Thatnight,laEsmeraldahadfallenasleepinhercell,fullofoblivion,ofhope,andofsweetthoughts. Shehadalreadybeenasleepforsometime,dreamingasalways,ofPhoebus,whenitseemedtoherthatsheheardanoisenearher. Shesleptlightlyanduneasily,thesleepofabird;amerenothingwakedher.Sheopenedhereyes.Thenightwasverydark. Nevertheless,shesawafiguregazingatherthroughthewindow;alamplightedupthisapparition. ThemomentthatthefiguresawthatlaEsmeraldahadperceivedit,itblewoutthelamp. Buttheyounggirlhadhadtimetocatchaglimpseofit;hereyesclosedagainwithterror. "Oh!"shesaidinafaintvoice,"thepriest!" Allherpastunhappinesscamebacktoherlikeaflashoflightning.Shefellbackonherbed,chilled. Amomentlatershefeltatouchalongherbodywhichmadehershuddersothatshestraightenedherselfupinasittingposture,wideawakeandfurious. Thepriesthadjustslippedinbesideher.Heencircledherwithbotharms. Shetriedtoscreamandcouldnot. "Begone,monster!begoneassassin!"shesaid,inavoicewhichwaslowandtremblingwithwrathandterror. "Mercy!mercy!"murmuredthepriest,pressinghislipstohershoulder. Sheseizedhisbaldheadbyitsremnantofhairandtriedtothrustasidehiskissesasthoughtheyhadbeenbites. "Mercy!"repeatedtheunfortunateman."Ifyoubutknewwhatmyloveforyouis!'Tisfire,meltedlead,athousanddaggersinmyheart." Shestoppedhistwoarmswithsuperhumanforce. "Letmego,"shesaid,"orIwillspitinyourface!" Hereleasedher."Vilifyme,strikeme,bemalicious!Dowhatyouwill!Buthavemercy!loveme!" Thenshestruckhimwiththefuryofachild.Shemadeherbeautifulhandsstifftobruisehisface."Begone,demon!" "Loveme!lovemepity!"criedthepoorpriestreturningherblowswithcaresses. Allatonceshefelthimstrongerthanherself. "Theremustbeanendtothis!"hesaid,gnashinghisteeth. Shewasconquered,palpitatinginhisarms,andinhispower.Shefeltawantonhandstrayingoverher.Shemadealasteffort,andbegantocry:"Help!Help!Avampire!avampire!" Nothingcame.Djalialonewasawakeandbleatingwithanguish. "Hush!"saidthepantingpriest. Allatonce,asshestruggledandcrawledonthefloor,thegypsy'shandcameincontactwithsomethingcoldandmetal–lic–itwasQuasimodo'swhistle. Sheseizeditwithaconvulsivehope,raisedittoherlipsandblewwithallthestrengththatshehadleft. Thewhistlegaveaclear,piercingsound. "Whatisthat?"saidthepriest. Almostatthesameinstanthefelthimselfraisedbyavigorousarm. Thecellwasdark;hecouldnotdistinguishclearlywhoitwasthatheldhimthus;butheheardteethchatteringwithrage,andtherewasjustsufficientlightscatteredamongthegloomtoallowhimtoseeabovehisheadthebladeofalargeknife. ThepriestfanciedthatheperceivedtheformofQuasimodo. Heassumedthatitcouldbenoonebuthe. Herememberedtohavestumbled,asheentered,overabundlewhichwasstretchedacrossthedoorontheoutside. But,asthenewcomerdidnotutteraword,heknewnotwhattothink. Heflunghimselfonthearmwhichheldtheknife,crying:"Quasimodo!" Heforgot,atthatmomentofdistress,thatQuasimodowasdeaf. Inatwinkling,thepriestwasoverthrownandaleadenkneerestedonhisbreast. FromtheangularimprintofthatkneeherecognizedQuasimodo;butwhatwastobedone?howcouldhemaketheotherrecognizehim?thedarknessrenderedthedeafmanblind. Hewaslost.Theyounggirl,pitilessasanenragedtigress,didnotintervenetosavehim. Theknifewasapproachinghishead;themomentwascritical. Allatonce,hisadversaryseemedstrickenwithhesitation. "Nobloodonher!"hesaidinadullvoice. Itwas,infact,Quasimodo'svoice. Thenthepriestfeltalargehanddragginghimfeetfirstoutofthecell;itwastherethathewastodie.Fortunatelyforhim,themoonhadrisenafewmomentsbefore. Whentheyhadpassedthroughthedoorofthecell,itspaleraysfelluponthepriest'scountenance. Quasimodolookedhimfullintheface,atremblingseizedhim,andhereleasedthepriestandshrankback. Thegypsy,whohadadvancedtothethresholdofhercell,beheldwithsurprisetheirrolesabruptlychanged.Itwasnowthepriestwhomenaced,Quasimodowhowasthesuppliant. Thepriest,whowasoverwhelmingthedeafmanwithgesturesofwrathandreproach,madethelatteraviolentsigntoretire. Thedeafmandroppedhishead,thenhecameandkneltatthegypsy'sdoor,—"Monseigneur,"hesaid,inagraveandresignedvoice,"youshalldoallthatyoupleaseafterwards,butkillmefirst." Sosaying,hepresentedhisknifetothepriest. Thepriest,besidehimself,wasabouttoseizeit. Buttheyounggirlwasquickerthanbe;shewrenchedtheknifefromQuasimodo'shandsandburstintoafranticlaugh,—"Approach,"shesaidtothepriest. Sheheldthebladehigh.Thepriestremainedundecided. Shewouldcertainlyhavestruckhim. Thensheaddedwithapitilessexpression,wellawarethatshewasabouttopiercethepriest'sheartwiththousandsofred–hotirons,— "Ah!IknowthatPhoebusisnotdead! ThepriestoverturnedQuasimodoonthefloorwithakick,and,quiveringwithrage,dartedbackunderthevaultofthestaircase. Whenhewasgone,Quasimodopickedupthewhistlewhichhadjustsavedthegypsy. "Itwasgettingrusty,"hesaid,ashehandeditbacktoher;thenheleftheralone. Theyounggirl,deeplyagitatedbythisviolentscene,fellbackexhaustedonherbed,andbegantosobandweep.Herhorizonwasbecominggloomyoncemore. Thepriesthadgropedhiswaybacktohiscell. Itwassettled.DomClaudewasjealousofQuasimodo! Herepeatedwithathoughtfulairhisfatalwords:"Nooneshallhaveher." 
