Nevertheless, as be harangued1 them, the satisfaction and admiration3 unanimously excited by his costume were dissipated by his words; and when he reached that untoward4 conclusion: "As soon as his illustrious eminence5, the cardinal6, arrives, we will begin," his voice was drowned in a thunder of hooting7.
"Begin instantly! The mystery! the mystery immediately!" shrieked9 the people. And above all the voices, that of Johannes de Molendino was audible, piercing the uproar10 like the fife's derisive11 serenade: "Commence instantly!" yelped12 the scholar.
"Down with Jupiter and the Cardinal de Bourbon!" vociferated Robin13 Poussepain and the other clerks perched in the window.
"The morality this very instant!" repeated the crowd; "this very instant! the sack and the rope for the comedians14, and the cardinal!"
Poor Jupiter, haggard, frightened, pale beneath his rouge16, dropped his thunderbolt, took his cap in his hand; then he bowed and trembled and stammered17: "His eminence--the ambassadors--Madame Marguerite of Flanders--." He did not know what to say. In truth, he was afraid of being hung.
Hung by the populace for waiting, hung by the cardinal for not having waited, he saw between the two dilemmas18 only an abyss; that is to say, a gallows19.
Luckily, some one came to rescue him from his embarrassment20, and assume the responsibility.
An individual who was standing21 beyond the railing, in the free space around the marble table, and whom no one had yet caught sight of, since his long, thin body was completely sheltered from every visual ray by the diameter of the pillar against which he was leaning; this individual, we say, tall, gaunt, pallid23, blond, still young, although already wrinkled about the brow and cheeks, with brilliant eyes and a smiling mouth, clad in garments of black serge, worn and shining with age, approached the marble table, and made a sign to the poor sufferer. But the other was so confused that he did not see him. The new comer advanced another step.
"Jupiter," said he, "my dear Jupiter!"
The other did not hear.
At last, the tall blond, driven out of patience, shrieked almost in his face,--
"Michel Giborne!"
"Who calls me?" said Jupiter, as though awakened24 with a start.
"I," replied the person clad in black.
"Ah!" said Jupiter.
"Begin at once," went on the other. "Satisfy the populace; I undertake to appease25 the bailiff, who will appease monsieur the cardinal."
Jupiter breathed once more.
"Messeigneurs the bourgeois," he cried, at the top of his lungs to the crowd, which continued to hoot8 him, "we are going to begin at once."
"~Evoe Jupiter! Plaudite cives~! All hail, Jupiter! Applaud, citizens!" shouted the scholars.
"Noel! Noel! good, good," shouted the people.
The hand clapping was deafening26, and Jupiter had already withdrawn27 under his tapestry28, while the hall still trembled with acclamations.
In the meanwhile, the personage who had so magically turned the tempest into dead calm, as our old and dear Corneille puts it, had modestly retreated to the half-shadow of his pillar, and would, no doubt, have remained invisible there, motionless, and mute as before, had he not been plucked by the sleeve by two young women, who, standing in the front row of the spectators, had noticed his colloquy29 with Michel Giborne-Jupiter.
"Master," said one of them, making him a sign to approach. "Hold your tongue, my dear Liénarde," said her neighbor, pretty, fresh, and very brave, in consequence of being dressed up in her best attire30. "He is not a clerk, he is a layman31; you must not say master to him, but messire."
"Messire," said Liénarde.
The stranger approached the railing.
"What would you have of me, damsels?" he asked, with alacrity32.
"Oh! nothing," replied Liénarde, in great confusion; "it is my neighbor, Gisquette la Gencienne, who wishes to speak with you."
"Not so," replied Gisquette, blushing; "it was Liénarde who called you master; I only told her to say messire."
The two young girls dropped their eyes. The man, who asked nothing better than to enter into conversation, looked at them with a smile.
"So you have nothing to say to me, damsels?"
"Oh! nothing at all," replied Gisquette.
"Nothing," said Liénarde.
The tall, light-haired young man retreated a step; but the two curious maidens33 had no mind to let slip their prize.
"Messire," said Gisquette, with the impetuosity of an open sluice34, or of a woman who has made up her mind, "do you know that soldier who is to play the part of Madame the Virgin35 in the mystery?"
"You mean the part of Jupiter?" replied the stranger.
"Hé! yes," said Liénarde, "isn't she stupid? So you know Jupiter?"
"Michel Giborne?" replied the unknown; "yes, madam."
"He has a fine beard!" said Liénarde.
"Will what they are about to say here be fine?" inquired Gisquette, timidly.
"Very fine, mademoiselle," replied the unknown, without the slightest hesitation36.
"What is it to be?" said Liénarde.
"'The Good Judgment37 of Madame the Virgin,'--a morality, if you please, damsel."
"Ah! that makes a difference," responded Liénarde.
A brief silence ensued--broken by the stranger.
"It is a perfectly38 new morality, and one which has never yet been played."
"Then it is not the same one," said Gisquette, "that was given two years ago, on the day of the entrance of monsieur the legate, and where three handsome maids played the parts--"
"Of sirens," said Liénarde.
"And all naked," added the young man.
