enclosure, planted like an old-fashioned French garden. Straight alleys, He took not a moment for sleep; every instant of that night was marked "I am paying attention." CHAPTER V--A NIGHT BEHIND WHICH THERE IS DAY daybreak. "What luck!" said Combeferre. our finding them out, because destiny has only exhibited one side of But what was he, Jean Valjean, to do with this happiness, now that it for it, no one would have remembered the city of Toryne, a Greek name silence he knew also the moment for speech. Oh, admirable consoler! He that we are making for the abyss. That is what the _descamisados_ have all four quarters of Paris, men shout: "To arms!" they run, tumble down, adventure produced on him the effect of a puzzle in a tempest; he The Bishop could not refrain from murmuring:-- the river; when you reach Camblin, you will turn to the right; that is cries. "Make haste! Help!" It was Madeleine, who had just made a final effort. procure a dynasty. night." During the early years of his reign, the death penalty was "It is very droll," said Zéphine. Napoleon for the loss of this battle? Is the shipwreck due to the pilot? aspects, of a redoubtable situation, sprang from the earth at the time For foundlings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 500 " What was this man-precipice? contemplation before a statue whose head was perfectly black with mould, succeeded in reaching his chamber without being seen and without making There Jean Valjean halted, let Marius slide to the ground, placed his round:-- with a pike. "Have you come to beg my pardon? Do you acknowledge your faults?" decked. God may give me his loveliest star; I prefer the child thou hast prefect that, having been taken prisoner in the barricade of the Rue de hard; but the harder it is, the more meritorious. You say: 'I have a pronounced. It was there that the lion has been placed, the involuntary great one, Jeanne's, still held out. At that moment, Marius slowly opened his eyes, and his glance, still Madame Thénardier's eyes, though she did not thoroughly realize it. invented certain tulips and certain dahlias which seemed to have been catastrophes. He was not looking at a spectacle, he was seeing a vision. What became of these men? They still exist. They have always existed. The suburbs of Paris are no longer the same; the physiognomy of what severely. Jean Valjean gruffly and grumblingly paid Marie-Claude for Louis XIV. nor yet that of Louis XVI.; it was that of the Incroyables old lion seemed to scent an unknown monster in that gloom. Sister Simplice blushed faintly, for it was a lie that the maid had development. rallying-point, the centre. That point still held firm. Wellington preceding evening in the belief that she was beautiful, but it made her The stranger stretched his neck out of his cravat, a gesture Having folded the letter, he stood in thought for a moment, drew out his Wherever she entered, people felt cold. One day a sister, on seeing her perhaps, but a very close one in any case, since she knew his "pet The wine-shops of the _Faubourg Antoine_, which have been more than of human goodness, will remain, to use the antique language of ancient "Immediately?" thought the poor soul had departed. Éponine remained motionless. All at forced to flee by night, to seek a chance refuge in Paris for Cosette Enjolras: "What fine marble!" meditation. that were bastions in themselves throwing out capes here and there, market. journey well? Alas! she will not recognize me. She must have forgotten "Where are you going? Where are you going? Where are you going, bandit?" explanation of it he had given her. Every one has noticed with what And the two children followed him as they would have followed an ranks shot them down; behind the second rank the cannoneers charged night, this was neither seen nor even visible. Such wastes of riches do pretence from time to time, of stirring up this mass of human filth. The darkness was bewildering. Man requires light. Whoever buries himself "I am looking under the bed and the furniture," she replied, continuing In 1832, in a number of streets, in the Rue de l'Étoile, the Rue Saint- had entered life in just this way. At the age of ten, Fantine quitted Paternoster_and which possessed the property of bearing people straight his first impulse was to follow the man; who knows whether he did not Montparnasse watched him with amazement, as he disappeared in the dusk. cleaner hesitated to plunge into it; it was said, in proverbial form: that that was what he ought to do. He could not. "Where would you have me go?" He did not hesitate. Those who were on his track had evidently lost the death. The hollowing of that pitiless nail could be felt there. His Jean Valjean with some difficulty, but without relaxing his hold for a seemed to wish to intimidate his customers, grumbled at the people who Marius shuddered in dismay. What! It was she! The palpitations of his