Thedistressofthepeople，thelaborerswithoutbread，thelastPrincedeCondeengulfedintheshadows，BrusselsexpellingtheNassausasParisdidtheBourbons，BelgiumofferingherselftoaFrenchPrinceandgivingherselftoanEnglishPrince，theRussianhatredofNicolas，behindusthedemonsoftheSouth，FerdinandinSpain，MiguelinPortugal，theearthquakinginItaly，MetternichextendinghishandoverBologna，FrancetreatingAustriasharplyatAncona，attheNorthnooneknewwhatsinistersoundofthehammernailingupPolandinhercoffin，irritatedglanceswatchingFrancenarrowlyalloverEurope，England，asuspectedally，readytogiveapushtothatwhichwastotteringandtohurlherselfonthatwhichshouldfall，thepeerageshelteringitselfbehindBeccariatorefusefourheadstothelaw，thefleurs—de—lyserasedfromtheKing’scarriage，thecrosstornfromNotreDame，Lafayettelessened，Laffitteruined，BenjaminConstantdeadinindigence，CasimirPerierdeadintheexhaustionofhispower；politicalandsocialmaladybreakingoutsimultaneouslyinthetwocapitalsofthekingdom，theoneinthecityofthought，theotherinthecityoftoil；atPariscivilwar，atLyonsservilewar；inthetwocities，thesameglareofthefurnace；acrater—likecrimsononthebrowofthepeople；
theSouthrenderedfanatic，theWesttroubled，theDuchessedeBerryinlaVendee，plots，conspiracies，risings，cholera，addedthesombreroaroftumultofeventstothesombreroarofideas。
CHAPTERV
FACTSWHENCEHISTORYSPRINGSANDWHICHHISTORYIGNORES
TowardstheendofApril，everythinghadbecomeaggravated。
Thefermentationenteredtheboilingstate。Eversince1830，pettypartialrevoltshadbeengoingonhereandthere，whichwerequicklysuppressed，buteverburstingforthafresh，thesignofavastunderlyingconflagration。Somethingterriblewasinpreparation。Glimpsescouldbecaughtofthefeaturesstillindistinctandimperfectlylighted，ofapossiblerevolution。
FrancekeptaneyeonParis；PariskeptaneyeontheFaubourgSaint—Antoine。
TheFaubourgSaint—Antoine，whichwasinadullglow，wasbeginningitsebullition。
Thewine—shopsoftheRuedeCharonnewere，althoughtheunionofthetwoepithetsseemssingularwhenappliedtowine—shops，graveandstormy。
Thegovernmentwastherepurelyandsimplycalledinquestion。
Therepeoplepubliclydiscussedthequestionoffightingorofkeepingquiet。Therewerebackshopswhereworkingmenweremadetoswearthattheywouldhastenintothestreetatthefirstcryofalarm，and"thattheywouldfightwithoutcountingthenumberoftheenemy。"
Thisengagementonceenteredinto，amanseatedinthecornerofthewine—shop"assumedasonoroustone，"andsaid，"Youunderstand！
Youhavesworn！"
Sometimestheywentupstairs，toaprivateroomonthefirstfloor，andtherescenesthatwerealmostmasonicwereenacted。Theymadetheinitiatedtakeoathstorenderservicetohimselfaswellastothefathersoffamilies。Thatwastheformula。
Inthetap—rooms，"subversive"pamphletswereread。Theytreatedthegovernmentwithcontempt，saysasecretreportofthattime。
Wordslikethefollowingcouldbeheardthere:——
"Idon’tknowthenamesoftheleaders。Wefolksshallnotknowthedayuntiltwohoursbeforehand。"Oneworkmansaid:
"Therearethreehundredofus，leteachcontributetensous，thatwillmakeonehundredandfiftyfrancswithwhichtoprocurepowderandshot。"
Anothersaid:"Idon’taskforsixmonths，Idon’taskforeventwo。
Inlessthanafortnightweshallbeparallelwiththegovernment。
Withtwenty—fivethousandmenwecanfacethem。"Anothersaid:
"Idon’tsleepatnight，becauseImakecartridgesallnight。"
Fromtimetotime，men"ofbourgeoisappearance，andingoodcoats"
cameand"causedembarrassment，"andwiththeairof"command，"
shookhandswiththemostimportant，andthenwentaway。Theyneverstayedmorethantenminutes。Significantremarkswereexchangedinalowtone:"Theplotisripe，thematterisarranged。""Itwasmurmuredbyallwhowerethere，"toborrowtheveryexpressionofoneofthosewhowerepresent。Theexaltationwassuchthatoneday，aworkingmanexclaimed，eforethewholewine—shop:"Wehavenoarms！"
Oneofhiscomradesreplied:"Thesoldiershave！"thusparodyingwithoutbeingawareofthefact，Bonaparte’sproclamationtothearmyinItaly:"Whentheyhadanythingofamoresecretnatureonhand，"
addsonereport，"theydidnotcommunicateittoeachother。"
Itisnoteasytounderstandwhattheycouldconcealafterwhattheysaid。
Thesereunionsweresometimesperiodical。Atcertainonesofthem，therewerenevermorethaneightortenpersonspresent，andtheywerealwaysthesame。Inothers，anyoneenteredwhowished，andtheroomwassofullthattheywereforcedtostand。
Somewentthitherthroughenthusiasmandpassion；othersbecauseitwasontheirwaytotheirwork。AsduringtheRevolution，therewerepatrioticwomeninsomeofthesewine—shopswhoembracednew—comers。
Otherexpressivefactscametolight。
Amanwouldenterashop，drink，andgohiswaywiththeremark:
"Wine—merchant，therevolutionwillpaywhatisduetoyou。"
Revolutionaryagentswereappointedinawine—shopfacingtheRuedeCharonne。Theballotingwascarriedonintheircaps。
Workingmenmetatthehouseofafencing—masterwhogavelessonsintheRuedeCotte。Theretherewasatrophyofarmsformedofwoodenbroadswords，canes，clubs，andfoils。Oneday，thebuttonswereremovedfromthefoils。
Aworkmansaid:"Therearetwenty—fiveofus，buttheydon’tcountonme，becauseIamlookeduponasamachine。"Lateron，thatmachinebecameQuenisset。
Theindefinitethingswhichwerebrewinggraduallyacquiredastrangeandindescribablenotoriety。Awomansweepingoffherdoorstepssaidtoanotherwoman:"Foralongtime，therehasbeenastrongforcebusymakingcartridges。"Intheopenstreet，proclamationcouldbeseenaddressedtotheNationalGuardinthedepartments。
Oneoftheseproclamationswassigned:Burtot，wine—merchant。
OnedayamanwithhisbeardwornlikeacollarandwithanItalianaccentmountedastonepostatthedoorofaliquor—sellerintheMarcheLenoir，andreadaloudasingulardocument，whichseemedtoemanatefromanoccultpower。Groupsformedaroundhim，andapplauded。
Thepassageswhichtouchedthecrowdmostdeeplywerecollectedandnoteddown。"——Ourdoctrinesaretrammelled，ourproclamationstorn，ourbill—stickersarespieduponandthrownintoprison。"——"Thebreakdownwhichhasrecentlytakenplaceincottonshasconvertedtousmanymediums。"——"Thefutureofnationsisbeingworkedoutinourobscureranks。"——"Herearethefixedterms:actionorreaction，revolutionorcounter—revolution。For，atourepoch，wenolongerbelieveeitherininertiaorinimmobility。Forthepeopleagainstthepeople，thatisthequestion。Thereisnoother。"——"Onthedaywhenweceasetosuityou，breakus，butuptothatday，helpustomarchon。"Allthisinbroaddaylight。
