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"Death of the devil!" objected Gringoire; "I shall break my neck Your stool li and one pentaoire mounted the stool, and succeeded, not without soravity

"Noent on the King of Thunes, "twist your right foot round your left leg, and rise on the tip of your left foot"

"Monseigneur," said Gringoire, "so you absolutely insist onsome one of my limbs?"

Clopin tossed his head

"Hark ye, ist of the matter in tords: you are to rise on tiptoe, as I tell you; in that way you will be able to reach the pocket of the e it, you will pull out the purse that is there,--and if you do all this without our hearing the sound of a bell, all is well: you shall be a vagabond All we shall then have to do, will be to thrash you soundly for the space of a week"

"~Ventre-Dieu~! I will be careful," said Gringoire "And suppose I do ed Do you understand?"

"I don't understand at all," replied Gringoire

"Listen, once more You are to search the le bell stirs during the operation, you will be hung Do you understand that?"

"Good," said Gringoire; "I understand that And then?"

"If you succeed in reabond, and you will be thrashed for eight consecutive days You understand now, no doubt?"

"No, e to abond," resu? It is for your interest that we should beat you, in order to harden you to blows"

"Many thanks," replied the poet

"Co upon his cask, which resounded like a huge drum! Search the manikin, and let there be an end to this! I warn you for the last tile bell, you will take the place of the manikin"

The band of thieves applauded Clopin's words, and arranged theh so pitiless that Gringoire perceived that he a to fear froly, unless it were the slight chance of succeeding in the formidable operation which was imposed upon hi addressed a fervent prayer to the manikin he was about to plunder, and ould have been easier to abonds These ues, seemed to hi and to hiss