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Occasionally her chemise； which was untied and torn； fell almost to her waist。
She moved the chairs about； she disarranged the toilet articles which stood on the mode； she handled Marius' clothes； she rummaged about to see what there was in the corners。
〃Hullo！〃 said she； 〃you have a mirror！〃
And she hummed scraps of vaudevilles； as though she had been alone； frolicsome refrains which her hoarse and guttural voice rendered lugubrious。
An indescribable constraint； weariness； and humiliation were perceptible beneath this hardihood。
Effrontery is a disgrace。
Nothing could be more melancholy than to see her sport about the room； and； so to speak； flit with the movements of a bird which is frightened by the daylight； or which has broken its wing。 One felt that under other conditions of education and destiny； the gay and over…free mien of this young girl might have turned out sweet and charming。
Never； even among animals； does the creature born to be a dove change into an osprey。
That is only to be seen among men。
Marius reflected； and allowed her to have her way。
She approached the table。
〃Ah！〃 said she； 〃books！〃
A flash pierced her glassy eye。
She resumed； and her accent expressed the happiness which she felt in boasting of something； to which no human creature is insensible：
〃I know how to read； I do！〃
She eagerly seized a book which lay open on the table； and read with tolerable fluency：
〃General Bauduin received orders to take the chateau of Hougomont which stands in the middle of the plain of Waterloo； with five battalions of his brigade。〃
She paused。
〃Ah！
Waterloo！
I know about that。
It was a battle long ago。 My father was there。
My father has served in the armies。
We are fine Bonapartists in our house； that we are！
Waterloo was against the English。〃
She laid down the book； caught up a pen； and exclaimed：
〃And I know how to write； too！〃
She dipped her pen in the ink； and turning to Marius：
〃Do you want to see？
Look here； I'm going to write a word to show you。〃
And before he had time to answer； she wrote on a sheet of white paper； which lay in the middle of the table：
〃The bobbies are here。〃
Then throwing down the pen：
〃There are no faults of orthography。
You can look。
We have received an education； my sister and I。 We have not always been as we are now。 We were not made〃
Here she paused； fixed her dull eyes on Marius； and burst out laughing； saying； with an intonation which contained every form of anguish； stifled by every form of cynicism：
〃Bah！〃
And she began to hum these words to a gay air：〃J'ai faim； mon pere。〃
I am hungry； father。
Pas de fricot。 I have no food。
J'ai froid； ma mere。
I am cold； mother。
Pas de tricot。 I have no clothes。
Grelotte；
Lolotte！ Lolotte！
Shiver； Sanglote；
Sob； Jacquot！〃
Jacquot！〃
She had hardly finished this couplet； when she exexclaimed：
〃Do you ever go to the play； Monsieur Marius？
I do。
I have a little brother who is a friend of the artists； and who gives me tickets sometimes。
But I don't like the benches in the galleries。 One is cramped and unfortable there。
There are rough people there sometimes； and people who smell bad。〃
Then she scrutinized Marius； assumed a singular air and said：
〃Do you know； Mr。 Marius； that you are a very handsome fellow？〃
And at the same moment the same idea occurred to them both； and made her smile and him blush。
She stepped up to him； and laid her hand on his shoulder：
〃You pay no heed to me； but I know you； Mr。 Marius。
I meet you here on the staircase； and then I often see you going to a person named Father Mabeuf who lives in the direction of Austerlitz； sometimes when I have been strolling in that quarter。 It is very being to you to have your hair tumbled thus。〃
She tried to render her voice soft； but only succeeded in making it very deep。
A portion of her words was lost in the transit from her larynx to her lips； as though on a piano where some notes are missing。
Marius had retreated gently。
〃Mademoiselle；〃 said he； with his cool gravity； 〃I have here a package which belongs to you； I think。
Permit me to return it to you。〃
And he held out the envelope containing the four letters。
She clapped her hands and exclaimed：
〃We have been looking everywhere for that！〃
Then she eagerly seized the package and opened the envelope； saying as she did so：
〃Dieu de Dieu！ how my sister and I have hunted！
And it was you who found it！
On the boulevard； was it not？
It must have been on the boulevard？
You see； we let it fall when we were running。 It was that brat of a sister of mine who was so stupid。
When we got home； we could not find it anywhere。
As we did not wish to be beaten； as that is useless； as that is entirely useless； as that is absolutely useless； we said that we had carried the letters to the proper persons； and that they had said to us： ‘Nix。' So here they are； those poor letters！
And how did you find out that they belonged to me？
Ah！ yes； the writing。
So it was you that we jostled as we passed last night。
We couldn't see。 I said to my sister：
‘Is it a gentleman？'
My sister said to me： ‘I think it is a gentleman。'〃
In the meanwhile she had unfolded the petition addressed to 〃the benevolent gentleman of the church of Saint…Jacquesdu…Haut…Pas。〃
〃Here！〃 said she； 〃this is for that old fellow who goes to mass。 By the way； this is his hour。
I'll go and carry it to him。 Perhaps he will give us something to breakfast on。〃
Then she began to laugh again； and added：
〃Do you know what it will mean if we get a breakfast today？ It will mean that we shall have had our breakfast of the day before yesterday； our breakfast of yesterday； our dinner of to…day； and all that at once； and this morning。
e！
Parbleu！ if you are not satisfied； dogs； burst！〃
This reminded Marius of the wretched girl's errand to himself。 He fumbled in his waistcoat pocket； and found nothing there。
