BOOK EIGHTH.
CHAPTER 6. THREE HUMAN HEARTS DIFFERENTLY CONSTRUCTED.
(continued)
And then, it was touching to behold this protection which
had fallen from a being so hideous upon a being so unhappy,
a creature condemned to death saved by Quasimodo. They
were two extremes of natural and social wretchedness, coming
into contact and aiding each other.
Meanwhile, after several moments of triumph, Quasimodo
had plunged abruptly into the church with his burden. The
populace, fond of all prowess, sought him with their eyes,
beneath the gloomy nave, regretting that he had so speedily
disappeared from their acclamations. All at once, he was
seen to re-appear at one of the extremities of the gallery of
the kings of France; he traversed it, running like a madman,
raising his conquest high in his arms and shouting: "Sanctuary!"
The crowd broke forth into fresh applause. The gallery
passed, he plunged once more into the interior of the
church. A moment later, he re-appeared upon the upper
platform, with the gypsy still in his arms, still running
madly, still crying, "Sanctuary!" and the throng applauded.
Finally, he made his appearance for the third time upon the
summit of the tower where hung the great bell; from that
point he seemed to be showing to the entire city the girl
whom he had saved, and his voice of thunder, that voice
which was so rarely heard, and which he never heard himself,
repeated thrice with frenzy, even to the clouds: "Sanctuary!
Sanctuary! Sanctuary!"
"Noel! Noel!" shouted the populace in its turn; and that
immense acclamation flew to astonish the crowd assembled
at the Grève on the other bank, and the recluse who was
still waiting with her eyes riveted on the gibbet.
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