English
Thepersonagewhoenteredworeablackgownandagloomymien.
ThefirstpointwhichstrucktheeyeofourJehan(who,asthereaderwillreadilysurmise,hadensconcedhimselfinhisnookinsuchamannerastoenablehimtoseeandheareverythingathisgoodpleasure)wastheperfectsadnessofthegarmentsandthevisageofthisnew–corner.
Therewas,nevertheless,somesweetnessdiffusedoverthatface,butitwasthesweetnessofacatorajudge,anaffected,treacheroussweetness.
Hewasverygrayandwrinkled,andnotfarfromhissixtiethyear,hiseyesblinked,hiseyebrowswerewhite,hislippendulous,andhishandslarge.
WhenJehansawthatitwasonlythis,thatistosay,nodoubtaphysicianoramagistrate,andthatthismanhadanoseveryfarfromhismouth,asignofstupidity,henestleddowninhishole,indespairatbeingobligedtopassanindefinitetimeinsuchanuncomfortableattitude,andinsuchbadcompany.
Thearchdeacon,inthemeantime,hadnotevenrisentoreceivethispersonage.
Hehadmadethelatterasigntoseathimselfonastoolnearthedoor,and,afterseveralmomentsofasilencewhichappearedtobeacontinuationofaprecedingmeditation,hesaidtohiminaratherpatronizingway,"Goodday,MasterJacques."
"Greeting,master,"repliedthemaninblack.
Therewasinthetwowaysinwhich"MasterJacques"waspronouncedontheonehand,andthe"master"bypreeminenceontheother,thedifferencebetweenmonseigneurandmonsieur,between~domine~and~domne~.
Itwasevidentlythemeetingofateacherandadisciple.
"Well!"resumedthearchdeacon,afterafreshsilencewhichMasterJacquestookgoodcarenottodisturb,"howareyousucceeding?"
"Alas!master,"saidtheother,withasadsmile,"Iamstillseekingthestone.Plentyofashes.Butnotasparkofgold."
DomClaudemadeagestureofimpatience.
"Iamnottalkingtoyouofthat,MasterJacquesCharmolue,butofthetrialofyourmagician.
IsitnotMarcCenainethatyoucallhim?thebutleroftheCourtofAccounts?Doesheconfesshiswitchcraft?
Haveyoubeensuccessfulwiththetorture?"
"Alas!no,"repliedMasterJacques,stillwithhissadsmile;"wehavenotthatconsolation.Thatmanisastone.
WemighthavehimboiledintheMarchéauxPourceaux,beforehewouldsayanything.
Nevertheless,wearesparingnothingforthesakeofgettingatthetruth;heisalreadythoroughlydislocated,weareapplyingalltheherbsofSaintJohn'sday;assaiththeoldcomedianPlautus,—
~'Advorsumstimulos,laminas,crucesque,compedesque,
Nerros,catenas,carceres,numellas,pedicas,boias~.'
Nothinganswers;thatmanisterrible.Iamatmywit'sendoverhim."
"Youhavefoundnothingnewinhishouse?"
"I'faith,yes,"saidMasterJacques,fumblinginhispouch;"thisparchment.
Therearewordsinitwhichwecannotcomprehend.
Thecriminaladvocate,MonsieurPhilippeLheulier,nevertheless,knowsalittleHebrew,whichhelearnedinthatmatteroftheJewsoftheRueKantersten,atBrussels."
Sosaying,MasterJacquesunrolledaparchment."Giveithere,"saidthearchdeacon.
Andcastinghiseyesuponthiswriting:"Puremagic,MasterJacques!"heexclaimed."'Emen–Hétan!'
'Tisthecryofthevampireswhentheyarriveatthewitches'sabbath.~Peripsum,etcumipso,etinipso~!
'Tisthecommandwhichchainsthedevilinhell.~Hax,pax,max~!thatreferstomedicine.Aformulaagainstthebiteofmaddogs.MasterJacques!
youareprocuratortothekingintheEcclesiasticalCourts:thisparchmentisabominable."
"Wewillputthemantothetortureoncemore.Hereagain,"addedMasterJacques,fumblingafreshinhispouch,"issomethingthatwehavefoundatMarcCenaine'shouse."
ItwasavesselbelongingtothesamefamilyasthosewhichcoveredDomClaude'sfurnace.
"Ah!"saidthearchdeacon,"acrucibleforalchemy."