Otherdeeds，moreaudaciousstill，weresuspiciousintheeyesofthepeoplebyreasonoftheirveryaudacity。Onthe4thofApril，1832，apasser—bymountedthepostonthecornerwhichformstheangleoftheRueSainte—Margueriteandshouted:"IamaBabouvist！"
ButbeneathBabeuf，thepeoplescentedGisquet。
Amongotherthings，thismansaid:——
"Downwithproperty！Theoppositionoftheleftiscowardlyandtreacherous。Whenitwantstobeontherightside，itpreachesrevolution，itisdemocraticinordertoescapebeingbeaten，androyalistsothatitmaynothavetofight。
Therepublicansarebeastswithfeathers。Distrusttherepublicans，citizensofthelaboringclasses。"
"Silence，citizenspy！"criedanartisan。
Thisshoutputanendtothediscourse。
Mysteriousincidentsoccurred。
Atnightfall，aworkingmanencounterednearthecanala"verywelldressedman，"whosaidtohim:"Whitherareyoubound，citizen？""Sir，"repliedtheworkingman，"Ihavenotthehonorofyouracquaintance。""Iknowyouverywell，however。"Andthemanadded:"Don’tbealarmed，Iamanagentofthecommittee。
Youaresuspectedofnotbeingquitefaithful。Youknowthatifyourevealanything，thereisaneyefixedonyou。"Thenheshookhandswiththeworkingmanandwentaway，saying:"Weshallmeetagainsoon。"
Thepolice，whowereonthealert，collectedsingulardialogues，notonlyinthewine—shops，butinthestreet。
"Getyourselfreceivedverysoon，"saidaweavertoacabinet—maker。
"Why？"
"Thereisgoingtobeashottofire。"
Tworaggedpedestriansexchangedtheseremarkablereplies，fraughtwithevidentJacquerie:——
"Whogovernsus？"
"M。Philippe。"
"No，itisthebourgeoisie。"
ThereaderismistakenifhethinksthatwetakethewordJacquerieinabadsense。TheJacqueswerethepoor。
Onanotheroccasiontwomenwereheardtosaytoeachotherastheypassedby:"Wehaveagoodplanofattack。"
OnlythefollowingwascaughtofaprivateconversationbetweenfourmenwhowerecrouchinginaditchofthecircleoftheBarriereduTrone:——
"EverythingpossiblewillbedonetopreventhiswalkingaboutParisanymore。"
Whowasthehe？Menacingobscurity。
"Theprincipalleaders，"astheysaidinthefaubourg，heldthemselvesapart。Itwassupposedthattheymetforconsultationinawine—shopnearthepointSaint—Eustache。AcertainAug——，chiefoftheSocietyaidfortailors，RueMondetour，hadthereputationofservingasintermediarycentralbetweentheleadersandtheFaubourgSaint—Antoine。
Nevertheless，therewasalwaysagreatdealofmysteryabouttheseleaders，andnocertainfactcaninvalidatethesingulararroganceofthisreplymadelateronbyamanaccusedbeforetheCourtofPeers:——
"Whowasyourleader？"
"IknewofnoneandIrecognizednone。"
Therewasnothingbutwords，transparentbutvague；sometimesidlereports，rumors，hearsay。Otherindicationscroppedup。
Acarpenter，occupiedinnailingboardstoafencearoundthegroundonwhichahousewasinprocessofconstruction，intheRuedeReuillyfoundonthatplotthetornfragmentofaletteronwhichwerestilllegiblethefollowinglines:——
Thecommitteemusttakemeasurestopreventrecruitinginthesectionsforthedifferentsocieties。
And，asapostscript:——
WehavelearnedthattherearegunsintheRueduFaubourg—Poissonniere，No。5[bis]，tothenumberoffiveorsixthousand，inthehouseofagunsmithinthatcourt。Thesectionownsnoarms。
Whatexcitedthecarpenterandcausedhimtoshowthisthingtohisneighborswasthefact，thatafewpacesfurtheronhepickedupanotherpaper，tornlikethefirst，andstillmoresignificant，ofwhichwereproduceafacsimile，becauseofthehistoricalinterestattachingtothesestrangedocuments:——
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————Q
CDELearnthislistbyheart。Aftersodoing
youwilltearitup。Themenadmittedwilldothesamewhenyouhavetransmittedtheirorderstothem。
HealthandFraternity，uogafeL。
————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————
Itwasonlylateronthatthepersonswhowereinthesecretofthisfindatthetime，learnedthesignificanceofthosefourcapitalletters:quinturions，centurions，decurions，eclaireurs[scouts]，andthesenseoftheletters:uogafe，whichwasadate，andmeantApril15th，1832。Undereachcapitalletterwereinscribednamesfollowedbyverycharacteristicnotes。Thus:Q。Bannerel。
8guns，83cartridges。Asafeman。——C。Boubiere。1pistol，40cartridges。——D。Rollet。1foil，1pistol，1poundofpowder。——
E。Tessier。1sword，1cartridge—box。Exact。——Terreur。8guns。
Brave，etc。
Finally，thiscarpenterfound，stillinthesameenclosure，athirdpaperonwhichwaswritteninpencil，butverylegibly，thissortofenigmaticallist:——
Unite:Blanchard:Arbre—Sec。6。
Barra。Soize。Salle—au—Comte。
Kosciusko。AubrytheButcher？
J。J。R。
CaiusGracchus。
Rightofrevision。Dufond。Four。
FalloftheGirondists。Derbac。Maubuee。
Washington。Pinson。1pistol，86cartridges。
Marseillaise。
Sovereigntyofthepeople。Michel。Quincampoix。Sword。
Hoche。
Marceau。Plato。Arbre—Sec。
Warsaw。Tilly，crierofthePopulaire。
Thehonestbourgeoisintowhosehandsthislistfellknewitssignificance。ItappearsthatthislistwasthecompletenomenclatureofthesectionsofthefourtharondissementoftheSocietyoftheRightsofMan，withthenamesanddwellingsofthechiefsofsections。
To—day，whenallthesefactswhichwereobscurearenothingmorethanhistory，wemaypublishthem。Itshouldbeadded，thatthefoundationoftheSocietyoftheRightsofManseemstohavebeenposteriortothedatewhenthispaperwasfound。Perhapsthiswasonlyaroughdraft。
Still，accordingtoalltheremarksandthewords，accordingtowrittennotes，materialfactsbegintomaketheirappearance。
IntheRuePopincourt，inthehouseofadealerinbric—abrac，therewereseizedsevensheetsofgraypaper，allfoldedalikelengthwiseandinfour；thesesheetsenclosedtwenty—sixsquaresofthissamegraypaperfoldedintheformofacartridge，andacard，onwhichwaswrittenthefollowing:——
Saltpetre……12ounces。
Sulphur……2ounces。
Charcoal……2ouncesandahalf。
Water……2ounces。
Thereportoftheseizurestatedthatthedrawerexhaledastrongsmellofpowder。
Amasonreturningfromhisday’swork，leftbehindhimalittlepackageonabenchnearthebridgeofAusterlitz。Thispackagewastakentothepolicestation。Itwasopened，andinitwerefoundtwoprinteddialogues，signedLahautiere，asongentitled:
"Workmen，bandtogether，"andatinboxfullofcartridges。
Oneartisandrinkingwithacomrademadethelatterfeelhimtoseehowwarmhewas；theothermanfeltapistolunderhiswaistcoat。
