首页 >出版文学> JEAN VALJEAN>第40章

第40章

  Infact,ashehadgoodsense,andashehadcomparedthetwo,TheodulehadonlyservedtomakehimregretMariusallthemore。
  Oneevening,——itwasthe24thofJune,whichdidnotpreventFatherGillenormandhavingarousingfireonthehearth,——hehaddismissedhisdaughter,whowassewinginaneighboringapartment。
  Hewasaloneinhischamber,amiditspastoralscenes,withhisfeetproppedontheandirons,halfenvelopedinhishugescreenofcoromandellacquer,withitsnineleaves,withhiselbowrestingonatablewhereburnedtwocandlesunderagreenshade,engulfedinhistapestryarmchair,andinhishandabookwhichhewasnotreading。
  Hewasdressed,accordingtohiswont,likeanincroyable,andresembledanantiqueportraitbyGarat。Thiswouldhavemadepeoplerunafterhiminthestreet,hadnothisdaughtercoveredhimup,wheneverhewentout,inavastbishop’swaddedcloak,whichconcealedhisattire。Athome,heneverworeadressinggown,exceptwhenheroseandretired。"Itgivesonealookofage,"
  saidhe。
  FatherGillenormandwasthinkingofMariuslovinglyandbitterly;
  and,asusual,bitternesspredominated。Histendernessoncesouredalwaysendedbyboilingandturningtoindignation。
  Hehadreachedthepointwhereamantriestomakeuphismindandtoacceptthatwhichrendshisheart。HewasexplainingtohimselfthattherewasnolongeranyreasonwhyMariusshouldreturn,thatifheintendedtoreturn,heshouldhavedoneitlongago,thathemustrenouncetheidea。Hewastryingtoaccustomhimselftothethoughtthatallwasover,andthatheshoulddiewithouthavingbeheld"thatgentleman"again。Buthiswholenaturerevolted;
  hisagedpaternitywouldnotconsenttothis。"Well!"saidhe,——
  thiswashisdolefulrefrain,——"hewillnotreturn!"Hisbaldheadhadfallenuponhisbreast,andhefixedamelancholyandirritatedgazeupontheashesonhishearth。
  Intheverymidstofhisrevery,hisoldservantBasqueentered,andinquired:——
  "CanMonsieurreceiveM。Marius?"
  Theoldmansatuperect,pallid,andlikeacorpsewhichrisesundertheinfluenceofagalvanicshock。Allhisbloodhadretreatedtohisheart。Hestammered:——
  "M。Mariuswhat?"
  "Idon’tknow,"repliedBasque,intimidatedandputoutofcountenancebyhismaster’sair;"Ihavenotseenhim。Nicolettecameinandsaidtome:`There’sayoungmanhere;saythatitisM。Marius。’"
  FatherGillenormandstammeredinalowvoice:——
  "Showhimin。"
  Andheremainedinthesameattitude,withshakinghead,andhiseyesfixedonthedoor。Itopenedoncemore。Ayoungmanentered。
  ItwasMarius。
  Mariushaltedatthedoor,asthoughwaitingtobebiddentoenter。
  Hisalmostsqualidattirewasnotperceptibleintheobscuritycausedbytheshade。Nothingcouldbeseenbuthiscalm,grave,butstrangelysadface。
  ItwasseveralminutesbeforeFatherGillenormand,dulledwithamazementandjoy,couldseeanythingexceptabrightnessaswhenoneisinthepresenceofanapparition。Hewasonthepointofswooning;
  hesawMariusthroughadazzlinglight。Itcertainlywashe,itcertainlywasMarius。
  Atlast!Afterthelapseoffouryears!Hegraspedhimentire,sotospeak,inasingleglance。Hefoundhimnoble,handsome,distinguished,well—grown,acompleteman,withasuitablemienandacharmingair。Hefeltadesiretoopenhisarms,tocallhim,toflinghimselfforward;hisheartmeltedwithrapture,affectionatewordsswelledandoverflowedhisbreast;atlengthallhistendernesscametothelightandreachedhislips,and,byacontrastwhichconstitutedtheveryfoundationofhisnature,whatcameforthwasharshness。Hesaidabruptly:——
  "Whathaveyoucomeherefor?"
  Mariusrepliedwithembarrassment:——
  "Monsieur——"
  M。GillenormandwouldhavelikedtohaveMariusthrowhimselfintohisarms。HewasdispleasedwithMariusandwithhimself。
  Hewasconsciousthathewasbrusque,andthatMariuswascold。
  Itcausedthegoodmanunendurableandirritatinganxietytofeelsotenderandforlornwithin,andonlytobeabletobehardoutside。
  Bitternessreturned。HeinterruptedMariusinapeevishtone:——
  "Thenwhydidyoucome?"
  That"then"signified:Ifyoudonotcometoembraceme。
  Mariuslookedathisgrandfather,whosepallorgavehimafaceofmarble。
  "Monsieur——"
  "Haveyoucometobegmypardon?Doyouacknowledgeyourfaults?"
  HethoughthewasputtingMariusontherightroad,andthat"thechild"
  wouldyield。Mariusshivered;itwasthedenialofhisfatherthatwasrequiredofhim;hedroppedhiseyesandreplied:——
  "No,sir。"
  "Then,"exclaimedtheoldmanimpetuously,withagriefthatwaspoignantandfullofwrath,"whatdoyouwantofme?"
  Mariusclaspedhishands,advancedastep,andsaidinafeebleandtremblingvoice:——
  "Sir,havepityonme。"
  ThesewordstouchedM。Gillenormand;utteredalittlesooner,theywouldhaverenderedhimtender,buttheycametoolate。
  Thegrandfatherrose;hesupportedhimselfwithbothhandsonhiscane;
  hislipswerewhite,hisbrowwavered,buthisloftyformtoweredaboveMariusashebowed。
  "Pityonyou,sir!Itisyouthdemandingpityoftheoldmanofninety—one!Youareenteringintolife,Iamleavingit;
  yougototheplay,toballs,tothecafe,tothebilliard—hall;
  youhavewit,youpleasethewomen,youareahandsomefellow;
  asforme,Ispitonmybrandsintheheartofsummer;youarerichwiththeonlyrichesthatarereallysuch,Ipossessallthepovertyofage;infirmity,isolation!Youhaveyourthirty—twoteeth,agooddigestion,brighteyes,strength,appetite,health,gayety,aforestofblackhair;Ihavenolongerevenwhitehair,Ihavelostmyteeth,Iamlosingmylegs,Iamlosingmymemory;
  therearethreenamesofstreetsthatIconfoundincessantly,theRueCharlot,theRueduChaume,andtheRueSaint—Claude,thatiswhatIhavecometo;youhavebeforeyouthewholefuture,fullofsunshine,andIambeginningtolosemysight,sofaramIadvancingintothenight;youareinlove,thatisamatterofcourse,Iambelovedbynooneinalltheworld;andyouaskpityofme!Parbleu!Moliereforgotthat。Ifthatisthewayyoujestatthecourthouse,Messieursthelawyers,Isincerelycomplimentyou。
  Youaredroll。"
  Andtheoctogenarianwentoninagraveandangryvoice:——
  "Come,now,whatdoyouwantofme?"
  "Sir,"saidMarius,"Iknowthatmypresenceisdispleasingtoyou,butIhavecomemerelytoaskonethingofyou,andthenIshallgoawayimmediately。"
  "Youareafool!"saidtheoldman。"Whosaidthatyouweretogoaway?"
  Thiswasthetranslationofthetenderwordswhichlayatthebottomofhisheart:——
  "Askmypardon!Throwyourselfonmyneck!"
