雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第79章

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　　The　convict　had　moored　him　securely　with　the　cord　to　which　he　clung　with　one　hand；　while　he　was　working　with　the　other。
　　At　last；　he　was　seen　to　climb　back　on　the　yard；　and　to　drag　the　sailor　up　after　him；　he　held　him　there　a　moment　to　allow　him　to　recover　his　strength；　then　he　grasped　him　in　his　arms　and　carried　him；　walking　on　the　yard　himself　to　the　cap；　and　from　there　to　the　main…top；　where　he　left　him　in　the　hands　of　his　rades。
　　At　that　moment　the　crowd　broke　into　applause：
　　old　convict…sergeants　among　them　wept；　and　women　embraced　each　other　on　the　quay；　and　all　voices　were　heard　to　cry　with　a　sort　of　tender　rage；　〃Pardon　for　that　man！〃
　　He；　in　the　meantime；　had　immediately　begun　to　make　his　descent　to　rejoin　his　detachment。
　　In　order　to　reach　them　the　more　speedily；　he　dropped　into　the　rigging；　and　ran　along　one　of　the　lower　yards；　all　eyes　were　following　him。
　　At　a　certain　moment　fear　assailed　them；　whether　it　was　that　he　was　fatigued；　or　that　his　head　turned；　they　thought　they　saw　him　hesitate　and　stagger。
　　All　at　once　the　crowd　uttered　a　loud　shout：
　　the　convict　had　fallen　into　the　sea。
　　The　fall　was　perilous。
　　The　frigate　Algesiras　was　anchored　alongside　the　Orion；　and　the　poor　convict　had　fallen　between　the　two　vessels：　it　was　to　be　feared　that　he　would　slip　under　one　or　the　other　of　them。　Four　men　flung　themselves　hastily　into　a　boat；　the　crowd　cheered　them　on；　anxiety　again　took　possession　of　all　souls；　the　man　had　not　risen　to　the　surface；　he　had　disappeared　in　the　sea　without　leaving　a　ripple；　as　though　he　had　fallen　into　a　cask　of　oil：
　　they　sounded；　they　dived。
　　In　vain。
　　The　search　was　continued　until　the　evening：　they　did　not　even　find　the　body。
　　On　the　following　day　the　Toulon　newspaper　printed　these　lines：
　　〃Nov。　17；　1823。
　　Yesterday；　a　convict　belonging　to　the　detachment　on　board　of　the　Orion；　on　his　return　from　rendering　assistance　to　a　sailor；　fell　into　the　sea　and　was　drowned。
　　The　body　has　not　yet　been　found；　it　is　supposed　that　it　is　entangled　among　the　piles　of　the　Arsenal　point：
　　this　man　was　mitted　under　the　number　9；430；　and　his　name　was　Jean　Valjean。〃


BOOK　THIRD。ACPLISHMENT　OF　THE　PROMISE　MADE　TO　THE　DEAD　WOMAN
CHAPTER　I　
　　THE　WATER　QUESTION　AT　MONTFERMEIL
　　Montfermeil　is　situated　between　Livry　and　Chelles；　on　the　southern　edge　of　that　lofty　table…land　which　separates　the　Ourcq　from　the　Marne。　At　the　present　day　it　is　a　tolerably　large　town；　ornamented　all　the　year　through　with　plaster　villas；　and　on　Sundays　with　beaming　bourgeois。　In　1823　there　were　at　Montfermeil　neither　so　many　white　houses　nor　so　many　well…satisfied　citizens：
　　it　was　only　a　village　in　the　forest。　Some　pleasure…houses　of　the　last　century　were　to　be　met　with　there；　to　be　sure；　which　were　recognizable　by　their　grand　air；　their　balconies　in　twisted　iron；　and　their　long　windows；　whose　tiny　panes　cast　all　sorts　of　varying　shades　of　green　on　the　white　of　the　closed　shutters；　but　Montfermeil　was　none　the　less　a　village。
　　Retired　cloth…merchants　and　rusticating　attorneys　had　not　discovered　it　as　yet；　it　was　a　peaceful　and　charming　place；　which　was　not　on　the　road　to　anywhere：　there　people　lived；　and　cheaply；　that　peasant　rustic　life　which　is　so　bounteous　and　so　easy；　only；　water　was　rare　there；　on　account　of　the　elevation　of　the　plateau。
　　It　was　necessary　to　fetch　it　from　a　considerable　distance；　the　end　of　the　village　towards　Gagny　drew　its　water　from　the　magnificent　ponds　which　exist　in　the　woods　there。
　　The　other　end；　which　surrounds　the　church　and　which　lies　in　the　direction　of　Chelles；　found　drinking…water　only　at　a　little　spring　half…way　down　the　slope；　near　the　road　to　Chelles；　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour　from　Montfermeil。