Liénarde lowered her eyes modestly. Gisquette glanced at her and did the same. He continued, with a smile,--
"It was a very pleasant thing to see. To-day it is a morality made expressly for Madame the Demoiselle of Flanders."
"Will they sing shepherd songs?" inquired Gisquette.
"Fie!" said the stranger, "in a morality? you must not confound styles. If it were a farce39, well and good."
"That is a pity," resumed Gisquette. "That day, at the Ponceau Fountain, there were wild men and women, who fought and assumed many aspects, as they sang little motets and bergerettes."
"That which is suitable for a legate," returned the stranger, with a good deal of dryness, "is not suitable for a princess."
"And beside them," resumed Liénarde, "played many brass40 instruments, making great melodies."
"And for the refreshment41 of the passers-by," continued Gisquette, "the fountain spouted42 through three mouths, wine, milk, and hippocrass, of which every one drank who wished."
"And a little below the Ponceau, at the Trinity," pursued Liénarde, "there was a passion performed, and without any speaking."
"How well I remember that!" exclaimed Gisquette; "God on the cross, and the two thieves on the right and the left." Here the young gossips, growing warm at the memory of the entrance of monsieur the legate, both began to talk at once.
"And, further on, at the Painters' Gate, there were other personages, very richly clad."
"And at the fountain of Saint-Innocent, that huntsman, who was chasing a hind43 with great clamor of dogs and hunting-horns."
"And, at the Paris slaughter-houses, stages, representing the fortress44 of Dieppe!"
"And when the legate passed, you remember, Gisquette? they made the assault, and the English all had their throats cut."
"And against the gate of the Chatelet, there were very fine personages!"
"And on the Port au Change, which was all draped above!"
"And when the legate passed, they let fly on the bridge more than two hundred sorts of birds; wasn't it beautiful, Liénarde?"
"It will be better to-day," finally resumed their interlocutor, who seemed to listen to them with impatience45.
"Do you promise us that this mystery will be fine?" said Gisquette.
"Without doubt," he replied; then he added, with a certain emphasis,--"I am the author of it, damsels."
"Truly?" said the young girls, quite taken aback.
"Truly!" replied the poet, bridling46 a little; "that is, to say, there are two of us; Jehan Marchand, who has sawed the planks47 and erected48 the framework of the theatre and the woodwork; and I, who have made the piece. My name is Pierre Gringoire."
The author of the "Cid" could not have said "Pierre Corneille" with more pride.
Our readers have been able to observe, that a certain amount of time must have already elapsed from the moment when Jupiter had retired49 beneath the tapestry to the instant when the author of the new morality had thus abruptly50 revealed himself to the innocent admiration of Gisquette and Liénarde. Remarkable51 fact: that whole crowd, so tumultuous but a few moments before, now waited amiably53 on the word of the comedian15; which proves the eternal truth, still experienced every day in our theatres, that the best means of making the public wait patiently is to assure them that one is about to begin instantly.
However, scholar Johannes had not fallen asleep.
"Holà hé!" he shouted suddenly, in the midst of the peaceable waiting which had followed the tumult52. "Jupiter, Madame the Virgin, buffoons54 of the devil! are you jeering55 at us? The piece! the piece! commence or we will commence again!"
This was all that was needed.
The music of high and low instruments immediately became audible from the interior of the stage; the tapestry was raised; four personages, in motley attire and painted faces, emerged from it, climbed the steep ladder of the theatre, and, arrived upon the upper platform, arranged themselves in a line before the public, whom they saluted56 with profound reverences57; then the symphony ceased.
The mystery was about to begin.
The four personages, after having reaped a rich reward of applause for their reverences, began, in the midst of profound silence, a prologue58, which we gladly spare the reader. Moreover, as happens in our own day, the public was more occupied with the costumes that the actors wore than with the roles that they were enacting59; and, in truth, they were right. All four were dressed in parti-colored robes of yellow and white, which were distinguished60 from each other only by the nature of the stuff; the first was of gold and silver brocade; the second, of silk; the third, of wool; the fourth, of linen61. The first of these personages carried in his right hand a sword; the second, two golden keys; the third, a pair of scales; the fourth, a spade: and, in order to aid sluggish62 minds which would not have seen clearly through the transparency of these attributes, there was to be read, in large, black letters, on the hem2 of the robe of brocade, MY NAME IS NOBILITY; on the hem of the silken robe, MY NAME IS CLERGY63; on the hem of the woolen64 robe, MY NAME IS MERCHANDISE; on the hem of the linen robe, MY NAME IS LABOR65. The sex of the two male characters was briefly66 indicated to every judicious67 spectator, by their shorter robes, and by the cap which they wore on their heads; while the two female characters, less briefly clad, were covered with hoods68.
Much ill-will would also have been required, not to comprehend, through the medium of the poetry of the prologue, that Labor was wedded69 to Merchandise, and Clergy to Nobility, and that the two happy couples possessed70 in common a magnificent golden dolphin, which they desired to adjudge to the fairest only. So they were roaming about the world seeking and searching for this beauty, and, after having successively rejected the Queen of Golconda, the Princess of Trebizonde, the daughter of the Grand Khan of Tartary, etc., Labor and Clergy, Nobility and Merchandise, had come to rest upon the marble table of the Palais de Justice, and to utter, in the presence of the honest audience, as many sentences and maxims71 as could then be dispensed72 at the Faculty73 of Arts, at examinations, sophisms, determinances, figures, and acts, where the masters took their degrees.
