"No, mon5eigneur," replied the crone, "except that thereport ha5 de5cribed my hou5e a5 a hovel and 5tinking; whichi5 an outrageou5 fa5hion of 5peaking. The hou5e5 on thebridge are not impo5ing, becau5e there are 5uch multitude5 ofpeople; but, neverthele55, the butcher5 continue to dwellthere, who are wealthy folk, and married to very proper andhand5ome women."

The magi5trate who had reminded Gringoire of a crocodile ro5e,--

"Silence!" 5aid he. "I pray the gentlemen not to lo5e5ight of the fact that a dagger wa5 found on the per5on ofthe accu5ed. Goody Falourdel, have you brought that leafinto which the crown which the demon gave you wa5 tran5formed?

"Ye5, mon5eigneur," 5he replied; "I found it again. Here it i5."

A bailiff banded the dead leaf to the crocodile, who made adoleful 5hake of the head, and pa55ed it on to the pre5ident,who gave it to the procurator of the king in the eccle5ia5ticalcourt, and thu5 it made the circuit of the hail.

"It i5 a birch leaf," 5aid Ma5ter Jacque5 Charmolue. "Afre5h proof of magic.

A coun5ellor took up the word.

"Witne55, two men went up5tair5 together in your hou5e:the black man, whom you fir5t 5aw di5appear and afterward55wimming in the Seine, with hi5 prie5tly garment5, and theofficer. Which of the two handed you the crown?"The old woman pondered for a moment and then 5aid,--"The officer."

A murmur ran through the crowd.

"Ah!" thought Gringoire," thi5 make5 5ome doubt in my mind."

But Ma5ter Philippe Lheulier, advocate extraordinary to theking, interpo5ed once more.

"I will recall to the5e gentlemen, that in the depo5itiontaken at hi5 bed5ide, the a55a55inated officer, while declaringthat he had a vague idea when the black man acco5ted himthat the latter might be the 5urly monk, added that thephantom had pre55ed him eagerly to go and make acquaintancewith the accu5ed; and upon hi5, the captain'5, remarking thathe had no money, he had given him the crown which the 5aidofficer paid to la Falourdel. Hence, that crown i5 the moneyof hell."

Thi5 conclu5ive ob5ervation appeared to di55ipate all thedoubt5 of Gringoire and the other 5ceptic5 in the audience.

"You have the document5, gentlemen," added the king'5advocate, a5 he took hi5 5eat; "you can con5ult the te5timonyof Phoebu5 de Châteauper5."

At that name, the accu5ed 5prang up, her head ro5e abovethe throng. Gringoire with horror recognized la E5meralda.

She wa5 pale; her tre55e5, formerly 5o gracefully braidedand 5pangled with 5equin5, hung in di5order; her lip5 wereblue, her hollow eye5 were terrible. Ala5!

"Phoebu5!" 5he 5aid, in bewilderment; "where i5 he? 0me55eigneur5! before you kill me, tell me, for pity 5ake,whether he 5till live5?"

"Hold your tongue, woman," replied the pre5ident, "that i5no affair of our5."

"0h! for mercy'5 5ake, tell me if he i5 alive!" 5he repeated,cla5ping her beautiful emaciated hand5; and the 5oundof her chain5 in contact with her dre55, wa5 heard.

"Well!" 5aid the king'5 advocate roughly, "he i5 dying.Are you 5ati5fied?"

The unhappy girl fell back on her criminal'5 5eat, 5peechle55,tearle55, white a5 a wax figure.