Inaditchontheboulevard，betweenPere—LachaiseandtheBarriereduTrone，atthemostdesertedspot，somechildren，whileplaying，discoveredbeneathamassofshavingsandrefusebitsofwood，abagcontainingabullet—mould，awoodenpunchforthepreparationofcartridges，awoodenbowl，inwhichthereweregrainsofhunting—powder，andalittlecast—ironpotwhoseinteriorpresentedevidenttracesofmeltedlead。
Policeagents，makingtheirwaysuddenlyandunexpectedlyatfiveo’clockinthemorning，intothedwellingofacertainPardon，whowasafterwardsamemberoftheBarricade—MerrysectionandgothimselfkilledintheinsurrectionofApril，1834，foundhimstandingnearhisbed，andholdinginhishandsomecartridgeswhichhewasintheactofpreparing。
Towardsthehourwhenworkingmenrepose，twomenwereseentomeetbetweentheBarrierePicpusandtheBarriereCharentoninalittlelanebetweentwowalls，nearawine—shop，infrontofwhichtherewasa"JeudeSiam。"[33]Onedrewapistolfrombeneathhisblouseandhandedittotheother。Ashewashandingittohim，henoticedthattheperspirationofhischesthadmadethepowderdamp。
Heprimedthepistolandaddedmorepowdertowhatwasalreadyinthepan。Thenthetwomenparted。
[33]Agameofninepins，inwhichonesideoftheballissmallerthantheother，sothatitdoesnotrollstraight，butdescribesacurveontheground。
AcertainGallais，afterwardskilledintheRueBeaubourgintheaffairofApril，boastedofhavinginhishousesevenhundredcartridgesandtwenty—fourflints。
Thegovernmentonedayreceivedawarningthatarmsandtwohundredthousandcartridgeshadjustbeendistributedinthefaubourg。
Onthefollowingweekthirtythousandcartridgesweredistributed。
Theremarkablepointaboutitwas，thatthepolicewerenotabletoseizeasingleone。
Aninterceptedletterread:"Thedayisnotfardistantwhen，withinfourhoursbytheclock，eightythousandpatriotswillbeunderarms。"
Allthisfermentationwaspublic，onemightalmostsaytranquil。
Theapproachinginsurrectionwaspreparingitsstormcalmlyinthefaceofthegovernment。Nosingularitywaslackingtothisstillsubterraneancrisis，whichwasalreadyperceptible。Thebourgeoistalkedpeaceablytotheworking—classesofwhatwasinpreparation。
Theysaid:"Howistherisingcomingalong？"inthesametoneinwhichtheywouldhavesaid:"Howisyourwife？"
Afurniture—dealer，oftheRueMoreau，inquired:"Well，whenareyougoingtomaketheattack？"
Anothershop—keepersaid:——
"Theattackwillbemadesoon。"
"Iknowit。Amonthago，therewerefifteenthousandofyou，nowtherearetwenty—fivethousand。"Heofferedhisgun，andaneighborofferedasmallpistolwhichhewaswillingtosellforsevenfrancs。
Moreover，therevolutionaryfeverwasgrowing。NotapointinParisnorinFrancewasexemptfromit。Thearterywasbeatingeverywhere。
Likethosemembraneswhicharisefromcertaininflammationsandforminthehumanbody，thenetworkofsecretsocietiesbegantospreadalloverthecountry。FromtheassociationsoftheFriendsofthePeople，whichwasatthesametimepublicandsecret，sprangtheSocietyoftheRightsofMan，whichalsodatedfromoneoftheordersoftheday:Pluviose，Year40oftherepublicanera，whichwasdestinedtosurviveeventhemandateoftheCourtofAssizeswhichpronounceditsdissolution，andwhichdidnothesitatetobestowonitssectionssignificantnameslikethefollowing:——
Pikes。
Tocsin。
Signalcannon。
Phrygiancap。
January21。
Thebeggars。
Thevagabonds。
Forwardmarch。
Robespierre。
Level。
CaIra。
TheSocietyoftheRightsofManengenderedtheSocietyofAction。
Thesewereimpatientindividualswhobrokeawayandhastenedahead。
Otherassociationssoughttorecruitthemselvesfromthegreatmothersocieties。Themembersofsectionscomplainedthattheyweretornasunder。Thus，theGallicSociety，andthecommitteeoforganizationoftheMunicipalities。Thustheassociationsforthelibertyofthepress，forindividualliberty，fortheinstructionofthepeopleagainstindirecttaxes。ThentheSocietyofEqualWorkingmenwhichwasdividedintothreefractions，thelevellers，thecommunists，thereformers。ThentheArmyoftheBastilles，asortofcohortorganizedonamilitaryfooting，fourmencommandedbyacorporal，tenbyasergeant，twentybyasub—lieutenant，fortybyalieutenant；therewerenevermorethanfivemenwhokneweachother。
CreationwhereprecautioniscombinedwithaudacityandwhichseemedstampedwiththegeniusofVenice。
Thecentralcommittee，whichwasatthehead，hadtwoarms，theSocietyofAction，andtheArmyoftheBastilles。
Alegitimistassociation，theChevaliersofFidelity，stirredaboutamongthesetherepublicanaffiliations。Itwasdenouncedandrepudiatedthere。
TheParisiansocietieshadramificationsintheprincipalcities，Lyons，Nantes，Lille，Marseilles，andeachhaditsSocietyoftheRightsofMan，theCharbonniere，andTheFreeMen。
AllhadarevolutionarysocietywhichwascalledtheCougourde。
Wehavealreadymentionedthisword。
InParis，theFaubourgSaint—MarceaukeptupanequalbuzzingwiththeFaubourgSaint—Antoine，andtheschoolswerenolessmovedthanthefaubourgs。AcafeintheRueSaint—Hyacintheandthewine—shopoftheSevenBilliards，RuedesMathurins—Saint—Jacques，servedasrallyingpointsforthestudents。TheSocietyoftheFriendsoftheABCaffiliatedtotheMutualistsofAngers，andtotheCougourdeofAix，met，aswehaveseen，intheCafeMusain。
Thesesameyoungmenassembledalso，aswehavestatedalready，inarestaurantwine—shopoftheRueMondetourwhichwascalledCorinthe。
Thesemeetingsweresecret。Otherswereaspublicaspossible，andthereadercanjudgeoftheirboldnessfromthesefragmentsofaninterrogatoryundergoneinoneoftheulteriorprosecutions:
"Wherewasthismeetingheld？""IntheRuedelaPaix。"
"Atwhosehouse？""Inthestreet。""Whatsectionswerethere？"
"Onlyone。""Which？""TheManuelsection。""Whowasitsleader？"
"I。""Youaretooyoungtohavedecidedaloneupontheboldcourseofattackingthegovernment。Wheredidyourinstructionscomefrom？"
"Fromthecentralcommittee。"
Thearmywasminedatthesametimeasthepopulation，aswasprovedsubsequentlybytheoperationsofBeford，Luneville，andEpinard。
Theycountedonthefifty—secondregiment，onthefifth，ontheeighth，onthethirty—seventh，andonthetwentiethlightcavalry。
InBurgundyandinthesoutherntownstheyplantedthelibertytree；
thatistosay，apolesurmountedbyaredcap。
Suchwasthesituation。
TheFaubourgSaint—Antoine，morethananyothergroupofthepopulation，aswestatedinthebeginning，accentuatedthissituationandmadeitfelt。Thatwasthesorepoint。Thisoldfaubourg，peopledlikeanant—hill，laborious，courageous，andangryasahiveofbees，wasquiveringwithexpectationandwiththedesireforatumult。