  M。GillenormandfeltthatMariuswouldleavehiminafewmoments,thathisharshreceptionhadrepelledthelad,thathishardnesswasdrivinghimaway;hesaidallthistohimself,anditaugmentedhisgrief;
  andashisgriefwasstraightwayconvertedintowrath,itincreasedhisharshness。HewouldhavelikedtohaveMariusunderstand,andMariusdidnotunderstand,whichmadethegoodmanfurious。
  Hebeganagain:——
  "What!youdesertedme,yourgrandfather,youleftmyhousetogonooneknowswhither,youdroveyouraunttodespair,youwentoff,itiseasilyguessed,toleadabachelorlife;it’smoreconvenient,toplaythedandy,tocomeinatallhours,toamuseyourself;
  youhavegivenmenosignsoflife,youhavecontracteddebtswithouteventellingmetopaythem,youhavebecomeasmasherofwindowsandablusterer,and,attheendoffouryears,youcometome,andthatisallyouhavetosaytome!"
  ThisviolentfashionofdrivingagrandsontotendernesswasproductiveonlyofsilenceonthepartofMarius。M。Gillenormandfoldedhisarms;agesturewhichwithhimwaspeculiarlyimperious,andapostrophizedMariusbitterly:——
  "Letusmakeanendofthis。Youhavecometoasksomethingofme,yousay?Well,what?Whatisit?Speak!"
  "Sir,"saidMarius,withthelookofamanwhofeelsthatheisfallingoveraprecipice,"Ihavecometoaskyourpermissiontomarry。"
  M。Gillenormandrangthebell。Basqueopenedthedoorhalf—way。
  "Callmydaughter。"
  Asecondlater,thedoorwasopenedoncemore,MademoiselleGillenormanddidnotenter,butshowedherself;Mariuswasstanding,mute,withpendantarmsandthefaceofacriminal;M。Gillenormandwaspacingbackandforthintheroom。Heturnedtohisdaughterandsaidtoher:——
  "Nothing。ItisMonsieurMarius。Saygooddaytohim。
  Monsieurwishestomarry。That’sall。Goaway。"
  Thecurt,hoarsesoundoftheoldman’svoiceannouncedastrangedegreeofexcitement。TheauntgazedatMariuswithafrightenedair,hardlyappearedtorecognizehim,didnotallowagestureorasyllabletoescapeher,anddisappearedatherfather’sbreathmoreswiftlythanastrawbeforethehurricane。
  Inthemeantime,FatherGillenormandhadreturnedandplacedhisbackagainstthechimney—pieceoncemore。
  "Youmarry!Atoneandtwenty!Youhavearrangedthat!Youhaveonlyapermissiontoask!aformality。Sitdown,sir。Well,youhavehadarevolutionsinceIhadthehonortoseeyoulast。
  TheJacobinsgottheupperhand。Youmusthavebeendelighted。
  AreyounotaRepublicansinceyouareaBaron?Youcanmakethatagree。TheRepublicmakesagoodsauceforthebarony。
  AreyouoneofthosedecoratedbyJuly?HaveyoutakentheLouvreatall,sir?Quitenearhere,intheRueSaint—Antoine,oppositetheRuedesNonamdieres,thereisacannon—ballincrustedinthewallofthethirdstoryofahousewiththisinscription:
  `July28th,1830。’Gotakealookatthat。Itproducesagoodeffect。
  Ah!thosefriendsofyoursdoprettythings。Bytheway,aren’ttheyerectingafountainintheplaceofthemonumentofM。leDucdeBerry?
  Soyouwanttomarry?Whom?Canoneinquirewithoutindiscretion?"
  Hepaused,and,beforeMariushadtimetoanswer,headdedviolently:——
  "Comenow,youhaveaprofession?Afortunemade?Howmuchdoyouearnatyourtradeoflawyer?"
  "Nothing,"saidMarius,withasortoffirmnessandresolutionthatwasalmostfierce。
  "Nothing?ThenallthatyouhavetoliveuponisthetwelvehundredlivresthatIallowyou?"
  Mariusdidnotreply。M。Gillenormandcontinued:——
  "ThenIunderstandthegirlisrich?"
  "AsrichasIam。"
  "What!Nodowry?"
  "No。"
  "Expectations?"
  "Ithinknot。"
  "Utterlynaked!What’sthefather?"
  "Idon’tknow。"
  "Andwhat’shername?"
  "MademoiselleFauchelevent。"
  "Fauchewhat?"
  "Fauchelevent。"
  "Pttt!"ejaculatedtheoldgentleman。
  "Sir!"exclaimedMarius。
  M。Gillenormandinterruptedhimwiththetoneofamanwhoisspeakingtohimself:——
  "That’sright,oneandtwentyyearsofage,noprofession,twelvehundredlivresayear,MadamelaBaronnedePontmercywillgoandpurchaseacoupleofsous’worthofparsleyfromthefruiterer。"
  "Sir,"repeatedMarius,inthedespairatthelasthope,whichwasvanishing,"Ientreatyou!IconjureyouinthenameofHeaven,withclaspedhands,sir,Ithrowmyselfatyourfeet,permitmetomarryher!"
  Theoldmanburstintoashoutofstridentandmournfullaughter,coughingandlaughingatthesametime。
  "Ah!ah!ah!Yousaidtoyourself:`Pardine!I’llgohuntupthatoldblockhead,thatabsurdnumskull!WhatashamethatI’mnottwenty—five!HowI’dtreathimtoanicerespectfulsummons!
  HownicelyI’dgetalongwithouthim!It’snothingtome,I’dsaytohim:"You’reonlytoohappytoseeme,youoldidiot,Iwanttomarry,IdesiretowedMamselleNo—matter—whom,daughterofMonsieurNo—matter—what,Ihavenoshoes,shehasnochemise,thatjustsuits;Iwanttothrowmycareer,myfuture,myyouth,mylifetothedogs;Iwishtotakeaplungeintowretchednesswithawomanaroundmyneck,that’sanidea,andyoumustconsenttoit!"
  andtheoldfossilwillconsent。’Go,mylad,doasyoulike,attachyourpaving—stone,marryyourPousselevent,yourCoupelevent——
  Never,sir,never!"
  "Father——"
  "Never!"
  Atthetoneinwhichthat"never"wasuttered,Mariuslostallhope。
  Hetraversedthechamberwithslowsteps,withbowedhead,totteringandmorelikeadyingmanthanlikeonemerelytakinghisdeparture。
  M。Gillenormandfollowedhimwithhiseyes,andatthemomentwhenthedooropened,andMariuswasonthepointofgoingout,headvancedfourpaces,withthesenilevivacityofimpetuousandspoiledoldgentlemen,seizedMariusbythecollar,broughthimbackenergeticallyintotheroom,flunghimintoanarmchairandsaidtohim:——
  "Tellmeallaboutit!"
  "Itwasthatsingleword"father"whichhadeffectedthisrevolution。
  Mariusstaredathiminbewilderment。M。Gillenormand’smobilefacewasnolongerexpressiveofanythingbutroughandineffablegood—nature。Thegrandsirehadgivenwaybeforethegrandfather。
  "Come,seehere,speak,tellmeaboutyourloveaffairs,jabber,tellmeeverything!Sapristi!howstupidyoungfolksare!"
  "Father——"repeatedMarius。
  Theoldman’sentirecountenancelightedupwithindescribableradiance。
  "Yes,that’sright,callmefather,andyou’llsee!"
