"Hullo,isthatyou,Montparnasse?"saidGavroche。
Amanhadjustaccostedthestreeturchin,andthemanwasnootherthanMontparnasseindisguise,withbluespectacles,butrecognizabletoGavroche。
"Thebow—wows!"wentonGavroche,"you’vegotahidethecolorofalinseedplaster,andbluespecslikeadoctor。You’reputtingonstyle,’ponmyword!"
"Hush!"ejaculatedMontparnasse,"notsoloud。"
AndhedrewGavrochehastilyoutofrangeofthelightedshops。
Thetwolittleonesfollowedmechanically,holdingeachotherbythehand。
Whentheywereensconcedunderthearchofaportecochere,shelteredfromtherainandfromalleyes:——
"DoyouknowwhereI’mgoing?"demandedMontparnasse。
"TotheAbbeyofAscend—with—Regret,"[36]repliedGavroche。
[36]Thescaffold。
"Joker!"
AndMontparnassewenton:——
"I’mgoingtofindBabet。"
"Ah!"exclaimedGavroche,"sohernameisBabet。"
Montparnasseloweredhisvoice:——
"Notshe,he。"
"Ah!Babet。"
"Yes,Babet。"
"Ithoughthewasbuckled。"
"Hehasundonethebuckle,"repliedMontparnasse。
Andherapidlyrelatedtothegaminhow,onthemorningofthatveryday,Babet,havingbeentransferredtoLaConciergerie,hadmadehisescape,byturningtotheleftinsteadoftotherightin"thepoliceoffice。"
Gavrocheexpressedhisadmirationforthisskill。
"Whatadentist!"hecried。
MontparnasseaddedafewdetailsastoBabet’sflight,andendedwith:——
"Oh!That’snotall。"
Gavroche,ashelistened,hadseizedacanethatMontparnasseheldinhishand,andmechanicallypulledattheupperpart,andthebladeofadaggermadeitsappearance。
"Ah!"heexclaimed,pushingthedaggerbackinhaste,"youhavebroughtalongyourgendarmedisguisedasabourgeois。"
Montparnassewinked。
"Thedeuce!"resumedGavroche,"soyou’regoingtohaveaboutwiththebobbies?"
"Youcan’ttell,"repliedMontparnassewithanindifferentair。
"It’salwaysagoodthingtohaveapinaboutone。"
Gavrochepersisted:——
"Whatareyouuptoto—night?"
AgainMontparnassetookagravetone,andsaid,mouthingeverysyllable:"Things。"
Andabruptlychangingtheconversation:——
"Bytheway!"
"What?"
"Somethinghappenedt’otherday。Fancy。Imeetabourgeois。
Hemakesmeapresentofasermonandhispurse。Iputitinmypocket。
Aminutelater,Ifeelinmypocket。There’snothingthere。"
"Exceptthesermon,"saidGavroche。
"Butyou,"wentonMontparnasse,"whereareyouboundfornow?"
Gavrochepointedtohistwoproteges,andsaid:——
"I’mgoingtoputtheseinfantstobed。"
"Whereaboutsisthebed?"
"Atmyhouse。"
"Where’syourhouse?"
"Atmyhouse。"
"Soyouhavealodging?"
"Yes,Ihave。"
"Andwhereisyourlodging?"
"Intheelephant,"saidGavroche。
Montparnasse,thoughnotnaturallyinclinedtoastonishment,couldnotrestrainanexclamation。
"Intheelephant!"
"Well,yes,intheelephant!"retortedGavroche。"Kekcaa?"
Thisisanotherwordofthelanguagewhichnoonewrites,andwhicheveryonespeaks。
Kekcaasignifies:Questquec’estquecelaa?[What’sthematterwiththat?]
Theurchin’sprofoundremarkrecalledMontparnassetocalmnessandgoodsense。HeappearedtoreturntobettersentimentswithregardtoGavroche’slodging。
"Ofcourse,"saidhe,"yes,theelephant。Isitcomfortablethere?"
"Very,"saidGavroche。"It’sreallybullythere。Thereain’tanydraughts,asthereareunderthebridges。"
"Howdoyougetin?"
"Oh,Igetin。"
"Sothereisahole?"demandedMontparnasse。
"Parbleu!Ishouldsayso。Butyoumustn’ttell。It’sbetweentheforelegs。Thebobbieshaven’tseenit。"
"Andyouclimbup?Yes,Iunderstand。"
"Aturnofthehand,cric,crac,andit’sallover,noonethere。"
Afterapause,Gavrocheadded:——
"Ishallhavealadderforthesechildren。"
Montparnasseburstoutlaughing:——
"Wherethedevildidyoupickupthoseyoung’uns?"
Gavrocherepliedwithgreatsimplicity:——
"Theyaresomebratsthatawig—makermademeapresentof。"
Meanwhile,Montparnassehadfallentothinking:——
"Yourecognizedmeveryreadily,"hemuttered。
Hetookfromhispockettwosmallobjectswhichwerenothingmorethantwoquillswrappedincotton,andthrustoneupeachofhisnostrils。
Thisgavehimadifferentnose。
"Thatchangesyou,"remarkedGavroche,"youarelesshomelyso,yououghttokeepthemonallthetime。"
Montparnassewasahandsomefellow,butGavrochewasatease。
"Seriously,"demandedMontparnasse,"howdoyoulikemeso?"