Everythingwasinastateofagitationthere，withoutanyinterruption，however，oftheregularwork。Itisimpossibletoconveyanideaofthislivelyyetsombrephysiognomy。Inthisfaubourgexistspoignantdistresshiddenunderatticroofs；therealsoexistrareandardentminds。Itisparticularlyinthematterofdistressandintelligencethatitisdangeroustohaveextremesmeet。
TheFaubourgSaint—Antoinehadalsoothercausestotremble；
foritreceivedthecounter—shockofcommercialcrises，offailures，strikes，slackseasons，allinherenttogreatpoliticaldisturbances。
Intimesofrevolutionmiseryisbothcauseandeffect。Theblowwhichitdealsreboundsuponit。Thispopulationfullofproudvirtue，capabletothehighestdegreeoflatentheat，alwaysreadytoflytoarms，prompttoexplode，irritated，deep，undermined，seemedtobeonlyawaitingthefallofaspark。Whenevercertainsparksfloatonthehorizonchasedbythewindofevents，itisimpossiblenottothinkoftheFaubourgSaint—AntoineandoftheformidablechancewhichhasplacedattheverygatesofParisthatpowder—houseofsufferingandideas。
Thewine—shopsoftheFaubourgAntoine，whichhavebeenmorethanoncedrawninthesketcheswhichthereaderhasjustperused，possesshistoricalnotoriety。Introubloustimespeoplegrowintoxicatedtheremoreonwordsthanonwine。Asortofpropheticspiritandanafflatusofthefuturecirculatesthere，swellingheartsandenlargingsouls。ThecabaretsoftheFaubourgSaint—AntoineresemblethosetavernsofMontAventineerectedonthecaveoftheSibylandcommunicatingwiththeprofoundandsacredbreath；
tavernswherethetableswerealmosttripods，andwherewasdrunkwhatEnniuscallsthesibyllinewine。
TheFaubourgSaint—Antoineisareservoirofpeople。
Revolutionaryagitationscreatefissuresthere，throughwhichtricklesthepopularsovereignty。Thissovereigntymaydoevil；
itcanbemistakenlikeanyother；but，evenwhenledastray，itremainsgreat。Wemaysayofitasoftheblindcyclops，Ingens。
In’93，accordingastheideawhichwasfloatingaboutwasgoodorevil，accordingasitwasthedayoffanaticismorofenthusiasm，thereleapedforthfromtheFaubourgSaint—Antoinenowsavagelegions，nowheroicbands。
Savage。Letusexplainthisword。Whenthesebristlingmen，whointheearlydaysoftherevolutionarychaos，tattered，howling，wild，withupliftedbludgeon，pikeonhigh，hurledthemselvesuponancientParisinanuproar，whatdidtheywant？Theywantedanendtooppression，anendtotyranny，anendtothesword，workformen，instructionforthechild，socialsweetnessforthewoman，liberty，equality，fraternity，breadforall，theideaforall，theEdenizingoftheworld。Progress；andthatholy，sweet，andgoodthing，progress，theyclaimedinterriblewise，driventoextremitiesastheywere，halfnaked，clubinfist，aroarintheirmouths。Theyweresavages，yes；butthesavagesofcivilization。
Theyproclaimedrightfuriously；theyweredesirous，ifonlywithfearandtrembling，toforcethehumanracetoparadise。
Theyseemedbarbarians，andtheyweresaviours。Theydemandedlightwiththemaskofnight。
Facingthesemen，whowereferocious，weadmit，andterrifying，butferociousandterrifyingforgoodends，thereareothermen，smiling，embroidered，gilded，beribboned，starred，insilkstockings，inwhiteplumes，inyellowgloves，invarnishedshoes，who，withtheirelbowsonavelvettable，besideamarblechimney—piece，insistgentlyondemeanorandthepreservationofthepast，oftheMiddleAges，ofdivineright，offanaticism，ofinnocence，ofslavery，ofthedeathpenalty，ofwar，glorifyinginlowtonesandwithpoliteness，thesword，thestake，andthescaffold。Forourpart，ifwewereforcedtomakeachoicebetweenthebarbariansofcivilizationandthecivilizedmenofbarbarism，weshouldchoosethebarbarians。
But，thankHeaven，stillanotherchoiceispossible。Noperpendicularfallisnecessary，infrontanymorethanintherear。
Neitherdespotismnorterrorism。Wedesireprogresswithagentleslope。
Godtakescareofthat。God’swholepolicyconsistsinrenderingslopeslesssteep。
CHAPTERVI
ENJOLRASANDHISLIEUTENANTS
ItwasaboutthisepochthatEnjolras，inviewofapossiblecatastrophe，institutedakindofmysteriouscensus。
AllwerepresentatasecretmeetingattheCafeMusain。
Enjolrassaid，mixinghiswordswithafewhalf—enigmaticalbutsignificantmetaphors:——
"Itisproperthatweshouldknowwherewestandandonwhomwemaycount。Ifcombatantsarerequired，theymustbeprovided。
Itcandonoharmtohavesomethingwithwhichtostrike。
Passers—byalwayshavemorechanceofbeinggoredwhentherearebullsontheroadthanwhentherearenone。Letus，therefore，reckonalittleontheherd。Howmanyofusarethere？
Thereisnoquestionofpostponingthistaskuntilto—morrow。
Revolutionistsshouldalwaysbehurried；progresshasnotimetolose。
Letusmistrusttheunexpected。Letusnotbecaughtunprepared。
Wemustgooveralltheseamsthatwehavemadeandseewhethertheyholdfast。Thisbusinessoughttobeconcludedto—day。Courfeyrac，youwillseethepolytechnicstudents。Itistheirdaytogoout。
To—dayisWednesday。Feuilly，youwillseethoseoftheGlaciere，willyounot？CombeferrehaspromisedmetogotoPicpus。
Thereisaperfectswarmandanexcellentonethere。BahorelwillvisittheEstrapade。Prouvaire，themasonsaregrowinglukewarm；
youwillbringusnewsfromthelodgeoftheRuedeGrenelle—Saint—Honore。
JolywillgotoDupuytren’sclinicallecture，andfeelthepulseofthemedicalschool。Bossuetwilltakealittleturninthecourtandtalkwiththeyounglawlicentiates。IwilltakechargeoftheCougourdemyself。"
"Thatarrangeseverything，"saidCourfeyrac。
"No。"
"Whatelseisthere？"
"Averyimportantthing。"
"Whatisthat？"askedCourfeyrac。
"TheBarriereduMaine，"repliedEnjolras。
Enjolrasremainedforamomentasthoughabsorbedinreflection，thenheresumed:——
"AttheBarriereduMainetherearemarble—workers，painters，andjourneymeninthestudiosofsculptors。Theyareanenthusiasticfamily，butliabletocooloff。Idon’tknowwhathasbeenthematterwiththemforsometimepast。Theyarethinkingofsomethingelse。
Theyarebecomingextinguished。Theypasstheirtimeplayingdominoes。
Thereisurgentneedthatsomeoneshouldgoandtalkwiththemalittle，butwithfirmness。TheymeetatRichefeu’s。Theyaretobefoundtherebetweentwelveandoneo’clock。Thoseashesmustbefannedintoaglow。ForthaterrandIhadcountedonthatabstractedMarius，whoisagoodfellowonthewhole，buthenolongercomestous。
IneedsomeonefortheBarriereduMaine。Ihavenoone。"