All this was, in fact, very fine.
Nevertheless, in that throng74, upon which the four allegories vied with each other in pouring out floods of metaphors76, there was no ear more attentive77, no heart that palpitated more, not an eye was more haggard, no neck more outstretched, than the eye, the ear, the neck, and the heart of the author, of the poet, of that brave Pierre Gringoire, who had not been able to resist, a moment before, the joy of telling his name to two pretty girls. He had retreated a few paces from them, behind his pillar, and there he listened, looked, enjoyed. The amiable78 applause which had greeted the beginning of his prologue was still echoing in his bosom79, and he was completely absorbed in that species of ecstatic contemplation with which an author beholds80 his ideas fall, one by one, from the mouth of the actor into the vast silence of the audience. Worthy81 Pierre Gringoire!
It pains us to say it, but this first ecstasy82 was speedily disturbed. Hardly had Gringoire raised this intoxicating83 cup of joy and triumph to his lips, when a drop of bitterness was mingled84 with it.
A tattered85 mendicant86, who could not collect any coins, lost as he was in the midst of the crowd, and who had not probably found sufficient indemnity87 in the pockets of his neighbors, had hit upon the idea of perching himself upon some conspicuous88 point, in order to attract looks and alms. He had, accordingly, hoisted89 himself, during the first verses of the prologue, with the aid of the pillars of the reserve gallery, to the cornice which ran round the balustrade at its lower edge; and there he had seated himself, soliciting90 the attention and the pity of the multitude, with his rags and a hideous91 sore which covered his right arm. However, he uttered not a word.
The silence which he preserved allowed the prologue to proceed without hindrance92, and no perceptible disorder93 would have ensued, if ill-luck had not willed that the scholar Joannes should catch sight, from the heights of his pillar, of the mendicant and his grimaces94. A wild fit of laughter took possession of the young scamp, who, without caring that he was interrupting the spectacle, and disturbing the universal composure, shouted boldly,--
"Look! see that sickly creature asking alms!"
Any one who has thrown a stone into a frog pond, or fired a shot into a covey of birds, can form an idea of the effect produced by these incongruous words, in the midst of the general attention. It made Gringoire shudder95 as though it had been an electric shock. The prologue stopped short, and all heads turned tumultuously towards the beggar, who, far from being disconcerted by this, saw, in this incident, a good opportunity for reaping his harvest, and who began to whine96 in a doleful way, half closing his eyes the while,--"Charity, please!"
"Well--upon my soul," resumed Joannes, "it's Clopin Trouillefou! Holà he, my friend, did your sore bother you on the leg, that you have transferred it to your arm?" So saying, with the dexterity97 of a monkey, he flung a bit of silver into the gray felt hat which the beggar held in his ailing22 arm. The mendicant received both the alms and the sarcasm98 without wincing99, and continued, in lamentable100 tones,--
"Charity, please!"
This episode considerably101 distracted the attention of the audience; and a goodly number of spectators, among them Robin Poussepain, and all the clerks at their head, gayly applauded this eccentric duet, which the scholar, with his shrill102 voice, and the mendicant had just improvised103 in the middle of the prologue.
Gringoire was highly displeased104. On recovering from his first stupefaction, he bestirred himself to shout, to the four personages on the stage, "Go on! What the devil!--go on!" --without even deigning105 to cast a glance of disdain106 upon the two interrupters.
At that moment, he felt some one pluck at the hem of his surtout; he turned round, and not without ill-humor, and found considerable difficulty in smiling; but he was obliged to do so, nevertheless. It was the pretty arm of Gisquette la Gencienne, which, passed through the railing, was soliciting his attention in this manner.
"Monsieur," said the young girl, "are they going to continue?"
"Of course," replied Gringoire, a good deal shocked by the question.
"In that case, messire," she resumed, "would you have the courtesy to explain to me--"
"What they are about to say?" interrupted Gringoire. "Well, listen."
"No," said Gisquette, "but what they have said so far."
Gringoire started, like a man whose wound has been probed to the quick.
"A plague on the stupid and dull-witted little girl!" he muttered, between his teeth.
From that moment forth107, Gisquette was nothing to him.
In the meantime, the actors had obeyed his injunction, and the public, seeing that they were beginning to speak again, began once more to listen, not without having lost many beauties in the sort of soldered108 joint109 which was formed between the two portions of the piece thus abruptly cut short. Gringoire commented on it bitterly to himself. Nevertheless, tranquillity110 was gradually restored, the scholar held his peace, the mendicant counted over some coins in his hat, and the piece resumed the upper hand.
