ssorrow One night the girl had disappeared, and all researches had proved bootiless , no traces of her could be discovered. Some of the mendicant tribe had told Gringoire that they had met her that evening, near the Pont St. Michel, walking along with an officer; but this husband after the fashion of Bohemia was an incredulous philosopher : and, besides, he knew better than anyone else how well his wite could defend herself »He had had abun- dant opportunities of judging what invincible chastity resulted from the twocoubined virtues of the amulet and the Egyptian, and had mathematically calculated the resistance of that chastity to the second power. He was. therefore quite easy on that point, But for this very reason he was the more puzzled to account for her disappearance. So deeply-did he take it to heart, that he would have fretted the flesh off his bones, had it, been possible for him to become thinner than he was. He had forgotten. everything else, even his literary pursuits. not exeepting his. great work De Figuris regularibus et irregularibus, which he intended to get printed with the first. money he should have. For he was over head and ears in love with printing, ever since he had seen the Didaskalon of Hugo St. Victor, printed with the celebrated types of Vindelin of Spire. ) : “One day, while sorrowfully passing the Tournelle— aprison for criminals—he perceived a concourse of people about one of the doors of the Palace of Justice. ‘What is going forward here?’ he asked a young man who was coming out. ‘‘ Lknow not, sir,’’ answered the young man. “lam told that they are trying a woman for murdering an of- ficer of the king’s ordinance.’ As there seems to be something of sorcery in thé business, the bishopand the official have interfered,and my brother, the Afchdeacon of Josas, devotes all his time toit. I wanted to speak to him, but could not get at him for the crowd, which vexed me exceedingly, as Lam in Great needof money.’’ * Alas, sir!’’ said Gringoire, ‘“‘I wish it was in my power to lend you some; but my pockets are all in holes—not with crowns or any other coin, I can assure you.”’ . ; He durst not tell the young man thatche knew his brother, the archdeacon, whom-he had never called upon since the scene in the church—aneglect of which he felt ashamed. . , The scholar went his way, and Gringoire followed the crowd who were ascending the great staircase. In his estimation there was nothing like a criminal trial’ for dispelling melancholy, the. judges being in penéral so amusingly stupid. The people with whom he had min- gled moved on and elbowed oné another in siletice. © Af- ter a slow and tiresome sliuffling along an endless pas- sage, which ran winding through*the palace like’the intestinal canal of the old structure, he*arrived ‘at a low door opening into a hall, which, from Mis ‘tall stature, he wis enabled to overlook above the tindila- ting heads of the crowd. The hall was spacious and dark, which made it ap- pear still larger. The day was declining; the tall, pointed windows admitted but a faint light, which, ex- pired before it reached the yaulted roof, an enormous trellis of carved woodwork, the thousand fifures of which seemed to move confusedly in the dusk. There were already several lighted candles here and there upon the tables, which threw their rays upon the heads of clerks poring over heaps of papers. Tire an- terior part of the hall was occupied by the crowd; on the right and left were lawyers seated at tables; at the further end, upon a Praised platform, a great number of judges, men with immovable and sinister-looking faces, the last rows of whom were scarcely discernable for the darkness. The walls were sprinkled with abundance of fleurs de lis. A large crucifix was indistinctly Seen above the judges, and on every side ‘an array of pikes and halberts, which the light of the candles seemed to tip with fire. ‘*Sir,”’ said Gringoire to one of his neighbors, “who are all those persous ranged in rows yonder, like pre- lates in council ?” ) atthe ik ‘“Sir,’’ answered the neighbor, “those are the coun- sellors of the great chamber on the right, and the coun- sellors, of inquiry on the left; the masters.in black gowns, and the messires in red ones.”’ pin “And who ia that great red porpoise above them ?”” inquired Gringoire. , “That is monsieur the president,” . Re. ‘“‘And those rams behind him?’ contifiued Grin- goire, who, as we have already o ed, was nof fond of magistrates;. perhaps owing to the grudgé which he bore the Palace of Justice ever since his dramatic miscarriage. von > . Ay are the mastefs of requests of the king’s otel.”’ " ‘‘ And that boar in front.of them ?’”’ “ The clerk to the Court of Parliament.’ “ And that crocodile, on right?’ as! * Leg t ol Philippe Lheulier, advocate extraordinary the Me “ And that great black cat on the left?’ " “ Master Jacques Charmolue, the king’s proctor in the ecclesiastical court, with the, ggntlemen ,of the officiality.””.. : ~ ‘* But, pray you, sir, what are all folks about here ?”’ be app “They are trying somebody.” ce “ Who is it? Ido not see the accused,” “It is @ young woman, sir. She ‘stands with ner back toward us, and we can’t see her for the crowd. bebe she is, where you see that group of hal- ‘Do you know her name ?”’ asked Gringoire. “No, sir, Tam but’just come’ but I presume that * thes6 worthy > 4. (E@) (E| 00 )(0) (E(o)