Les Misérables, v. 2/5: Cosette

  CHAPTER XI

  NO. 9430 REAPPEARS, AND COSETTE WINS IT IN THE LOTTERY.

  Jean Valjean was not dead.

  When he fell into the sea, or rather when he threw himself into it,he was, as we have seen, without irons. He swam in the trough of thesea alongside a vessel at anchor, to which a skiff was made fast. Hemanaged to conceal himself in this skiff until evening. When nightcame he entered the water again and reached the shore at a shortdistance from Cape Brun. There, as he had no lack of money, he was ableto provide himself with clothes. An inn in the suburbs of Balaguierwas then the dressing-room of escaped convicts,--a profitable lineof business. Then, Jean Valjean, like all these unhappy runaways whotry to guard against the law and chance meetings, followed a trackboth obscure and winding. He found his first shelter at Pradeuxnear Beausset. From there he journeyed toward Grand-Villard, nearBriançon, in the Upper Alps,--a groping and restless flight, amole-track with unknown branches. Later, some trace of his passagecould be found at l'Ain, in the district of Civrieux, in the Pyreneesat Accons, at a place called Grange-de-Doumecq, near the hamlet ofChavailles and in the suburbs of Périgueux, at Brienne, in the Cantonof Chapelle-Gonaguet. He reached Paris. We have just seen him atMontfermeil.

  His first care, on reaching Paris, had been to buy mourning robes for alittle girl of seven or eight years, then to find a lodging-place. Thatdone, he made his appearance at Montfermeil.

  It will be remembered that once before at the time of his former escapehe had made there a mysterious journey of which justice had had someinformation.

  However, he was thought to be dead, and this thickened the obscuritywhich surrounded him. While in Paris there fell into his hands ajournal which recorded the fact. He felt reassured, and almost as muchat peace as if he really were dead.

  On the very evening of the day on which Jean Valjean saved Cosettefrom the clutches of Thénardier he came back to Paris. He re-enteredthe city at nightfall with the child, through the Barrière Monceaux.There he jumped into a cab which brought him to the esplanade of theObservatory. Here he got out, paid the driver, took Cosette by thehand, and they both took their course in the dark night through thedeserted streets near the Oursine and the Glacière toward the Boulevardde l'Hôpital.

  The day had been strange and full of emotions for Cosette. Theyhad dined behind hedges on bread and cheese bought at unfrequentedcook-shops; they had frequently changed carriages, and made part ofthe journey on foot. She did not complain, but she was tired, andJean Valjean felt it by his hand, on which she hung more and more asshe walked. He took her on his back; Cosette, without letting go ofCatherine, laid her head on his shoulder and fell asleep.

  BOOK IV.

  THE GORBEAU TENEMENT.