　　Thus　each　household　found　it　hard　work　to　keep　supplied　with　water。　The　large　houses；　the　aristocracy；　of　which　the　Thenardier　tavern　formed　a　part；　paid　half　a　farthing　a　bucketful　to　a　man　who　made　a　business　of　it；　and　who　earned　about　eight　sous　a　day　in　his　enterprise　of　supplying　Montfermeil　with　water；　but　this　good　man　only　worked　until　seven　o'clock　in　the　evening　in　summer；　and　five　in　winter；　and　night　once　e　and　the　shutters　on　the　ground　floor　once　closed；　he　who　had　no　water　to　drink　went　to　fetch　it　for　himself　or　did　without　it。
　　This　constituted　the　terror　of　the　poor　creature　whom　the　reader　has　probably　not　forgotten；little　Cosette。
　　It　will　be　remembered　that　Cosette　was　useful　to　the　Thenardiers　in　two　ways：　they　made　the　mother　pay　them；　and　they　made　the　child　serve　them。　So　when　the　mother　ceased　to　pay　altogether；　the　reason　for　which　we　have　read　in　preceding　chapters；　the　Thenardiers　kept　Cosette。　She　took　the　place　of　a　servant　in　their　house。
　　In　this　capacity　she　it　was　who　ran　to　fetch　water　when　it　was　required。
　　So　the　child；　who　was　greatly　terrified　at　the　idea　of　going　to　the　spring　at　night；　took　great　care　that　water　should　never　be　lacking　in　the　house。
　　Christmas　of　the　year　1823　was　particularly　brilliant　at　Montfermeil。　The　beginning　of　the　winter　had　been　mild；　there　had　been　neither　snow　nor　frost　up　to　that　time。
　　Some　mountebanks　from　Paris　had　obtained　permission　of　the　mayor　to　erect　their　booths　in　the　principal　street　of　the　village；　and　a　band　of　itinerant　merchants；　under　protection　of　the　same　tolerance；　had　constructed　their　stalls　on　the　Church　Square；　and　even　extended　them　into　Boulanger　Alley；　where；　as　the　reader　will　perhaps　remember；　the　Thenardiers'　hostelry　was　situated。　These　people　filled　the　inns　and　drinking…shops；　and　municated　to　that　tranquil　little　district　a　noisy　and　joyous　life。
　　In　order　to　play　the　part　of　a　faithful　historian；　we　ought　even　to　add　that；　among　the　curiosities　displayed　in　the　square；　there　was　a　menagerie；　in　which　frightful　clowns；　clad　in　rags　and　ing　no　one　knew　whence；　exhibited　to　the　peasants　of　Montfermeil　in　1823　one　of　those　horrible　Brazilian　vultures；　such　as　our　Royal　Museum　did　not　possess　until　1845；　and　which　have　a　tricolored　cockade　for　an　eye。　I　believe　that　naturalists　call　this　bird　Caracara　Polyborus；　it　belongs　to　the　order　of　the　Apicides；　and　to　the　family　of　the　vultures。
　　Some　good　old　Bonapartist　soldiers；　who　had　retired　to　the　village；　went　to　see　this　creature　with　great　devotion。　The　mountebanks　gave　out　that　the　tricolored　cockade　was　a　unique　phenomenon　made　by　God　expressly　for　their　menagerie。
　　On　Christmas　eve　itself；　a　number　of　men；　carters；　and　peddlers；　were　seated　at　table；　drinking　and　smoking　around　four　or　five　candles　in　the　public　room　of　Thenardier's　hostelry。
　　This　room　resembled　all　drinking…shop　rooms；tables；　pewter　jugs；　bottles；　drinkers；　smokers；　but　little　light　and　a　great　deal　of　noise。　The　date　of　the　year　1823　was　indicated；　nevertheless；　by　two　objects　which　were　then　fashionable　in　the　bourgeois　class：
　　to　wit；　a　kaleidoscope　and　a　lamp　of　ribbed　tin。
　　The　female　Thenardier　was　attending　to　the　supper；　which　was　roasting　in　front　of　a　clear　fire；　her　husband　was　drinking　with　his　customers　and　talking　politics。
　　Besides　political　conversations　which　had　for　their　principal　subjects　the　Spanish　war　and　M。　le　Duc　d'Angouleme；　strictly　local　parentheses；　like　the　following；　were　audible　amid　the　uproar：
　　〃About　Nanterre　and　Suresnes　the　vines　have　flourished　greatly。　When　ten　pieces　were　reckoned　on　there　have　been　twelve。　They　have　yielded　a　great　deal　of　juice　under　the　press。〃　〃But　the　grapes　cannot　be　ripe？〃
