登陆注册
3553900000143

第143章 BOOK Ⅸ(10)

'A droll rascal!'said the captain,'who thinks me obliged to run after every woman that loves me,or says she does;especially,if perchance she is anything like thee,owl–faced one!Go—tell her who sent thee that I am going to be married,and she may go to the devil!'

'Hark you!'cried Quasimodo,thinking with a single word to overcome his hesitation;'come,monseigneur,'tis the gipsy girl you wot of!'

This word did indeed make a tremendous impression on P us,but not the kind the hunchback expected.It will be remembered that the gallant officer had retired from the balcony with Fleur–de–Lys a few minutes before Quasimodo saved the condemned girl out of Charmolue's hands.Since then,in all his visits to the Gondelaurier mansion,he had taken good care not to mention the woman,the recollection of whom,after all,was painful to him;and Fleur–de–Lys,on her part,had not deemed it politic to tell him that the gipsy was alive.Consequently P us believed poor'Similar,'as he called her,to be dead,and what's more,for a month or two.Added to which,the captain had been thinking for some moments past that the night was pitch dark;that,combined with the sepulchral voice and supernatural ugliness of the strange messenger,it was past midnight;that the street was as deserted as on the night the spectre–monk had accosted him,and that his horse had snorted violently at sight of the hunchback.

'The gipsy girl!'he exclaimed,almost in fear.'How now,comest thou from the other world?'and his hand went to his dagger–hilt.

'Quick,quick!'said the hunchback,trying to lead the horse on.'This way.'

P us planted a vigorous kick in the middle of his chest.Quasimodo's eye flashed.He made as if to throw himself on the captain,but checked himself suddenly.'Oh,'he exclaimed,''tis well for you there's some one that loves you!'He laid particular stress on the'some one,'then dropping the horse's bridle,'Go your way!'he cried.

P us put spurs to his horse and galloped off,swearing lustily.

Quasimodo watched him disappear down the dark street.'Oh,'murmured the poor deaf hunchback,'to think of refusing that!'

He returned to the Cathedral,lit his lamp,and mounted the stairs of the tower.As he had surmised,the gipsy was where he had left her.

The moment she caught sight of him she ran to him.'Alone!'she cried,clasping her beautiful hands in despair.

'I did not find him,'answered Quasimodo coldly.

'You should have waited the whole night through!'she retorted vehemently.

He saw her angry gesture and understood the reproach.'I will watch better another time,'he said,hanging his head.

'Get you gone!'said she.

He left her.She was displeased with him.But he had chosen rather to be misjudged by her than give her pain.He kept all the grief to himself.

From that day forward the gipsy saw him no more;he came no more to her cell.At most,she would catch a glimpse now and then of the bell–ringer's countenance looking mournfully down upon her from the summit of a tower,but directly she perceived him he would vanish.

We must confess that she was not greatly affected by this voluntary withdrawal of the hunchback.In her heart she was grateful to him for it.Nor did Quasimodo delude himself upon the subject.

She saw him no more,but she felt the presence of a good genius about her.Her provisions were renewed by an invisible hand while she slept.One morning she found a cage of birds on her window–sill.Above her cell there was a sculptured figure that frightened her.She had given evidence of this more than once in Quasimodo's presence.One morning(for all these things were done in the night)she woke to find it gone.It had been broken away,and whoever had climbed up to that figure must have risked his life.

Sometimes,in the evening,she would hear a voice,concealed under the leaden eaves of the steeple,singing,as if to lull her to sleep,a melancholy and fantastic song,without rhyme or rhythm,such as a deaf man might make:

'Look not on the face,

Maiden,look upon the heart.

The heart of a fair youth is oft unsightly;

There be hearts that cannot hold love long.

Maiden,the pine's not fair to see,

Not fair to see as the poplar is,

But it keeps its green the winter through.

'Alas,'tis vain to speak like this!

What is not fair ought not to be;

Beauty will only beauty love;

April looks not on January.

'Beauty is perfect,

Beauty can do all,

Beauty is the only thing that does not live by halves.

The raven flies only by day,

The owl flies only by night,

The swan flies day and night.'

One morning when she rose she found two vases full of flowers standing at the window.One of them was of glass,very beautiful in shape and colour,but cracked;it had let all the water in it run out,and the flowers it held were faded.The other was of earthenware,rude and common,but it retained all the water,so that its flowers remained fresh and blooming.

I know not if she acted with intention,but Esmeralda took the faded nosegay and wore it in her bosom all day.

That day the voice from the tower was silent.

She did not greatly care.She passed her days in caressing Djali,in watching the door of the Gondelaurier mansion,in talking to herself about P us,and crumbling her bread to the swallows.

Besides,she had altogether ceased to see or hear Quasimodo.The poor bell–ringer seemed to have disappeared from the church.However,one night as she lay awake thinking of her handsome captain,she was startled by hearing the sound of breathing near her cell.She rose,and saw by the light of the moon a shapeless mass lying across her door.It was Quasimodo sleeping there upon the stones.