Thesoundofhisvoicewasdifferentalso。Inatwinkling,Montparnassehadbecomeunrecognizable。
"Oh!DoplayPorrichinelleforus!"exclaimedGavroche。
Thetwochildren,whohadnotbeenlisteninguptothispoint,beingoccupiedthemselvesinthrustingtheirfingersuptheirnoses,drewnearatthisname,andstaredatMontparnassewithdawningjoyandadmiration。
Unfortunately,Montparnassewastroubled。
HelaidhishandonGavroche’sshoulder,andsaidtohim,emphasizinghiswords:"ListentowhatItellyou,boy!ifI
wereonthesquarewithmydog,myknife,andmywife,andifyouweretosquandertensousonme,Iwouldn’trefusetowork,butthisisn’tShroveTuesday。"
Thisoddphraseproducedasingulareffectonthegamin。
Hewheeledroundhastily,dartedhislittlesparklingeyesabouthimwithprofoundattention,andperceivedapolicesergeantstandingwithhisbacktothemafewpacesoff。Gavrocheallowedan:
"Ah!good!"toescapehim,butimmediatelysuppressedit,andshakingMontparnasse’shand:——
"Well,goodevening,"saidhe,"I’mgoingofftomyelephantwithmybrats。Supposingthatyoushouldneedmesomenight,youcancomeandhuntmeupthere。Ilodgeontheentresol。
Thereisnoporter。YouwillinquireforMonsieurGavroche。"
"Verygood,"saidMontparnasse。
Andtheyparted,MontparnassebetakinghimselfinthedirectionoftheGreve,andGavrochetowardstheBastille。Thelittleoneoffive,draggedalongbyhisbrotherwhowasdraggedbyGavroche,turnedhisheadbackseveraltimestowatch"Porrichinelle"ashewent。
TheambiguousphrasebymeansofwhichMontparnassehadwarnedGavrocheofthepresenceofthepoliceman,containednoothertalismanthantheassonancedigrepeatedfiveorsixtimesindifferentforms。
Thissyllable,dig,utteredaloneorartisticallymingledwiththewordsofaphrase,means:"Takecare,wecannolongertalkfreely。"
Therewasbesides,inMontparnasse’ssentence,aliterarybeautywhichwaslostuponGavroche,thatismondogue,madagueetmadigue,aslangexpressionoftheTemple,whichsignifiesmydog,myknife,andmywife,greatlyinvogueamongclownsandthered—tailsinthegreatcenturywhenMolierewroteandCallotdrew。
Twentyyearsago,therewasstilltobeseeninthesouthwestcornerofthePlacedelaBastille,nearthebasinofthecanal,excavatedintheancientditchofthefortress—prison,asingularmonument,whichhasalreadybeeneffacedfromthememoriesofParisians,andwhichdeservedtoleavesometrace,foritwastheideaofa"memberoftheInstitute,theGeneral—in—chiefofthearmyofEgypt。"
Wesaymonument,althoughitwasonlyaroughmodel。Butthismodelitself,amarvelloussketch,thegrandioseskeletonofanideaofNapoleon’s,whichsuccessivegustsofwindhavecarriedawayandthrown,oneachoccasion,stillfurtherfromus,hadbecomehistoricalandhadacquiredacertaindefinitenesswhichcontrastedwithitsprovisionalaspect。Itwasanelephantfortyfeethigh,constructedoftimberandmasonry,bearingonitsbackatowerwhichresembledahouse,formerlypaintedgreenbysomedauber,andnowpaintedblackbyheaven,thewind,andtime。Inthisdesertedandunprotectedcorneroftheplace,thebroadbrowofthecolossus,histrunk,histusks,histower,hisenormouscrupper,hisfourfeet,likecolumnsproduced,atnight,underthestarryheavens,asurprisingandterribleform。Itwasasortofsymbolofpopularforce。
Itwassombre,mysterious,andimmense。Itwassomemighty,visiblephantom,oneknewnotwhat,standingerectbesidetheinvisiblespectreoftheBastille。
Fewstrangersvisitedthisedifice,nopasser—bylookedatit。
Itwasfallingintoruins;everyseasontheplasterwhichdetacheditselffromitssidesformedhideouswoundsuponit。"Theaediles,"
astheexpressionraninelegantdialect,hadforgotteniteversince1814。Thereitstoodinitscorner,melancholy,sick,crumbling,surroundedbyarottenpalisade,soiledcontinuallybydrunkencoachmen;
cracksmeanderedathwartitsbelly,alathprojectedfromitstail,tallgrassflourishedbetweenitslegs;and,astheleveloftheplacehadbeenrisingallarounditforaspaceofthirtyyears,bythatslowandcontinuousmovementwhichinsensiblyelevatesthesoiloflargetowns,itstoodinahollow,anditlookedasthoughthegroundweregivingwaybeneathit。Itwasunclean,despised,repulsive,andsuperb,uglyintheeyesofthebourgeois,melancholyintheeyesofthethinker。Therewassomethingaboutitofthedirtwhichisonthepointofbeingsweptout,andsomethingofthemajestywhichisonthepointofbeingdecapitated。
Aswehavesaid,atnight,itsaspectchanged。Nightistherealelementofeverythingthatisdark。Assoonastwilightdescended,theoldelephantbecametransfigured;heassumedatranquilandredoubtableappearanceintheformidableserenityoftheshadows。
Beingofthepast,hebelongedtonight;andobscuritywasinkeepingwithhisgrandeur。
Thisrough,squat,heavy,hard,austere,almostmisshapen,butassuredlymajesticmonument,stampedwithasortofmagnificentandsavagegravity,hasdisappeared,andlefttoreigninpeace,asortofgiganticstove,ornamentedwithitspipe,whichhasreplacedthesombrefortresswithitsninetowers,verymuchasthebourgeoisiereplacesthefeudalclasses。Itisquitenaturalthatastoveshouldbethesymbolofanepochinwhichapotcontainspower。
Thisepochwillpassaway,peoplehavealreadybeguntounderstandthat,iftherecanbeforceinaboiler,therecanbenoforceexceptinthebrain;inotherwords,thatwhichleadsanddragsontheworld,isnotlocomotives,butideas。Harnesslocomotivestoideas,——
thatiswelldone;butdonotmistakethehorsefortherider。
Atallevents,toreturntothePlacedelaBastille,thearchitectofthiselephantsucceededinmakingagrandthingoutofplaster;
thearchitectofthestovehassucceededinmakingaprettythingoutofbronze。
Thisstove—pipe,whichhasbeenbaptizedbyasonorousname,andcalledthecolumnofJuly,thismonumentofarevolutionthatmiscarried,wasstillenvelopedin1832,inanimmenseshirtofwoodwork,whichweregret,forourpart,andbyavastplankenclosure,whichcompletedthetaskofisolatingtheelephant。
Itwastowardsthiscorneroftheplace,dimlylightedbythereflectionofadistantstreetlamp,thatthegaminguidedhistwo"brats。"
Thereadermustpermitustointerruptourselveshereandtoremindhimthatwearedealingwithsimplereality,andthattwentyyearsago,thetribunalswerecalledupontojudge,underthechargeofvagabondage,andmutilationofapublicmonument,achildwhohadbeencaughtasleepinthisveryelephantoftheBastille。
Thisfactnoted,weproceed。
Onarrivinginthevicinityofthecolossus,Gavrochecomprehendedtheeffectwhichtheinfinitelygreatmightproduceontheinfinitelysmall,andsaid:——
"Don’tbescared,infants。"
Thenheenteredthroughagapinthefenceintotheelephant’senclosureandhelpedtheyoungonestoclamberthroughthebreach。
Thetwochildren,somewhatfrightened,followedGavrochewithoututteringaword,andconfidedthemselvestothislittleProvidenceinragswhichhadgiventhembreadandhadpromisedthemashelter。
There,extendedalongthefence,layaladderwhichbydayservedthelaborersintheneighboringtimber—yard。Gavrocheraiseditwithremarkablevigor,andplaceditagainstoneoftheelephant’sforelegs。Nearthepointwheretheladderended,asortofblackholeinthebellyofthecolossuscouldbedistinguished。
Gavrochepointedouttheladderandtheholetohisguests,andsaidtothem:——
"Climbupandgoin。"
Thetwolittleboysexchangedterrifiedglances。
"You’reafraid,brats!"exclaimedGavroche。
Andheadded:——
"Youshallsee!"
Heclaspedtheroughlegoftheelephant,andinatwinkling,withoutdeigningtomakeuseoftheladder,hehadreachedtheaperture。Heentereditasanadderslipsthroughacrevice,anddisappearedwithin,andaninstantlater,thetwochildrensawhishead,whichlookedpale,appearvaguely,ontheedgeoftheshadowyhole,likeawanandwhitishspectre。
"Well!"heexclaimed,"climbup,young’uns!You’llseehowsnugitishere!Comeup,you!"hesaidtotheelder,"I’lllendyouahand。"
Thelittlefellowsnudgedeachother,thegaminfrightenedandinspiredthemwithconfidenceatoneandthesametime,andthen,itwasrainingveryhard。Theelderoneundertooktherisk。
Theyounger,onseeinghisbrotherclimbingup,andhimselfleftalonebetweenthepawsofthishugebeast,feltgreatlyinclinedtocry,buthedidnotdare。
Theelderladclimbed,withuncertainsteps,uptherungsoftheladder;
Gavroche,inthemeanwhile,encouraginghimwithexclamationslikeafencing—mastertohispupils,oramuleteertohismules。
"Don’tbeafraid!——That’sit!——Comeon!——Putyourfeetthere!——
Giveusyourhandhere!——Boldly!"
