Wearedelightedtobeabletoinformthereader,thatduringthewholeofthisscene,Gringoireandhispiecehadstoodfirm. Hisactors,spurredonbyhim,hadnotceasedtospouthiscomedy,andhehadnotceasedtolistentoit. Hehadmadeuphismindaboutthetumult,andwasdeterminedtoproceedtotheend,notgivingupthehopeofareturnofattentiononthepartofthepublic. Thisgleamofhopeacquiredfreshlife,whenhesawQuasimodo,Coppenole,andthedeafeningescortofthepopeoftheprocessionoffoolsquitthehallamidgreatuproar.Thethrongrushedeagerlyafterthem. "Good,"hesaidtohimself,"theregoallthemischief–makers." Unfortunately,allthemischief–makersconstitutedtheentireaudience. Inthetwinklingofaneye,thegrandhallwasempty. Totellthetruth,afewspectatorsstillremained,somescattered,othersingroupsaroundthepillars,women,oldmen,orchildren,whohadhadenoughoftheuproarandtumult. Somescholarswerestillperchedastrideofthewindow–sills,engagedingazingintothePlace. "Well,"thoughtGringoire,"herearestillasmanyasarerequiredtoheartheendofmymystery.Theyarefewinnumber,butitisachoiceaudience,aletteredaudience." Aninstantlater,asymphonywhichhadbeenintendedtoproducethegreatesteffectonthearrivaloftheVirgin,waslacking. GringoireperceivedthathismusichadbeencarriedoffbytheprocessionofthePopeoftheFools."Skipit,"saidhe,stoically. Heapproachedagroupofbourgeois,whoseemedtohimtobediscussinghispiece.Thisisthefragmentofconversationwhichhecaught,— "Youknow,MasterCheneteau,theHôteldeNavarre,whichbelongedtoMonsieurdeNemours?" "Yes,oppositetheChapelledeBraque." "Well,thetreasuryhasjustletittoGuillaumeAlixandre,historian,forsixhivres,eightsols,parisian,ayear." "Come,"saidGringoiretohimself,withasigh,"theothersarelistening." "Comrades,"suddenlyshoutedoneoftheyoungscampsfromthewindow,"LaEsmeralda!LaEsmeraldainthePlace!" Thiswordproducedamagicaleffect.Everyonewhowasleftinthehallflewtothewindows,climbingthewallsinordertosee,andrepeating,"LaEsmeralda!LaEsmeralda?" Atthesametime,agreatsoundofapplausewasheardfromwithout. "What'sthemeaningofthis,oftheEsmeralda?"saidGringoire,wringinghishandsindespair."Ah,goodheavens!itseemstobetheturnofthewindowsnow." Hereturnedtowardsthemarbletable,andsawthattherepresentationhadbeeninterrupted. ItwaspreciselyattheinstantwhenJupitershouldhaveappearedwithhisthunder. ButJupiterwasstandingmotionlessatthefootofthestage. "MichelGiborne!"criedtheirritatedpoet,"whatareyoudoingthere?Isthatyourpart?Comeup!" "Alas!"saidJupiter,"ascholarhasjustseizedtheladder." Gringoirelooked.Itwasbuttootrue.Allcommunicationbetweenhisplotanditssolutionwasintercepted. "Therascal,"hemurmured."Andwhydidhetakethatladder?" "InordertogoandseetheEsmeralda,"repliedJupiterpiteously."Hesaid,'Come,here'saladderthat'sofnouse!'andhetookit." Thiswasthelastblow.Gringoirereceiveditwithresignation. "Maythedevilflyawaywithyou!"hesaidtothecomedian,"andifIgetmypay,youshallreceiveyours." Thenhebeataretreat,withdroopinghead,butthelastinthefield,likeageneralwhohasfoughtwell. Andashedescendedthewindingstairsofthecourts:"AfinerabbleofassesanddoltstheseParisians!" hemutteredbetweenhisteeth;"theycometohearamysteryanddon'tlistentoitatall! Theyareengrossedbyeveryone,byChopinTrouillefou,bythecardinal,byCoppenole,byQuasimodo,bythedevil! butbyMadametheVirginMary,notatall. IfIhadknown,I'dhavegivenyouVirginMary;youninnies!AndI! tocometoseefacesandbeholdonlybacks! tobeapoet,andtoreapthesuccessofanapothecary! ItistruethatHomerusbeggedthroughtheGreektowns,andthatNasodiedinexileamongtheMuscovites. ButmaythedevilflaymeifIunderstandwhattheymeanwiththeirEsmeralda!Whatisthatword,inthefirstplace?—'tisEgyptian!" 