  Therewasnowsomethingsokind,sogentle,soopenhearted,andsopaternalinthisbrusqueness,thatMarius,inthesuddentransitionfromdiscouragementtohope,wasstunnedandintoxicatedbyit,asitwere。Hewasseatednearthetable,thelightfromthecandlesbroughtoutthedilapidationofhiscostume,whichFatherGillenormandregardedwithamazement。
  "Well,father——"saidMarius。
  "Ah,bytheway,"interruptedM。Gillenormand,"youreallyhavenotapennythen?Youaredressedlikeapickpocket。"
  Herummagedinadrawer,drewforthapurse,whichhelaidonthetable:"Hereareahundredlouis,buyyourselfahat。"
  "Father,"pursuedMarius,"mygoodfather,ifyouonlyknew!Iloveher。
  Youcannotimagineit;thefirsttimeIsawherwasattheLuxembourg,shecamethere;inthebeginning,Ididnotpaymuchheedtoher,andthen,Idon’tknowhowitcameabout,Ifellinlovewithher。
  Oh!howunhappythatmademe!Now,atlast,Iseehereveryday,atherownhome,herfatherdoesnotknowit,justfancy,theyaregoingaway,itisinthegardenthatwemeet,intheevening,herfathermeanstotakehertoEngland,thenIsaidtomyself:
  `I’llgoandseemygrandfatherandtellhimallabouttheaffair。
  Ishouldgomadfirst,Ishoulddie,Ishouldfallill,Ishouldthrowmyselfintothewater。Iabsolutelymustmarryher,sinceIshouldgomadotherwise。’Thisisthewholetruth,andI
  donotthinkthatIhaveomittedanything。Shelivesinagardenwithanironfence,intheRuePlumet。ItisintheneighborhoodoftheInvalides。"
  FatherGillenormandhadseatedhimself,withabeamingcountenance,besideMarius。Ashelistenedtohimanddrankinthesoundofhisvoice,heenjoyedatthesametimeaprotractedpinchofsnuff。
  Atthewords"RuePlumet"heinterruptedhisinhalationandallowedtheremainderofhissnufftofalluponhisknees。
  "TheRuePlumet,theRuePlumet,didyousay?——Letussee!——Aretherenotbarracksinthatvicinity?——Why,yes,that’sit。YourcousinTheodulehasspokentomeaboutit。Thelancer,theofficer。
  Agaygirl,mygoodfriend,agaygirl!——Pardieu,yes,theRuePlumet。
  ItiswhatusedtobecalledtheRueBlomet。——Itallcomesbacktomenow。IhaveheardofthatlittlegirloftheironrailingintheRuePlumet。Inagarden,aPamela。Yourtasteisnotbad。
  Sheissaidtobeaverytidycreature。Betweenourselves,Ithinkthatsimpletonofalancerhasbeencourtingherabit。
  Idon’tknowwherehedidit。However,that’snottothepurpose。
  Besides,heisnottobebelieved。Hebrags,Marius!Ithinkitquiteproperthatayoungmanlikeyoushouldbeinlove。
  It’stherightthingatyourage。IlikeyoubetterasaloverthanasaJacobin。Ilikeyoubetterinlovewithapetticoat,sapristi!withtwentypetticoats,thanwithM。deRobespierre。
  Formypart,Iwilldomyselfthejusticetosay,thatinthelineofsans—culottes,Ihaveneverlovedanyonebutwomen。Prettygirlsareprettygirls,thedeuce!There’snoobjectiontothat。Asforthelittleone,shereceivesyouwithoutherfather’sknowledge。
  That’sintheestablishedorderofthings。Ihavehadadventuresofthatsamesortmyself。Morethanone。Doyouknowwhatisdonethen?
  Onedoesnottakethematterferociously;onedoesnotprecipitatehimselfintothetragic;onedoesnotmakeone’smindtomarriageandM。leMairewithhisscarf。Onesimplybehaveslikeafellowofspirit。Oneshowsgoodsense。Slipalong,mortals;don’tmarry。
  Youcomeandlookupyourgrandfather,whoisagood—naturedfellowatbottom,andwhoalwayshasafewrollsoflouisinanolddrawer;
  yousaytohim:`Seehere,grandfather。’Andthegrandfathersays:
  `That’sasimplematter。Youthmustamuseitself,andoldagemustwearout。Ihavebeenyoung,youwillbeold。Come,myboy,youshallpassitontoyourgrandson。Herearetwohundredpistoles。
  Amuseyourself,deucetakeit!’Nothingbetter!That’sthewaytheaffairshouldbetreated。Youdon’tmarry,butthatdoesnoharm。
  Youunderstandme?"
  Marius,petrifiedandincapableofutteringasyllable,madeasignwithhisheadthathedidnot。
  Theoldmanburstoutlaughing,winkedhisagedeye,gavehimaslapontheknee,staredhimfullinthefacewithamysteriousandbeamingair,andsaidtohim,withthetenderestofshrugsoftheshoulder:——
  "Booby!makeheryourmistress。"
  Mariusturnedpale。Hehadunderstoodnothingofwhathisgrandfatherhadjustsaid。ThistwaddleabouttheRueBlomet,Pamela,thebarracks,thelancer,hadpassedbeforeMariuslikeadissolvingview。
  NothingofallthatcouldbearanyreferencetoCosette,whowasalily。Thegoodmanwaswanderinginhismind。ButthiswanderingterminatedinwordswhichMariusdidunderstand,andwhichwereamortalinsulttoCosette。Thosewords,"makeheryourmistress,"
  enteredtheheartofthestrictyoungmanlikeasword。
  Herose,pickeduphishatwhichlayonthefloor,andwalkedtothedoorwithafirm,assuredstep。Thereheturnedround,boweddeeplytohisgrandfather,raisedhisheaderectagain,andsaid:——
  "Fiveyearsagoyouinsultedmyfather;to—dayyouhaveinsultedmywife。Iasknothingmoreofyou,sir。Farewell。"
  FatherGillenormand,utterlyconfounded,openedhismouth,extendedhisarms,triedtorise,andbeforehecouldutteraword,thedoorclosedoncemore,andMariushaddisappeared。
  Theoldmanremainedforseveralminutesmotionlessandasthoughstruckbylightning,withoutthepowertospeakorbreathe,asthoughaclenchedfistgraspedhisthroat。Atlasthetorehimselffromhisarm—chair,ran,sofarasamancanrunatninety—one,tothedoor,openedit,andcried:——
  "Help!Help!"
  Hisdaughtermadeherappearance,thenthedomestics。Hebeganagain,withapitifulrattle:"Runafterhim!Bringhimback!WhathaveI
  donetohim?Heismad!Heisgoingaway!Ah!myGod!Ah!myGod!
  Thistimehewillnotcomeback!"
  Hewenttothewindowwhichlookedoutonthestreet,threwitopenwithhisagedandpalsiedhands,leanedoutmorethanhalf—way,whileBasqueandNicoletteheldhimbehind,andshouted:——
  "Marius!Marius!Marius!Marius!"
  ButMariuscouldnolongerhearhim,foratthatmomenthewasturningthecorneroftheRueSaint—Louis。
  Theoctogenarianraisedhishandstohistemplestwoorthreetimeswithanexpressionofanguish,recoiledtottering,andfellbackintoanarm—chair,pulseless,voiceless,tearless,withquiveringheadandlipswhichmovedwithastupidair,withnothinginhiseyesandnothinganylongerinhisheartexceptagloomyandprofoundsomethingwhichresemblednight。
  BOOKNINTH。——WHITHERARETHEYGOING?
  CHAPTERI
  JEANVALJEAN
  Thatsameday,towardsfouro’clockintheafternoon,JeanValjeanwassittingaloneonthebacksideofoneofthemostsolitaryslopesintheChamp—de—Mars。Eitherfromprudence,orfromadesiretomeditate,orsimplyinconsequenceofoneofthoseinsensiblechangesofhabitwhichgraduallyintroducethemselvesintotheexistenceofeveryone,henowrarelywentoutwithCosette。
  Hehadonhisworkman’swaistcoat,andtrousersofgraylinen;
  andhislong—visoredcapconcealedhiscountenance。
  HewascalmandhappynowbesideCosette;thatwhichhad,foratime,alarmedandtroubledhimhadbeendissipated;butforthelastweekortwo,anxietiesofanothernaturehadcomeup。Oneday,whilewalkingontheboulevard,hehadcaughtsightofThenardier;
  thankstohisdisguise,Thenardierhadnotrecognizedhim;butsincethatday,JeanValjeanhadseenhimrepeatedly,andhewasnowcertainthatThenardierwasprowlingaboutintheirneighborhood。
  Thishadbeensufficienttomakehimcometoadecision。
  Moreover,Pariswasnottranquil:politicaltroublespresentedthisinconvenientfeature,foranyonewhohadanythingtoconcealinhislife,thatthepolicehadgrownveryuneasyandverysuspicious,andthatwhileseekingtoferretoutamanlikePepinorMorey,theymightveryreadilydiscoveramanlikeJeanValjean。
  JeanValjeanhadmadeuphismindtoquitParis,andevenFrance,andgoovertoEngland。
  HehadwarnedCosette。Hewishedtosetoutbeforetheendoftheweek。
  HehadseatedhimselfontheslopeintheChamp—de—Mars,turningoverallsortsofthoughtsinhismind,——Thenardier,thepolice,thejourney,andthedifficultyofprocuringapassport。
  Hewastroubledfromallthesepointsofview。
  Lastofall,aninexplicablecircumstancewhichhadjustattractedhisattention,andfromwhichhehadnotyetrecovered,hadaddedtohisstateofalarm。
  Onthemorningofthatveryday,whenhealoneofthehouseholdwasstirring,whilestrollinginthegardenbeforeCosette’sshutterswereopen,hehadsuddenlyperceivedonthewall,thefollowingline,engraved,probablywithanail:——
  16RuedelaVerrerie。
  Thiswasperfectlyfresh,thegroovesintheancientblackmortarwerewhite,atuftofnettlesatthefootofthewallwaspowderedwiththefine,freshplaster。
  Thishadprobablybeenwrittenontheprecedingnight。
  Whatwasthis?Asignalforothers?Awarningforhimself?