Chapter 5-The Key of the Porte Rouge

同类推荐
  • Going into Society

    Going into Society

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 神应经

    神应经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 顾太清词选

    顾太清词选

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 还丹肘后诀

    还丹肘后诀

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 七破论

    七破论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 东海文集

    东海文集

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 郁达夫在情爱之途

    郁达夫在情爱之途

    “曾因酒醉鞭马,生怕情多累美人。”本书反映郁达夫如何与黑暗势力作斗争,成长为一名伟大的爱国主义作家的同时,着重描写了他与四个品貌各异的年轻女子的情感纠葛。
  • 海贼之登顶世界

    海贼之登顶世界

    希泽:白胡子来喝酒,不醉不归!我可是带了好酒!小马哥赶紧去找白胡子:不好了!老爹,希泽那个混蛋又来找你喝酒了!白胡子:什么?你赶紧去和他说,我卧床不起喝不了酒了!希泽:香克斯出来喝酒!我可是带了好酒来的!拉基·路连忙转身去找香克斯:老大,希泽那个混蛋又来了!香克斯:什么!你开去跟他说,我出去旅游了!快点!希泽:凯多,我来找你喝酒了!带的好酒!杰克连忙跑回去报信:不好了,船长,希泽那个混蛋来找你喝酒了!凯多:你快点告诉他,我被海军抓住了!正被关在推进城里,出不来!推进城中奇怪杰克不是说凯多在推进城里吗?希泽挠了挠头。凯多卒桃之助必死必须折磨死!来平息吾等心中的怒火!
  • 大业拾遗记

    大业拾遗记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 天赐良姬

    天赐良姬

    紫灵,是狐狸和人的结合,她和母亲一直被道士太虚追杀。为了保全她,母亲用最后一滴血使得她穿越到了一个异时空,并且使得她脸上有块红印,成为丑女。绝世的容颜,只有在得到心爱的人的一滴泪才能恢复,在一起后才能成为真正的人。在那个称为庆林的国度,她邂逅了美貌的皇上穆清扬以及看似傻乎乎的王爷穆清逸,并且认识了侠客井唐和一些形形色色的人。这世间,人和狐能够相恋吗?这世间,善良和邪恶可以并存吗?这世间,是不是有了爱情,所有的一切都可以淡化?从相遇的那一刻,缘分之轮早已经转动,早已经把他们绑在一起。从此,她为了他,愿意舍弃一切。从此,他除了她,啥都不要。【情节虚构,请勿模仿】
  • 宇宙第一征服者

    宇宙第一征服者

    没有任何金手指,靠自己和龙鸣,征服宇宙!更没有系统!
  • 前列腺病实用自我疗法(实用自我疗法系列)

    前列腺病实用自我疗法(实用自我疗法系列)

    前列腺病是男性的“专利”,给男性朋友的生活带来很大的影响。本书从正确了解前列腺,正确检查前列腺病、前列腺炎、前列腺增生症,前列腺疾病的饮食治疗等方面为患者提供权威的医学指导。
  • 文案摇滚帮:让写作更简单

    文案摇滚帮:让写作更简单

    “10W+的爆文信手拈来”、“BAT、网易、360、海尔、京东都是他们的客户”、“国内唯一高质高产的原创文案类自媒体”文案摇滚帮首次发声揭秘文摇的故事大法,手把手教你写出好故事!在写故事这件事上,90%的人有这样的误区——“这是一件拼天赋或者碰运气的事”。NO!其实写作也是有套路可寻的,文案摇滚帮十年经验倾囊相授,一本书教你如何在互联网时代利用故事思维提升自己的影响力!
  • 大鱼(中国好小说)

    大鱼(中国好小说)

    小说通过叙写乡村对“大鱼”的传言,串联若干个小人物的故事,他们自私但善良,本分却略有贪婪,为了好的生活去挣钱,但是误入旁门左道导致一桩意外的杀人案,最终天理难逃,犯人落网,回到“大鱼”传说的保佑当中。
  • 天赐暖夫:腹黑萌妻哪里逃

    天赐暖夫:腹黑萌妻哪里逃

    意外撞破渣男和小三的场面,她淡定退婚。“你知不知道,离开我,你什么都不是!离开我,你会后悔的!”渣男嘶吼。她拉出帅气军官,甩出结婚证,渣男再叫嚣一句试试?“当初我把你忘记,当做坏人,你是会怪我么?”她看着站在自己身边,一直只对自己一脸温柔的男人,问道。“我怪我自己没有保护好你。”男人含情脉脉,语调温柔。于是,宠她宠到极致,爱她爱到地老天荒……【一对一,男女主身心干净~欢迎跳坑,坑品保证,不断更~】【群号:429799636,微博:叶莫西,欢迎加入~】