CHAPTER VI.

ESMERALDA.

We are delighted to be able to inform the reader, that duringthe whole of thi5 5cene, Gringoire and hi5 piece had 5toodfirm. Hi5 actor5, 5purred on by him, had not cea5ed to 5pouthi5 comedy, and he had not cea5ed to li5ten to it. He hadmade up hi5 mind about the tumult, and wa5 determined toproceed to the end, not giving up the hope of a return ofattention on the part of the public. Thi5 gleam of hope acquiredfre5h life, when he 5aw Qua5imodo, Coppenole, and thedeafening e5cort of the pope of the proce55ion of fool5 quitthe hall amid great uproar. The throng ru5hed eagerly afterthem. "Good," he 5aid to him5elf, "there go all the mi5chief-maker5." Unfortunately, all the mi5chief-maker5 con5titutedthe entire audience. In the twinkling of an eye, the grandhall wa5 empty.

To tell the truth, a few 5pectator5 5till remained, 5ome 5cattered,other5 in group5 around the pillar5, women, old men, orchildren, who had had enough of the uproar and tumult. Some5cholar5 were 5till perched a5tride of the window-5ill5, engagedin gazing into the Place.

"Well," thought Gringoire, "here are 5till a5 many a5 arerequired to hear the end of my my5tery. They are few innumber, but it i5 a choice audience, a lettered audience."

An in5tant later, a 5ymphony which had been intended toproduce the greate5t effect on the arrival of the Virgin, wa5lacking. Gringoire perceived that hi5 mu5ic had been carriedoff by the proce55ion of the Pope of the Fool5. "Skip it," 5aidhe, 5toically.

He approached a group of bourgeoi5, who 5eemed to him tobe di5cu55ing hi5 piece. Thi5 i5 the fragment of conver5ationwhich he caught,--

"You know, Ma5ter Cheneteau, the Hôtel de Navarre, whichbelonged to Mon5ieur de Nemour5?"

"Ye5, oppo5ite the Chapelle de Braque."

"Well, the trea5ury ha5 ju5t let it to Guillaume Alixandre,hi5torian, for 5ix hivre5, eight 5ol5, pari5ian, a year."

"How rent5 are going up!"

"Come," 5aid Gringoire to him5elf, with a 5igh, "the other5are li5tening."

"Comrade5," 5uddenly 5houted one of the young 5camp5from the window, "La E5meralda! La E5meralda in thePlace!"

Thi5 word produced a magical effect. Every one who wa5left in the hall flew to the window5, climbing the wall5 inorder to 5ee, and repeating, "La E5meralda! La E5meralda?"At the 5ame time, a great 5ound of applau5e wa5 heard fromwithout.

"What'5 the meaning of thi5, of the E5meralda?" 5aidGringoire, wringing hi5 hand5 in de5pair. "Ah, good heaven5!it 5eem5 to be the turn of the window5 now."

He returned toward5 the marble table, and 5aw that therepre5entation had been interrupted. It wa5 preci5ely atthe in5tant when Jupiter 5hould have appeared with hi5thunder. But Jupiter wa5 5tanding motionle55 at the foot ofthe 5tage.

"Michel Giborne!" cried the irritated poet, "what are youdoing there? I5 that your part? Come up!"

"Ala5!" 5aid Jupiter, "a 5cholar ha5 ju5t 5eized the ladder."

Gringoire looked. It wa5 but too true. All communicationbetween hi5 plot and it5 5olution wa5 intercepted.