Andwhenthechildwaswithinreach,heseizedhimsuddenlyandvigorouslybythearm,andpulledhimtowardshim。
"Nabbed!"saidhe。
Thebrathadpassedthroughthecrack。
"Now,"saidGavroche,"waitforme。Besogoodastotakeaseat,Monsieur。"
Andmakinghiswayoutoftheholeashehadenteredit,heslippeddowntheelephant’slegwiththeagilityofamonkey,landedonhisfeetinthegrass,graspedthechildoffiveroundthebody,andplantedhimfairlyinthemiddleoftheladder,thenhebegantoclimbupbehindhim,shoutingtotheelder:——
"I’mgoingtoboosthim,doyoutug。"
Andinanotherinstant,thesmallladwaspushed,dragged,pulled,thrust,stuffedintothehole,beforehehadtimetorecoverhimself,andGavroche,enteringbehindhim,andrepulsingtheladderwithakickwhichsentitflatonthegrass,begantoclaphishandsandtocry:——
"Hereweare!LongliveGeneralLafayette!"
Thisexplosionover,headded:——
"Now,young’uns,youareinmyhouse。"
Gavrochewasathome,infact。
Oh,unforeseenutilityoftheuseless!Charityofgreatthings!
Goodnessofgiants!Thishugemonument,whichhadembodiedanideaoftheEmperor’s,hadbecometheboxofastreeturchin。
Thebrathadbeenacceptedandshelteredbythecolossus。
ThebourgeoisdeckedoutintheirSundayfinerywhopassedtheelephantoftheBastille,werefondofsayingastheyscanneditdisdainfullywiththeirprominenteyes:"What’sthegoodofthat?"
Itservedtosavefromthecold,thefrost,thehail,andrain,toshelterfromthewindsofwinter,topreservefromslumberinthemudwhichproducesfever,andfromslumberinthesnowwhichproducesdeath,alittlebeingwhohadnofather,nomother,nobread,noclothes,norefuge。Itservedtoreceivetheinnocentwhomsocietyrepulsed。Itservedtodiminishpubliccrime。
Itwasalairopentooneagainstwhomalldoorswereshut。
Itseemedasthoughthemiserableoldmastodon,invadedbyverminandoblivion,coveredwithwarts,withmould,andulcers,tottering,worm—eaten,abandoned,condemned,asortofmendicantcolossus,askingalmsinvainwithabenevolentlookinthemidstofthecross—roads,hadtakenpityonthatothermendicant,thepoorpygmy,whoroamedwithoutshoestohisfeet,withoutaroofoverhishead,blowingonhisfingers,cladinrags,fedonrejectedscraps。
ThatwaswhattheelephantoftheBastillewasgoodfor。
ThisideaofNapoleon,disdainedbymen,hadbeentakenbackbyGod。
Thatwhichhadbeenmerelyillustrious,hadbecomeaugust。
Inordertorealizehisthought,theEmperorshouldhavehadporphyry,brass,iron,gold,marble;theoldcollectionofplanks,beamsandplastersufficedforGod。TheEmperorhadhadthedreamofagenius;
inthatTitanicelephant,armed,prodigious,withtrunkuplifted,bearingitstowerandscatteringonallsidesitsmerryandvivifyingwaters,hewishedtoincarnatethepeople。Godhaddoneagranderthingwithit,hehadlodgedachildthere。
TheholethroughwhichGavrochehadenteredwasabreachwhichwashardlyvisiblefromtheoutside,beingconcealed,aswehavestated,beneaththeelephant’sbelly,andsonarrowthatitwasonlycatsandhomelesschildrenwhocouldpassthroughit。
"Let’sbegin,"saidGavroche,"bytellingtheporterthatwearenotathome。"
Andplungingintothedarknesswiththeassuranceofapersonwhoiswellacquaintedwithhisapartments,hetookaplankandstoppeduptheaperture。
AgainGavrocheplungedintotheobscurity。Thechildrenheardthecracklingofthematchthrustintothephosphoricbottle。
Thechemicalmatchwasnotyetinexistence;atthatepochtheFumadesteelrepresentedprogress。
Asuddenlightmadethemblink;Gavrochehadjustmanagedtoigniteoneofthosebitsofcorddippedinresinwhicharecalledcellarrats。Thecellarrat,whichemittedmoresmokethanlight,renderedtheinterioroftheelephantconfusedlyvisible。
Gavroche’stwoguestsglancedaboutthem,andthesensationwhichtheyexperiencedwassomethinglikethatwhichonewouldfeelifshutupinthegreattunofHeidelberg,or,betterstill,likewhatJonahmusthavefeltinthebiblicalbellyofthewhale。
Anentireandgiganticskeletonappearedenvelopingthem。Above,alongbrownbeam,whencestartedatregulardistances,massive,archingribs,representedthevertebralcolumnwithitssides,stalactitesofplasterdependedfromthemlikeentrails,andvastspiders’
websstretchingfromsidetoside,formeddirtydiaphragms。
Hereandthere,inthecorners,werevisiblelargeblackishspotswhichhadtheappearanceofbeingalive,andwhichchangedplacesrapidlywithanabruptandfrightenedmovement。
Fragmentswhichhadfallenfromtheelephant’sbackintohisbellyhadfilledupthecavity,sothatitwaspossibletowalkuponitasonafloor。
Thesmallerchildnestledupagainsthisbrother,andwhisperedtohim:——
"It’sblack。"
ThisremarkdrewanexclamationfromGavroche。Thepetrifiedairofthetwobratsrenderedsomeshocknecessary。
"What’sthatyouaregabblingaboutthere?"heexclaimed。
"Areyouscoffingatme?Areyouturningupyournoses?
Doyouwantthetuileries?Areyoubrutes?Come,say!IwarnyouthatIdon’tbelongtotheregimentofsimpletons。Ah,comenow,areyoubratsfromthePope’sestablishment?"
Alittleroughnessisgoodincasesoffear。Itisreassuring。
ThetwochildrendrewclosetoGavroche。
Gavroche,paternallytouchedbythisconfidence,passedfromgravetogentle,andaddressingthesmaller:——
"Stupid,"saidhe,accentingtheinsultingword,withacaressingintonation,"it’soutsidethatitisblack。Outsideit’sraining,hereitdoesnotrain;outsideit’scold,herethere’snotanatomofwind;outsidethereareheapsofpeople,herethere’snoone;
outsidethereain’teventhemoon,herethere’smycandle,confoundit!"
Thetwochildrenbegantolookupontheapartmentwithlessterror;
butGavrocheallowedthemnomoretimeforcontemplation。
"Quick,"saidhe。
Andhepushedthemtowardswhatweareverygladtobeabletocalltheendoftheroom。
Therestoodhisbed。
Gavroche’sbedwascomplete;thatistosay,ithadamattress,ablanket,andanalcovewithcurtains。
Themattresswasastrawmat,theblanketaratherlargestripofgraywoollenstuff,verywarmandalmostnew。Thisiswhatthealcoveconsistedof:——
Threeratherlongpoles,thrustintoandconsolidated,withtherubbishwhichformedthefloor,thatistosay,thebellyoftheelephant,twoinfrontandonebehind,andunitedbyaropeattheirsummits,soastoformapyramidalbundle。Thisclustersupportedatrellis—workofbrasswirewhichwassimplyplaceduponit,butartisticallyapplied,andheldbyfasteningsofironwire,sothatitenvelopedallthreeholes。Arowofveryheavystoneskeptthisnetworkdowntothefloorsothatnothingcouldpassunderit。
Thisgratingwasnothingelsethanapieceofthebrassscreenswithwhichaviariesarecoveredinmenageries。Gavroche’sbedstoodasinacage,behindthisnet。ThewholeresembledanEsquimauxtent。
Thistrellis—worktooktheplaceofcurtains。
Gavrochemovedasidethestoneswhichfastenedthenetdowninfront,andthetwofoldsofthenetwhichlappedovereachotherfellapart。
"Downonallfours,brats!"saidGavroche。
Hemadehisguestsenterthecagewithgreatprecaution,thenhecrawledinafterthem,pulledthestonestogether,andclosedtheopeninghermeticallyagain。
Allthreehadstretchedoutonthemat。Gavrochestillhadthecellarratinhishand。
"Now,"saidhe,"gotosleep!I’mgoingtosuppressthecandelabra。"
"Monsieur,"theelderofthebrothersaskedGavroche,pointingtothenetting,"what’sthatfor?"