It was, in fact, a very fine work, and one which, as it seems to us, might be put to use to-day, by the aid of a little rearrangement. The exposition, rather long and rather empty, that is to say, according to the rules, was simple; and Gringoire, in the candid111 sanctuary112 of his own conscience, admired its clearness. As the reader may surmise113, the four allegorical personages were somewhat weary with having traversed the three sections of the world, without having found suitable opportunity for getting rid of their golden dolphin. Thereupon a eulogy114 of the marvellous fish, with a thousand delicate allusions115 to the young betrothed116 of Marguerite of Flanders, then sadly cloistered117 in at Amboise, and without a suspicion that Labor and Clergy, Nobility and Merchandise had just made the circuit of the world in his behalf. The said dauphin was then young, was handsome, was stout118, and, above all (magnificent origin of all royal virtues), he was the son of the Lion of France. I declare that this bold metaphor75 is admirable, and that the natural history of the theatre, on a day of allegory and royal marriage songs, is not in the least startled by a dolphin who is the son of a lion. It is precisely119 these rare and Pindaric mixtures which prove the poet's enthusiasm. Nevertheless, in order to play the part of critic also, the poet might have developed this beautiful idea in something less than two hundred lines. It is true that the mystery was to last from noon until four o'clock, in accordance with the orders of monsieur the provost, and that it was necessary to say something. Besides, the people listened patiently.
All at once, in the very middle of a quarrel between Mademoiselle Merchandise and Madame Nobility, at the moment when Monsieur Labor was giving utterance120 to this wonderful line,--
In forest ne'er was seen a more triumphant121 beast;
the door of the reserved gallery which had hitherto remained so inopportunely closed, opened still more inopportunely; and the ringing voice of the usher122 announced abruptly, "His eminence, Monseigneur the Cardinal de Bourbon."
在这个人向观众致词的当儿，观众对他的服装所一致感到的满意和崇敬，统统被他的话赶跑了，刚一说出“等红衣主教大人一到场我们就开演”
这个可悲的结尾，他的声音就淹没在人们的咒骂声中了。
“马上开演！圣迹剧！马上开演圣迹剧！”人们嚷着。在所有喧闹声中，大家听见若望·德·梅朗狄诺的声音好象从尼姆的狂乱音乐里透出来的一片笛声：“马上开演！”这个青年学生尖着嗓子喊道。
“打倒朱比特和波旁红衣主教！”罗班·普斯潘和另一些待在窗口的青年怒吼着。
“马上开演寓意剧！”人们一遍又一遍地叫喊。“立刻开演！马上开演！
要不我们可要屠杀啦，可要把那些喜剧演员和红衣主教都杀死，绞死啦！”
那可怜的朱比特吓呆了，脸孔变得惨白，手中的雷电掉落下来，他把头盔摘下拿在手里，战战兢兢地行着礼，结结巴巴地说道：“红衣主教大人……
使臣们……弗朗德勒的玛格丽特夫人……”他不知说什么好了，他终究是害怕给绞死的呀。
由于使群众等得太久而被他们绞死，或者由于没有等候红衣主教而被他绞死，从这两方面都只看到同一个深渊——也就是同一个绞刑架。
幸好有人来解救他，来替他作主了。
一个站在栏杆里边大理石台子近旁空地上的家伙，他那瘦长的身子完全被他倚着的柱子挡住了，谁都瞧不见他。这家伙长得高大，瘦削，面色苍白，头发金褐，虽然额头和双颊上都已经有了皱纹，可还是显得年青，有明亮的眼睛和微笑的嘴唇，身穿破旧的黑哔叽衣服。他走到大理石台子跟前，向那可怜的受难者做了个手势，可是那一个正在为难，并没有注意。
这新来的人又向前跨了一步：“朱比特，”他喊道，“我亲爱的朱比特！”
那一位还是没听见。
这瘦长、漂亮的人终于不耐烦起来，几乎一直走到他的鼻子底下喊道：“米歇尔·吉博伦！”
“谁在叫我？”朱比特问道，仿佛刚从梦里惊醒。
“是我呀。”穿黑衣服的人回答。
“啊！”朱比特说。
“马上开演吧！”那一位说道，“让观众满足吧。我负责去请求法官的谅解，法官负责去请求红衣主教的谅解。”
朱比特这才透了一口气。
“公民先生们！”他用力向着还在朝他吼叫的观众喊道：“我们马上开演！”
“朱比特，向你致敬！公民们，喝采吧！”
“好啊！好啊！”群众喊叫着。
人们使劲鼓掌叫好，朱比特却已经退到帷幔后面，那帷幔被叫喊声震得还在颤动呢。
这时，那个象我们亲爱的老高乃依所谓的巧妙地“平息了风暴”的陌生人，谦虚地退到了圆柱的阴影里去了，要不是站在最前面的两位年轻女士留意到他同米歇尔·吉博伦的谈话而把他喊了出来，他一定还是象先前那样悄没声地一动不动也无人看见地待在原处。
“大师。”她们中的一位喊道，一面示意叫他走过去……
“别叫了，亲爱的丽埃纳德，”她那位美丽的容光焕发的穿着漂亮的星期日服装的同伴说，“他并不是什么学者，他是个普通人，不用称大师，就称先生得了。”
“先生。”丽埃纳德喊道。
陌生人从柱子那儿走过来了。
“你们要我做什么，小姐们？”他热心地问。
“啊，没有什么。”丽埃纳德困窘地说，“是我的同伴吉斯盖特·拉让新想同您说话。”
“啊，不是这样，”吉斯盖特红着脸说，“因为丽埃纳德称呼您是大师，我告诉她说大家都叫您先生。”
两位女士低下了眼睛。那一位却只想把谈话继续下去，便微笑地看着她们问道：“那么你们并没有什么话同我谈吗，小姐们？”
“啊，什么话也没有。”吉斯盖特回答。
“没什么话。”丽埃纳德说。
高个儿金发青年退了一步打算走开，但那两位寻根究底的人却不想那么轻易放他走呢。
“先生，”吉斯盖特带着象打开了的水闸或是下了决心的妇女的那种急躁心情，热心地说，“那么，您认得要在圣迹剧里扮演圣母的这个兵士吧？”
“您是说扮朱比特的那位吗？”那个不知名姓的人说。
“哎，对了，”丽埃纳德说，“她真笨！那么您认识朱比特了？”
“米歇尔·吉博伦吗？”不知名姓的人回答，“我认识他，夫人。”
“他有一撮不寻常的胡须呢！”丽埃纳德说。
“他们打算在那台上演出的戏也是挺美的吧？”吉斯盖特怯生生地问。
“美极了，小姐！”不知名姓的人毫不迟疑地答道。
“那是什么戏呢？”丽埃纳德说。
“一出寓意剧，名叫《圣母的裁判》，要是您赏脸的话，小姐。”
“啊，那可就不一样了。”丽埃纳德说。
接着是短暂的沉默。不知名姓的人打破沉默说：“这个寓意剧是完全新的，还没有上演过呢。”
“那么，”吉斯盖特说，“它和两年前教皇特使到来那天上演的戏是一样的了，那天有三个漂亮姑娘参加演出……”
“她们扮演的是美人鱼。”
“全都光着身子。”那青年人补充道。丽埃纳德害羞地低下眼睛，吉斯盖特看了看她，也照着办。青年微笑着接着说道：“那挺好看呢。今天的戏是专门为了弗朗德勒公主写的寓意剧。”
“戏里唱牧歌吗？”
“呸！”陌生人说，“在一出寓意剧里唱牧歌！那就和这种戏的性质不相称了。要是一出滑稽剧，那还可以。”
“多可惜！”吉斯盖特说，“上次演出的那一天，蓬梭喷池有些粗野的男女互相打闹，唱着赞美歌和牧歌，表演了好几种身段。”
“那对教皇特使倒挺合适，”陌生人相当生硬地说道，“对一位公主可就不合适了。”
“在他们近旁，”丽埃纳德又说，“几件低音乐器奏出了优美的乐曲。”
“为了让过路人精神畅快，”吉斯盖特接口道，“喷池还从三个喷口里喷出酒、牛奶和调合饮料，让人们随便喝。”
“在蓬梭过去不远的地方，”丽埃纳德又说道，“在特里尼代，上演着一出耶稣受难的哑剧。”
“这个我记得清楚极了！”吉斯盖特嚷道，“耶稣在十字架上，两个强盗一左一右！”
说到这里，这一对年轻的多嘴驴因为记起了教皇特使莅临时的情景，兴奋起来，争着同时张嘴讲话。
“再往前，在画家门那里，有些人穿戴得挺讲究。”
“在圣婴泉那边，有个猎人追赶一只母鹿，猎狗的叫声和号角的声音真响亮！”
“在巴黎屠宰场，临时搭起的戏台上在演出进攻狄哀普城堡呢！”
“当教皇特使经过的时候，戏台上正在演攻城，那些英国佬统统给砍了脑袋。”
“在沙特雷门对面，有些很了不起的人物！”
“教皇特使走过的当儿，人们让欧项热桥上飞起两百多打各种各样的鸟儿。那好看极了，丽埃纳德。”
“今天的戏更加好看。”听着他们谈天的人终于说道，他好象听得不耐烦了。
“你担保今天的圣迹剧会好看吗？”吉斯盖特问。
“当然好看，”他回答着，随即又加重语气补充道，“女士们，我就是剧本的作者。”
“真的吗？”两位姑娘惊讶地问。