"Whataboutme？"saidGrantaire。"HereamI。"
"You？"
"I。"
"Youindoctrinaterepublicans！youwarmupheartsthathavegrowncoldinthenameofprinciple！"
"Whynot？"
"Areyougoodforanything？"
"Ihaveavagueambitioninthatdirection，"saidGrantaire。
"Youdonotbelieveineverything。"
"Ibelieveinyou。"
"Grantairewillyoudomeaservice？"
"Anything。I’llblackyourboots。"
"Well，don’tmeddlewithouraffairs。Sleepyourselfsoberfromyourabsinthe。"
"Youareaningrate，Enjolras。"
"YouthemantogototheBarriereduMaine！Youcapableofit！"
"IamcapableofdescendingtheRuedeGres，ofcrossingthePlaceSaint—Michel，ofslopingthroughtheRueMonsieur—le—Prince，oftakingtheRuedeVaugirard，ofpassingtheCarmelites，ofturningintotheRued’Assas，ofreachingtheRueduCherche—Midi，ofleavingbehindmetheConseildeGuerre，ofpacingtheRuedesViellesTuileries，ofstridingacrosstheboulevard，offollowingtheChausseeduMaine，ofpassingthebarrier，andenteringRichefeu’s。Iamcapableofthat。
Myshoesarecapableofthat。"
"DoyouknowanythingofthosecomradeswhomeetatRichefeu’s？"
"Notmuch。Weonlyaddresseachotherasthou。"
"Whatwillyousaytothem？"
"IwillspeaktothemofRobespierre，pardi！OfDanton。
Ofprinciples。"
"You？"
"I。ButIdon’treceivejustice。WhenIsetaboutit，Iamterrible。
IhavereadPrudhomme，IknowtheSocialContract，IknowmyconstitutionoftheyearTwobyheart。`Thelibertyofonecitizenendswherethelibertyofanothercitizenbegins。’Doyoutakemeforabrute？Ihaveanoldbank—billoftheRepublicinmydrawer。
TheRightsofMan，thesovereigntyofthepeople，sapristi！IamevenabitofaHebertist。Icantalkthemostsuperbtwaddleforsixhoursbytheclock，watchinhand。"
"Beserious，"saidEnjolras。
"Iamwild，"repliedGrantaire。
Enjolrasmeditatedforafewmoments，andmadethegestureofamanwhohastakenaresolution。
"Grantaire，"hesaidgravely，"Iconsenttotryyou。YoushallgototheBarriereduMaine。"
GrantairelivedinfurnishedlodgingsveryneartheCafeMusain。
Hewentout，andfiveminuteslaterhereturned。HehadgonehometoputonaRobespierrewaistcoat。
"Red，"saidheasheentered，andhelookedintentlyatEnjolras。
Then，withthepalmofhisenergetichand，helaidthetwoscarletpointsofthewaistcoatacrosshisbreast。
AndsteppinguptoEnjolras，hewhisperedinhisear:——
"Beeasy。"
Hejammedhishatonresolutelyanddeparted。
Aquarterofanhourlater，thebackroomoftheCafeMusainwasdeserted。AllthefriendsoftheABCweregone，eachinhisowndirection，eachtohisowntask。Enjolras，whohadreservedtheCougourdeofAixforhimself，wasthelasttoleave。
ThosemembersoftheCougourdeofAixwhowereinParisthenmetontheplainofIssy，inoneoftheabandonedquarrieswhicharesonumerousinthatsideofParis。
AsEnjolraswalkedtowardsthisplace，hepassedthewholesituationinreviewinhisownmind。Thegravityofeventswasself—evident。
Whenfacts，thepremonitorysymptomsoflatentsocialmalady，moveheavily，theslightestcomplicationstopsandentanglesthem。
Aphenomenonwhencearisesruinandnewbirths。Enjolrasdescriedaluminousupliftingbeneaththegloomyskirtsofthefuture。
Whoknows？Perhapsthemomentwasathand。Thepeoplewereagaintakingpossessionofright，andwhatafinespectacle！
TherevolutionwasagainmajesticallytakingpossessionofFranceandsayingtotheworld:"Thesequelto—morrow！"Enjolraswascontent。
Thefurnacewasbeingheated。HehadatthatmomentapowdertrainoffriendsscatteredalloverParis。Hecomposed，inhisownmind，withCombeferre’sphilosophicalandpenetratingeloquence，Feuilly’scosmopolitanenthusiasm，Courfeyrac’sdash，Bahorel’ssmile，JeanProuvaire’smelancholy，Joly’sscience，Bossuet’ssarcasms，asortofelectricsparkwhichtookfirenearlyeverywhereatonce。
Allhandstowork。Surely，theresultwouldanswertotheeffort。
Thiswaswell。ThismadehimthinkofGrantaire。
"Hold，"saidhetohimself，"theBarriereduMainewillnottakemefaroutofmyway。WhatifIweretogoonasfarasRichefeu’s？
LetushavealookatwhatGrantaireisabout，andseehowheisgettingon。"
Oneo’clockwasstrikingfromtheVaugirardsteeplewhenEnjolrasreachedtheRichefeusmoking—room。
Hepushedopenthedoor，entered，foldedhisarms，lettingthedoorfalltoandstrikehisshoulders，andgazedatthatroomfilledwithtables，men，andsmoke。
Avoicebrokeforthfromthemistofsmoke，interruptedbyanothervoice。
ItwasGrantaireholdingadialoguewithanadversary。
Grantairewassittingoppositeanotherfigure，atamarbleSaint—Annetable，strewnwithgrainsofbrananddottedwithdominos。Hewashammeringthetablewithhisfist，andthisiswhatEnjolrasheard:——
"Double—six。"
"Fours。"
"Thepig！Ihavenomore。"
"Youaredead。Atwo。"
"Six。"
"Three。"
"One。"
"It’smymove。"
"Fourpoints。"
"Notmuch。"
"It’syourturn。"
"Ihavemadeanenormousmistake。"
"Youaredoingwell。"
"Fifteen。"
"Sevenmore。"
"Thatmakesmetwenty—two。"[Thoughtfully，"Twenty—two！"]
"Youweren’texpectingthatdouble—six。IfIhadplaceditatthebeginning，thewholeplaywouldhavebeenchanged。"
"Atwoagain。"
"One。"
"One！Well，five。"
"Ihaven’tany。"
"Itwasyourplay，Ibelieve？"
"Yes。"
"Blank。"
"Whatluckhehas！Ah！Youarelucky！[Longrevery。]Two。"
"One。"
"Neitherfivenorone。That’sbadforyou。"
"Domino。"
"Plaguetakeit！"
BOOKSECOND。——EPONINE
CHAPTERI
THELARK’SMEADOW
MariushadwitnessedtheunexpectedterminationoftheambushuponwhosetrackhehadsetJavert；butJaverthadnosoonerquittedthebuilding，bearingoffhisprisonersinthreehackney—coaches，thanMariusalsoglidedoutofthehouse。Itwasonlynineo’clockintheevening。MariusbetookhimselftoCourfeyrac。
CourfeyracwasnolongertheimperturbableinhabitantoftheLatinQuarter，hehadgonetoliveintheRuedelaVerrerie"forpoliticalreasons"；thisquarterwasonewhere，atthatepoch，insurrectionlikedtoinstallitself。MariussaidtoCourfeyrac:
"Ihavecometosleepwithyou。"Courfeyracdraggedamattressoffhisbed，whichwasfurnishedwithtwo，spreaditoutonthefloor，andsaid:"There。"
Atseveno’clockonthefollowingmorning，Mariusreturnedtothehovel，paidthequarter’srentwhichheowedtoMa’amBougon，hadhisbooks，hisbed，histable，hiscommode，andhistwochairsloadedonahand—cartandwentoffwithoutleavinghisaddress，sothatwhenJavertreturnedinthecourseofthemorning，forthepurposeofquestioningMariusastotheeventsoftheprecedingevening，hefoundonlyMa’amBougon，whoanswered:
"Movedaway！"
Ma’amBougonwasconvincedthatMariuswastosomeextentanaccompliceoftherobberswhohadbeenseizedthenightbefore。
