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〃What a grenadier！〃 ejaculated Javert； 〃you've got a beard like a man； mother； but I have claws like a woman。〃
And he continued to advance。
The Thenardier； dishevelled and terrible； set her feet far apart； threw herself backwards； and hurled the paving…stone at Javert's head。 Javert ducked； the stone passed over him； struck the wall behind； knocked off a huge piece of plastering； and； rebounding from angle to angle across the hovel； now luckily almost empty； rested at Javert's feet。
At the same moment； Javert reached the Thenardier couple。 One of his big hands descended on the woman's shoulder； the other on the husband's head。
〃The handcuffs！〃 he shouted。
The policemen trooped in in force； and in a few seconds Javert's order had been executed。
The Thenardier female； overwhelmed； stared at her pinioned hands； and at those of her husband； who had dropped to the floor； and exclaimed； weeping：
〃My daughters！〃
〃They are in the jug；〃 said Javert。
In the meanwhile； the agents had caught sight of the drunken man asleep behind the door； and were shaking him：
He awoke； stammering：
〃Is it all over； Jondrette？〃
〃Yes；〃 replied Javert。
The six pinioned ruffians were standing； and still preserved their spectral mien； all three besmeared with black； all three masked。
〃Keep on your masks；〃 said Javert。
And passing them in review with a glance of a Frederick II。 at a Potsdam parade； he said to the three 〃chimney…builders〃：
〃Good day； Bigrenaille！ good day； Brujon！ good day； Deuxmilliards！〃
Then turning to the three masked men； he said to the man with the meat…axe：
〃Good day； Gueulemer！〃
And to the man with the cudgel：
〃Good day； Babet！〃
And to the ventriloquist：
〃Your health； Claquesous。〃
At that moment； he caught sight of the ruffians' prisoner。
who； ever since the entrance of the police； had not uttered a word； and had held his head down。
〃Untie the gentleman！〃 said Javert； 〃and let no one go out！〃
That said； he seated himself with sovereign dignity before the table； where the candle and the writing…materials still remained； drew a stamped paper from his pocket； and began to prepare his report。
When he had written the first lines； which are formulas that never vary； he raised his eyes：
〃Let the gentleman whom these gentlemen bound step forward。〃
The policemen glanced round them。
〃Well；〃 said Javert； 〃where is he？〃
The prisoner of the ruffians； M。 Leblanc； M。 Urbain Fabre； the father of Ursule or the Lark； had disappeared。
The door was guarded； but the window was not。
As soon as he had found himself released from his bonds； and while Javert was drawing up his report； he had taken advantage of confusion； the crowd； the darkness； and of a moment when the general attention was diverted from him； to dash out of the window。
An agent sprang to the opening and looked out。
He saw no one outside。
The rope ladder was still shaking。
〃The devil！〃 ejaculated Javert between his teeth； 〃he must have been the most valuable of the lot。〃
BOOK EIGHTH。THE WICKED POOR MAN
CHAPTER XXII
THE LITTLE ONE WHO WAS CRYING IN VOLUME TWO
On the day following that on which these events took place in the house on the Boulevard de l'Hopital； a child； who seemed to be ing from the direction of the bridge of Austerlitz； was ascending the side…alley on the right in the direction of the Barriere de Fontainebleau。
Night had fully e。
This lad was pale； thin； clad in rags； with linen trousers in the month of February； and was singing at the top of his voice。
At the corner of the Rue du Petit…Banquier； a bent old woman was rummaging in a heap of refuse by the light of a street lantern； the child jostled her as he passed； then recoiled； exclaiming：
〃Hello！
And I took it for an enormous； enormous dog！〃
He pronounced the word enormous the second time with a jeering swell of the voice which might be tolerably well represented by capitals： 〃an enormous； ENORMOUS dog。〃
The old woman straightened herself up in a fury。
〃Nasty brat！〃 she grumbled。
〃If I hadn't been bending over； I know well where I would have planted my foot on you。〃
The boy was already far away。
〃Kisss！ kisss！〃 he cried。
〃After that； I don't think I was mistaken！〃
The old woman； choking with indignation； now rose pletely upright； and the red gleam of the lantern fully lighted up her livid face； all hollowed into angles and wrinkles； with crow's…feet meeting the corners of her mouth。
Her body was lost in the darkness； and only her head was visible。 One would have pronounced her a mask of Decrepitude carved out by a light from the night。
The boy surveyed her。
〃Madame；〃 said he； 〃does not possess that style of beauty which pleases me。〃
He then pursued his road； and resumed his song：
〃Le roi Coupdesabot
S'en allait a la chasse；
A la chasse aux corbeaux〃
At the end of these three lines he paused。
He had arrived in front of No。 50…52； and finding the door fastened； he began to assault it with resounding and heroic kicks； which betrayed rather the man's shoes that he was wearing than the child's feet which he owned。
In the meanwhile； the very old woman whom he had encountered at the corner of the Rue du Petit…Banquier hastened up behind him； uttering clamorous cries and indulging in lavish and exaggerated gestures。
〃What's this？
What's this？
Lord God！
He's battering the door down！ He's knocking the house down。〃
The kicks continued。
The old woman strained her lungs。
〃Is that the way buildings are treated nowadays？〃
All at once she paused。
She had recognized the gamin。
〃What！ so it's that imp！〃
〃Why； it's the old lady；〃 said the lad。
〃Good day； Bougonmuche。 I have e to see my ancestors。〃
The old woman retorted with a posite grimace； and a wonderful improvisation of hatred taking advantage of feebleness and ugliness； which was； unfortunately； wasted in the dark：
〃There's no one here。〃