  Inanycase,itwasevidentthatthegardenhadbeenviolated,andthatstrangershadmadetheirwayintoit。
  Herecalledtheoddincidentswhichhadalreadyalarmedthehousehold。
  Hismindwasnowfillinginthiscanvas。
  HetookgoodcarenottospeaktoCosetteofthelinewrittenonthewall,forfearofalarmingher。
  Inthemidstofhispreoccupations,heperceived,fromashadowcastbythesun,thatsomeonehadhaltedonthecrestoftheslopeimmediatelybehindhim。
  Hewasonthepointofturninground,whenapaperfoldedinfourfelluponhiskneesasthoughahandhaddroppeditoverhishead。
  Hetookthepaper,unfoldedit,andreadthesewordswritteninlargecharacters,withapencil:——
  "MOVEAWAYFROMYOURHOUSE。"
  JeanValjeanspranghastilytohisfeet;therewasnooneontheslope;
  hegazedallaroundhimandperceivedacreaturelargerthanachild,notsolargeasaman,cladinagrayblouseandtrousersofdust—coloredcottonvelvet,whowasjumpingovertheparapetandwhoslippedintothemoatoftheChampde—Mars。
  JeanValjeanreturnedhomeatonce,inaverythoughtfulmood。
  CHAPTERII
  MARIUS
  MariushadleftM。Gillenormandindespair。Hehadenteredthehousewithverylittlehope,andquitteditwithimmensedespair。
  However,andthosewhohaveobservedthedepthsofthehumanheartwillunderstandthis,theofficer,thelancer,theninny,CousinTheodule,hadleftnotraceinhismind。Nottheslightest。
  Thedramaticpoetmight,apparently,expectsomecomplicationsfromthisrevelationmadepoint—blankbythegrandfathertothegrandson。
  Butwhatthedramawouldgainthereby,truthwouldlose。
  Mariuswasatanagewhenonebelievesnothinginthelineofevil;
  lateroncomestheagewhenonebelieveseverything。Suspicionsarenothingelsethanwrinkles。Earlyyouthhasnoneofthem。
  ThatwhichoverwhelmedOthelloglidesinnocuousoverCandide。
  SuspectCosette!TherearehostsofcrimeswhichMariuscouldsoonerhavecommitted。
  Hebegantowanderaboutthestreets,theresourceofthosewhosuffer。
  Hethoughtofnothing,sofarashecouldafterwardsremember。
  Attwoo’clockinthemorninghereturnedtoCourfeyrac’squartersandflunghimself,withoutundressing,onhismattress。Thesunwasshiningbrightlywhenhesankintothatfrightfulleadenslumberwhichpermitsideastogoandcomeinthebrain。Whenheawoke,hesawCourfeyrac,Enjolras,Feuilly,andCombeferrestandingintheroomwiththeirhatsonandallreadytogoout。
  Courfeyracsaidtohim:——
  "AreyoucomingtoGeneralLamarque’sfuneral?"
  ItseemedtohimthatCourfeyracwasspeakingChinese。
  Hewentoutsometimeafterthem。HeputinhispocketthepistolswhichJaverthadgivenhimatthetimeoftheadventureonthe3dofFebruary,andwhichhadremainedinhishands。Thesepistolswerestillloaded。Itwouldbedifficulttosaywhatvaguethoughthehadinhismindwhenhetookthemwithhim。
  Alldaylongheprowledabout,withoutknowingwherehewasgoing;
  itrainedattimes,hedidnotperceiveit;forhisdinner,hepurchasedapennyrollatabaker’s,putitinhispocketandforgotit。
  ItappearsthathetookabathintheSeinewithoutbeingawareofit。
  Therearemomentswhenamanhasafurnacewithinhisskull。
  Mariuswaspassingthroughoneofthosemoments。Henolongerhopedforanything;thisstephehadtakensincetheprecedingevening。
  Hewaitedfornightwithfeverishimpatience,hehadbutoneideaclearlybeforehismind;——thiswas,thatatnineo’clockheshouldseeCosette。Thislasthappinessnowconstitutedhiswholefuture;
  afterthat,gloom。Atintervals,asheroamedthroughthemostdesertedboulevards,itseemedtohimthatheheardstrangenoisesinParis。
  Hethrusthisheadoutofhisreveryandsaid:"Istherefightingonhand?"
  Atnightfall,atnineo’clockprecisely,ashehadpromisedCosette,hewasintheRuePlumet。Whenheapproachedthegratingheforgoteverything。Itwasforty—eighthourssincehehadseenCosette;
  hewasabouttobeholdheroncemore;everyotherthoughtwaseffaced,andhefeltonlyaprofoundandunheard—ofjoy。Thoseminutesinwhichonelivescenturiesalwayshavethissovereignandwonderfulproperty,thatatthemomentwhentheyarepassingtheyfilltheheartcompletely。
  Mariusdisplacedthebar,andrushedheadlongintothegarden。
  Cosettewasnotatthespotwheresheordinarilywaitedforhim。
  Hetraversedthethicket,andapproachedtherecessneartheflightofsteps:"Sheiswaitingformethere,"saidhe。Cosettewasnotthere。Heraisedhiseyes,andsawthattheshuttersofthehousewereclosed。Hemadethetourofthegarden,thegardenwasdeserted。
  Thenhereturnedtothehouse,and,renderedsenselessbylove,intoxicated,terrified,exasperatedwithgriefanduneasiness,likeamasterwhoreturnshomeatanevilhour,hetappedontheshutters。Heknockedandknockedagain,attheriskofseeingthewindowopen,andherfather’sgloomyfacemakeitsappearance,anddemand:"Whatdoyouwant?"Thiswasnothingincomparisonwithwhathedimlycaughtaglimpseof。Whenhehadrapped,helifteduphisvoiceandcalledCosette。——"Cosette!"hecried;
  "Cosette!"herepeatedimperiously。Therewasnoreply。Allwasover。
  Nooneinthegarden;nooneinthehouse。
  Mariusfixedhisdespairingeyesonthatdismalhouse,whichwasasblackandassilentasatombandfarmoreempty。HegazedatthestoneseatonwhichhehadpassedsomanyadorablehourswithCosette。
  Thenheseatedhimselfontheflightofsteps,hisheartfilledwithsweetnessandresolution,heblessedhisloveinthedepthsofhisthought,andhesaidtohimselfthat,sinceCosettewasgone,allthattherewasleftforhimwastodie。
  Allatonceheheardavoicewhichseemedtoproceedfromthestreet,andwhichwascallingtohimthroughthetrees:——
  "Mr。Marius!"
  Hestartedtohisfeet。
  "Hey?"saidhe。
  "Mr。Marius,areyouthere?"