"That,"answeredGavrochegravely,"isfortherats。Gotosleep!"
Nevertheless,hefeltobligedtoaddafewwordsofinstructionforthebenefitoftheseyoungcreatures,andhecontinued:——
"It’sathingfromtheJardindesPlantes。It’susedforfierceanimals。
There’sawholeshopfulofthemthere。Allyou’vegottodoistoclimboverawall,crawlthroughawindow,andpassthroughadoor。
Youcangetasmuchasyouwant。"
Ashespoke,hewrappedtheyoungeroneupbodilyinafoldoftheblanket,andthelittleonemurmured:——
"Oh!howgoodthatis!It’swarm!"
Gavrochecastapleasedeyeontheblanket。
"That’sfromtheJardindesPlantes,too,"saidhe。"Itookthatfromthemonkeys。"
And,pointingouttotheeldestthematonwhichhewaslying,averythickandadmirablymademat,headded:——
"Thatbelongedtothegiraffe。"
Afterapausehewenton:——
"Thebeastshadallthesethings。Itookthemawayfromthem。
Itdidn’ttroublethem。Itoldthem:`It’sfortheelephant。’"
Hepaused,andthenresumed:——
"Youcrawloverthewallsandyoudon’tcareastrawforthegovernment。
Sotherenow!"
Thetwochildrengazedwithtimidandstupefiedrespectonthisintrepidandingeniousbeing,avagabondlikethemselves,isolatedlikethemselves,fraillikethemselves,whohadsomethingadmirableandall—powerfulabouthim,whoseemedsupernaturaltothem,andwhosephysiognomywascomposedofallthegrimacesofanoldmountebank,mingledwiththemostingenuousandcharmingsmiles。
"Monsieur,"venturedtheeldertimidly,"youarenotafraidofthepolice,then?"
Gavrochecontentedhimselfwithreplying:——
"Brat!Nobodysays`police,’theysay`bobbies。’"
Thesmallerhadhiseyeswideopen,buthesaidnothing。
Ashewasontheedgeofthemat,theelderbeinginthemiddle,Gavrochetuckedtheblanketroundhimasamothermighthavedone,andheightenedthematunderhisheadwitholdrags,insuchawayastoformapillowforthechild。Thenheturnedtotheelder:——
"Hey!We’rejollycomfortablehere,ain’twe?"
"Ah,yes!"repliedtheelder,gazingatGavrochewiththeexpressionofasavedangel。
Thetwopoorlittlechildrenwhohadbeensoakedthrough,begantogrowwarmoncemore。
"Ah,bytheway,"continuedGavroche,"whatwereyoubawlingabout?"
Andpointingoutthelittleonetohisbrother:——
"Amitelikethat,I’venothingtosayabout,buttheideaofabigfellowlikeyoucrying!It’sidiotic;youlookedlikeacalf。"
"Gracious,repliedthechild,"wehavenolodging。"
"Bother!"retortedGavroche,"youdon’tsay`lodgings,’yousay`crib。’"
"Andthen,wewereafraidofbeingalonelikethatatnight。"
"Youdon’tsay`night,’yousay`darkmans。’"
"Thankyou,sir,"saidthechild。
"Listen,"wentonGavroche,"youmustneverbawlagainoveranything。
I’lltakecareofyou。Youshallseewhatfunwe’llhave。
Insummer,we’llgototheGlacierewithNavet,oneofmypals,we’llbatheintheGare,we’llrunstarknakedinfrontoftheraftsonthebridgeatAusterlitz,——thatmakesthelaundressesraging。
Theyscream,theygetmad,andifyouonlyknewhowridiculoustheyare!
We’llgoandseetheman—skeleton。AndthenI’lltakeyoutotheplay。
I’lltakeyoutoseeFrederickLemaitre。Ihavetickets,Iknowsomeoftheactors,Ievenplayedinapieceonce。Therewerealotofusfellers,andweranunderacloth,andthatmadethesea。
I’llgetyouanengagementatmytheatre。We’llgotoseethesavages。
Theyain’treal,thosesavagesain’t。Theywearpinktightsthatgoallinwrinkles,andyoucanseewheretheirelbowshavebeendarnedwithwhite。Then,we’llgototheOpera。We’llgetinwiththehiredapplauders。TheOperaclaqueiswellmanaged。
Iwouldn’tassociatewiththeclaqueontheboulevard。AttheOpera,justfancy!someofthempaytwentysous,butthey’reninnies。
They’recalleddishclouts。Andthenwe’llgotoseetheguillotinework。
I’llshowyoutheexecutioner。HelivesintheRuedesMarais。
MonsieurSanson。Hehasaletter—boxathisdoor。Ah!we’llhavefamousfun!"
AtthatmomentadropofwaxfellonGavroche’sfinger,andrecalledhimtotherealitiesoflife。
"Thedeuce!"saidhe,"there’sthewickgivingout。Attention!
Ican’tspendmorethanasouamonthonmylighting。Whenabodygoestobed,hemustsleep。Wehaven’tthetimetoreadM。PauldeKock’sromances。Andbesides,thelightmightpassthroughthecracksoftheporte—cochere,andallthebobbiesneedtodoistoseeit。"
"Andthen,"remarkedtheeldertimidly,——healonedaredtalktoGavroche,andreplytohim,"asparkmightfallinthestraw,andwemustlookoutandnotburnthehousedown。"
"Peopledon’tsay`burnthehousedown,’"remarkedGavroche,"theysay`blazethecrib。’"
Thestormincreasedinviolence,andtheheavydownpourbeatuponthebackofthecolossusamidclapsofthunder。
"You’retakenin,rain!"saidGavroche。"Itamusesmetohearthedecanterrundownthelegsofthehouse。Winterisastupid;
itwastesitsmerchandise,itlosesitslabor,itcan’twetus,andthatmakesitkickuparow,oldwater—carrierthatitis。"
Thisallusiontothethunder,alltheconsequencesofwhichGavroche,inhischaracterofaphilosopherofthenineteenthcentury,accepted,wasfollowedbyabroadflashoflightning,sodazzlingthatahintofitenteredthebellyoftheelephantthroughthecrack。
Almostatthesameinstant,thethunderrumbledwithgreatfury。
Thetwolittlecreaturesutteredashriek,andstartedupsoeagerlythatthenetworkcamenearbeingdisplaced,butGavrocheturnedhisboldfacetothem,andtookadvantageoftheclapofthundertoburstintoalaugh。
"Calmdown,children。Don’ttoppleovertheedifice。That’sfine,first—classthunder;allright。That’snoslouchofastreakoflightning。BravoforthegoodGod!Deucetakeit!It’salmostasgoodasitisattheAmbigu。"
Thatsaid,herestoredorderinthenetting,pushedthetwochildrengentlydownonthebed,pressedtheirknees,inordertostretchthemoutatfulllength,andexclaimed:——
"SincethegoodGodislightinghiscandle,Icanblowoutmine。
Now,babes,now,myyounghumans,youmustshutyourpeepers。
It’sverybadnottosleep。It’llmakeyouswallowthestrainer,or,astheysay,infashionablesociety,stinkinthegullet。
Wrapyourselfupwellinthehide!I’mgoingtoputoutthelight。
Areyouready?"