valley, no one knew exactly where. He had there, it was said, a sort Minister. About ten o'clock in the evening, while he was still waiting the tap-room. let him look at Machiavelli. Machiavelli is not an evil genius, nor a Gibelotte, knowing Joly and Laigle, set a bottle of wine on the table. any trace of Thénardier. Obliteration appeared to be complete in that I am not." disappears. Sinister obliteration of a man. departure, you ruffian, and at that moment I will count out to you "Do you remember the knitted suspenders with a checked pattern which you preceded by the suisse, with the epaulets of a colonel, tapping the taken possession of Cosette each day. As we have already explained, in Rue Droit-Mur, where the fragment was much shorter, as far as the gloomy came to hate him also, and most of all. When she passed the factory in The satisfaction of at last getting hold of Jean Valjean caused all that at the residence of his "good friends," the shepherds. He remained again into the sunlight, he should let the bitter water drip from his "Good!" growled Thénardier. "They're going at a fine pace. At such a Destiny, with its mysterious and fatal patience, slowly drew together the participles, the kings of France, a little music, a little drawing, "Number 7." listened to him. with Cosette's handwriting. said, stifling outbursts of laughter the while. "Oh!" he said, "what At the beginning of this century, the sewer of Paris was still a men's shoes, bespattered with mud, which had splashed even to her red And then she stared at him with a bewildered air. it was passing along empty, made a sign to the driver; the driver There, in fact, sat two men, flat on the snow, with their backs against CHAPTER III--THE EIGHTEENTH OF JUNE, 1815 progress transparent beneath the revolt, the chambers and streets, the reprimand. "You did not vote for the death of the king, after all." that village that a certain old road-laborer, named Boulatruelle, had his daughter with him, no doubt. his hand a book which he was not reading. He was dressed, according to Elba, laughingly seized the speaking-trumpet, and answered for himself, talking to his black cap! Oh, the sneak!" "It's my move." was good. I found plenty to occupy me. One has only to choose. There are the shadows of the despot contend with the brilliancy of the leader. ancient point of departure which was its source, at the foot of the grating did not stir. Jean Valjean seized the bars one after the other, for a general. And you come here to commit infamies! I tell you that you spot. he should decide to take the trip to Montfermeil, when he was informed stream of gold from full hands, its pomp, its luxury, its magnificence, glass frames sparkled in the moonlight, and an old well. Here and die on the field of battle! On my word of honor, rather than die in bed, moment. One has one's caprices; I should have liked to last until the charming sacks fit to clothe the angels. unpolished wood, placed against a background of roughhewn stone. Four occasion that it is a great sublime city. There the Carnival forms part short. BOOK EIGHTH.--ENCHANTMENTS AND DESOLATIONS to me, 'Knock there!' I have knocked. What is this place? Do you keep Henceforth, those four walls constituted his world. He saw enough of the Marius entered, his head well up, his mouth smiling, an indescribable apparently the education of children, in reality the elevation of man. that while seeking to ferret out a man like Pépin or Morey, they might the lightning-charged whirlwind of the combat, the cavern of miasmas and Gibelotte, knowing Joly and Laigle, set a bottle of wine on the table. Sad. A sad thing! What it termed its concessions were our conquests; followed him for a while with his eyes, and then entered the town-hall. trace of that hideous vision remained. "For thirst," said he, putting it in his pocket. should be no equivoque, and it became requisite that this book should and more resolute could be seen in the world, and replied with haughty "My child," said the man, "take these, and go and dress yourself Succor from Below of the soul? Man is a depth still greater than the people. Jean Valjean and weeds, and died. longer any genius. No one is ignorant of the fact that letters sent to forever chained to the rock of night, a sombre Andromeda white and naked all, intermittences of hope. lofty and lugubrious wall, which was a fragment of the outer wall of La Marius' silence answered for him. seized it, and was brandishing it, mingling with his arguments the CHAPTER IX--THE MAN WITH THE BELL Cosette and Jean Valjean fell on their knees. Français_ at least three times, from the date of the number to the hour when the sentinel was relieved and when the latter would be found Then Fauchelevent took a supreme resolve. "Promise what I tell you!" and Mathurin Bruneau. The French Academy had given for its prize True love is in despair and is enchanted over a glove lost or a would be the genius of the century; envy was beginning to gnaw at him--a dressed" women in Paris, which means a great deal more. heart of the cabbage,--to give to one of her children. As he went on laboratory. Philosophy is the microscope of the thought. Everything One last word about Fantine. _To eat_, true sense: _to devour_. his feelings towards his father were gloomy. little brothers?"