“真的！”他不无骄傲地回答，“就是说我们有两个人：若望·马尔尚锯好树枝，搭好戏台的木架和板壁，我写好剧本。我的姓名是比埃尔·甘果瓦。”
就连《熙德》的作者，也不会比他更骄傲地宣布“我是高乃依”呢。
我们的读者也许注意到，从朱比特消失在帷幕后面到吉斯盖特和丽埃纳德的天真的赞叹所引起的新寓意剧作者这样唐突的自我表白，这中间已经过了一段时间。真是怪事，几分钟前还那样闹嚷的全体观众，此刻却温顺地等候寓意剧的开演。这就证明了一条真理：要想叫观众耐心等待，先得向他们声明马上就要开演。
无论如何，大学生若望是不会睡熟的。
“喂，哎，”在观众一阵闹嚷后等待开演的安静当中他突然喊道，“朱比特，圣母，可恶的骗子们，你们是开玩笑吗？演戏呀，演戏呀！马上开演！
要不我们可又来啦！”
不用再说什么了。
一阵抑扬的乐声从戏台里面传出，幕揭开了，跳出四个花面纹身的角色，爬上戏台的粗糙的梯级来到台面上，在观众面前排成一行，深深地鞠躬行礼。
于是交响乐停住，圣迹剧开演了。
那四个角色在得到观众为了他们的鞠躬送给他们的足够掌声之后，在一片沉寂中间开始演出。这是序幕，请读者恕我们不再详细描写了。更何况情况和我们现在完全一样，观众留心演员的服装更甚于留心他们扮演什么角色，事实上这也是对的。他们都穿着半黄半白的两色衣服，只是在衣料上有所区别：第一个穿的是金银两色的锦缎，第二个穿的是金银两色的丝绸，第三个穿的是金银两色的麻布，第四个穿的是金银两色的棉布。第一个右手执一把剑，第二个拿着两把金钥匙，第三个拿着一架天平，第四个握着一把铁铲。为了怕懒惰的人的智力从这些明显的标志上还看不懂是怎么回事，所以还可以读到这样几个大字，在锦缎袍子的边上绣着“我名叫贵妇”，绸料袍子的边上绣着“我名叫教士”，麻布袍子的边上绣着“我名叫商女”，棉布袍子的边上绣着“我名叫工人”。那两个男演员，由于他们的衣服特别短和帽子的式样不同，很容易分辨出来，而那两个女演员则衣服较长，戴着头巾。除非是有心装不懂才可能在听了序幕的韵文台词后还体会不出工人是商女的配偶，教士是贵妇的配偶。这两对幸福的夫妻共有一只金海豚，他们打算把它献给妇女当中最美的一位，于是他们走遍全世界去寻找这位美人。
当他们接连拒绝了戈贡德女皇、鞑靼可汗的女儿瑞比蓉德公主和别的许多人之后，工人和教士，商女和贵妇，就来到了司法宫的大理石戏台上，向这里公正的观众宣读了这么多警句和格言——这些都是当时在艺术院系里进行研究，展开辩论，采取决定，或涉及修辞或制订条例时才听得到的，大师们也正是通过这些来取得他们的学位和等级。
所有这一切都非常美妙。
在听着四个角色竞赛般地倾吐着这些隐喻的观众中间，此刻再没有谁的耳朵能比这位作者，这位诗人，这位正直的比埃尔·甘果瓦的耳朵更专注的了，再没有谁的心能比他的心跳动得更快的了，再没有谁能比他把脖子伸得更长的了。刚才他就是因为太高兴了，才忍不住把自己的姓名告诉了那两位漂亮的姑娘的。现在他从他们身边走开几步，到他先前靠过的柱子后面，倾听着，观看着，玩味着。戏剧开场时候的掌声还在他心里回荡，他完全沉浸在剧作家看见自己的意图从演员们口中逐一落到观众中时那种狂喜的沉思里去了。可敬的比埃尔·甘果瓦！
我们这样说可没错，不过这种初次的狂欢很快就受到了干扰。甘果瓦刚刚把这欢乐与胜利的酒杯举到唇边，就有一滴苦汁渗了进去。
有个没人注意的破衣烂衫的乞丐挤在人群中间，他肯定是没能从身边别人的衣袋里找到足够的报酬，就打算坐在明显的地方，为了引人注目和接受施舍。于是正当台上演唱着序幕开头几行诗的时候，他就攀着那些看台的柱子，爬到了看台栏杆下边的飞檐上。在那儿他坐了下来，一身褴褛，右胳膊全是脓疮，这就吸引了人们的注意和怜悯，所以他就用不着再多说什么话了。
他保持着沉默，使序幕的表演能顺利地继续进行着，要不是倒霉的命运偏偏让若望·孚罗洛从柱顶上认出了那个乞丐和他的装腔作势，本来是什么骚动也不会发生的。这年轻的捣蛋鬼大笑一声，他不管这会不会扰乱观众的凝神倾听，兴冲冲地嚷道：“喂！这个病鬼在乞讨呀！”
就象是谁朝着满塘青蛙扔去了一块石头，或是朝着一群飞鸟开了一枪似的，你可以想象出这句不恰当的话在凝神倾听的观众当中会产生什么样的影响，甘果瓦象触了电似地抖了一抖，序幕突然中断了，人们的脑袋骚动着一齐朝那乞丐转过去，他却毫不慌张，反倒从这个机会里看出他可以得到很好的收益，于是就半闭起眼睛，用凄惨的声调喊道：“行行好吧！”
“咳，凭我的灵魂打赌，”若望说，“这是克洛潘·图意弗呀。啊呀！
朋友，你的疮本来是长在腿上的，你怎么把它弄到胳膊上去了呢？”
这样说着，他丢了一个小银币到那乞丐放在有疮的胳膊上的大毡帽里。
乞丐并不躲避他的布施和他的讥笑，继续用那凄惨的调儿唱着：“请行行好吧！”
这个插曲使观众受到了相当的干扰，以罗班·普斯潘和大学生们为首的大部分观众，快活地鼓掌欢迎这一刚刚插到序幕中间的奇异的二重唱——那大学生的尖嗓子和那乞丐的沉着的唱圣诗的声调。
甘果瓦很不高兴。他从最初一阵麻木状态里清醒过来，大声向台上的四个角色喊道：“演下去呀，活见鬼，演下去呀！”他简直不屑向那两个打断了演出的人投去一个轻蔑的眼色。
这时他觉得有人在拉他的外衣边儿，他回转身去，有点恼怒并且烦乱得笑也笑不出来。但他是应该笑的，那是吉斯盖特·拉让新的美丽的胳膊，她跨过了栏杆，这样来引起他的注意。
“先生，”这位姑娘说，“他们还会演下去吗？”
“当然哪！”甘果瓦答道，这个问题有些触怒了他。
“那么，先生，你愿不愿意给我解释……”
“解释他们还要讲些什么吗？你听下去就得哪！”
“不，我问的是他们刚才讲的是什么来着。”
甘果瓦抖了一下，好象突然被人碰着了伤口。
“这笨姑娘真烦人！”他在牙缝里轻声说。
从这个时候开始，他对吉斯盖特失去了好感。
这当儿，演员们听从了他的命令，群众看见他们重新表演，都留心倾听着，但是相当多的美妙词句却已经错过了，两幕戏当中的衔接处被突然打断了，而那却是甘果瓦费尽苦心写出来的。不过人们逐渐肃静下来，那个大学生住口了，乞丐数着他帽子里的几个钱，戏继续在台上表演着。
这实在是出相当好的戏，假若略加整理，就是现在也还是可以上演的。
情节尽管有点冗长和空洞，但是十分简单，也还合乎要求。心地直率的甘果瓦十分珍视它的清晰易懂这一点。正如人们所猜想的那样，四个寓意的角色跑遍了全世界三大地区，还没找到适合接受他们的金海豚的人，他们有点疲倦了。于是台上开始了对这条神妙的鱼的赞颂，连同成千上百的关于他的未婚妻弗朗德勒的玛格丽特公主的美妙的暗示，说到昂布瓦斯就惨淡地结束了，丝毫不考虑工人和教士，贵妇和商女曾经为着他跑遍了全世界。上面谈到的这位王太子是年轻漂亮和壮健的，尤其因为他是“法兰西之狮”的儿子，一切王室美德的美好的源泉。我申言，这个大胆的比喻是值得称赞的。而且在寓意诗和贺婚诗的时代，戏剧里演出动物界的故事，对于把一只海豚比作一位狮王之子是绝不会感到大惊小怪的。正是由于这些罕有的潘达尔式的混杂的作品表明了赞美的热忱。可是按照批评家的意见，诗人尽可以把这一构思加以发挥，至少也得写成两百行。遵照总督先生的命令，圣迹剧应该从正午演到下午四点，所以应该好好表演一下，何况观众听得挺耐心呢。
当商女同贵妇正在争吵，当工人师傅正在演唱下面这行美妙的诗句的时候：我从不曾在森林里见过更神气的野兽！
一直毫无道理地关着的大门，这时忽然更加毫无道理地给推开了，守门人响亮的声音突然通报说：“波旁红衣主教大人到！”
收听单词发音 |
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harangued
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| v.高谈阔论( harangue的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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hem
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| n.贴边，镶边；vt.缝贴边；(in)包围，限制 | |
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admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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untoward
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| adj.不利的，不幸的，困难重重的 | |
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eminence
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| n.卓越，显赫；高地，高处；名家 | |
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cardinal
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| n.(天主教的)红衣主教；adj.首要的，基本的 | |
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hooting
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| （使）作汽笛声响，作汽车喇叭声( hoot的现在分词 )； 倒好儿； 倒彩 | |
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hoot
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| n.鸟叫声，汽车的喇叭声； v.使汽车鸣喇叭 | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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uproar
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| n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸 | |
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derisive
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| adj.嘲弄的 | |
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yelped
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| v.发出短而尖的叫声( yelp的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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robin