The young girl went on； and seemed to have no consciousness of Marius' presence。
〃I often go off in the evening。
Sometimes I don't e home again。 winter； before we came here； we lived under the arches of the bridges。
We huddled together to keep from freezing。 My little sister cried。
How melancholy the water is！
When I thought of drowning myself； I said to myself：
‘No； it's too cold。' I go out alone； whenever I choose； I sometimes sleep in the ditches。 Do you know； at night； when I walk along the boulevard； I see the trees like forks； I see houses； all black and as big as Notre Dame； I fancy that the white walls are the river； I say to myself：
‘Why； there's water there！'
The stars are like the lamps in illuminations； one would say that they smoked and that the wind blew them out； I am bewildered； as though horses were breathing in my ears； although it is night； I hear hand…organs and spinning…machines； and I don't know what all。
I think people are flinging stones at me； I flee without knowing whither； everything whirls and whirls。 You feel very queer when you have had no food。〃
And then she stared at him with a bewildered air。
By dint of searching and ransacking his pockets； Marius had finally collected five francs sixteen sous。
This was all he owned in the world for the moment。
〃At all events；〃 he thought； 〃there is my dinner for to…day； and to…morrow we will see。〃
He kept the sixteen sous； and handed the five francs to the young girl。
She seized the coin。
〃Good！〃 said she； 〃the sun is shining！〃
And； as though the sun had possessed the property of melting the avalanches of slang in her brain； she went on：
〃Five francs！ the shiner！ a monarch！ in this hole！
Ain't this fine！ You're a jolly thief！
I'm your humble servant！
Bravo for the good fellows！
Two days' wine！ and meat！ and stew！ we'll have a royal feast！ and a good fill！〃
She pulled her chemise up on her shoulders； made a low bow to Marius； then a familiar sign with her hand； and went towards the door； saying：
〃Good morning； sir。
It's all right。
I'll go and find my old man。〃
As she passed； she caught sight of a dry crust of bread on the mode； which was moulding there amid the dust； she flung herself upon it and bit into it； muttering：
〃That's good！ it's hard！ it breaks my teeth！〃
Then she departed。
BOOK EIGHTH。THE WICKED POOR MAN
CHAPTER V
A PROVIDENTIAL PEEP…HOLE
Marius had lived for five years in poverty； in destitution； even in distress； but he now perceived that he had not known real misery。
True misery he had but just had a view of。 It was its spectre which had just passed before his eyes。 In fact； he who has only beheld the misery of man has seen nothing； the misery of woman is what he must see； he who has seen only the misery of woman has seen nothing； he must see the misery of the child。
When a man has reached his last extremity； he has reached his last resources at the same time。
Woe to the defenceless beings who surround him！
Work； wages； bread； fire； courage； good will； all fail him simultaneously。
The light of day seems extinguished without； the moral light within； in these shadows man encounters the feebleness of the woman and the child； and bends them violently to ignominy。
Then all horrors bee possible。
Despair is surrounded with fragile partitions which all open on either vice or crime。
Health； youth； honor； all the shy delicacies of the young body； the heart； virginity； modesty； that epidermis of the soul； are manipulated in sinister wise by that fumbling which seeks resources； which encounters opprobrium； and which acodates itself to it。 Fathers； mothers； children； brothers； sisters； men； women； daughters； adhere and bee incorporated； almost like a mineral formation； in that dusky promiscuousness of sexes； relationships； ages； infamies； and innocences。
They crouch； back to back； in a sort of hut of fate。 They exchange woe…begone glances。
Oh； the unfortunate wretches！ How pale they are！
How cold they are！
It seems as though they dwelt in a planet much further from the sun than ours。
This young girl was to Marius a sort of messenger from the realm
of sad shadows。
She revealed to him a hideous side of the night。
Marius almost reproached himself for the preoccupations of revery and passion which had prevented his bestowing a glance on his neighbors up to that day。
The payment of their rent had been a mechanical movement； which any one would have yielded to； but he； Marius； should have done better than that。
What！ only a wall separated him from those abandoned beings who lived gropingly in the dark outside the pale of the rest of the world； he was elbow to elbow with them； he was； in some sort； the last link of the human race which they touched； he heard them live； or rather； rattle in the death agony beside him； and he paid no heed to them！ Every day； every instant； he heard them walking on the other side of the wall； he heard them go； and e； and speak； and he did not even lend an ear！
And groans lay in those words； and he did not even listen to them； his thoughts were elsewhere； given up to dreams； to impossible radiances； to loves in the air； to follies； and all the while； human creatures； his brothers in Jesus Christ； his brothers in the people； were agonizing in vain beside him！ He even formed a part of their misfortune； and he aggravated it。 For if they had had another neighbor who was less chimerical and more attentive； any ordinary and charitable man； evidently their indigence would have been noticed； their signals of distress would have been perceived； and they would have been taken hold of and rescued！ They appeared very corrupt and very depraved； no doubt； very vile； very odious even； but those who fall without being degraded are rare； besides； there is a point where the unfortunate and the infamous unite and are confounded in a single word； a fatal word； th