雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第114部分

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as　occupied　by　the　old　woman　who　took　charge　of　Jean　Valjean's　housekeeping；　all　the　rest　was　uninhabited。
　　It　was　this　old　woman；　ornamented　with　the　name　of　the　principal　lodger；　and　in　reality　intrusted　with　the　functions　of　portress；　who　had　let　him　the　lodging　on　Christmas　eve。
　　He　had　represented　himself　to　her　as　a　gentleman　of　means　who　had　been　ruined　by　Spanish　bonds；　who　was　ing　there　to　live　with　his　little　daughter。　He　had　paid　her　six　months　in　advance；　and　had　missioned　the　old　woman　to　furnish　the　chamber　and　dressing…room；　as　we　have　seen。　It　was　this　good　woman　who　had　lighted　the　fire　in　the　stove；　and　prepared　everything　on　the　evening　of　their　arrival。
　　Week　followed　week；　these　two　beings　led　a　happy　life　in　that　hovel。
　　Cosette　laughed；　chattered；　and　sang　from　daybreak。
　　Children　have　their　morning　song　as　well　as　birds。
　　It　sometimes　happened　that　Jean　Valjean　clasped　her　tiny　red　hand；　all　cracked　with　chilblains；　and　kissed　it。
　　The　poor　child；　who　was　used　to　being　beaten；　did　not　know　the　meaning　of　this；　and　ran　away　in　confusion。
　　At　times　she　became　serious　and　stared　at　her　little　black　gown。　Cosette　was　no　longer　in　rags；　she　was　in　mourning。
　　She　had　emerged　from　misery；　and　she　was　entering　into　life。
　　Jean　Valjean　had　undertaken　to　teach　her　to　read。
　　Sometimes；　as　he　made　the　child　spell；　he　remembered　that　it　was　with　the　idea　of　doing　evil　that　he　had　learned　to　read　in　prison。
　　This　idea　had　ended　in　teaching　a　child　to　read。
　　Then　the　ex…convict　smiled　with　the　pensive　smile　of　the　angels。
　　He　felt　in　it　a　premeditation　from　on　high；　the　will　of　some　one　who　was　not　man；　and　he　became　absorbed　in　revery。
　　Good　thoughts　have　their　abysses　as　well　as　evil　ones。
　　To　teach　Cosette　to　read；　and　to　let　her　play；　this　constituted　nearly　the　whole　of　Jean　Valjean's　existence。
　　And　then　he　talked　of　her　mother；　and　he　made　her　pray。
　　She　called　him　father；　and　knew　no　other　name　for　him。
　　He　passed　hours　in　watching　her　dressing　and　undressing　her　doll；　and　in　listening　to　her　prattle。
　　Life；　henceforth；　appeared　to　him　to　be　full　of　interest；　men　seemed　to　him　good　and　just；　he　no　longer　reproached　any　one　in　thought；　he　saw　no　reason　why　he　should　not　live　to　be　a　very　old　man；　now　that　this　child　loved　him。　He　saw　a　whole　future　stretching　out　before　him；　illuminated　by　Cosette　as　by　a　charming　light。
　　The　best　of　us　are　not　exempt　from　egotistical　thoughts。
　　At　times；　he　reflected　with　a　sort　of　joy　that　she　would　be　ugly。
　　This　is　only　a　personal　opinion；　but；　to　utter　our　whole　thought；　at　the　point　where　Jean　Valjean　had　arrived　when　he　began　to　love　Cosette；　it　is　by　no　means　clear　to　us　that　he　did　not　need　this　encouragement　in　order　that　he　might　persevere　in　well…doing。　He　had　just　viewed　the　malice　of　men　and　the　misery　of　society　under　a　new　aspect　inplete　aspects；　which　unfortunately　only　exhibited　one　side　of　the　truth；　the　fate　of　woman　as　summed　up　in　Fantine；　and　public　authority　as　personified　in　Javert。