"Yes,"murmuredtheelder,"I’mallright。Iseemtohavefeathersundermyhead。"
"Peopledon’tsay`head,’"criedGavroche,"theysay`nut’。"
Thetwochildrennestledclosetoeachother,Gavrochefinishedarrangingthemonthemat,drewtheblanketuptotheirveryears,thenrepeated,forthethirdtime,hisinjunctioninthehieraticaltongue:——
"Shutyourpeepers!"
Andhesnuffedouthistinylight。
Hardlyhadthelightbeenextinguished,whenapeculiartremblingbegantoaffectthenettingunderwhichthethreechildrenlay。
Itconsistedofamultitudeofdullscratcheswhichproducedametallicsound,asifclawsandteethweregnawingatthecopperwire。
Thiswasaccompaniedbyallsortsoflittlepiercingcries。
Thelittlefive—year—oldboy,onhearingthishubbuboverhead,andchilledwithterror,joggedhisbrother’selbow;buttheelderbrotherhadalreadyshuthispeepers,asGavrochehadordered。
Thenthelittleone,whocouldnolongercontrolhisterror,questionedGavroche,butinaverylowtone,andwithbatedbreath:——
"Sir?"
"Hey?"saidGavroche,whohadjustclosedhiseyes。
"Whatisthat?"
"It’stherats,"repliedGavroche。
Andhelaidhisheaddownonthematagain。
Therats,infact,whoswarmedbythousandsinthecarcassoftheelephant,andwhowerethelivingblackspotswhichwehavealreadymentioned,hadbeenheldinawebytheflameofthecandle,solongasithadbeenlighted;butassoonasthecavern,whichwasthesameastheircity,hadreturnedtodarkness,scentingwhatthegoodstory—tellerPerraultcalls"freshmeat,"
theyhadhurledthemselvesinthrongsonGavroche’stent,hadclimbedtothetopofit,andhadbeguntobitethemeshesasthoughseekingtopiercethisnew—fangledtrap。
Stillthelittleonecouldnotsleep。
"Sir?"hebeganagain。
"Hey?"saidGavroche。
"Whatarerats?"
"Theyaremice。"
Thisexplanationreassuredthechildalittle。Hehadseenwhitemiceinthecourseofhislife,andhewasnotafraidofthem。
Nevertheless,helifteduphisvoiceoncemore。
"Sir?"
"Hey?"saidGavrocheagain。
"Whydon’tyouhaveacat?"
"Ididhaveone,"repliedGavroche,"Ibroughtonehere,buttheyateher。"
Thissecondexplanationundidtheworkofthefirst,andthelittlefellowbegantotrembleagain。
ThedialoguebetweenhimandGavrochebeganagainforthefourthtime:——
"Monsieur?"
"Hey?"
"Whowasitthatwaseaten?"
"Thecat。"
"Andwhoatethecat?"
"Therats。"
"Themice?"
"Yes,therats。"
Thechild,inconsternation,dismayedatthethoughtofmicewhichatecats,pursued:——
"Sir,wouldthosemiceeatus?"
"Wouldn’ttheyjust!"ejaculatedGavroche。
Thechild’sterrorhadreacheditsclimax。ButGavrocheadded:——
"Don’tbeafraid。Theycan’tgetin。Andbesides,I’mhere!
Here,catchholdofmyhand。Holdyourtongueandshutyourpeepers!"
AtthesametimeGavrochegraspedthelittlefellow’shandacrosshisbrother。Thechildpressedthehandclosetohim,andfeltreassured。Courageandstrengthhavethesemysteriouswaysofcommunicatingthemselves。Silencereignedroundthemoncemore,thesoundoftheirvoiceshadfrightenedofftherats;
attheexpirationofafewminutes,theycameragingback,butinvain,thethreelittlefellowswerefastasleepandheardnothingmore。
Thehoursofthenightfledaway。DarknesscoveredthevastPlacedelaBastille。Awintrygale,whichmingledwiththerain,blewingusts,thepatrolsearchedallthedoorways,alleys,enclosures,andobscurenooks,andintheirsearchfornocturnalvagabondstheypassedinsilencebeforetheelephant;
themonster,erect,motionless,staringopen—eyedintotheshadows,hadtheappearanceofdreaminghappilyoverhisgooddeed;
andshelteredfromheavenandfrommenthethreepoorsleepingchildren。
Inordertounderstandwhatisabouttofollow,thereadermustremember,that,atthatepoch,theBastilleguard—housewassituatedattheotherendofthesquare,andthatwhattookplaceinthevicinityoftheelephantcouldneitherbeseennorheardbythesentinel。
Towardstheendofthathourwhichimmediatelyprecedesthedawn,amanturnedfromtheRueSaint—Antoineatarun,madethecircuitoftheenclosureofthecolumnofJuly,andglidedbetweenthepalingsuntilhewasunderneaththebellyoftheelephant。
Ifanylighthadilluminatedthatman,itmighthavebeendivinedfromthethoroughmannerinwhichhewassoakedthathehadpassedthenightintherain。Arrivedbeneaththeelephant,heutteredapeculiarcry,whichdidnotbelongtoanyhumantongue,andwhichaparoquetalonecouldhaveimitated。Twiceherepeatedthiscry,ofwhoseorthographythefollowingbarelyconveysanidea:——
"Kirikikiou!"
Atthesecondcry,aclear,young,merryvoicerespondedfromthebellyoftheelephant:——
"Yes!"
