* A game played on a checker-board containing three concentric sets of squares， with small stones. The game consisted in getting three stones in a row.
As for the noise， it was like the inside of a bell at full peal.
The dripping-pan， where crackled a rain of grease， filled with its continual sputtering the intervals of these thousand dialogues， which intermingled from one end of the apartment to the other.
In the midst of this uproar， at the extremity of the tavern， on the bench inside the chimney， sat a philosopher meditating with his feet in the ashes and his eyes on the brands. It was Pierre Gringoire.
"Be quick！ make haste， arm yourselves！ we set out on the march in an hour！" said Clopin Trouillefou to his thieves.
A wench was humming，--
"~Bonsoir mon père et ma mere， Les derniers couvrent le feu~."** Good night， father and mother， the last cover up the fire.
Two card players were disputing，--
"Knave！" cried the reddest faced of the two， shaking his fist at the other； "I'll mark you with the club. You can take the place of Mistigri in the pack of cards of monseigneur the king.""Ugh！" roared a Norman， recognizable by his nasal accent；"we are packed in here like the saints of Caillouville！""My sons，" the Duke of Egypt was saying to his audience， in a falsetto voice， "sorceresses in France go to the witches'sabbath without broomsticks， or grease， or steed， merely by means of some magic words. The witches of Italy always have a buck waiting for them at their door. All are bound to go out through the chimney."The voice of the young scamp armed from head to foot， dominated the uproar.
"Hurrah！ hurrah！" he was shouting. "My first day in armor！ Outcast！ I am an outcast. Give me something to drink. My friends， my name is Jehan Frollo du Moulin， and I am a gentleman. My opinion is that if God were a ~gendarme~， he would turn robber. Brothers， we are about to set out on a fine expedition. Lay siege to the church， burst in the doors， drag out the beautiful girl， save her from the judges， save her from the priests， dismantle the cloister， burn the bishop in his palace--all this we will do in less time than it takes for a burgomaster to eat a spoonful of soup. Our cause is just， we will plunder Notre-Dame and that will be the end of it. We will hang Quasimodo. Do you know Quasimodo， ladies？ Have you seen him make himself breathless on the big bell on a grand Pentecost festival！ ~Corne du Père~！ 'tis very fine！ One would say he was a devil mounted on a man. Listen to me， my friends； I am a vagabond to the bottom of my heart， I am a member of the slang thief gang in my soul， I was born an independent thief. I have been rich， and I have devoured all my property. My mother wanted to make an officer of me； my father， a sub-deacon； my aunt， a councillor of inquests； my grandmother， prothonotary to the king； my great aunt， a treasurer of the short robe，--and I have made myself an outcast. I said this to my father， who spit his curse in my face； to my mother， who set to weeping and chattering， poor old lady， like yonder fagot on the and-irons. Long live mirth！ I am a real Bicêtre. Waitress， my dear， more wine. I have still the wherewithal to pay. Iwant no more Surène wine. It distresses my throat. I'd as lief， ~corboeuf~！ gargle my throat with a basket."Meanwhile， the rabble applauded with shouts of laughter；and seeing that the tumult was increasing around him， the scholar cried，--.
"Oh！ what a fine noise！ ~Populi debacchantis populosa debacchatio~！" Then he began to sing， his eye swimming in ecstasy， in the tone of a canon intoning vespers， ~Quoe cantica！ quoe organa！ quoe cantilenoe！ quoe meloclioe hic sine fine decantantur！ Sonant melliflua hymnorum organa， suavissima angelorum melodia， cantica canticorum mira~！
He broke off： "Tavern-keeper of the devil， give me some supper！"There was a moment of partial silence， during which the sharp voice of the Duke of Egypt rose， as he gave instructions to his Bohemians.
"The weasel is called Adrune； the fox， Blue-foot， or the Racer of the Woods； the wolf， Gray-foot， or Gold-foot； the bear the Old Man， or Grandfather. The cap of a gnome confers invisibility， and causes one to behold invisible things.
Every toad that is baptized must be clad in red or black velvet， a bell on its neck， a bell on its feet. The godfather holds its head， the godmother its hinder parts. 'Tis the demon Sidragasum who hath the power to make wenches dance stark naked.""By the mass！" interrupted Jehan， "I should like to be the demon Sidragasum."Meanwhile， the vagabonds continued to arm themselves and whisper at the other end of the dram-shop.
"That poor Esmeralda！" said a Bohemian. "She is our sister. She must be taken away from there.""Is she still at Notre-Dame？" went on a merchant with the appearance of a Jew.
"Yes， pardieu！"
"Well！ comrades！" exclaimed the merchant， "to Notre-Dame！
So much the better， since there are in the chapel of Saints Féréol and Ferrution two statues， the one of John the Baptist， the other of Saint-Antoine， of solid gold， weighing together seven marks of gold and fifteen estellins； and the pedestals are of silver-gilt， of seventeen marks， five ounces.
I know that； I am a goldsmith."