"Whowouldeverhavesaidit？"sheexclaimedtotheportressesofthequarter，"ayoungmanlikethat，whohadtheairofagirl！"
Mariushadtworeasonsforthispromptchangeofresidence。
Thefirstwas，thathenowhadahorrorofthathouse，wherehehadbeheld，socloseathand，andinitsmostrepulsiveandmostferociousdevelopment，asocialdeformitywhichis，perhaps，evenmoreterriblethanthewickedrichman，thewickedpoorman。
Thesecondwas，thathedidnotwishtofigureinthelawsuitwhichwouldinsueinallprobability，andbebroughtintotestifyagainstThenardier。
Javertthoughtthattheyoungman，whosenamehehadforgotten，wasafraid，andhadfled，orperhaps，hadnotevenreturnedhomeatthetimeoftheambush；hemadesomeeffortstofindhim，however，butwithoutsuccess。
Amonthpassed，thenanother。MariuswasstillwithCourfeyrac。
Hehadlearnedfromayounglicentiateinlaw，anhabitualfrequenterofthecourts，thatThenardierwasincloseconfinement。EveryMonday，Mariushadfivefrancshandedintotheclerk’sofficeofLaForceforThenardier。
AsMariushadnolongeranymoney，heborrowedthefivefrancsfromCourfeyrac。Itwasthefirsttimeinhislifethathehadeverborrowedmoney。TheseperiodicalfivefrancswereadoubleriddletoCourfeyracwholentandtoThenardierwhoreceivedthem。"Towhomcantheygo？"thoughtCourfeyrac。"Whencecanthiscometome？"
Thenardieraskedhimself。
Moreover，Mariuswasheart—broken。Everythinghadplungedthroughatrap—dooroncemore。Henolongersawanythingbeforehim；
hislifewasagainburiedinmysterywherehewanderedfumblingly。
Hehadforamomentbeheldverycloseathand，inthatobscurity，theyounggirlwhomheloved，theoldmanwhoseemedtobeherfather，thoseunknownbeings，whowerehisonlyinterestandhisonlyhopeinthisworld；and，attheverymomentwhenhethoughthimselfonthepointofgraspingthem，agusthadsweptalltheseshadowsaway。
Notasparkofcertaintyandtruthhadbeenemittedeveninthemostterribleofcollisions。Noconjecturewaspossible。Henolongerkneweventhenamethathethoughtheknew。ItcertainlywasnotUrsule。AndtheLarkwasanickname。Andwhatwashetothinkoftheoldman？Washeactuallyinhidingfromthepolice？
Thewhite—hairedworkmanwhomMariushadencounteredinthevicinityoftheInvalidesrecurredtohismind。ItnowseemedprobablethatthatworkingmanandM。Leblancwereoneandthesameperson。Sohedisguisedhimself？Thatmanhadhisheroicandhisequivocalsides。
Whyhadhenotcalledforhelp？Whyhadhefled？Washe，orwashenot，thefatheroftheyounggirl？Washe，inshort，themanwhomThenardierthoughtthatherecognized？Thenardiermighthavebeenmistaken。Theseformedsomanyinsolubleproblems。
Allthis，itistrue，detractednothingfromtheangeliccharmsoftheyounggirloftheLuxembourg。Heart—rendingdistress；
Mariusboreapassioninhisheart，andnightoverhiseyes。
Hewasthrustonward，hewasdrawn，andhecouldnotstir。
Allhadvanished，savelove。Ofloveitselfhehadlosttheinstinctsandthesuddenilluminations。Ordinarily，thisflamewhichburnsuslightsusalsoalittle，andcastssomeusefulgleamswithout。
ButMariusnolongerevenheardthesemutecounselsofpassion。
Heneversaidtohimself:"WhatifIweretogotosuchaplace？
WhatifIweretotrysuchandsuchathing？"ThegirlwhomhecouldnolongercallUrsulewasevidentlysomewhere；nothingwarnedMariusinwhatdirectionheshouldseekher。Hiswholelifewasnowsummedupintwowords；absoluteuncertaintywithinanimpenetrablefog。
Toseeheronceagain；hestillaspiredtothis，buthenolongerexpectedit。
Tocrownall，hispovertyhadreturned。Hefeltthaticybreathclosetohim，onhisheels。Inthemidstofhistorments，andlongbeforethis，hehaddiscontinuedhiswork，andnothingismoredangerousthandiscontinuedwork；itisahabitwhichvanishes。
Ahabitwhichiseasytogetridof，anddifficulttotakeupagain。
Acertainamountofdreamingisgood，likeanarcoticindiscreetdoses。
Itlullstosleepthefeversofthemindatlabor，whicharesometimessevere，andproducesinthespiritasoftandfreshvaporwhichcorrectstheover—harshcontoursofpurethought，fillsingapshereandthere，bindstogetherandroundsofftheanglesoftheideas。Buttoomuchdreamingsinksanddrowns。
Woetothebrain—workerwhoallowshimselftofallentirelyfromthoughtintorevery！Hethinksthathecanre—ascendwithequalease，andhetellshimselfthat，afterall，itisthesamething。Error！
Thoughtisthetoiloftheintelligence，reveryitsvoluptuousness。
Toreplacethoughtwithreveryistoconfoundapoisonwithafood。
Mariushadbeguninthatway，asthereaderwillremember。
Passionhadsupervenedandhadfinishedtheworkofprecipitatinghimintochimaeraswithoutobjectorbottom。Onenolongeremergesfromone’sselfexceptforthepurposeofgoingofftodream。
Idleproduction。Tumultuousandstagnantgulf。And，inproportionaslabordiminishes，needsincrease。Thisisalaw。Man，inastateofrevery，isgenerallyprodigalandslack；theunstrungmindcannotholdlifewithinclosebounds。
Thereis，inthatmodeoflife，goodmingledwithevil，forifenervationisbaleful，generosityisgoodandhealthful。
Butthepoormanwhoisgenerousandnoble，andwhodoesnotwork，islost。Resourcesareexhausted，needscropup。
Fataldeclivitydownwhichthemosthonestandthefirmestaswellasthemostfeebleandmostviciousaredrawn，andwhichendsinoneoftwoholds，suicideorcrime。
Bydintofgoingoutdoorstothink，thedaycomeswhenonegoesouttothrowone’sselfinthewater。
ExcessofreverybreedsmenlikeEscousseandLebras。
Mariuswasdescendingthisdeclivityataslowpace，withhiseyesfixedonthegirlwhomhenolongersaw。Whatwehavejustwrittenseemsstrange，andyetitistrue。Thememoryofanabsentbeingkindlesinthedarknessoftheheart；themoreithasdisappeared，themoreitbeams；thegloomyanddespairingsoulseesthislightonitshorizon；thestaroftheinnernight。She——thatwasMarius’
wholethought。Hemeditatedofnothingelse；hewasconfusedlyconsciousthathisoldcoatwasbecominganimpossiblecoat，andthathisnewcoatwasgrowingold，thathisshirtswerewearingout，thathishatwaswearingout，thathisbootsweregivingout，andhesaidtohimself:"IfIcouldbutseeheronceagainbeforeIdie！"
Onesweetideaalonewaslefttohim，thatshehadlovedhim，thatherglancehadtoldhimso，thatshedidnotknowhisname，butthatshedidknowhissoul，andthat，wherevershewas，howevermysterioustheplace，shestilllovedhimperhaps。
Whoknowswhethershewerenotthinkingofhimashewasthinkingofher？Sometimes，inthoseinexplicablehourssuchasareexperiencedbyeveryheartthatloves，thoughhehadnoreasonsforanythingbutsadnessandyetfeltanobscurequiverofjoy，hesaidtohimself:
"Itisherthoughtsthatarecomingtome！"Thenheadded:
"Perhapsmythoughtsreachheralso。"
Thisillusion，atwhichheshookhisheadamomentlater，wassufficient，nevertheless，tothrowbeams，whichattimesresembledhope，intohissoul。Fromtimetotime，especiallyatthateveninghourwhichisthemostdepressingtoeventhedreamy，heallowedthepurest，themostimpersonal，themostidealofthereverieswhichfilledhisbrain，tofalluponanotebookwhichcontainednothingelse。Hecalledthis"writingtoher。"
Itmustnotbesupposedthathisreasonwasderanged。
Quitethecontrary。Hehadlostthefacultyofworkingandofmovingfirmlytowardsanyfixedgoal，buthewasendowedwithmoreclear—sightednessandrectitudethanever。Mariussurveyedbyacalmandreal，althoughpeculiarlight，whatpassedbeforehiseyes，eventhemostindifferentdeedsandmen；hepronouncedajustcriticismoneverythingwithasortofhonestdejectionandcandiddisinterestedness。Hisjudgment，whichwasalmostwhollydisassociatedfromhope，helditselfaloofandsoaredonhigh。
Inthisstateofmindnothingescapedhim，nothingdeceivedhim，andeverymomenthewasdiscoveringthefoundationoflife，ofhumanity，andofdestiny。Happy，eveninthemidstofanguish，ishetowhomGodhasgivenasoulworthyofloveandofunhappiness！
Hewhohasnotviewedthethingsofthisworldandtheheartofmanunderthisdoublelighthasseennothingandknowsnothingofthetrue。
Thesoulwhichlovesandsuffersisinastateofsublimity。
However，dayfollowedday，andnothingnewpresenteditself。
Itmerelyseemedtohim，thatthesombrespacewhichstillremainedtobetraversedbyhimwasgrowingshorterwitheveryinstant。
Hethoughtthathealreadydistinctlyperceivedthebrinkofthebottomlessabyss。
"What！"herepeatedtohimself，"shallInotseeheragainbeforethen！"
WhenyouhaveascendedtheRueSaint—Jacques，leftthebarrierononesideandfollowedtheoldinnerboulevardforsomedistance，youreachtheRuedelaSante，thentheGlaciere，and，alittlewhilebeforearrivingatthelittleriveroftheGobelins，youcometoasortoffieldwhichistheonlyspotinthelongandmonotonouschainoftheboulevardsofParis，whereRuysdeelwouldbetemptedtositdown。
Thereissomethingindescribabletherewhichexhalesgrace，agreenmeadowtraversedbytightlystretchedlines，fromwhichflutterragsdryinginthewind，andanoldmarket—gardener’shouse，builtinthetimeofLouisXIII。，withitsgreatroofoddlypiercedwithdormerwindows，dilapidatedpalisades，alittlewateramidpoplar—trees，women，voices，laughter；onthehorizonthePantheon，thepoleoftheDeaf—Mutes，theVal—de—Grace，black，squat，fantastic，amusing，magnificent，andinthebackground，theseveresquarecrestsofthetowersofNotreDame。
Astheplaceisworthlookingat，noonegoesthither。Hardlyonecartorwagonerpassesinaquarterofanhour。
ItchancedthatMarius’solitarystrollsledhimtothisplotofground，nearthewater。Thatday，therewasararityontheboulevard，apasser—by。Marius，vaguelyimpressedwiththealmostsavagebeautyoftheplace，askedthispasser—by:——"Whatisthenameofthisspot？"
Thepersonreplied:"ItistheLark’smeadow。"
Andheadded:"ItwasherethatUlbachkilledtheshepherdessofIvry。"
Butaftertheword"Lark"Mariusheardnothingmore。Thesesuddencongealmentsinthestateofrevery，whichasinglewordsufficestoevoke，dooccur。Theentirethoughtisabruptlycondensedaroundanidea，anditisnolongercapableofperceivinganythingelse。
TheLarkwastheappellationwhichhadreplacedUrsuleinthedepthsofMarius’melancholy。——"Stop，"saidhewithasortofunreasoningstuporpeculiartothesemysteriousasides，"thisishermeadow。
Ishallknowwhereshelivesnow。"
Itwasabsurd，butirresistible。
AndeverydayhereturnedtothatmeadowoftheLark。
CHAPTERII
EMBRYONICFORMATIONOFCRIMESINTHEINCUBATIONOFPRISONS
Javert’striumphintheGorbeauhovelseemedcomplete，buthadnotbeenso。
Inthefirstplace，andthisconstitutedtheprincipalanxiety，Javerthadnottakentheprisonerprisoner。Theassassinatedmanwhofleesismoresuspiciousthantheassassin，anditisprobablethatthispersonage，whohadbeensopreciousacapturefortheruffians，wouldbenolessfineaprizefortheauthorities。
Andthen，MontparnassehadescapedJavert。
Anotheropportunityoflayinghandsonthat"devil’sdandy"
mustbewaitedfor。Montparnassehad，infact，encounteredEponineasshestoodonthewatchunderthetreesoftheboulevard，andhadledheroff，preferringtoplayNemorinwiththedaughterratherthanSchinderhanneswiththefather。Itwaswellthathedidso。
Hewasfree。AsforEponine，Javerthadcausedhertobeseized；
amediocreconsolation。EponinehadjoinedAzelmaatLesMadelonettes。
Andfinally，onthewayfromtheGorbeauhousetoLaForce，oneoftheprincipalprisoners，Claquesous，hadbeenlost。Itwasnotknownhowthishadbeeneffected，thepoliceagentsandthesergeants"couldnotunderstanditatall。"Hehadconvertedhimselfintovapor，hehadslippedthroughthehandcuffs，hehadtrickledthroughthecrevicesofthecarriage，thefiacrewascracked，andhehadfled；
allthattheywereabletosaywas，thatonarrivingattheprison，therewasnoClaquesous。Eitherthefairiesorthepolicehadhadahandinit。HadClaquesousmeltedintotheshadowslikeasnow—flakeinwater？Hadtherebeenunavowedconnivanceofthepoliceagents？
Didthismanbelongtothedoubleenigmaoforderanddisorder？
Washeconcentricwithinfractionandrepression？Hadthissphinxhisforepawsincrimeandhishindpawsinauthority？
Javertdidnotacceptsuchcomminations，andwouldhavebristledupagainstsuchcompromises；buthissquadincludedotherinspectorsbesideshimself，whoweremoreinitiatedthanhe，perhaps，althoughtheywerehissubordinatesinthesecretsofthePrefecture，andClaquesoushadbeensuchavillainthathemightmakeaverygoodagent。
Itisanexcellentthingforruffianismandanadmirablethingforthepolicetobeonsuchintimatejugglingtermswiththenight。
Thesedouble—edgedrascalsdoexist。Howeverthatmaybe，Claquesoushadgoneastrayandwasnotfoundagain。Javertappearedtobemoreirritatedthanamazedatthis。
AsforMarius，"thatboobyofalawyer，"whohadprobablybecomefrightened，andwhosenameJaverthadforgotten，Javertattachedverylittleimportancetohim。Moreover，alawyercanbehuntedupatanytime。Butwashealawyerafterall？
Theinvestigationhadbegun。
ThemagistratehadthoughtitadvisablenottoputoneofthesemenofthebandofPatronMinetteincloseconfinement，inthehopethathewouldchatter。ThismanwasBrujon，thelong—hairedmanoftheRueduPetit—Banquier。HehadbeenletlooseintheCharlemagnecourtyard，andtheeyesofthewatcherswerefixedonhim。