Almostimmediately,theplankwhichclosedtheholewasdrawnaside,andgavepassagetoachildwhodescendedtheelephant’sleg,andfellbrisklyneartheman。ItwasGavroche。ThemanwasMontparnasse。
AsforhiscryofKirikikiou,——thatwas,doubtless,whatthechildhadmeant,whenhesaid:——
"YouwillaskforMonsieurGavroche。"
Onhearingit,hehadwakedwithastart,hadcrawledoutofhis"alcove,"pushingapartthenettingalittle,andcarefullydrawingittogetheragain,thenhehadopenedthetrap,anddescended。
Themanandthechildrecognizedeachothersilentlyamidthegloom:
Montparnasseconfinedhimselftotheremark:——
"Weneedyou。Come,lendusahand。"
Theladaskedfornofurtherenlightenment。
"I’mwithyou,"saidhe。
AndbothtooktheirwaytowardstheRueSaint—Antoine,whenceMontparnassehademerged,windingrapidlythroughthelongfileofmarket—gardeners’cartswhichdescendtowardsthemarketsatthathour。
Themarket—gardeners,crouching,half—asleep,intheirwagons,amidthesaladsandvegetables,envelopedtotheirveryeyesintheirmufflersonaccountofthebeatingrain,didnotevenglanceatthesestrangepedestrians。
CHAPTERIII
THEVICISSITUDESOFFLIGHT
ThisiswhathadtakenplacethatsamenightattheLaForce:——
AnescapehadbeenplannedbetweenBabet,Brujon,Guelemer,andThenardier,althoughThenardierwasincloseconfinement。
Babethadarrangedthematterforhisownbenefit,onthesameday,asthereaderhasseenfromMontparnasse’saccounttoGavroche。
Montparnassewastohelpthemfromoutside。
Brujon,afterhavingpassedamonthinthepunishmentcell,hadhadtime,inthefirstplace,toweavearope,inthesecond,tomatureaplan。Informertimes,thosesevereplaceswherethedisciplineoftheprisondeliverstheconvictintohisownhands,werecomposedoffourstonewalls,astoneceiling,aflaggedpavement,acampbed,agratedwindow,andadoorlinedwithiron,andwerecalleddungeons;butthedungeonwasjudgedtobetooterrible;
nowadaystheyarecomposedofanirondoor,agratedwindow,acampbed,aflaggedpavement,fourstonewalls,andastoneceiling,andarecalledchambersofpunishment。Alittlelightpenetratestowardsmid—day。Theinconvenientpointaboutthesechamberswhich,asthereadersees,arenotdungeons,isthattheyallowthepersonswhoshouldbeatworktothink。
SoBrujonmeditated,andheemergedfromthechamberofpunishmentwitharope。AshehadthenameofbeingverydangerousintheCharlemagnecourtyard,hewasplacedintheNewBuilding。
ThefirstthinghefoundintheNewBuildingwasGuelemer,thesecondwasanail;Guelemer,thatistosay,crime;anail,thatistosay,liberty。Brujon,ofwhomitishightimethatthereadershouldhaveacompleteidea,was,withanappearanceofdelicatehealthandaprofoundlypremeditatedlanguor,apolished,intelligentsprig,andathief,whohadacaressingglance,andanatrocioussmile。
Hisglanceresultedfromhiswill,andhissmilefromhisnature。
Hisfirststudiesinhisarthadbeendirectedtoroofs。Hehadmadegreatprogressintheindustryofthemenwhotearofflead,whoplundertheroofsanddespoiltheguttersbytheprocesscalleddoublepickings。
Thecircumstancewhichputthefinishingtouchonthemomentpeculiarlyfavorableforanattemptatescape,wasthattherooferswerere—layingandre—jointing,atthatverymoment,aportionoftheslatesontheprison。TheSaint—BernardcourtyardwasnolongerabsolutelyisolatedfromtheCharlemagneandtheSaint—Louiscourts。
Upabovetherewerescaffoldingsandladders;inotherwords,bridgesandstairsinthedirectionofliberty。
TheNewBuilding,whichwasthemostcrackedanddecrepitthingtobeseenanywhereintheworld,wastheweakpointintheprison。
Thewallswereeatenbysaltpetretosuchanextentthattheauthoritieshadbeenobligedtolinethevaultsofthedormitorieswithasheathingofwood,becausestoneswereinthehabitofbecomingdetachedandfallingontheprisonersintheirbeds。
Inspiteofthisantiquity,theauthoritiescommittedtheerrorofconfiningintheNewBuildingthemosttroublesomeprisoners,ofplacingthere"thehardcases,"astheysayinprisonparlance。
TheNewBuildingcontainedfourdormitories,oneabovetheother,andatopstorywhichwascalledtheBel—Air(FineAir)。Alargechimney—flue,probablyfromsomeancientkitchenoftheDukesdelaForce,startedfromthegroundfloor,traversedallfourstories,cutthedormitories,whereitfiguredasaflattenedpillar,intotwoportions,andfinallypiercedtheroof。
GuelemerandBrujonwereinthesamedormitory。Theyhadbeenplaced,bywayofprecaution,onthelowerstory。Chanceordainedthattheheadsoftheirbedsshouldrestagainstthechimney。
ThenardierwasdirectlyovertheirheadsinthetopstoryknownasFine—Air。ThepedestrianwhohaltsontheRueCulture—Sainte—Catherine,afterpassingthebarracksofthefiremen,infrontoftheporte—cochereofthebathingestablishment,beholdsayardfullofflowersandshrubsinwoodenboxes,attheextremityofwhichspreadsoutalittlewhiterotundawithtwowings,brightenedupwithgreenshutters,thebucolicdreamofJeanJacques。
Notmorethantenyearsago,thereroseabovethatrotundaanenormousblack,hideous,barewallbywhichitwasbackedup。
ThiswastheouterwallofLaForce。
Thiswall,besidethatrotunda,wasMiltonviewedthroughBerquin。
Loftyasitwas,thiswallwasovertoppedbyastillblackerroof,whichcouldbeseenbeyond。ThiswastheroofoftheNewBuilding。
Thereonecoulddescryfourdormer—windows,guardedwithbars;
theywerethewindowsoftheFine—Air。
Achimneypiercedtheroof;thiswasthechimneywhichtraversedthedormitories。
TheBel—Air,thattopstoryoftheNewBuilding,wasasortoflargehall,withaMansardroof,guardedwithtriplegratingsanddoubledoorsofsheetiron,whichwerestuddedwithenormousbolts。
Whenoneenteredfromthenorthend,onehadonone’sleftthefourdormer—windows,onone’sright,facingthewindows,atregularintervals,foursquare,tolerablyvastcages,separatedbynarrowpassages,builtofmasonrytoabouttheheightoftheelbow,andtherest,uptotheroof,ofironbars。
Thenardierhadbeeninsolitaryconfinementinoneofthesecagessincethenightofthe3dofFebruary。Noonewaseverabletodiscoverhow,andbywhatconnivance,hesucceededinprocuring,andsecretingabottleofwine,invented,soitissaid,byDesrues,withwhichanarcoticismixed,andwhichthebandoftheEndormeurs,orSleep—compellers,renderedfamous。
Thereare,inmanyprisons,treacherousemployees,half—jailers,half—thieves,whoassistinescapes,whoselltothepoliceanunfaithfulservice,andwhoturnapennywhenevertheycan。
Onthatsamenight,then,whenLittleGavrochepickedupthetwolostchildren,BrujonandGuelemer,whoknewthatBabet,whohadescapedthatmorning,waswaitingfortheminthestreetaswellasMontparnasse,rosesoftly,andwiththenailwhichBrujonhadfound,begantopiercethechimneyagainstwhichtheirbedsstood。
TherubbishfellonBrujon’sbed,sothattheywerenotheard。
Showersmingledwiththundershookthedoorsontheirhinges,andcreatedintheprisonaterribleandopportuneuproar。
Thoseoftheprisonerswhowoke,pretendedtofallasleepagain,andleftGuelemerandBrujontotheirowndevices。Brujonwasadroit;
