English
EverycityduringtheMiddleAges,andeverycityinFrancedowntothetimeofLouisXII.haditsplacesofasylum.
Thesesanctuaries,inthemidstofthedelugeofpenalandbarbarousjurisdictionswhichinundatedthecity,wereaspeciesofislandswhichroseabovethelevelofhumanjustice.
Everycriminalwholandedtherewassafe.
Therewereineverysuburbalmostasmanyplacesofasylumasgallows.
Itwastheabuseofimpunitybythesideoftheabuseofpunishment;twobadthingswhichstrovetocorrecteachother.
Thepalacesoftheking,thehotelsoftheprinces,andespeciallychurches,possessedtherightofasylum.
Sometimesawholecitywhichstoodinneedofbeingrepeopledwastemporarilycreatedaplaceofrefuge.LouisXI.madeallParisarefugein1467.
Hisfootoncewithintheasylum,thecriminalwassacred;buthemustbewareofleavingit;onestepoutsidethesanctuary,andhefellbackintotheflood.
Thewheel,thegibbet,thestrappado,keptgoodguardaroundtheplaceofrefuge,andlayinwatchincessantlyfortheirprey,likesharksaroundavessel.
Hence,condemnedmenweretobeseenwhosehairhadgrownwhiteinacloister,onthestepsofapalace,intheenclosureofanabbey,beneaththeporchofachurch;inthismannertheasylumwasaprisonasmuchasanyother.
Itsometimeshappenedthatasolemndecreeofparliamentviolatedtheasylumandrestoredthecondemnedmantotheexecutioner;butthiswasofrareoccurrence.
Parliamentswereafraidofthebishops,andwhentherewasfrictionbetweenthesetworobes,thegownhadbutapoorchanceagainstthecassock.
Sometimes,however,asintheaffairoftheassassinsofPetit–Jean,theheadsmanofParis,andinthatofEmeryRousseau,themurdererofJeanValleret,justiceoverleapedthechurchandpassedontotheexecutionofitssentences;butunlessbyvirtueofadecreeofParliament,woetohimwhoviolatedaplaceofasylumwitharmedforce!
ThereaderknowsthemannerofdeathofRobertdeClermont,MarshalofFrance,andofJeandeChâlons,MarshalofChampagne;andyetthequestionwasonlyofacertainPerrinMarc,theclerkofamoney–changer,amiserableassassin;butthetwomarshalshadbrokenthedoorsofSt.Méry.Thereinlaytheenormity.
Suchrespectwascherishedforplacesofrefugethat,accordingtotradition,animalsevenfeltitattimes.
Aymoirerelatesthatastag,beingchasedbyDagobert,havingtakenrefugenearthetombofSaint–Denis,thepackofhoundsstoppedshortandbarked.
Churchesgenerallyhadasmallapartmentpreparedforthereceptionofsupplicants.
In1407,NicolasFlamelcausedtobebuiltonthevaultsofSaint–JacquesdelaBoucherie,achamberwhichcosthimfourlivressixsous,sixteenfarthings,parisis.
AtNotre–Dameitwasatinycellsituatedontheroofofthesideaisle,beneaththeflyingbuttresses,preciselyatthespotwherethewifeofthepresentjanitorofthetowershasmadeforherselfagarden,whichistothehanginggardensofBabylonwhatalettuceistoapalm–tree,whataporter'swifeistoaSemiramis.
ItwasherethatQuasimodohaddepositedlaEsmeralda,afterhiswildandtriumphantcourse.
Aslongasthatcourselasted,theyounggirlhadbeenunabletorecoverhersenses,halfunconscious,halfawake,nolongerfeelinganything,exceptthatshewasmountingthroughtheair,floatinginit,flyinginit,thatsomethingwasraisingherabovetheearth.
Fromtimetotimesheheardtheloudlaughter,thenoisyvoiceofQuasimodoinherear;shehalfopenedhereyes;thenbelowhersheconfusedlybeheldParischeckeredwithitsthousandroofsofslateandtiles,likearedandbluemosaic,aboveherheadthefrightfulandjoyousfaceofQuasimodo.
Thenhereyelidsdroopedagain;shethoughtthatallwasover,thattheyhadexecutedherduringherswoon,andthatthemisshapenspiritwhichhadpresidedoverherdestiny,hadlaidholdofherandwasbearingheraway.
Shedarednotlookathim,andshesurrenderedherselftoherfate.
