'That will do，'returned the imperturbable magistrate when he concluded that the accused had finished his third answer.'You stand charged before us，primo，with nocturnal disturbance；secundo，with unjustifiable violence to the person of a light woman，in prejudicium meretricis；tertio，of rebellion and contempt against the archers of our Lord the King.Explain yourself on these points.—Clerk，have you written down what the accused has said so far？'
At this unlucky question there was an explosion of laughter，beginning with the clerk and spreading to the crowd—so violent，so uncontrollable，so contagious，so universal，that neither of the deaf men could help perceiving it.Quasimodo turned round and shrugged his high shoulders disdainfully，while M re Florian，as surprised as he，and supposing that the laughter of the spectators had been provoked by some unseemly reply from the accused，rendered visible to him by that shrug，addressed him indignantly：
'Fellow，that last answer of yours deserves the halter.Do you know to whom you are speaking？'
This sally was hardly calculated to extinguish the outburst of general hilarity.The thing was so utterly absurd and topsy-turvy，that the wild laughter seized even the sergeants of the Common Hall，a sort of pikemen whose stolidity was part of their uniform.Quasimodo alone preserved his gravity，for the very good reason that he had no idea what was occurring round him.The judge，growing more and more irritated，thought it proper to continue in the same tone，hoping thereby to strike such terror to the heart of the prisoner as would react on the audience and recall them to a sense of due respect.
'It would seem，then，headstrong and riotous knave that you are，that you would dare to flout the auditor of the Chatelet；the magistrate entrusted with the charge of the public safety of Paris；whose duty it is to search into all crimes，delinquencies，and evil courses；to control all trades and forbid monopolies；to repair the pavements；to prevent the retail hawking of poultry and game，both feathered and furred；to superintend the measuring of firewood and all other kinds of wood；to purge the city of filth，and the air of all contagious distemper—in a word，to slave continually for the public welfare without fee or recompense，or hope of any.Know you that my name is Florian Barbedienne，deputy to Monsieur the Provost himself，and，moreover，commissioner，investigator，controller，and examiner，with equal power in provostry，bailiwick，registration，and presidial court—'
There is no earthly reason why a deaf man talking to a deaf man should ever stop.God alone knows where and when M re Florian would have come to anchor，once launched in full sail on the ocean of his eloquence，had not the low door at the back of the hall suddenly opened，and given passage to Monsieur the Provost in person.
At his entrance M re Florian did not stop，but wheeling half round，and suddenly aiming at the Provost the thunder-bolts which up to now he had launched at Quasimodo：
'Monseigneur，'he said，'I demand such penalty as shall seem fitting to you against the accused here present for flagrant and unprecedented contempt of court.'
He seated himself breathless，wiping away the great drops that fell from his forehead and splashed like tears upon the documents spread out before him.Messire Robert d'Estouteville knit his brows and signed to Quasimodo with a gesture so imperious and significant，that the deaf hunchback in some degree understood.
The Provost addressed him sternly：'What hast thou done，rascal，to be brought hither？'
The poor wretch，supposing that the Provost was asking his name，now broke his habitual silence and answered in hoarse，guttural tones，'Quasimodo.'
The answer corresponded so little with the question that the former unbridled merriment threatened to break out again，and Messire Robert，crimson with anger，roared，'Dost dare to mock me too，arch-rogue？'
'Bell-ringer of Notre-Dame，'continued Quasimodo，thinking that he must explain to the judges who he was.
'Bell-ringer！'returned the Provost，who，as we know，had risen that morning in so vile a temper that there was no need to add fresh fuel to the fire by such unwarrantable impudence.'Bell-ringer indeed！They shall ring a carillon of rods on thy back at every street corner of Paris.Hearest thou，rascal？'
'If it is my age you desire to know，'said Quasimodo，'I think I shall be twenty come Martinmas.'
This was going too far；the Provost could contain himself no longer.
'Ha，miserable knave，thou thinkest to make sport of the law！Sergeant of the rod，you will take this fellow to the pillory in the Grève and there flog him and turn him for an hour.He shall pay for this，tête-Dieu！And I command that this sentence be proclaimed by means of the four legally appointed trumpeters at the seven castellanies of the jurisdiction of Paris.'
The clerk proceeded forthwith to put the sentence on record.
'Ventre-Dieu！I call that giving judgment in good style！'said little Jehan Frollo of the Mill，from his secluded corner.
The Provost turned and again transfixed Quasimodo with blazing eye.'I believe the rascal said'Ventre-Dieu！'Clerk，you will add twelve deniers parisis as a fine for swearing，and let one-half of it go to the Church of Saint-Eustache.I have a particular devotion for Saint-Eustache.'