Guelemerwasvigorous。Beforeanysoundhadreachedthewatcher,whowassleepinginthegratedcellwhichopenedintothedormitory,thewallhad,beenpierced,thechimneyscaled,theirongratingwhichbarredtheupperorificeoftheflueforced,andthetworedoubtableruffianswereontheroof。Thewindandrainredoubled,theroofwasslippery。
"Whatagoodnighttolegit!"saidBrujon。
Anabysssixfeetbroadandeightyfeetdeepseparatedthemfromthesurroundingwall。Atthebottomofthisabyss,theycouldseethemusketofasentinelgleamingthroughthegloom。
TheyfastenedoneendoftheropewhichBrujonhadspuninhisdungeontothestumpsoftheironbarswhichtheyhadjustwrenchedoff,flungtheotherovertheouterwall,crossedtheabyssatonebound,clungtothecopingofthewall,gotastrideofit,letthemselvesslip,oneaftertheother,alongtherope,uponalittleroofwhichtouchesthebath—house,pulledtheirropeafterthem,jumpeddownintothecourtyardofthebath—house,traversedit,pushedopentheporter’swicket,besidewhichhunghisrope,pulledthis,openedtheporte—cochere,andfoundthemselvesinthestreet。
Three—quartersofanhourhadnotelapsedsincetheyhadriseninbedinthedark,nailinhand,andtheirprojectintheirheads。
AfewmomentslatertheyhadjoinedBabetandMontparnasse,whowereprowlingabouttheneighborhood。
Theyhadbrokentheirropeinpullingitafterthem,andabitofitremainedattachedtothechimneyontheroof。Theyhadsustainednootherdamage,however,thanthatofscratchingnearlyalltheskinofftheirhands。
Thatnight,Thenardierwaswarned,withoutanyonebeingabletoexplainhow,andwasnotasleep。
Towardsoneo’clockinthemorning,thenightbeingverydark,hesawtwoshadowspassalongtheroof,intherainandsqualls,infrontofthedormer—windowwhichwasoppositehiscage。
Onehaltedatthewindow,longenoughtodartinaglance。
ThiswasBrujon。
Thenardierrecognizedhim,andunderstood。Thiswasenough。
Thenardier,ratedasaburglar,anddetainedasameasureofprecautionunderthechargeoforganizinganocturnalambush,witharmedforce,waskeptinsight。Thesentry,whowasrelievedeverytwohours,marchedupanddowninfrontofhiscagewithloadedmusket。
TheFine—Airwaslightedbyaskylight。Theprisonerhadonhisfeetfettersweighingfiftypounds。Everyday,atfouro’clockintheafternoon,ajailer,escortedbytwodogs,——thiswasstillinvogueatthattime,——enteredhiscage,depositedbesidehisbedaloafofblackbreadweighingtwopounds,ajugofwater,abowlfilledwithratherthinbouillon,inwhichswamafewMayaganbeans,inspectedhisironsandtappedthebars。Thismanandhisdogsmadetwovisitsduringthenight。
Thenardierhadobtainedpermissiontokeepasortofironboltwhichheusedtospikehisbreadintoacrackinthewall,"inordertopreserveitfromtherats,"ashesaid。AsThenardierwaskeptinsight,noobjectionhadbeenmadetothisspike。Still,itwasrememberedafterwards,thatoneofthejailershadsaid:
"Itwouldbebettertolethimhaveonlyawoodenspike。"
Attwoo’clockinthemorning,thesentinel,whowasanoldsoldier,wasrelieved,andreplacedbyaconscript。Afewmomentslater,themanwiththedogspaidhisvisit,andwentoffwithoutnoticinganything,except,possibly,theexcessiveyouthand"therusticair"ofthe"rawrecruit。"Twohoursafterwards,atfouro’clock,whentheycametorelievetheconscript,hewasfoundasleeponthefloor,lyinglikealognearThenardier’scage。
AsforThenardier,hewasnolongerthere。Therewasaholeintheceilingofhiscage,and,aboveit,anotherholeintheroof。
Oneoftheplanksofhisbedhadbeenwrenchedoff,andprobablycarriedawaywithhim,asitwasnotfound。Theyalsoseizedinhiscellahalf—emptybottlewhichcontainedtheremainsofthestupefyingwinewithwhichthesoldierhadbeendrugged。
Thesoldier’sbayonethaddisappeared。
Atthemomentwhenthisdiscoverywasmade,itwasassumedthatThenardierwasoutofreach。Thetruthis,thathewasnolongerintheNewBuilding,butthathewasstillingreatdanger。
Thenardier,onreachingtheroofoftheNewBuilding,hadfoundtheremainsofBrujon’sropehangingtothebarsoftheuppertrapofthechimney,but,asthisbrokenfragmentwasmuchtooshort,hehadnotbeenabletoescapebytheouterwall,asBrujonandGuelemerhaddone。
WhenoneturnsfromtheRuedesBalletsintotheRueduRoi—de—Sicile,onealmostimmediatelyencountersarepulsiveruin。
Therestoodonthatspot,inthelastcentury,ahouseofwhichonlythebackwallnowremains,aregularwallofmasonry,whichrisestotheheightofthethirdstorybetweentheadjoiningbuildings。
Thisruincanberecognizedbytwolargesquarewindowswhicharestilltobeseenthere;themiddleone,thatnearesttherightgable,isbarredwithaworm—eatenbeamadjustedlikeaprop。Throughthesewindowstherewasformerlyvisiblealoftyandlugubriouswall,whichwasafragmentoftheouterwallofLaForce。
Theemptyspaceonthestreetleftbythedemolishedhouseishalf—filledbyafenceofrottenboards,shoredupbyfivestoneposts。
Inthisrecessliesconcealedalittleshantywhichleansagainsttheportionoftheruinwhichhasremainedstanding。Thefencehasagate,which,afewyearsago,wasfastenedonlybyalatch。
ItwasthecrestofthisruinthatThenardierhadsucceededinreaching,alittleafteroneo’clockinthemorning。
Howhadhegotthere?Thatiswhatnoonehaseverbeenabletoexplainorunderstand。Thelightningmust,atthesametime,havehinderedandhelpedhim。Hadhemadeuseoftheladdersandscaffoldingsoftheslaterstogetfromrooftoroof,fromenclosuretoenclosure,fromcompartmenttocompartment,tothebuildingsoftheCharlemagnecourt,thentothebuildingsoftheSaint—Louiscourt,totheouterwall,andthencetothehutontheRueduRoi—de—Sicile?Butinthatitinerarythereexistedbreakswhichseemedtorenderitanimpossibility。HadheplacedtheplankfromhisbedlikeabridgefromtheroofoftheFine—Airtotheouterwall,andcrawledflat,onhisbellyonthecopingoftheouterwallthewholedistanceroundtheprisonasfarasthehut?
ButtheouterwallofLaForceformedacrenellatedandunequalline;
itmountedanddescended,itdroppedatthefiremen’sbarracks,itrosetowardsthebath—house,itwascutintwainbybuildings,itwasnotevenofthesameheightontheHotelLamoignonasontheRuePavee;everywhereoccurredfallsandrightangles;andthen,thesentinelsmusthaveespiedthedarkformofthefugitive;hence,theroutetakenbyThenardierstillremainsratherinexplicable。
Intwomanners,flightwasimpossible。HadThenardier,spurredonbythatthirstforlibertywhichchangesprecipicesintoditches,ironbarsintowattlesofosier,aleglessmanintoanathlete,agoutymanintoabird,stupidityintoinstinct,instinctintointelligence,andintelligenceintogenius,hadThenardierinventedathirdmode?
Noonehaseverfoundout。
Themarvelsofescapecannotalwaysbeaccountedfor。Themanwhomakeshisescape,werepeat,isinspired;thereissomethingofthestarandofthelightninginthemysteriousgleamofflight;
theefforttowardsdeliveranceisnolesssurprisingthantheflighttowardsthesublime,andonesaysoftheescapedthief:
"Howdidhecontrivetoscalethatwall?"inthesamewaythatonesaysofCorneille:"Wheredidhefindthemeansofdying?"