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| n.知更鸟，红襟鸟 | |
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comedians
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| n.喜剧演员，丑角( comedian的名词复数 ) | |
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comedian
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| n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员 | |
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rouge
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| n.胭脂，口红唇膏；v.(在…上)擦口红 | |
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stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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dilemmas
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| n.左右为难( dilemma的名词复数 )；窘境，困境 | |
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gallows
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| n.绞刑架，绞台 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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standing
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ailing
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pallid
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| adj.苍白的，呆板的 | |
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awakened
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| v.（使）醒( awaken的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）觉醒；弄醒；（使）意识到 | |
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appease
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| v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足 | |
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deafening
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| adj. 振耳欲聋的, 极喧闹的 动词deafen的现在分词形式 | |
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withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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tapestry
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| n.挂毯，丰富多采的画面 | |
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colloquy
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| n.谈话，自由讨论 | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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layman
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| n.俗人，门外汉，凡人 | |
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alacrity
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| n.敏捷，轻快，乐意 | |
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maidens
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| 处女( maiden的名词复数 )； 少女； 未婚女子； （板球运动）未得分的一轮投球 | |
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sluice
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virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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farce
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| n.闹剧，笑剧，滑稽戏；胡闹 | |
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brass
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| n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器 | |
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refreshment
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| n.恢复，精神爽快，提神之事物；（复数）refreshments:点心，茶点 | |
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spouted
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| adj.装有嘴的v.（指液体）喷出( spout的过去式和过去分词 )；滔滔不绝地讲；喋喋不休地说；喷水 | |
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hind
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| adj.后面的，后部的 | |
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fortress
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| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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bridling
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| 给…套龙头( bridle的现在分词 )； 控制； 昂首表示轻蔑（或怨忿等）； 动怒，生气 | |
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planks
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| （厚）木板( plank的名词复数 )； 政纲条目，政策要点 | |
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ERECTED
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| adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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amiably
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| adv.和蔼可亲地，亲切地 | |
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buffoons
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| n.愚蠢的人( buffoon的名词复数 )；傻瓜；逗乐小丑；滑稽的人 | |
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55
jeering
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| adj.嘲弄的，揶揄的v.嘲笑( jeer的现在分词 ) | |