  "Yes。"
  "Mr。Marius,"wentonthevoice,"yourfriendsarewaitingforyouatthebarricadeoftheRuedelaChanvrerie。"
  Thisvoicewasnotwhollyunfamiliartohim。Itresembledthehoarse,roughvoiceofEponine。Mariushastenedtothegate,thrustasidethemovablebar,passedhisheadthroughtheaperture,andsawsomeonewhoappearedtohimtobeayoungman,disappearingatarunintothegloom。
  CHAPTERIII
  M。MABEUF
  JeanValjean’spursewasofnousetoM。Mabeuf。M。Mabeuf,inhisvenerable,infantileausterity,hadnotacceptedthegiftofthestars;hehadnotadmittedthatastarcouldcoinitselfintolouisd’or。HehadnotdivinedthatwhathadfallenfromheavenhadcomefromGavroche。Hehadtakenthepursetothepolicecommissionerofthequarter,asalostarticleplacedbythefinderatthedisposalofclaimants。Thepursewasactuallylost。
  Itisunnecessarytosaythatnooneclaimedit,andthatitdidnotsuccorM。Mabeuf。
  Moreover,M。Mabeufhadcontinuedhisdownwardcourse。
  HisexperimentsonindigohadbeennomoresuccessfulintheJardindesPlantesthaninhisgardenatAusterlitz。Theyearbeforehehadowedhishousekeeper’swages;now,aswehaveseen,heowedthreequartersofhisrent。ThepawnshophadsoldtheplatesofhisFloraaftertheexpirationofthirteenmonths。
  Somecoppersmithhadmadestewpansofthem。Hiscopperplatesgone,andbeingunabletocompleteeventheincompletecopiesofhisFlorawhichwereinhispossession,hehaddisposedofthetext,atamiserableprice,aswastepaper,toasecond—handbookseller。
  Nothingnowremainedtohimofhislife’swork。Hesettoworktoeatupthemoneyforthesecopies。Whenhesawthatthiswretchedresourcewasbecomingexhausted,hegaveuphisgardenandallowedittoruntowaste。Beforethis,alongtimebefore,hehadgivenuphistwoeggsandthemorselofbeefwhichheatefromtimetotime。Hedinedonbreadandpotatoes。Hehadsoldthelastofhisfurniture,thenallduplicatesofhisbedding,hisclothingandhisblankets,thenhisherbariumsandprints;
  buthestillretainedhismostpreciousbooks,manyofwhichwereofthegreatestrarity,amongothers,LesQuadrinsHistoriquesdelaBible,editionof1560;LaConcordancedesBibles,byPierredeBesse;LesMargueritesdelaMarguerite,ofJeandeLaHaye,withadedicationtotheQueenofNavarre;thebookdelaChargeetDignitedel’Ambassadeur,bytheSieurdeVilliersHotman;
  aFlorilegiumRabbinicumof1644;aTibullusof1567,withthismagnificentinscription:Venetiis,inaedibusManutianis;andlastly,aDiogenesLaertius,printedatLyonsin1644,whichcontainedthefamousvariantofthemanuscript411,thirteenthcentury,oftheVatican,andthoseofthetwomanuscriptsofVenice,393and394,consultedwithsuchfruitfulresultsbyHenriEstienne,andallthepassagesinDoricdialectwhichareonlyfoundinthecelebratedmanuscriptofthetwelfthcenturybelongingtotheNaplesLibrary。M。Mabeufneverhadanyfireinhischamber,andwenttobedatsundown,inordernottoconsumeanycandles。
  Itseemedasthoughhehadnolongeranyneighbors:peopleavoidedhimwhenhewentout;heperceivedthefact。Thewretchednessofachildinterestsamother,thewretchednessofayoungmaninterestsayounggirl,thewretchednessofanoldmaninterestsnoone。
  Itis,ofalldistresses,thecoldest。Still,FatherMabeufhadnotentirelylosthischildlikeserenity。Hiseyesacquiredsomevivacitywhentheyrestedonhisbooks,andhesmiledwhenhegazedattheDiogenesLaertius,whichwasauniquecopy。Hisbookcasewithglassdoorswastheonlypieceoffurniturewhichhehadkeptbeyondwhatwasstrictlyindispensable。
  Oneday,MotherPlutarquesaidtohim:——
  "Ihavenomoneytobuyanydinner。"
  Whatshecalleddinnerwasaloafofbreadandfourorfivepotatoes。
  "Oncredit?"suggestedM。Mabeuf。
  "Youknowwellthatpeoplerefuseme。"
  M。Mabeufopenedhisbookcase,tookalonglookatallhisbooks,oneafteranother,asafatherobligedtodecimatehischildrenwouldgazeuponthembeforemakingachoice,thenseizedonehastily,putitinunderhisarmandwentout。Hereturnedtwohourslater,withoutanythingunderhisarm,laidthirtysousonthetable,andsaid:——
  "Youwillgetsomethingfordinner。"
  Fromthatmomentforth,MotherPlutarquesawasombreveil,whichwasnevermorelifted,descendovertheoldman’scandidface。
  Onthefollowingday,onthedayafter,andonthedayafterthat,ithadtobedoneagain。
  M。Mabeufwentoutwithabookandreturnedwithacoin。
  Asthesecond—handdealersperceivedthathewasforcedtosell,theypurchasedofhimfortwentysousthatforwhichhehadpaidtwentyfrancs,sometimesatthoseveryshops。Volumebyvolume,thewholelibrarywentthesameroad。Hesaidattimes:"ButI
  ameighty;"asthoughhecherishedsomesecrethopethatheshouldarriveattheendofhisdaysbeforereachingtheendofhisbooks。
  Hismelancholyincreased。Once,however,hehadapleasure。
  HehadgoneoutwithaRobertEstienne,whichhehadsoldforthirty—fivesousundertheQuaiMalaquais,andhereturnedwithanAlduswhichhehadboughtforfortysousintheRuedesGres。——"I
  owefivesous,"hesaid,beamingonMotherPlutarque。Thatdayhehadnodinner。
  HebelongedtotheHorticulturalSociety。Hisdestitutionbecameknownthere。Thepresidentofthesocietycametoseehim,promisedtospeaktotheMinisterofAgricultureandCommerceabouthim,anddidso。——"Why,what!"exclaimedtheMinister,"Ishouldthinkso!Anoldsavant!abotanist!aninoffensiveman!
  Somethingmustbedoneforhim!"Onthefollowingday,M。MabeufreceivedaninvitationtodinewiththeMinister。Tremblingwithjoy,heshowedthelettertoMotherPlutarque。"Wearesaved!"saidhe。
  Onthedayappointed,hewenttotheMinister’shouse。Heperceivedthathisraggedcravat,hislong,squarecoat,andhiswaxedshoesastonishedtheushers。Noonespoketohim,noteventheMinister。
  Aboutteno’clockintheevening,whilehewasstillwaitingforaword,heheardtheMinister’swife,abeautifulwomaninalow—neckedgownwhomhehadnotventuredtoapproach,inquire:
  "Whoisthatoldgentleman?"Hereturnedhomeonfootatmidnight,inadrivingrain—storm。HehadsoldanElzevirtopayforacarriageinwhichtogothither。
  HehadacquiredthehabitofreadingafewpagesinhisDiogenesLaertiuseverynight,beforehewenttobed。HeknewenoughGreektoenjoythepeculiaritiesofthetextwhichheowned。
  Hehadnownootherenjoyment。Severalweekspassed。Allatonce,MotherPlutarquefellill。Thereisonethingsadderthanhavingnomoneywithwhichtobuybreadatthebaker’sandthatishavingnomoneytopurchasedrugsattheapothecary’s。Oneevening,thedoctorhadorderedaveryexpensivepotion。Andthemaladywasgrowingworse;anursewasrequired。M。Mabeufopenedhisbookcase;
  therewasnothingthere。Thelastvolumehadtakenitsdeparture。
  AllthatwaslefttohimwasDiogenesLaertius。Heputthisuniquecopyunderhisarm,andwentout。Itwasthe4thofJune,1832;
  hewenttothePorteSaint—Jacques,toRoyal’ssuccessor,andreturnedwithonehundredfrancs。Helaidthepileoffive—francpiecesontheoldserving—woman’snightstand,andreturnedtohischamberwithoutsayingaword。
  Onthefollowingmorning,atdawn,heseatedhimselfontheoverturnedpostinhisgarden,andhecouldbeseenoverthetopofthehedge,sittingthewholemorningmotionless,withdroopinghead,hiseyesvaguelyfixedonthewitheredflower—beds。Itrainedatintervals;
  theoldmandidnotseemtoperceivethefact。
  Intheafternoon,extraordinarynoisesbrokeoutinParis。
  Theyresembledshotsandtheclamorsofamultitude。
  FatherMabeufraisedhishead。Hesawagardenerpassing,andinquired:——
  "Whatisit?"