〃Bah！〃 retorted the boy； 〃where's my father？〃
〃At La Force。〃
〃e； now！
And my mother？〃
〃At Saint…Lazare。〃
〃Well！
And my sisters？〃
〃At the Madelonettes。〃
The lad scratched his head behind his ear； stared at Ma'am Bougon； and said：
〃Ah！〃
Then he executed a pirouette on his heel； a moment later； the old woman； who had remained on the door…step； heard him singing in his clear； young voice； as he plunged under the black elm…trees； in the wintry wind：
〃Le roi Coupdesabot＇31＇
S'en allait a la chasse；
A la chasse aux corbeaux；
Monte sur deux echasses。
Quand on passait dessous；
On lui payait deux sous。〃
＇31＇ King Bootkick went a…hunting after crows； mounted on two stilts。 When one passed beneath them； one paid him two sous。
＇The end of Volume III。 〃Marius〃＇
BOOK FIRST。A FEW PAGES OF HISTORY
CHAPTER I
WELL CUT
1831 and 1832； the two years which are immediately connected with the Revolution of July； form one of the most peculiar and striking moments of history。
These two years rise like two mountains midway between those which precede and those which follow them。
They have a revolutionary grandeur。
Precipices are to be distinguished there。 The social masses； the very assizes of civilization； the solid group of superposed and adhering interests； the century…old profiles of the ancient French formation； appear and disappear in them every instant； athwart the storm clouds of systems； of passions； and of theories。 These appearances and disappearances have been designated as movement and resistance。
At intervals； truth； that daylight of the human soul； can be descried shining there。
This remarkable epoch is decidedly circumscribed and is beginning to be sufficiently distant from us to allow of our grasping the principal lines even at the present day。
We shall make the attempt。
The Restoration had been one of those intermediate phases； hard to define； in which there is fatigue； buzzing； murmurs； sleep； tumult； and which are nothing else than the arrival of a great nation at a halting…place。
These epochs are peculiar and mislead the politicians who desire to convert them to profit。
In the beginning； the nation asks nothing but repose； it thirsts for but one thing； peace； it has but one ambition； to be small。
Which is the translation of remaining tranquil。 Of great events； great hazards； great adventures； great men； thank God； we have seen enough； we have them heaped higher than our heads。
We would exchange Caesar for Prusias； and Napoleon for the King of Yvetot。 〃What a good little king was he！〃
We have marched since daybreak； we have reached the evening of a long and toilsome day； we have made our first change with Mirabeau； the second with Robespierre； the third with Bonaparte； we are worn out。
Each one demands a bed。
Devotion which is weary； heroism which has grown old； ambitions which are sated； fortunes which are made； seek； demand； implore； solicit； what？
A shelter。
They have it。
They take possession of peace； of tranquillity； of leisure； behold； they are content。
But； at the same time certain facts arise； pel recognition； and knock at the door in their turn。
These facts are the products of revolutions and wars； they are； they exist； they have the right to install themselves in society； and they do install themselves therein； and most of the time； facts are the stewards of the household and fouriers＇32＇ who do nothing but prepare lodgings for principles。
＇32＇ In olden times； fouriers were the officials who preceded the Court and allotted the lodgings。
This； then； is what appears to philosophical politicians：
At the same time that weary men demand repose； acplished facts demand guarantees。
Guarantees are the same to facts that repose is to men。
This is what England demanded of the Stuarts after the Protector； this is what France demanded of the Bourbons after the Empire。
These guarantees are a necessity of the times。
They must be accorded。 Princes 〃grant〃 them； but in reality； it is the force of things which gives them。
A profound truth； and one useful to know； which the Stuarts did not suspect in 1662 and which the Bourbons did not even obtain a glimpse of in 1814。
The predestined family； which returned to France when Napoleon fell； had the fatal simplicity to believe that it was itself which bestowed； and that what it had bestowed it could take back again； that the House of Bourbon possessed the right divine； that France possessed nothing； and that the political right conceded in the charter of Louis XVIII。 was merely a branch of the right divine； was detached by the House of Bourbon and graciously given to the people until such day as it should please the King to reassume it。
Still； the House of Bourbon should have felt； from the displeasure created by the gift； that it did not e from it。
This house was churlish to the nineteenth century。
It put on an ill…tempered look at every development of the nation。
To make use of a trivial word； that is to say； of a popular and a true word； it looked glum。
The people saw this。
It thought it possessed strength because the Empire had been carried away before it like a theatrical stage…setting。 It did not perceive that it had； itself； been brought in in the same fashion。
It did not perceive that it also lay in that hand which had removed Napoleon。
It thought that it had roots； because it was the past。
It was mistaken； it formed a part of the past； but the whole past was France。 The roots of French society were not fixed in the Bourbons； but in the nations。
These obscure and lively roots constituted； not the right of a family； but the history of a people。 They were everywhere； except under the throne。
The House of Bourbon was to France the illustrious and bleeding knot in her history； but was no longer the principal element of her destiny； and the necessary base of her politics。
She could get along without the Bourbons； she had done without the