"Iwillconfesstoyou,"continuedMasterJacques,withhistimidandawkwardsmile,"thatIhavetrieditoverthefurnace,butIhavesucceedednobetterthanwithmyown."
Thearchdeaconbegananexaminationofthevessel."Whathasheengravedonhiscrucible?~Och!och~!thewordwhichexpelsfleas!ThatMarcCenaineisanignoramus!
Iverilybelievethatyouwillnevermakegoldwiththis!
'Tisgoodtosetinyourbedroominsummerandthatisall!"
"Sincewearetalkingabouterrors,"saidtheking'sprocurator,"Ihavejustbeenstudyingthefiguresontheportalbelowbeforeascendinghither;isyourreverencequitesurethattheopeningoftheworkofphysicsisthereportrayedonthesidetowardstheHôtel–Dieu,andthatamongthesevennudefigureswhichstandatthefeetofNotre–Dame,thatwhichhaswingsonhisheelsisMercurius?"
"Yes,"repliedthepriest;"'tisAugustinNyphowhowritesit,thatItaliandoctorwhohadabeardeddemonwhoacquaintedhimwithallthings.
However,wewilldescend,andIwillexplainittoyouwiththetextbeforeus."
"Thanks,master,"saidCharmolue,bowingtotheearth."Bytheway,Iwasonthepointofforgetting.WhendothitpleaseyouthatIshallapprehendthelittlesorceress?"
"Whatsorceress?"
"Thatgypsygirlyouknow,whocomeseverydaytodanceonthechurchsquare,inspiteoftheofficial'sprohibition!
Shehathademoniacgoatwithhornsofthedevil,whichreads,whichwrites,whichknowsmathematicslikePicatrix,andwhichwouldsufficetohangallBohemia.
Theprosecutionisallready;'twillsoonbefinished,Iassureyou!
Aprettycreature,onmysoul,thatdancer!Thehandsomestblackeyes!TwoEgyptiancarbuncles!Whenshallwebegin?"
Thearchdeaconwasexcessivelypale.
"Iwilltellyouthathereafter,"hestammered,inavoicethatwasbarelyarticulate;thenheresumedwithaneffort,"BusyyourselfwithMarcCenaine."
"Beatease,"saidCharmoluewithasmile;"I'llbucklehimdownagainforyouontheleatherbedwhenIgethome.
But'tisadevilofaman;heweariesevenPierratTorteruehimself,whohathhandslargerthanmyown.AsthatgoodPlautussaith,—
'~Nudusvinctus,centumpondo,esquandopendesperpedes~.'
Thetortureofthewheelandaxle!'Tisthemosteffectual!Heshalltasteit!"
DomClaudeseemedabsorbedingloomyabstraction.HeturnedtoCharmolue,—
"MasterPierrat—MasterJacques,Imean,busyyourselfwithMarcCenaine."
"Yes,yes,DomClaude.Poorman!hewillhavesufferedlikeMummol.
Whatanideatogotothewitches'sabbath!
abutleroftheCourtofAccounts,whooughttoknowCharlemagne'stext;~Strygavelmasea~!
—Inthematterofthelittlegirl,—Smelarda,astheycallher,—Iwillawaityourorders.Ah!
aswepassthroughtheportal,youwillexplaintomealsothemeaningofthegardenerpaintedinrelief,whichoneseesasoneentersthechurch.IsitnottheSower?Hé!
master,ofwhatareyouthinking,pray?"
DomClaude,buriedinhisownthoughts,nolongerlistenedtohim.
Charmolue,followingthedirectionofhisglance,perceivedthatitwasfixedmechanicallyonthegreatspider'swebwhichdrapedthewindow.
Atthatmoment,abewilderedflywhichwasseekingtheMarchsun,flungitselfthroughthenetandbecameentangledthere.
Ontheagitationofhisweb,theenormousspidermadeanabruptmovefromhiscentralcell,thenwithonebound,rusheduponthefly,whichhefoldedtogetherwithhisforeantennae,whilehishideousproboscisdugintothevictim'sbead."Poorfly!"
saidtheking'sprocuratorintheecclesiasticalcourt;andheraisedhishandtosaveit.
Thearchdeacon,asthoughrousedwithastart,withheldhisarmwithconvulsiveviolence.
"MasterJacques,"hecried,"letfatetakeitscourse!"
Theprocuratorwheeledroundinaffright;itseemedtohimthatpincersofironhadclutchedhisarm.