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56
saluted
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的过去式和过去分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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57
reverences
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| n.尊敬，崇敬( reverence的名词复数 )；敬礼 | |
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58
prologue
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| n.开场白，序言；开端，序幕 | |
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59
enacting
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的现在分词 ) | |
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60
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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61
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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62
sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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63
clergy
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| n.[总称]牧师，神职人员 | |
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64
woolen
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| adj.羊毛(制)的；毛纺的 | |
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65
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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66
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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67
judicious
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| adj.明智的，明断的，能作出明智决定的 | |
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68
hoods
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| n.兜帽( hood的名词复数 )；头巾；（汽车、童车等的）折合式车篷；汽车发动机罩v.兜帽( hood的第三人称单数 )；头巾；（汽车、童车等的）折合式车篷；汽车发动机罩 | |
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69
wedded
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| adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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70
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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71
maxims
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| n.格言，座右铭( maxim的名词复数 ) | |
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72
dispensed
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| v.分配( dispense的过去式和过去分词 )；施与；配（药） | |
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73
faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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74
throng
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| n.人群，群众；v.拥挤，群集 | |
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75
metaphor
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| n.隐喻，暗喻 | |
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76
metaphors
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| 隐喻( metaphor的名词复数 ) | |
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77
attentive
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| adj.注意的，专心的；关心(别人)的，殷勤的 | |
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78
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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79
bosom
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| n.胸，胸部；胸怀；内心；adj.亲密的 | |
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80
beholds
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| v.看，注视( behold的第三人称单数 )；瞧；看呀；（叙述中用于引出某人意外的出现）哎哟 | |
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81
worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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82
ecstasy
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| n.狂喜，心醉神怡，入迷 | |
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83
intoxicating
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| a. 醉人的,使人兴奋的 | |
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84
mingled
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| 混合，混入( mingle的过去式和过去分词 )； 混进，与…交往[联系] | |
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85
tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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86
mendicant
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| n.乞丐；adj.行乞的 | |
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87
indemnity
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| n.赔偿，赔款，补偿金 | |
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88
conspicuous
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| adj.明眼的，惹人注目的；炫耀的，摆阔气的 | |
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89
hoisted
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| 把…吊起，升起( hoist的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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90