  Thegardener,spadeonback,repliedinthemostunconcernedtone:——
  "Itistheriots。"
  "Whatriots?"
  "Yes,theyarefighting。"
  "Whyaretheyfighting?"
  "Ah,goodHeavens!"ejaculatedthegardener。
  "Inwhatdirection?"wentonM。Mabeuf。
  "IntheneighborhoodoftheArsenal。"
  FatherMabeufwenttohisroom,tookhishat,mechanicallysoughtforabooktoplaceunderhisarm,foundnone,said:"Ah!truly!"
  andwentoffwithabewilderedair。
  BOOKTENTH。——THE5THOFJUNE,1832
  CHAPTERI
  THESURFACEOFTHEQUESTION
  Ofwhatisrevoltcomposed?Ofnothingandofeverything。
  Ofanelectricitydisengaged,littlebylittle,ofaflamesuddenlydartingforth,ofawanderingforce,ofapassingbreath。
  Thisbreathencountersheadswhichspeak,brainswhichdream,soulswhichsuffer,passionswhichburn,wretchednesswhichhowls,andbearsthemaway。
  Whither?
  Atrandom。Athwartthestate,thelaws,athwartprosperityandtheinsolenceofothers。
  Irritatedconvictions,embitteredenthusiasms,agitatedindignations,instinctsofwarwhichhavebeenrepressed,youthfulcouragewhichhasbeenexalted,generousblindness;curiosity,thetasteforchange,thethirstfortheunexpected,thesentimentwhichcausesonetotakepleasureinreadingthepostersforthenewplay,andlove,theprompter’swhistle,atthetheatre;thevaguehatreds,rancors,disappointments,everyvanitywhichthinksthatdestinyhasbankruptedit;discomfort,emptydreams,ambitiousthatarehedgedabout,whoeverhopesforadownfall,someoutcome,inshort,attheverybottom,therabble,thatmudwhichcatchesfire,——
  sucharetheelementsofrevolt。Thatwhichisgrandestandthatwhichisbasest;thebeingswhoprowloutsideofallbounds,awaitinganoccasion,bohemians,vagrants,vagabondsofthecross—roads,thosewhosleepatnightinadesertofhouseswithnootherroofthanthecoldcloudsofheaven,thosewho,eachday,demandtheirbreadfromchanceandnotfromtoil,theunknownofpovertyandnothingness,thebare—armed,thebare—footed,belongtorevolt。Whoevercherishesinhissoulasecretrevoltagainstanydeedwhateveronthepartofthestate,oflifeoroffate,isripeforriot,and,assoonasitmakesitsappearance,hebeginstoquiver,andtofeelhimselfborneawaywiththewhirlwind。
  Revoltisasortofwaterspoutinthesocialatmospherewhichformssuddenlyincertainconditionsoftemperature,andwhich,asiteddiesabout,mounts,descends,thunders,tears,razes,crushes,demolishes,uproots,bearingwithitgreatnaturesandsmall,thestrongmanandthefeeblemind,thetreetrunkandthestalkofstraw。Woetohimwhomitbearsawayaswellastohimwhomitstrikes!Itbreakstheoneagainsttheother。
  Itcommunicatestothosewhomitseizesanindescribableandextraordinarypower。Itfillsthefirst—comerwiththeforceofevents;itconvertseverythingintoprojectiles。
  Itmakesacannon—ballofaroughstone,andageneralofaporter。
  Ifwearetobelievecertainoraclesofcraftypoliticalviews,alittlerevoltisdesirablefromthepointofviewofpower。System:
  revoltstrengthensthosegovernmentswhichitdoesnotoverthrow。
  Itputsthearmytothetest;itconsecratesthebourgeoisie,itdrawsoutthemusclesofthepolice;itdemonstratestheforceofthesocialframework。Itisanexerciseingymnastics;
  itisalmosthygiene。Powerisinbetterhealthafterarevolt,asamanisafteragoodrubbingdown。
  Revolt,thirtyyearsago,wasregardedfromstillotherpointsofview。
  Thereisforeverythingatheory,whichproclaimsitself"goodsense";
  PhilintusagainstAlcestis;mediationofferedbetweenthefalseandthetrue;explanation,admonition,ratherhaughtyextenuationwhich,becauseitismingledwithblameandexcuse,thinksitselfwisdom,andisoftenonlypedantry。Awholepoliticalschoolcalled"thegoldenmean"hasbeentheoutcomeofthis。Asbetweencoldwaterandhotwater,itisthelukewarmwaterparty。Thisschoolwithitsfalsedepth,allonthesurface,whichdissectseffectswithoutgoingbacktofirstcauses,chidesfromitsheightofademi—science,theagitationofthepublicsquare。
  Ifwelistentothisschool,"Theriotswhichcomplicatedtheaffairof1830deprivedthatgreateventofaportionofitspurity。TheRevolutionofJulyhadbeenafinepopulargale,abruptlyfollowedbybluesky。
  Theymadethecloudyskyreappear。Theycausedthatrevolution,atfirstsoremarkableforitsunanimity,todegenerateintoaquarrel。
  IntheRevolutionofJuly,asinallprogressaccomplishedbyfitsandstarts,therehadbeensecretfractures;theseriotsrenderedthemperceptible。Itmighthavebeensaid:`Ah!thisisbroken。’
  AftertheRevolutionofJuly,onewassensibleonlyofdeliverance;
  aftertheriots,onewasconsciousofacatastrophe。
  "Allrevoltclosestheshops,depressesthefunds,throwstheExchangeintoconsternation,suspendscommerce,clogsbusiness,precipitatesfailures;nomoremoney,privatefortunesrendereduneasy,publiccreditshaken,industrydisconcerted,capitalwithdrawing,workatadiscount,feareverywhere;counter—shocksineverytown。
  Hencegulfs。IthasbeencalculatedthatthefirstdayofariotcostsFrancetwentymillions,theseconddayforty,thethirdsixty,athreedays’uprisingcostsonehundredandtwentymillions,thatistosay,ifonlythefinancialresultbetakenintoconsideration,itisequivalenttoadisaster,ashipwreckoralostbattle,whichshouldannihilateafleetofsixtyshipsoftheline。
  "Nodoubt,historically,uprisingshavetheirbeauty;thewarofthepavementsisnolessgrandiose,andnolesspathetic,thanthewarofthickets:intheonethereisthesoulofforests,intheothertheheartofcities;theonehasJeanChouan,theotherhasaJeanne。
  RevoltshaveilluminatedwitharedglareallthemostoriginalpointsoftheParisiancharacter,generosity,devotion,stormygayety,studentsprovingthatbraveryformspartofintelligence,theNationalGuardinvincible,bivouacsofshopkeepers,fortressesofstreeturchins,contemptofdeathonthepartofpassers—by。Schoolsandlegionsclashedtogether。Afterall,betweenthecombatants,therewasonlyadifferenceofage;theraceisthesame;itisthesamestoicalmenwhodiedattheageoftwentyfortheirideas,atfortyfortheirfamilies。Thearmy,alwaysasadthingincivilwars,opposedprudencetoaudacity。Uprisings,whileprovingpopularintrepidity,alsoeducatedthecourageofthebourgeois。
  "Thisiswell。Butisallthisworththebloodshed?Andtothebloodshedaddthefuturedarkness,progresscompromised,uneasinessamongthebestmen,honestliberalsindespair,foreignabsolutismhappyinthesewoundsdealttorevolutionbyitsownhand,thevanquishedof1830triumphingandsaying:
  `Wetoldyouso!’AddParisenlarged,possibly,butFrancemostassuredlydiminished。Add,forallmustneedsbetold,themassacreswhichhavetoooftendishonoredthevictoryofordergrownferociousoverlibertygonemad。Tosumupall,uprisingshavebeendisastrous。"
  Thusspeaksthatapproximationtowisdomwithwhichthebourgeoisie,thatapproximationtothepeople,sowillinglycontentsitself。
