English
Thearchdeaconandthebellringer,aswehavealreadysaid,werebutlittlelovedbythepopulacegreatandsmall,inthevicinityofthecathedral.
WhenClaudeandQuasimodowentouttogether,whichfrequentlyhappened,andwhentheywereseentraversingincompany,thevaletbehindthemaster,thecold,narrow,andgloomystreetsoftheblockofNotre–Dame,morethanoneevilword,morethanoneironicalquaver,morethanoneinsultingjestgreetedthemontheirway,unlessClaudeFrollo,whichwasrarelythecase,walkedwithheaduprightandraised,showinghissevereandalmostaugustbrowtothedumbfoundedjeerers.
Bothwereintheirquarterlike"thepoets"ofwhomRégnierspeaks,—
"Allsortsofpersonsrunafterpoets,Aswarblersflyshriekingafterowls."
SometimesamischievouschildriskedhisskinandbonesfortheineffablepleasureofdrivingapinintoQuasimodo'shump.
Again,ayounggirl,moreboldandsaucythanwasfitting,brushedthepriest'sblackrobe,singinginhisfacethesardonicditty,"niche,niche,thedeviliscaught."
Sometimesagroupofsqualidoldcrones,squattinginafileundertheshadowofthestepstoaporch,scoldednoisilyasthearchdeaconandthebellringerpassed,andtossedthemthisencouragingwelcome,withacurse:"Hum!
there'safellowwhosesoulismadeliketheotherone'sbody!"
Orabandofschoolboysandstreeturchins,playinghop–scotch,roseinabodyandsalutedhimclassically,withsomecryinLatin:"~Eia!eia!Claudiuscumclaudo~!"
Buttheinsultgenerallypassedunnoticedbothbythepriestandthebellringer.Quasimodowastoodeaftohearallthesegraciousthings,andClaudewastoodreamy.
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