Thepriest'seyewasstaring,wild,flaming,andremainedrivetedonthehorriblelittlegroupofthespiderandthefly.
"Oh,yes!"continuedthepriest,inavoicewhichseemedtoproceedfromthedepthsofhisbeing,"beholdhereasymbolofall.
Sheflies,sheisjoyous,sheisjustborn;sheseeksthespring,theopenair,liberty:oh,yes!
butlethercomeincontactwiththefatalnetwork,andthespiderissuesfromit,thehideousspider!Poordancer!poor,predestinedfly!
Letthingstaketheircourse,MasterJacques,'tisfate!Alas!Claude,thouartthespider!Claude,thouarttheflyalso!
Thouwertflyingtowardslearning,light,thesun.
Thouhadstnoothercarethantoreachtheopenair,thefulldaylightofeternaltruth;butinprecipitatingthyselftowardsthedazzlingwindowwhichopensupontheotherworld,—upontheworldofbrightness,intelligence,andscience—blindfly!senseless,learnedman!
thouhastnotperceivedthatsubtlespider'sweb,stretchedbydestinybetwixtthelightandthee—thouhastflungthyselfheadlongintoit,andnowthouartstrugglingwithheadbrokenandmangledwingsbetweentheironantennaeoffate!MasterJacques!MasterJacques!letthespiderworkitswill!"
"Iassureyou,"saidCharmolue,whowasgazingathimwithoutcomprehendinghim,"thatIwillnottouchit.Butreleasemyarm,master,forpity'ssake!Youhaveahandlikeapairofpincers."
Thearchdeacondidnothearhim."Oh,madman!"
hewenton,withoutremovinghisgazefromthewindow.
"Andevencouldstthouhavebrokenthroughthatformidableweb,withthygnat'swings,thoubelievestthatthoucouldsthavereachedthelight?Alas!
thatpaneofglasswhichisfurtheron,thattransparentobstacle,thatwallofcrystal,harderthanbrass,whichseparatesallphilosophiesfromthetruth,howwouldstthouhaveovercomeit?Oh,vanityofscience!
howmanywisemencomeflyingfromafar,todashtheirheadsagainstthee!
Howmanysystemsvainlyflingthemselvesbuzzingagainstthateternalpane!"
Hebecamesilent.Theselastideas,whichhadgraduallyledhimbackfromhimselftoscience,appearedtohavecalmedhim.
JacquesCharmoluerecalledhimwhollytoasenseofrealitybyaddressingtohimthisquestion:"Come,now,master,whenwillyoucometoaidmeinmakinggold?Iamimpatienttosucceed."
Thearchdeaconshookhishead,withabittersmile."MasterJacquesreadMichelPsellus''~DialogusdeEnergiaetOperationeDaemonum~.'Whatwearedoingisnotwhollyinnocent."
"Speaklower,master!Ihavemysuspicionsofit,"saidJacquesCharmolue.
"Butonemustpractiseabitofhermeticsciencewhenoneisonlyprocuratorofthekingintheecclesiasticalcourt,atthirtycrownstournoisayear.Onlyspeaklow."
Atthatmomentthesoundofjawsintheactofmastication,whichproceededfrombeneaththefurnace,struckCharmolue'suneasyear.
"What'sthat?"heinquired.
Itwasthescholar,who,illatease,andgreatlyboredinhishiding–place,hadsucceededindiscoveringthereastalecrustandatriangleofmouldycheese,andhadsettodevouringthewholewithoutceremony,bywayofconsolationandbreakfast.
Ashewasveryhungry,hemadeagreatdealofnoise,andheaccentedeachmouthfulstrongly,whichstartledandalarmedtheprocurator.
"'Tisacatofmine,"saidthearchdeacon,quickly,"whoisregalingherselfundertherewithamouse,"
ThisexplanationsatisfiedCharmolue.
"Infact,master,"hereplied,witharespectfulsmile,"allgreatphilosophershavetheirfamiliaranimal.
YouknowwhatServiussaith:'~Nullusenimlocussinegenioest~,—forthereisnoplacethathathnotitsspirit.'"
ButDomClaude,whostoodinterrorofsomenewfreakonthepartofJehan,remindedhisworthydisciplethattheyhadsomefiguresonthefaadetostudytogether,andthetwoquittedthecell,totheaccompanimentofagreat"ouf!"
fromthescholar,whobegantoseriouslyfearthathiskneewouldacquiretheimprintofhischin.
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