　　He　had　returned　to　prison；　this　time　for　having　done　right；　he　had　quaffed　fresh　bitterness；　disgust　and　lassitude　were　overpowering　him；　even　the　memory　of　the　Bishop　probably　suffered　a　temporary　eclipse；　though　sure　to　reappear　later　on　luminous　and　triumphant；　but；　after　all；　that　sacred　memory　was　growing　dim。
　　Who　knows　whether　Jean　Valjean　had　not　been　on　the　eve　of　growing　discouraged　and　of　falling　once　more？　He　loved　and　grew　strong　again。
　　Alas！　he　walked　with　no　less　indecision　than　Cosette。
　　He　protected　her；　and　she　strengthened　him。　Thanks　to　him；　she　could　walk　through　life；　thanks　to　her；　he　could　continue　in　virtue。
　　He　was　that　child's　stay；　and　she　was　his　prop。
　　Oh；　unfathomable　and　divine　mystery　of　the　balances　of　destiny！


BOOK　FOURTH。THE　GORBEAU　HOVEL
CHAPTER　IV　
　　THE　REMARKS　OF　THE　PRINCIPAL　TENANT
　　Jean　Valjean　was　prudent　enough　never　to　go　out　by　day。　Every　evening；　at　twilight；　he　walked　for　an　hour　or　two；　sometimes　alone；　often　with　Cosette；　seeking　the　most　deserted　side　alleys　of　the　boulevard；　and　entering　churches　at　nightfall。　He　liked　to　go　to　Saint…Medard；　which　is　the　nearest　church。　When　he　did　not　take　Cosette　with　him；　she　remained　with　the　old　woman；　but　the　child's　delight　was　to　go　out　with　the　good　man。
　　She　preferred　an　hour　with　him　to　all　her　rapturous　tete…a…tetes　with　Catherine。　He　held　her　hand　as　they　walked；　and　said　sweet　things　to　her。
　　It　turned　out　that　Cosette　was　a　very　gay　little　person。
　　The　old　woman　attended　to　the　housekeeping　and　cooking　and　went　to　market。
　　They　lived　soberly；　always　having　a　little　fire；　but　like　people　in　very　moderate　circumstances。
　　Jean　Valjean　had　made　no　alterations　in　the　furniture　as　it　was　the　first　day；　he　had　merely　had　the　glass　door　leading　to　Cosette's　dressing…room　replaced　by　a　solid　door。
　　He　still　wore　his　yellow　coat；　his　black　breeches；　and　his　old　hat。　In　the　street；　he　was　taken　for　a　poor　man。
　　It　sometimes　happened　that　kind…hearted　women　turned　back　to　bestow　a　sou　on　him。　Jean　Valjean　accepted　the　sou　with　a　deep　bow。
　　It　also　happened　occasionally　that　he　encountered　some　poor　wretch　asking　alms；　then　he　looked　behind　him　to　make　sure　that　no　one　was　observing　him；　stealthily　approached　the　unfortunate　man；　put　a　piece　of　money　into　his　hand；　often　a　silver　coin；　and　walked　rapidly　away。　This　had　its　disadvantages。
　　He　began　to　be　known　in　the　neighborhood　under　the　name　of　the　beggar　who　gives　alms。
　　The　old　principal　lodger；　a　cross…looking　creature；　who　was　thoroughly　permeated；　so　far　as　her　neighbors　were　concerned；　with　the　inquisitiveness　peculiar　to　envious　persons；　scrutinized　Jean　Valjean　a　great　deal；　without　his　suspecting　the　fact。
　　She　was　a　little　deaf；　which　rendered　her　talkative。
　　There　remained　to　her　from　her　past；　two　teeth；one　above；　the　other　below；which　she　was　continually　knocking　against　each　other。
　　She　had　questioned　Cosette；　who　had　not　been　able　to　tell　her　anything；　since　she　knew　nothing　herself　except　that　she　had　e　from　Montfermeil。