Atallevents,drippingwithperspiration,drenchedwithrain,withhisclotheshanginginribbons,hishandsflayed,hiselbowsbleeding,hiskneestorn,Thenardierhadreachedwhatchildren,intheirfigurativelanguage,calltheedgeofthewalloftheruin,therehehadstretchedhimselfoutatfulllength,andtherehisstrengthhadfailedhim。Asteepescarpmentthreestorieshighseparatedhimfromthepavementofthestreet。
Theropewhichhehadwastooshort。
Therehewaited,pale,exhausted,desperatewithallthedespairwhichhehadundergone,stillhiddenbythenight,buttellinghimselfthatthedaywasonthepointofdawning,alarmedattheideaofhearingtheneighboringclockofSaint—Paulstrikefourwithinafewminutes,anhourwhenthesentinelwasrelievedandwhenthelatterwouldbefoundasleepunderthepiercedroof,staringinhorrorataterribledepth,atthelightofthestreetlanterns,thewet,blackpavement,thatpavementlongedforyetfrightful,whichmeantdeath,andwhichmeantliberty。
Heaskedhimselfwhetherhisthreeaccomplicesinflighthadsucceeded,iftheyhadheardhim,andiftheywouldcometohisassistance。
Helistened。Withtheexceptionofthepatrol,noonehadpassedthroughthestreetsincehehadbeenthere。Nearlythewholeofthedescentofthemarket—gardenersfromMontreuil,fromCharonne,fromVincennes,andfromBercytothemarketswasaccomplishedthroughtheRueSaint—Antoine。
Fouro’clockstruck。Thenardiershuddered。Afewmomentslater,thatterrifiedandconfuseduproarwhichfollowsthediscoveryofanescapebrokeforthintheprison。Thesoundofdoorsopeningandshutting,thecreakingofgratingsontheirhinges,atumultintheguard—house,thehoarseshoutsoftheturnkeys,theshockofmusket—buttsonthepavementofthecourts,reachedhisears。
Lightsascendedanddescendedpastthegratedwindowsofthedormitories,atorchranalongtheridge—poleofthetopstoryoftheNewBuilding,thefiremenbelonginginthebarracksontherighthadbeensummoned。
Theirhelmets,whichthetorchlightedupintherain,wentandcamealongtheroofs。Atthesametime,ThenardierperceivedinthedirectionoftheBastilleawanwhitenesslightinguptheedgeoftheskyindolefulwise。
Hewasontopofawalltenincheswide,stretchedoutundertheheavyrains,withtwogulfstorightandleft,unabletostir,subjecttothegiddinessofapossiblefall,andtothehorrorofacertainarrest,andhisthoughts,likethependulumofaclock,swungfromoneoftheseideastotheother:"DeadifIfall,caughtifIstay。"Inthemidstofthisanguish,hesuddenlysaw,thestreetbeingstilldark,amanwhowasglidingalongthewallsandcomingfromtheRuePavee,haltintherecessabovewhichThenardierwas,asitwere,suspended。Herethismanwasjoinedbyasecond,whowalkedwiththesamecaution,thenbyathird,thenbyafourth。Whenthesemenwerere—united,oneofthemliftedthelatchofthegateinthefence,andallfourenteredtheenclosureinwhichtheshantystood。TheyhalteddirectlyunderThenardier。
Thesemenhadevidentlychosenthisvacantspaceinorderthattheymightconsultwithoutbeingseenbythepassers—byorbythesentinelwhoguardsthewicketofLaForceafewpacesdistant。
Itmustbeadded,thattherainkeptthissentinelblockedinhisbox。Thenardier,notbeingabletodistinguishtheirvisages,lentaneartotheirwordswiththedesperateattentionofawretchwhofeelshimselflost。
Thenardiersawsomethingresemblingagleamofhopeflashbeforehiseyes,——thesemenconversedinslang。
Thefirstsaidinalowbutdistinctvoice:——
"Let’scut。Whatareweuptohere?"
Thesecondreplied:"It’sraininghardenoughtoputouttheverydevil’sfire。Andthebobbieswillbealonginstanter。
There’sasoldieronguardyonder。Weshallgetnabbedhere。"
Thesetwowords,icigoandicicaille,bothofwhichmeanici,andwhichbelong,thefirsttotheslangofthebarriers,thesecondtotheslangoftheTemple,wereflashesoflightforThenardier。
BytheicigoherecognizedBrujon,whowasaprowlerofthebarriers,bytheicicailleheknewBabet,who,amonghisothertrades,hadbeenanold—clothesbrokerattheTemple。
TheantiqueslangofthegreatcenturyisnolongerspokenexceptintheTemple,andBabetwasreallytheonlypersonwhospokeitinallitspurity。Haditnotbeenfortheicicaille,Thenardierwouldnothaverecognizedhim,forhehadentirelychangedhisvoice。
Inthemeanwhile,thethirdmanhadintervened。
"There’snohurryyet,let’swaitabit。Howdoweknowthathedoesn’tstandinneedofus?"
Bythis,whichwasnothingbutFrench,ThenardierrecognizedMontparnasse,whomadeitapointinhiselegancetounderstandallslangsandtospeaknoneofthem。
Asforthefourth,heheldhispeace,buthishugeshouldersbetrayedhim。Thenardierdidnothesitate。ItwasGuelemer。
Brujonrepliedalmostimpetuouslybutstillinalowtone:——
"Whatareyoujabberingabout?Thetavern—keeperhasn’tmanagedtocuthisstick。Hedon’ttumbletotheracket,thathedon’t!
Youhavetobeaprettyknowingcovetotearupyourshirt,cutupyoursheettomakearope,punchholesindoors,getupfalsepapers,makefalsekeys,fileyourirons,hangoutyourcord,hideyourself,anddisguiseyourself!Theoldfellowhasn’tmanagedtoplayit,hedoesn’tunderstandhowtoworkthebusiness。"
Babetadded,stillinthatclassicalslangwhichwasspokenbyPoulaillerandCartouche,andwhichistothebold,new,highlycoloredandriskyargotusedbyBrujonwhatthelanguageofRacineistothelanguageofAndreChenier:——
"Yourtavern—keepermusthavebeennabbedintheact。Youhavetobeknowing。He’sonlyagreenhorn。Hemusthavelethimselfbetakeninbyabobby,perhapsevenbyasheepwhoplayeditonhimashispal。Listen,Montparnasse,doyouhearthoseshoutsintheprison?
Youhaveseenallthoselights。He’srecaptured,there!He’llgetoffwithtwentyyears。Iain’tafraid,Iain’tacoward,butthereain’tanythingmoretodo,orotherwisethey’dleadusadance。Don’tgetmad,comewithus,let’sgodrinkabottleofoldwinetogether。"
"Onedoesn’tdesertone’sfriendsinascrape,"grumbledMontparnasse。
"Itellyouhe’snabbed!"retortedBrujon。"Atthepresentmoment,theinn—keeperain’tworthaha’penny。Wecan’tdonothingforhim。
Let’sbeoff。EveryminuteIthinkabobbyhasgotmeinhisfist。"
Montparnassenolongerofferedmorethanafeebleresistance;
thefactis,thatthesefourmen,withthefidelityofruffianswhoneverabandoneachother,hadprowledallnightlongaboutLaForce,greataswastheirperil,inthehopeofseeingThenardiermakehisappearanceonthetopofsomewall。Butthenight,whichwasreallygrowingtoofine,——forthedownpourwassuchastorenderallthestreetsdeserted,——thecoldwhichwasoverpoweringthem,theirsoakedgarments,theirhole—riddenshoes,thealarmingnoisewhichhadjustburstforthintheprison,thehourswhichhadelapsed,thepatrolwhichtheyhadencountered,thehopewhichwasvanishing,allurgedthemtobeataretreat。Montparnassehimself,whowas,perhaps,almostThenardier’sson—in—law,yielded。Amomentmore,andtheywouldbegone。ThenardierwaspantingonhiswallliketheshipwreckedsufferersoftheMeduseontheirraftwhentheybeheldthevesselwhichhadappearedinsightvanishonthehorizon。
Hedarednotcalltothem;acrymightbeheardandruineverything。