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At the moment he reached it, the unfortunate girl was mechanically guarding her face with both hands against Ciboule, who, furious as the hyena over its prey, was trying to scratch and disfigure her.
After the destruction of Hardy's factory, the quarryman was formally expelled from the union of the Wolves, who would have nothing more to do with this wretch; since then, he had plunged into the grossest debauchery, and speculating on his herculean strength, had hired himself as the officious champion of Ciboule and her compeers.
"If they will not come out," cried the quarryman, in voice of thunder, "let us smoke them out!" "Yes, yes!" "Let's break open the door!" "We are sure to find them!" "Come on! come on!" The crowd, with the quarryman at their head, and Ciboule not far from him, brandishing a stick, advanced tumultously towards one of the great doors.
"Blood and thunder!" cried he; "are you fetching breath to sing vespers? If they had wine in the font, well and good!" These words were received with a burst of savage laughter. "All this time the villain will escape!" said one. "And we shall be done," added Ciboule. "One would think we had cowards here, who are afraid of the sacristans!" cried the quarryman.
One, led by Ciboule, "made an end" of Goliath, with kicks and blows, stones and wooden shoes; his body was soon reduced to a horrible thing, mutilated, nameless, formless a mere inert mass of filth and mangled flesh. Ciboule gave her cloak, which they tied to one of the dislocated ankles of the body, and thus dragged it to the parapet of the quay.
"Yes, we will have it!" shouted the quarryman, Ciboule, and others of the more pitiless portion of the mob; whilst a great number remained silent, struck with the words of Gabriel, who had just painted to them, in such lively colors, the frightful act they were about to commit. "Yes," resumed the quarryman, "it is our right; we have determined to kill the poisoner!"
Yielding to the powerful influence of the words and example of Gabriel, they felt themselves deeply moved, and each became anxious to offer services. "Mr. Curate, he would perhaps be better on a chair, that one could carry upright," said Ciboule. "Shall I go and fetch a stretcher from the hospital?" asked another. "Mr. Curate, let me take your place; the body is too heavy for you."
"Well done, Ciboule! you've rapped her coker-nut!" cried a voice. "Ciboule forever!" "Come out, you Devourers, if you dare!" "They have said a hundred times, that the neighbors were too cowardly even to come and look at their house," squealed the little man with the ferret's face. "And now they show the white feather!"
Some resisted courageously; others, seeing Ciboule, followed by some of her horrible companions, and by several of the most ill-looking ruffians, hastily enter that part of the Common-Dwelling house in which the women had taken refuge, hurried in pursuit of this band; but some of the hag's companions, having faced about, and vigorously defended the entrance of the staircase against the workmen, Ciboule, with three or four like herself, and about the same number of no less ignoble men, rushed through the rooms, with the intention of robbing or destroying all that came in their way.
"I've made him squint!" said Ciboule, with a burst of laughter.
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