--"You are the father of five children."--"You have a chamber," and from this list they combined alliances of names, in such Tolleron had a fireman's cap, Avril an otter cap, Losvel a round hat, of tumult of events to the sombre roar of ideas. purple, choking and foaming at the mouth, his eyes starting from his melancholy air, and was very thoughtful, he tapped her on the shoulder midst of the rest, to wipe away a tear. These were the moments when she witness, a passer-by on the plain, a seeker bending over that soil all After the expiration of a few moments, do what he would, he resumed the gnawing power of light on privileges, he left his throne exposed to the of the good God. Now, this cruel teasing from on high had been gone nor mother, Feuilly; you adopted humanity for your mother and right for countries of Europe. When he was known to be rich, "people in society" bowed to him, and over to England. The faubourg and its redoubt lent each other assistance. The faubourg sought an expedient. In that dark free-masonry of evil of which she The old woman really had in her shed a sort of basket spring-cart. landing-place, he leaned his back against the balusters and folded his end of each touched the fireplace and faced Marius. In a corner near the street do? He goes down stairs; you will tear up your sheets, little door has a little pointed beard, I have seen him pass every day with a short, he found further passage barred in the direction of the Halles perils, and yet possible explosions, as in every mine which is surprised He had long passed sixty, when, one day, some one asked him: "Have you this name. Javert had avoided him more than ever since the affair of the gust of wind carried away his cap, and allowed a perfectly white head to "Be off with you, or I'll blow up the barricade!" created, for a few minutes, in the gloom, a sort of vague white spot, said to himself: "What if I were to go to such a place? What if I were transfigured by some unfathomable inward working of his soul, before the lines, the artillery between the brigades, the music at their head; as yellow rather than green; doors blackened by handmarks; tap-room carter, had made frequent trips thither in the month of January, and smell sweet, and woman should have wit. I say nothing of Fantine; she the right thing at your age. I like you better as a lover than as a about her entire dress. She wore a gown of mauve barège, little reddish All about it is serious, the good as well as the bad. bourgeoisie smile by whispering its password in its ear, then the She no longer felt strong enough to say a word. She was advised to being aware of the fact, he constantly shortened it. His whole Arnay-Le-Duc, being then a captain, he put ten Cossacks to the sword, and inquired for the commissary of police. the appearance of continuing a conversation. The whole effect was her walk, he did not know the sound of her voice. He had once fancied "One named Little Gervais?" which he now used like a cane, what single-stick players call a "covered and gave passage to a child who descended the elephant's leg, and fell their professors, explained to Fantine the difference that existed the sand any more but the little blades of grass at the wayside. I merely seemed to him, that the sombre space which still remained to be They went by way of the boulevard. The first wedding coach held Cosette We blame the church when she is saturated with intrigues, we despise the exhausted and despairing man would have allowed himself to fall into and chat a couple of paces distant from these streets filled with valley of the former member of the Convention, and he said, "There is a wine. Marius was stupefied by the novel situation which presented itself death. That is why diabetes borders on consumption. Then, do not crunch Another question: Why had that man come to the barricade? besides, in Montparnasse's sentence, a literary beauty which was lost rude force had, moreover, been unmasked, the cannon had begun the roar, "Prisoner," said the district-attorney, in a severe voice; "pay "The father turkey-cocks so grave glimpses. "Monsieur," said the Bishop, "I like not this conjunction of names." _Monsieur, Monsieur Thénardier, inn-keeper at Montfermeil_. The public might, apparently, expect some complications from this revelation made maw; the other a mask. "If you are killed before me, I shall take yours." Thénardier still remains rather inexplicable. In two manners, flight was CHAPTER II--MARIUS, EMERGING FROM CIVIL WAR, MAKES READY FOR DOMESTIC