English
WehavejustsaidthatQuasimododisappearedfromNotre–Dameonthedayofthegypsy'sandofthearchdeacon'sdeath.Hewasnotseenagain,infact;nooneknewwhathadbecomeofhim.
DuringthenightwhichfollowedtheexecutionoflaEsmeralda,thenightmenhaddetachedherbodyfromthegibbet,andhadcarriedit,accordingtocustom,tothecellarofMontfauon.
Montfauonwas,asSauvalsays,"themostancientandthemostsuperbgibbetinthekingdom."
BetweenthefaubourgsoftheTempleandSaintMartin,aboutahundredandsixtytoisesfromthewallsofParis,afewbowshotsfromLaCourtille,therewastobeseenonthecrestofagentle,almostimperceptibleeminence,butsufficientlyelevatedtobeseenforseveralleaguesroundabout,anedificeofstrangeform,bearingconsiderableresemblancetoaCelticcromlech,andwherealsohumansacrificeswereoffered.
Letthereaderpicturetohimself,crowningalimestonehillock,anoblongmassofmasonryfifteenfeetinheight,thirtywide,fortylong,withagate,anexternalrailingandaplatform;onthisplatformsixteenenormouspillarsofroughhewnstone,thirtyfeetinheight,arrangedinacolonnaderoundthreeofthefoursidesofthemasswhichsupportthem,boundtogetherattheirsummitsbyheavybeams,whencehungchainsatintervals;onallthesechains,skeletons;inthevicinity,ontheplain,astonecrossandtwogibbetsofsecondaryimportance,whichseemedtohavesprungupasshootsaroundthecentralgallows;aboveallthis,inthesky,aperpetualflockofcrows;thatwasMontfauon.
Attheendofthefifteenthcentury,theformidablegibbetwhichdatedfrom1328,wasalreadyverymuchdilapidated;thebeamswerewormeaten,thechainsrusted,thepillarsgreenwithmould;thelayersofhewnstonewereallcrackedattheirjoints,andgrasswasgrowingonthatplatformwhichnofeettouched.
Themonumentmadeahorribleprofileagainstthesky;especiallyatnightwhentherewasalittlemoonlightonthosewhiteskulls,orwhenthebreezeofeveningbrushedthechainsandtheskeletons,andswayedalltheseinthedarkness.
Thepresenceofthisgibbetsufficedtorendergloomyallthesurroundingplaces.
Themassofmasonrywhichservedasfoundationtotheodiousedificewashollow.
Ahugecellarhadbeenconstructedthere,closedbyanoldirongrating,whichwasoutoforder,intowhichwerecastnotonlythehumanremains,whichweretakenfromthechainsofMontfauon,butalsothebodiesofalltheunfortunatesexecutedontheotherpermanentgibbetsofParis.
Tothatdeepcharnel–house,wheresomanyhumanremainsandsomanycrimeshaverottedincompany,manygreatonesofthisworld,manyinnocentpeople,havecontributedtheirbones,fromEnguerranddeMarigni,thefirstvictim,andajustman,toAdmiraldeColigni,whowasitslast,andwhowasalsoajustman.
AsforthemysteriousdisappearanceofQuasimodo,thisisallthatwehavebeenabletodiscover.
Abouteighteenmonthsortwoyearsaftertheeventswhichterminatethisstory,whensearchwasmadeinthatcavernforthebodyofOlivierleDaim,whohadbeenhangedtwodayspreviously,andtowhomCharlesVIII.
hadgrantedthefavorofbeingburiedinSaintLaurent,inbettercompany,theyfoundamongallthosehideouscarcassestwoskeletons,oneofwhichheldtheotherinitsembrace.
Oneoftheseskeletons,whichwasthatofawoman,stillhadafewstripsofagarmentwhichhadoncebeenwhite,andaroundherneckwastobeseenastringofadrézarachbeadswithalittlesilkbagornamentedwithgreenglass,whichwasopenandempty.
Theseobjectswereofsolittlevaluethattheexecutionerhadprobablynotcaredforthem.
Theother,whichheldthisoneinacloseembrace,wastheskeletonofaman.
Itwasnoticedthathisspinalcolumnwascrooked,hisheadseatedonhisshoulderblades,andthatonelegwasshorterthantheother.
Moreover,therewasnofractureofthevertebraeatthenapeoftheneck,anditwasevidentthathehadnotbeenhanged.
Hence,themantowhomithadbelongedhadcomethitherandhaddiedthere.
Whentheytriedtodetachtheskeletonwhichheheldinhisembrace,hefelltodust.
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