ThisnameofBrujonisoneofthesouvenirsofLaForce。
Inthathideouscourtyard，calledthecourtoftheBatiment—Neuf（NewBuilding），whichtheadministrationcalledthecourtSaint—Bernard，andwhichtherobberscalledtheFosseaux—Lions（TheLion’sDitch），onthatwallcoveredwithscalesandleprosy，whichroseonthelefttoalevelwiththeroofs，nearanolddoorofrustyironwhichledtotheancientchapeloftheducalresidenceofLaForce，thenturnedinadormitoryforruffians，therecouldstillbeseen，twelveyearsago，asortoffortressroughlycarvedinthestonewithanail，andbeneathitthissignature:——
BRUJON，1811。
TheBrujonof1811wasthefatheroftheBrujonof1832。
Thelatter，ofwhomthereadercaughtbutaglimpseattheGorbeauhouse，wasaverycunningandveryadroityoungspark，withabewilderedandplaintiveair。Itwasinconsequenceofthisplaintiveairthatthemagistratehadreleasedhim，thinkinghimmoreusefulintheCharlemagneyardthanincloseconfinement。
Robbersdonotinterrupttheirprofessionbecausetheyareinthehandsofjustice。Theydonotletthemselvesbeputoutbysuchatrifleasthat。Tobeinprisonforonecrimeisnoreasonfornotbeginningonanothercrime。Theyareartists，whohaveonepictureinthesalon，andwhotoil，nonetheless，onanewworkintheirstudios。
Brujonseemedtobestupefiedbyprison。Hecouldsometimesbeseenstandingbythehourtogetherinfrontofthesutler’swindowintheCharlemagneyard，staringlikeanidiotatthesordidlistofpriceswhichbeganwith:garlic，62centimes，andendedwith:cigar，5centimes。Orhepassedhistimeintrembling，chatteringhisteeth，sayingthathehadafever，andinquiringwhetheroneoftheeightandtwentybedsinthefeverwardwasvacant。
Allatonce，towardstheendofFebruary，1832，itwasdiscoveredthatBrujon，thatsomnolentfellow，hadhadthreedifferentcommissionsexecutedbytheerrand—menoftheestablishment，notunderhisownname，butinthenameofthreeofhiscomrades；
andtheyhadcosthiminallfiftysous，anexorbitantoutlaywhichattractedtheattentionoftheprisoncorporal。
Inquirieswereinstituted，andonconsultingthetariffofcommissionspostedintheconvict’sparlor，itwaslearnedthatthefiftysouscouldbeanalyzedasfollows:threecommissions；
onetothePantheon，tensous；onetoVal—de—Grace，fifteensous；
andonetotheBarrieredeGrenelle，twenty—fivesous。Thislastwasthedearestofthewholetariff。Now，atthePantheon，attheVal—de—Grace，andattheBarrieredeGrenelleweresituatedthedomicilesofthethreeveryredoubtableprowlersofthebarriers，Kruideniers，aliasBizarre，Glorieux，anex—convict，andBarre—Carosse，uponwhomtheattentionofthepolicewasdirectedbythisincident。
ItwasthoughtthatthesemenweremembersofPatronMinette；
twoofthoseleaders，BabetandGueulemer，hadbeencaptured。
Itwassupposedthatthemessages，whichhadbeenaddressed，nottohouses，buttopeoplewhowerewaitingfortheminthestreet，musthavecontainedinformationwithregardtosomecrimethathadbeenplotted。Theywereinpossessionofotherindications；
theylaidhandonthethreeprowlers，andsupposedthattheyhadcircumventedsomeoneorotherofBrujon’smachinations。
Aboutaweekafterthesemeasureshadbeentaken，onenight，asthesuperintendentofthewatch，whohadbeeninspectingthelowerdormitoryintheBatiment—Neuf，wasabouttodrophischestnutinthebox——thiswasthemeansadoptedtomakesurethatthewatchmenperformedtheirdutiespunctually；everyhourachestnutmustbedroppedintoalltheboxesnailedtothedoorsofthedormitories——
awatchmanlookedthroughthepeep—holeofthedormitoryandbeheldBrujonsittingonhisbedandwritingsomethingbythelightofthehall—lamp。Theguardianentered，Brujonwasputinasolitarycellforamonth，buttheywerenotabletoseizewhathehadwritten。
Thepolicelearnednothingfurtheraboutit。
Whatiscertainis，thatonthefollowingmorning，a"postilion"
wasflungfromtheCharlemagneyardintotheLions’Ditch，overthefive—storybuildingwhichseparatedthetwocourt—yards。
Whatprisonerscalla"postilion"isapalletofbreadartisticallymoulded，whichissentintoIreland，thatistosay，overtheroofsofaprison，fromonecourtyardtoanother。
Etymology:overEngland；fromonelandtoanother；intoIreland。
Thislittlepelletfallsintheyard。Themanwhopicksitupopensitandfindsinitanoteaddressedtosomeprisonerinthatyard。
Ifitisaprisonerwhofindsthetreasure，heforwardsthenotetoitsdestination；ifitisakeeper，oroneoftheprisonerssecretlysoldwhoarecalledsheepinprisonsandfoxesinthegalleys，thenoteistakentotheofficeandhandedovertothepolice。
Onthisoccasion，thepostilionreacheditsaddress，althoughthepersontowhomitwasaddressedwas，atthatmoment，insolitaryconfinement。ThispersonwasnootherthanBabet，oneofthefourheadsofPatronMinette。
Thepostilioncontainedarollofpaperonwhichonlythesetwolineswerewritten:——
"Babet。ThereisanaffairintheRuePlumet。Agateonagarden。"
ThisiswhatBrujonhadwrittenthenightbefore。
Inspiteofmaleandfemalesearchers，BabetmanagedtopassthenoteonfromLaForcetotheSalpetriere，toa"goodfriend"
whomhehadandwhowasshutupthere。Thiswomaninturntransmittedthenotetoanotherwomanofheracquaintance，acertainMagnon，whowasstronglysuspectedbythepolice，thoughnotyetarrested。
ThisMagnon，whosenamethereaderhasalreadyseen，hadrelationswiththeThenardier，whichwillbedescribedindetaillateron，andshecould，bygoingtoseeEponine，serveasabridgebetweentheSalpetriereandLesMadelonettes。
Ithappened，thatatpreciselythatmoment，asproofswerewantingintheinvestigationdirectedagainstThenardierinthematterofhisdaughters，EponineandAzelmawerereleased。WhenEponinecameout，Magnon，whowaswatchingthegateoftheMadelonettes，handedherBrujon’snotetoBabet，charginghertolookintothematter。
EponinewenttotheRuePlumet，recognizedthegateandthegarden，observedthehouse，spied，lurked，and，afewdayslater，broughttoMagnon，whodeliversintheRueClocheperce，abiscuit，whichMagnontransmittedtoBabet’smistressintheSalpetriere。
Abiscuit，intheshadysymbolismofprisons，signifies:Nothingtobedone。
Sothatinlessthanaweekfromthattime，asBrujonandBabetmetinthecircleofLaForce，theoneonhiswaytotheexamination，theotheronhiswayfromit:——
"Well？"askedBrujon，"theRueP。？"
"Biscuit，"repliedBabet。ThusdidthefoetusofcrimeengenderedbyBrujoninLaForcemiscarry。
Thismiscarriagehaditsconsequences，however，whichwereperfectlydistinctfromBrujon’sprogramme。Thereaderwillseewhattheywere。
Oftenwhenwethinkweareknottingonethread，wearetyingquiteanother。