  Forourparts,werejectthisworduprisingsastoolarge,andconsequentlyastooconvenient。Wemakeadistinctionbetweenonepopularmovementandanotherpopularmovement。
  Wedonotinquirewhetheranuprisingcostsasmuchasabattle。
  Whyabattle,inthefirstplace?Herethequestionofwarcomesup。
  Iswarlessofascourgethananuprisingisofacalamity?Andthen,arealluprisingscalamities?AndwhatiftherevoltofJulydidcostahundredandtwentymillions?TheestablishmentofPhilipV。inSpaincostFrancetwomilliards。Evenatthesameprice,weshouldpreferthe14thofJuly。However,werejectthesefigures,whichappeartobereasonsandwhichareonlywords。Anuprisingbeinggiven,weexamineitbyitself。Inallthatissaidbythedoctrinarianobjectionabovepresented,thereisnoquestionofanythingbuteffect,weseekthecause。
  Wewillbeexplicit。
  CHAPTERII
  THEROOTOFTHEMATTER
  Thereissuchathingasanuprising,andthereissuchathingasinsurrection;thesearetwoseparatephasesofwrath;oneisinthewrong,theotherisintheright。Indemocraticstates,theonlyoneswhicharefoundedonjustice,itsometimeshappensthatthefractionusurps;thenthewholerisesandthenecessaryclaimofitsrightsmayproceedasfarasresorttoarms。Inallquestionswhichresultfromcollectivesovereignty,thewarofthewholeagainstthefractionisinsurrection;theattackofthefractionagainstthewholeisrevolt;accordingastheTuileriescontainakingortheConvention,theyarejustlyorunjustlyattacked。
  Thesamecannon,pointedagainstthepopulace,iswrongonthe10thofAugust,andrightonthe14thofVendemiaire。Alikeinappearance,fundamentallydifferentinreality;theSwissdefendthefalse,Bonapartedefendsthetrue。Thatwhichuniversalsuffragehaseffectedinitslibertyandinitssovereigntycannotbeundonebythestreet。
  Itisthesameinthingspertainingpurelytocivilization;
  theinstinctofthemasses,clear—sightedto—day,maybetroubledto—morrow。ThesamefurylegitimatewhendirectedagainstTerrayandabsurdwhendirectedagainstTurgot。Thedestructionofmachines,thepillageofwarehouses,thebreakingofrails,thedemolitionofdocks,thefalseroutesofmultitudes,therefusalbythepeopleofjusticetoprogress,Ramusassassinatedbystudents,RousseaudrivenoutofSwitzerlandandstoned,——thatisrevolt。IsraelagainstMoses,AthensagainstPhocian,RomeagainstCicero,——thatisanuprising;
  ParisagainsttheBastille,——thatisinsurrection。ThesoldiersagainstAlexander,thesailorsagainstChristopherColumbus,——
  thisisthesamerevolt;impiousrevolt;why?BecauseAlexanderisdoingforAsiawiththeswordthatwhichChristopherColumbusisdoingforAmericawiththecompass;AlexanderlikeColumbus,isfindingaworld。Thesegiftsofaworldtocivilizationaresuchaugmentationsoflight,thatallresistanceinthatcaseisculpable。
  Sometimesthepopulacecounterfeitsfidelitytoitself。Themassesaretraitorstothepeople。Isthere,forexample,anythingstrangerthanthatlongandbloodyprotestofdealersincontrabandsalt,alegitimatechronicrevolt,which,atthedecisivemoment,onthedayofsalvation,attheveryhourofpopularvictory,espousesthethrone,turnsintochouannerie,and,fromhavingbeenaninsurrectionagainst,becomesanuprisingfor,sombremasterpiecesofignorance!Thecontrabandsaltdealerescapestheroyalgibbets,andwitharope’sendroundhisneck,mountsthewhitecockade。
  "Deathtothesaltduties,"bringsforth,"LonglivetheKing!"
  TheassassinsofSaint—Barthelemy,thecut—throatsofSeptember,themanslaughterersofAvignon,theassassinsofColigny,theassassinsofMadamLamballe,theassassinsofBrune,Miquelets,Verdets,Cadenettes,thecompanionsofJehu,thechevaliersofBrassard,——
  beholdanuprising。LaVendeeisagrand,catholicuprising。
  Thesoundofrightinmovementisrecognizable,itdoesnotalwaysproceedfromthetremblingofexcitedmasses;therearemadrages,therearecrackedbells,alltocsinsdonotgiveoutthesoundofbronze。Thebrawlofpassionsandignorancesisquiteanotherthingfromtheshockofprogress。Showmeinwhatdirectionyouaregoing。Rise,ifyouwill,butletitbethatyoumaygrowgreat。
  Thereisnoinsurrectionexceptinaforwarddirection。Anyothersortofrisingisbad;everyviolentsteptowardstherearisarevolt;
  toretreatistocommitadeedofviolenceagainstthehumanrace。
  Insurrectionisafitofrageonthepartoftruth;thepavementswhichtheuprisingdisturbsgiveforththesparkofright。
  Thesepavementsbequeathtotheuprisingonlytheirmud。
  DantonagainstLouisXIV。isinsurrection;HebertagainstDantonisrevolt。
  Henceitresultsthatifinsurrectioningivencasesmaybe,asLafayettesays,themostholyofduties,anuprisingmaybethemostfatalofcrimes。
  Thereisalsoadifferenceintheintensityofheat;insurrectionisoftenavolcano,revoltisoftenonlyafireofstraw。
  Revolt,aswehavesaid,issometimesfoundamongthoseinpower。
  Polignacisarioter;CamilleDesmoulinsisoneofthegoverningpowers。
  Insurrectionissometimesresurrection。
  Thesolutionofeverythingbyuniversalsuffragebeinganabsolutelymodernfact,andallhistoryanteriortothisfactbeing,forthespaceoffourthousandyears,filledwithviolatedright,andthesufferingofpeoples,eachepochofhistorybringswithitthatprotestofwhichitiscapable。UndertheCaesars,therewasnoinsurrection,buttherewasJuvenal。
  ThefacitindignatioreplacestheGracchi。
  UndertheCaesars,thereistheexiletoSyene;thereisalsothemanoftheAnnales。WedonotspeakoftheimmenseexileofPatmoswho,onhispartalso,overwhelmstherealworldwithaprotestinthenameoftheidealworld,whomakesofhisvisionanenormoussatireandcastsonRome—Nineveh,onRome—Babylon,onRome—Sodom,theflamingreflectionoftheApocalypse。Johnonhisrockisthesphinxonitspedestal;wemayunderstandhim,heisaJew,anditisHebrew;butthemanwhowritestheAnnalesisoftheLatinrace,letusrathersayheisaRoman。
  AstheNerosreigninablackway,theyshouldbepaintedtomatch。
  Theworkofthegraving—toolalonewouldbetoopale;theremustbepouredintothechannelaconcentratedprosewhichbites。
  Despotscountforsomethinginthequestionofphilosophers。
  Awordthatischainedisaterribleword。Thewriterdoublesandtrebleshisstylewhensilenceisimposedonanationbyitsmaster。
  Fromthissilencetherearisesacertainmysteriousplenitudewhichfiltersintothoughtandtherecongealsintobronze。
  Thecompressionofhistoryproducesconcisenessinthehistorian。
  Thegranitesolidityofsuchandsuchacelebratedproseisnothingbuttheaccumulationeffectedbythetyrant。
  Tyrannyconstrainsthewritertoconditionsofdiameterwhichareaugmentationsofforce。TheCiceronianperiod,whichhardlysufficedforVerres,wouldbebluntedonCaligula。Thelessspreadofsailinthephrase,themoreintensityintheblow。
  Tacitusthinkswithallhismight。