Butwhenthebellringer,dishevelledandpanting,haddepositedherinthecellofrefuge,whenshefelthishugehandsgentlydetachingthecordwhichbruisedherarms,shefeltthatsortofshockwhichawakenswithastartthepassengersofavesselwhichrunsagroundinthemiddleofadarknight.
Herthoughtsawokealso,andreturnedtoheronebyone.
ShesawthatshewasinNotre–Dame;sherememberedhavingbeentornfromthehandsoftheexecutioner;thatPhoebuswasalive,thatPhoebuslovedhernolonger;andasthesetwoideas,oneofwhichshedsomuchbitternessovertheother,presentedthemselvessimultaneouslytothepoorcondemnedgirl;sheturnedtoQuasimodo,whowasstandinginfrontofher,andwhoterrifiedher;shesaidtohim,—"Whyhaveyousavedme?"
Hegazedatherwithanxiety,asthoughseekingtodivinewhatshewassayingtohim.Sherepeatedherquestion.Thenhegaveheraprofoundlysorrowfulglanceandfled.Shewasastonished.
Afewmomentslaterhereturned,bearingapackagewhichhecastatherfeet.Itwasclothingwhichsomecharitablewomenhadleftonthethresholdofthechurchforher.
Thenshedroppedhereyesuponherselfandsawthatshewasalmostnaked,andblushed.Lifehadreturned.
Quasimodoappearedtoexperiencesomethingofthismodesty.Hecoveredhiseyeswithhislargehandandretiredoncemore,butslowly.
Shemadehastetodressherself.Therobewasawhiteonewithawhiteveil,—thegarbofanoviceoftheHôtel–Dien.
ShehadbarelyfinishedwhenshebeheldQuasimodoreturning.
Hecarriedabasketunderonearmandamattressundertheother.
Inthebaskettherewasabottle,bread,andsomeprovisions.
Hesetthebasketonthefloorandsaid,"Eat!"
Hespreadthemattressontheflaggingandsaid,"Sleep."
Itwashisownrepast,itwashisownbed,whichthebellringerhadgoneinsearchof.
Thegypsyraisedhereyestothankhim,butshecouldnotarticulateaword.Shedroppedherheadwithaquiverofterror.
Thenhesaidtoher.–
"Ifrightenyou.Iamveryugly,amInot?Donotlookatme;onlylistentome.
Duringthedayyouwillremainhere;atnightyoucanwalkalloverthechurch.
Butdonotleavethechurcheitherbydayorbynight.Youwouldbelost.Theywouldkillyou,andIshoulddie."
Shewastouchedandraisedherheadtoanswerhim.Hehaddisappeared.
Shefoundherselfaloneoncemore,meditatinguponthesingularwordsofthisalmostmonstrousbeing,andstruckbythesoundofhisvoice,whichwassohoarseyetsogentle.
Thensheexaminedhercell.Itwasachamberaboutsixfeetsquare,withasmallwindowandadoorontheslightlyslopingplaneoftheroofformedofflatstones.
Manygutterswiththefiguresofanimalsseemedtobebendingdownaroundher,andstretchingtheirnecksinordertostareatherthroughthewindow.
OvertheedgeofherroofsheperceivedthetopsofthousandsofchimneyswhichcausedthesmokeofallthefiresinParistorisebeneathhereyes.
Asadsightforthepoorgypsy,afoundling,condemnedtodeath,anunhappycreature,withoutcountry,withoutfamily,withoutahearthstone.
Atthemomentwhenthethoughtofherisolationthusappearedtohermorepoignantthanever,shefeltabeardedandhairyheadglidebetweenherhands,uponherknees.
Shestarted(everythingalarmedhernow)andlooked.
Itwasthepoorgoat,theagileDjali,whichhadmadeitsescapeafterher,atthemomentwhenQuasimodohadputtoflightCharmolue'sbrigade,andwhichhadbeenlavishingcaressesonherfeetfornearlyanhourpast,withoutbeingabletowinaglance.Thegypsycoveredhimwithkisses.
"Oh!Djali!"shesaid,"howIhaveforgottenthee!Andsothoustillthinkestofme!Oh!thouartnotaningrate!"
Atthesametime,asthoughaninvisiblehandhadliftedtheweightwhichhadrepressedhertearsinherheartforsolong,shebegantoweep,and,inproportionashertearsflowed,shefeltallthatwasmostacridandbitterinhergriefdepartwiththem.
Eveningcame,shethoughtthenightsobeautifulthatshemadethecircuitoftheelevatedgallerywhichsurroundsthechurch.
Itaffordedhersomerelief,socalmdidtheearthappearwhenviewedfromthatheight.
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