soliciting
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| v.恳求( solicit的现在分词 )；（指娼妇）拉客；索求；征求 | |
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91
hideous
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| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
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92
hindrance
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| n.妨碍，障碍 | |
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93
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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grimaces
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| n.（表蔑视、厌恶等）面部扭曲，鬼脸( grimace的名词复数 )v.扮鬼相，做鬼脸( grimace的第三人称单数 ) | |
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95
shudder
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| v.战粟，震动，剧烈地摇晃；n.战粟，抖动 | |
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96
whine
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| v.哀号，号哭；n.哀鸣 | |
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97
dexterity
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| n.(手的)灵巧，灵活 | |
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98
sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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99
wincing
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| 赶紧避开，畏缩( wince的现在分词 ) | |
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100
lamentable
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| adj.令人惋惜的，悔恨的 | |
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101
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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102
shrill
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| adj.尖声的；刺耳的；v尖叫 | |
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103
improvised
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| a.即席而作的,即兴的 | |
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104
displeased
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| a.不快的 | |
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105
deigning
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| v.屈尊，俯就( deign的现在分词 ) | |
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106
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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107
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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108
soldered
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| v.（使）焊接，焊合( solder的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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109
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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110
tranquillity
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| n. 平静, 安静 | |
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111
candid
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| adj.公正的，正直的；坦率的 | |
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112
sanctuary
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| n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区 | |
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113
surmise
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| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
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114
eulogy
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| n.颂词；颂扬 | |
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115
allusions
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| 暗指，间接提到( allusion的名词复数 ) | |
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116
betrothed
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| n. 已订婚者 动词betroth的过去式和过去分词 | |
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117
cloistered
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| adj.隐居的，躲开尘世纷争的v.隐退，使与世隔绝( cloister的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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119
precisely
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| adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地 | |
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120
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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121
triumphant
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| adj.胜利的，成功的；狂欢的，喜悦的 | |
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122
usher
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| n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员 | |
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