　　〃In　those　parts　the　grapes　should　not　be　ripe；　the　wine　turns　oily　as　soon　as　spring　es。〃　〃Then　it　is　very　thin　wine？〃
　　〃There　are　wines　poorer　even　than　these。　The　grapes　must　be　gathered　while　green。〃
　　Etc。
　　Or　a　miller　would　call　out：
　　〃Are　we　responsible　for　what　is　in　the　sacks？
　　We　find　in　them　a　quantity　of　small　seed　which　we　cannot　sift　out；　and　which　we　are　obliged　to　send　through　the　mill…stones；　there　are　tares；　fennel；　vetches；　hempseed；　fox…tail；　and　a　host　of　other　weeds；　not　to　mention　pebbles；　which　abound　in　certain　wheat；　especially　in　Breton　wheat。
　　I　am　not　fond　of　grinding　Breton　wheat；　any　more　than　long…sawyers　like　to　saw　beams　with　nails　in　them。
　　You　can　judge　of　the　bad　dust　that　makes　in　grinding。
　　And　then　people　plain　of　the　flour。
　　They　are　in　the　wrong。
　　The　flour　is　no　fault　of　ours。〃
　　In　a　space　between　two　windows　a　mower；　who　was　seated　at　table　with　a　landed　proprietor　who　was　fixing　on　a　price　for　some　meadow　work　to　be　performed　in　the　spring；　was　saying：
　　〃It　does　no　harm　to　have　the　grass　wet。
　　It　cuts　better。　Dew　is　a　good　thing；　sir。
　　It　makes　no　difference　with　that　grass。　Your　grass　is　young　and　very　hard　to　cut　still。
　　It's　terribly　tender。　It　yields　before　the　iron。〃
　　Etc。
　　Cosette　was　in　her　usual　place；　seated　on　the　cross…bar　of　the　kitchen　table　near　the　chimney。
　　She　was　in　rags；　her　bare　feet　were　thrust　into　wooden　shoes；　and　by　the　firelight　she　was　engaged　in　knitting　woollen　stockings　destined　for　the　young　Thenardiers。
　　A　very　young　kitten　was　playing　about　among　the　chairs。
　　Laughter　and　chatter　were　audible　in　the　adjoining　room；　from　two　fresh　children's　voices：　it　was　Eponine　and　Azelma。
　　In　the　chimney…corner　a　cat…o'…nine…tails　was　hanging　on　a　nail。
　　At　intervals　the　cry　of　a　very　young　child；　which　was　somewhere　in　the　house；　rang　through　the　noise　of　the　dram…shop。　It　was　a　little　boy　who　had　been　born　to　the　Thenardiers　during　one　of　the　preceding　winters；〃she　did　not　know　why；〃　she　said；　〃the　result　of　the　cold；〃and　who　was　a　little　more　than　three　years　old。
　　The　mother　had　nursed　him；　but　she　did　not　love　him。　When　the　persistent　clamor　of　the　brat　became　too　annoying；　〃Your　son　is　squalling；〃　Thenardier　would　say；　〃do　go　and　see　what　he　wants。〃
　　〃Bah！〃　the　mother　would　reply；　〃he　bothers　me。〃　And　the　neglected　child　continued　to　shriek　in　the　dark。


BOOK　THIRD。ACPLISHMENT　OF　THE　PROMISE　MADE　TO　THE　DEAD　WOMAN
CHAPTER　II　
　　TWO　PLETE　PORTRAITS
　　　So　far　in　this　book　the　Thenardiers　have　been　viewed　only　in　profile；　the　moment　has　arrived　for　making　the　circuit　of　this　couple；　and　considering　it　under　all　its　aspects。
　　Thenardier　had　just　passed　his　fiftieth　birthday；　Madame　Thenardier　was　approaching　her　forties；　which　is　equivalent　to　fifty　in　a　woman；　so　that　there　existed　a　balance　of　age　between　husband　and　wife。
　　Our　readers　have　possibly　preserved　some　recollection　of　this　Thenardier　woman；　ever　since　her　first　appearance；tall；　blond；　red；　fat；　angular；　square；　enormous；　and　agile；　she　belonged；　as　we　have　said；　to　the　race　of　those　colossal　wild　women；　who　contort　themselves　at　fairs　with　paving…stones　hanging　from　their　hair。　She　did　everything　about　the　house；made　the　beds；　did　the　washing；　the　cooking；　and　everything　else。
　　Cosette　was　her　only　servant；　a　mouse　in　the　service　of　an　elephant。
　　Everything　trembled　at　the　sound　of　her　voice；window　panes；　furniture；　and　people。　Her　big　face；　dotted　with　red　blotches；　presented　the　appearance　of　a　skimmer。
　　She　had　a　beard。
　　She　was　an　ideal　market…porter　dressed　in　woman's　clothes。
　　She　swore　splendidly；　she　boasted　of　being　able　to　crack　a　nut