and alarmed the procurator.

"'Tis a cat of mine," said the archdeacon, quickly, "who is regaling
herself under there with a mouse."

This explanation satisfied Charmolue.

"In fact, master," he replied, with a respectful smile, "all great
philosophers have their familiar animal. You know what Servius saith:
'_Nullus enim locus sine genio est_,--for there is no place that hath
not its spirit.'"

But Dom Claude, who stood in terror of some new freak on the part of
Jehan, reminded his worthy disciple that they had some figures on
the facade to study together, and the two quitted the cell, to the
accompaniment of a great "ouf!" from the scholar, who began to seriously
fear that his knee would acquire the imprint of his chin.

CHAPTER VI. THE EFFECT WHICH SEVEN OATHS IN THE OPEN AIR CAN PRODUCE.

"_Te Deum Laudamus_!" exclaimed Master Jehan, creeping out from his
hole, "the screech-owls have departed. Och! och! Hax! pax! max! fleas!
mad dogs! the devil! I have had enough of their conversation! My head
is humming like a bell tower. And mouldy cheese to boot! Come on! Let us
descend, take the big brother's purse and convert all these coins into
bottles!"

He cast a glance of tenderness and admiration into the interior of the
precious pouch, readjusted his toilet, rubbed up his boots, dusted his
poor half sleeves, all gray with ashes, whistled an air, indulged in a
sportive pirouette, looked about to see whether there were not something
more in the cell to take, gathered up here and there on the furnace some
amulet in glass which might serve to bestow, in the guise of a trinket,
on Isabeau la Thierrye, finally pushed open the door which his brother
had left unfastened, as a last indulgence, and which he, in his
turn, left open as a last piece of malice, and descended the circular
staircase, skipping like a bird.

In the midst of the gloom of the spiral staircase, he elbowed something
which drew aside with a growl; he took it for granted that it was
Quasimodo, and it struck him as so droll that he descended the remainder
of the staircase holding his sides with laughter. On emerging upon the
Place, he laughed yet more heartily.

He stamped his foot when he found himself on the ground once again.
"Oh!" said he, "good and honorable pavement of Paris, cursed staircase,
fit to put the angels of Jacob's ladder out of breath! What was I
thinking of to thrust myself into that stone gimlet which pierces the
sky; all