　　One　morning；　this　spy　saw　Jean　Valjean；　with　an　air　which　struck　the　old　gossip　as　peculiar；　entering　one　of　the　uninhabited　partments　of　the　hovel。　She　followed　him　with　the　step　of　an　old　cat；　and　was　able　to　observe　him　without　being　seen；　through　a　crack　in　the　door；　which　was　directly　opposite　him。
　　Jean　Valjean　had　his　back　turned　towards　this　door；　by　way　of　greater　security；　no　doubt。
　　The　old　woman　saw　him　fumble　in　his　pocket　and　draw　thence　a　case；　scissors；　and　thread；　then　he　began　to　rip　the　lining　of　one　of　the　skirts　of　his　coat；　and　from　the　opening　he　took　a　bit　of　yellowish　paper；　which　he　unfolded。　The　old　woman　recognized；　with　terror；　the　fact　that　it　was　a　bank…bill　for　a　thousand　francs。
　　It　was　the　second　or　third　only　that　she　had　seen　in　the　course　of　her　existence。
　　She　fled　in　alarm。
　　A　moment　later；　Jean　Valjean　accosted　her；　and　asked　her　to　go　and　get　this　thousand…franc　bill　changed　for　him；　adding　that　it　was　his　quarterly　ine；　which　he　had　received　the　day　before。　〃Where？〃　thought　the　old　woman。
　　〃He　did　not　go　out　until　six　o'clock　in　the　evening；　and　the　government　bank　certainly　is　not　open　at　that　hour。〃
　　The　old　woman　went　to　get　the　bill　changed；　and　mentioned　her　surmises。
　　That　thousand…franc　note；　mented　on　and　multiplied；　produced　a　vast　amount　of　terrified　discussion　among　the　gossips　of　the　Rue　des　Vignes　Saint…Marcel。
　　A　few　days　later；　it　chanced　that　Jean　Valjean　was　sawing　some　wood；　in　his　shirt…sleeves；　in　the　corridor。
　　The　old　woman　was　in　the　chamber；　putting　things　in　order。
　　She　was　alone。
　　Cosette　was　occupied　in　admiring　the　wood　as　it　was　sawed。
　　The　old　woman　caught　sight　of　the　coat　hanging　on　a　nail；　and　examined　it。
　　The　lining　had　been　sewed　up　again。
　　The　good　woman　felt　of　it　carefully；　and　thought　she　observed　in　the　skirts　and　revers　thicknesses　of　paper。　More　thousand…franc　bank…bills；　no　doubt！
　　She　also　noticed　that　there　were　all　sorts　of　things　in　the　pockets。　Not　only　the　needles；　thread；　and　scissors　which　she　had　seen；　but　a　big　pocket…book；　a　very　large　knife；　anda　suspicious　circumstance　several　wigs　of　various　colors。
　　Each　pocket　of　this　coat　had　the　air　of　being　in　a　manner　provided　against　unexpected　accidents。
　　Thus　the　inhabitants　of　the　house　reached　the　last　days　of　winter。


BOOK　FOURTH。THE　GORBEAU　HOVEL
CHAPTER　V　
　　A　FIVE…FRANC　PIECE　FALLS　ON　THE　GROUND　AND　PRODUCES　A　TUMULT
　　Near　Saint…Medard's　church　there　was　a　poor　man　who　was　in　the　habit　of　crouching　on　the　brink　of　a　public　well　which　had　been　condemned；　and　on　whom　Jean　Valjean　was　fond　of　bestowing　charity。
　　He　never　passed　this　man　without　giving　him　a　few　sous。
　　Sometimes　he　spoke　to　him。　Those　who　envied　this　mendicant　said　that　he　belonged　to　the　police。　He　was　an　ex…beadle　of　seventy…five；　who　was　constantly　mumbling　his　prayers。
　　One　evening；　as　Jean　Valjean　was　passing　by；　when　he　had　not　Cosette　with　him；　he　saw　the　beggar　in　his　usual　place；　beneath　the　lantern　which　had　just　been