  Thehonestyofagreatheart,condensedinjusticeandtruth,overwhelmsaswithlightning。
  Beitremarked,inpassing,thatTacitusisnothistoricallysuperposeduponCaesar。TheTiberiiwerereservedforhim。
  CaesarandTacitusaretwosuccessivephenomena,ameetingbetweenwhomseemstobemysteriouslyavoided,bytheOnewho,whenHesetsthecenturiesonthestage,regulatestheentrancesandtheexits。
  Caesarisgreat,Tacitusisgreat;Godsparesthesetwogreatnessesbynotallowingthemtoclashwithoneanother。Theguardianofjustice,instrikingCaesar,mightstriketoohardandbeunjust。
  Goddoesnotwillit。ThegreatwarsofAfricaandSpain,thepiratesofSicilydestroyed,civilizationintroducedintoGaul,intoBritanny,intoGermany,——allthisglorycoverstheRubicon。
  Thereishereasortofdelicacyofthedivinejustice,hesitatingtoletlooseupontheillustrioususurpertheformidablehistorian,sparingCaesarTacitus,andaccordingextenuatingcircumstancestogenius。
  Certainly,despotismremainsdespotism,evenunderthedespotofgenius。Thereiscorruptionunderallillustrioustyrants,butthemoralpestisstillmorehideousunderinfamoustyrants。
  Insuchreigns,nothingveilstheshame;andthosewhomakeexamples,TacitusaswellasJuvenal,slapthisignominywhichcannotreply,intheface,moreusefullyinthepresenceofallhumanity。
  RomesmellsworseunderVitelliusthanunderSylla。UnderClaudiusandunderDomitian,thereisadeformityofbasenesscorrespondingtotherepulsivenessofthetyrant。Thevillainyofslavesisadirectproductofthedespot;amiasmaexhalesfromthesecoweringconscienceswhereinthemasterisreflected;publicpowersareunclean;
  heartsaresmall;consciencesaredull,soulsarelikevermin;
  thusitisunderCaracalla,thusitisunderCommodus,thusitisunderHeliogabalus,while,fromtheRomanSenate,underCaesar,therecomesnothingbuttheodorofthedungwhichispeculiartotheeyriesoftheeagles。
  Hencetheadvent,apparentlytardy,oftheTacitusesandtheJuvenals;
  itisinthehourforevidence,thatthedemonstratormakeshisappearance。
  ButJuvenalandTacitus,likeIsaiahinBiblicaltimes,likeDanteintheMiddleAges,isman;riotandinsurrectionarethemultitude,whichissometimesrightandsometimeswrong。
  Inthemajorityofcases,riotproceedsfromamaterialfact;
  insurrectionisalwaysamoralphenomenon。RiotisMasaniello;
  insurrection,Spartacus。Insurrectionbordersonmind,riotonthestomach;Gastergrowsirritated;butGaster,assuredly,isnotalwaysinthewrong。Inquestionsoffamine,riot,Buzancais,forexample,holdsatrue,pathetic,andjustpointofdeparture。
  Nevertheless,itremainsariot。Why?Itisbecause,rightatbottom,itwaswronginform。Shyalthoughintheright,violentalthoughstrong,itstruckatrandom;itwalkedlikeablindelephant;
  itleftbehinditthecorpsesofoldmen,ofwomen,andofchildren;
  itwishedthebloodofinoffensiveandinnocentpersonswithoutknowingwhy。Thenourishmentofthepeopleisagoodobject;
  tomassacrethemisabadmeans。
  Allarmedprotests,eventhemostlegitimate,eventhatofthe10thofAugust,eventhatofJuly14th,beginwiththesametroubles。
  Beforetherightgetssetfree,thereisfoamandtumult。
  Inthebeginning,theinsurrectionisariot,justasariverisatorrent。Ordinarilyitendsinthatocean:revolution。
  Sometimes,however,comingfromthoseloftymountainswhichdominatethemoralhorizon,justice,wisdom,reason,right,formedofthepuresnowoftheideal,afteralongfallfromrocktorock,afterhavingreflectedtheskyinitstransparencyandincreasedbyahundredaffluentsinthemajesticmienoftriumph,insurrectionissuddenlylostinsomequagmire,astheRhineisinaswamp。
  Allthisisofthepast,thefutureisanotherthing。
  Universalsuffragehasthisadmirableproperty,thatitdissolvesriotinitsinception,and,bygivingthevotetoinsurrection,itdeprivesitofitsarms。Thedisappearanceofwars,ofstreetwarsaswellasofwarsonthefrontiers,suchistheinevitableprogression。WhateverTo—daymaybe,To—morrowwillbepeace。
  However,insurrection,riot,andpointsofdifferencebetweentheformerandthelatter,——thebourgeois,properlyspeaking,knowsnothingofsuchshades。Inhismind,allissedition,rebellionpureandsimple,therevoltofthedogagainsthismaster,anattempttobitewhommustbepunishedbythechainandthekennel,barking,snapping,untilsuchdayastheheadofthedog,suddenlyenlarged,isoutlinedvaguelyinthegloomfacetofacewiththelion。
  Thenthebourgeoisshouts:"Longlivethepeople!"
  Thisexplanationgiven,whatdoesthemovementofJune,1832,signify,sofarashistoryisconcerned?Isitarevolt?Isitaninsurrection?
  Itmayhappentous,inplacingthisformidableeventonthestage,tosayrevoltnowandthen,butmerelytodistinguishsuperficialfacts,andalwayspreservingthedistinctionbetweenrevolt,theform,andinsurrection,thefoundation。
  Thismovementof1832had,initsrapidoutbreakandinitsmelancholyextinction,somuchgrandeur,thateventhosewhoseeinitonlyanuprising,neverrefertoitotherwisethanwithrespect。
  Forthem,itislikearelicof1830。Excitedimaginations,saythey,arenottobecalmedinaday。Arevolutioncannotbecutoffshort。
  Itmustneedsundergosomeundulationsbeforeitreturnstoastateofrest,likeamountainsinkingintotheplain。TherearenoAlpswithouttheirJura,norPyreneeswithouttheAsturias。
  ThispatheticcrisisofcontemporaryhistorywhichthememoryofParisianscalls"theepochoftheriots,"iscertainlyacharacteristichouramidthestormyhoursofthiscentury。
  Alastword,beforeweenterontherecital。
  Thefactswhichweareabouttorelatebelongtothatdramaticandlivingreality,whichthehistoriansometimesneglectsforlackoftimeandspace。There,nevertheless,weinsistuponit,islife,palpitation,humantremor。Pettydetails,aswethinkwehavealreadysaid,are,sotospeak,thefoliageofgreatevents,andarelostinthedistanceofhistory。Theepoch,surnamed"oftheriots,"aboundsindetailsofthisnature。
  Judicialinquirieshavenotrevealed,andperhapshavenotsoundedthedepths,foranotherreasonthanhistory。Weshallthereforebringtolight,amongtheknownandpublishedpeculiarities,thingswhichhavenotheretoforebeenknown,aboutfactsoverwhichhavepassedtheforgetfulnessofsome,andthedeathofothers。
  Themajorityoftheactorsinthesegiganticsceneshavedisappeared;
  beginningwiththeverynextdaytheyheldtheirpeace;butofwhatweshallrelate,weshallbeabletosay:"Wehaveseenthis。"
  Wealterafewnames,forhistoryrelatesanddoesnotinformagainst,butthedeedwhichweshallpaintwillbegenuine。Inaccordancewiththeconditionsofthebookwhichwearenowwriting,weshallshowonlyonesideandoneepisode,andcertainly,theleastknownatthat,ofthetwodays,the5thandthe6thofJune,1832,butweshalldoitinsuchwisethatthereadermaycatchaglimpse,beneaththegloomyveilwhichweareabouttolift,oftherealformofthisfrightfulpublicadventure。