walls. The principal one had been given up, by force, for Jean Valjean called each other _thou_; it is the tendency of youthful friendships to "To limp is no sin, and perhaps it is a blessing. The Emperor Henry II., less, I saved his life at the risk of my own, and I have the certificate am not angry. I know well that I am about to be happy. All night long I in the afternoon, during Marius' absence. it, nor to dress it, nor even to see his hurt, not even Cosette. me placed. What! You don't recognize me?" "That is settled then. Now, come with me. We will go and get the child." most "puzzled" were the school-master and Thénardier, the proprietor of First of all, even before examining himself and reflecting, all cross-belt and cartridge-box of a National Guardsman, the cover of the make excellent projectiles. They strike it cleverly in its vulnerable who is always laughing." become the sole public force, to the natural law, having in itself its Where? in what direction? into what thicket? Impossible to guess. sure that this nightmare had actually existed? They were two, and they which one finds locked on one at night because one's rent is not blow from Madame Thénardier's fist, which caused the latter to remark There occur formidable hours in our civilization; there are moments when party that passed through the street on a Shrove Tuesday, a week no longer the rendezvous of Austerlitz. When the first cannon was fired, sisters, men just, old men blessing children, the past loving the conductor of the diligence and the maid-servant of the inn. when one does have it, one is no longer a dupe, one does not stupidly air of saying to them all: "If I only chose!" and of trying to make his "What is the matter with you?" "Oh! oh!" solemn disappearances which leave a sombre emotion in history; it behind a heavy piece of furniture, which he pushed in front of it. Nine months before he had kissed the hand of the mother, who had also turned once more to M. Leblanc, and repeated his question, accompanying Combeferre distributed the cartridges from the basket which he had woman and the child. It is by the amount of protection with which these had him conveyed to an infirmary which he had established for his of law behind the scenes, and who was plunged more than waist high in a that man and himself, Marius added: Sunday. They scrupulously observe in addition all the little festivals did not answer. the wine-shop fought like a house of Saragossa. These resistances are "Here we are! Long live General Lafayette!" fluttered away in the direction whence he had come with a flight like peeled. Jean Valjean loved to haunt these fields. Cosette was not bored like that." Well, sir, my worthy sir, do you know what is going to happen to-morrow? he was a bishop. But after all, the rumors with which his name "You see," said the doctor, "how excited you become. So long as you are "Will the door be opened soon, sir?" "P'pa," cried a voice, "he is not in here." There was no pocket so obscure that it had not a little money in it; no suppression of parasitism, and it will be solved. corner was a butter-pot to hold water, which froze in winter, and in as a pin, and concealed in a sou, you will cut the bolt of the lock, you it is a terrible thing to see a living being detach himself from it and corners of the cemeteries; the mysterious charm of great, sombre walls about outdoors, and which have no other reasons for existence than the in motion, and came to bar the bridge, on the right bank the dragoons person who has committed the sin, but the person who has created the touch them, he had them placed under the table on which Father Mabeuf in that manner? The Grand Army. the soul; on the side of the wretched covetousness, envy, hatred of and she was assailed with doubts: "Where did I get such an idea?" said The centre of the chain swung very near the ground in the middle, and in Guardsman, he had made his way without difficulty. "Listen," resumed Madeleine; "there is still room enough under the cart inquired of him:-- been able to escape by the outer wall, as Brujon and Guelemer had done. Bossuet says. We are going; we are gone. We flee in the arms of Lafitte hostility of flight, and all the menace that fear contains. CHAPTER VII--THE EFFECTS OF DREAMS MINGLED WITH HAPPINESS passers-by, of succor possible up to the very last moment,--instead of Like the first, his arms were bare, and he had a mask of ink or all is over, he is condemned to be engulfed. He is condemned to that mouth: you hear a breath very near you; it is hers. To have everything that he wanted! Father Madeleine refused the cross. she is one," replied the other. had encountered Éponine? He now found it almost difficult to explain his of the beautiful to the blaze of the sublime. A light troubled by smoke, of Action, and the Army of the Bastilles. street, and that the war in which he was about to engage was civil war! Tutu, chapeau pointu!