雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第96章

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　　However；　they　no　longer　walked　very　fast。
　　Cosette's　pace　retarded　Jean　Valjean's。
　　He　took　her　up　and　carried　her　again。
　　Cosette　laid　her　head　on　the　shoulder　of　the　good　man　and　said　not　a　word。
　　He　turned　round　from　time　to　time　and　looked　behind　him。　He　took　care　to　keep　always　on　the　dark　side　of　the　street。　The　street　was　straight　in　his　rear。
　　The　first　two　or　three　times　that　he　turned　round　he　saw　nothing；　the　silence　was　profound；　and　he　continued　his　march　somewhat　reassured。
　　All　at　once；　on　turning　round；　he　thought　he　perceived　in　the　portion　of　the　street　which　he　had　just　passed　through；　far　off　in　the　obscurity；　something　which　was　moving。
　　He　rushed　forward　precipitately　rather　than　walked；　hoping　to　find　some　side…street；　to　make　his　escape　through　it；　and　thus　to　break　his　scent　once　more。
　　He　arrived　at　a　wall。
　　This　wall；　however；　did　not　absolutely　prevent　further　progress；　it　was　a　wall　which　bordered　a　transverse　street；　in　which　the　one　he　had　taken　ended。
　　Here　again；　he　was　obliged　to　e　to　a　decision；　should　he　go　to　the　right　or　to　the　left。
　　He　glanced　to　the　right。
　　The　fragmentary　lane　was　prolonged　between　buildings　which　were　either　sheds　or　barns；　then　ended　at　a　blind　alley。
　　The　extremity　of　the　cul…de…sac　was　distinctly　visible；　a　lofty　white　wall。
　　He　glanced　to　the　left。
　　On　that　side　the　lane　was　open；　and　about　two　hundred　paces　further　on；　ran　into　a　street　of　which　it　was　the　affluent。
　　On　that　side　lay　safety。
　　At　the　moment　when　Jean　Valjean　was　meditating　a　turn　to　the　left；　in　an　effort　to　reach　the　street　which　he　saw　at　the　end　of　the　lane；　he　perceived　a　sort　of　motionless；　black　statue　at　the　corner　of　the　lane　and　the　street　towards　which　he　was　on　the　point　of　directing　his　steps。
　　It　was　some　one；　a　man；　who　had　evidently　just　been　posted　there；　and　who　was　barring　the　passage　and　waiting。
　　Jean　Valjean　recoiled。
　　The　point　of　Paris　where　Jean　Valjean　found　himself；　situated　between　the　Faubourg　Saint…Antoine　and　la　Rapee；　is　one　of　those　which　recent　improvements　have　transformed　from　top　to　bottom；　resulting　in　disfigurement　according　to　some；　and　in　a　transfiguration　according　to　others。
　　The　market…gardens；　the　timber…yards；　and　the　old　buildings　have　been　effaced。
　　To…day；　there　are　brand…new；　wide　streets；　arenas；　circuses；　hippodromes；　railway　stations；　and　a　prison；　Mazas；　there；　progress；　as　the　reader　sees；　with　its　antidote。
　　Half　a　century　ago；　in　that　ordinary；　popular　tongue；　which　is　all　pounded　of　traditions；　which　persists　in　calling　the　Institut　les　Quatre…Nations；　and　the　Opera…ique　Feydeau；　the　precise　spot　whither　Jean　Valjean　had　arrived　was　called　le　Petit　Picpus。　The　Porte　Saint…Jacques；　the　Porte　Paris；　the　Barriere　des　Sergents；　the　Porcherons；　la　Galiote；　les　Celestins；　les　Capucins；　le　Mail；　la　Bourbe；　l'Arbre　de　Cracovie；　la　Petite…Polognethese　are　the　names　of　old　Paris　which　survive　amid　the　new。
　　The　memory　of　the　populace　hovers　over　these　relics　of　the　past。
　　Le　Petit…Picpus；　which；　moreover；　hardly　ever　had　any　existence；　and　never　was　more　than　the　outline　of　a　quarter；　had　nearly　the　monkish　aspect　of　a　Spanish　town。
　　The　roads　were　not　much　paved；　the　streets　were　not　much　built　up。
　　With　the　exception　of　the　two　or　three　streets；　of　which　we　shall　presently　speak；　all　was　wall　and　solitude　there。
　　Not　a　shop；　not　a　vehicle；　hardly　a　candle　lighted　here　and　there　in　the　windows；　all　lights　extinguished　after　ten　o'clock。　Gardens；　convents；　timber…yards；　marshes；　occasional　lowly　dwellings　and　great　walls　as　high　as　the　houses。
　　Such　was　this　quarter　in　the　last　century。
　　The　Revolution　snubbed　it　soundly。
　　The　republican　government　demolished　and　cut　through　it。　Rubbish　shoots　were　established　there。
　　Thirty　years　ago；　this　quarter　was　disappearing　under　the　erasing　process　of　new　buildings。　To…day；　it　has　been　utterly　blotted　out。
　　The　Petit…Picpus；　of　which　no　existing　plan　has　preserved　a　trace；　is　indicated　with　sufficient　clearness　in　the　plan　of　1727；　published　at　Paris　by　Denis　Thierry；　Rue　Saint…Jacques；　opposite　the　Rue　du　Platre；　and　at　Lyons；　by　Jean　Girin；　Rue　Merciere；　at　the　sign　of　Prudence。　Petit…Picpus　had；　as　we　have　just　mentioned；　a　Y　of　streets；　formed　by　the　Rue　du　Chemin…Vert…Saint…Antoine；　which　spread　out　in　two　branches；　taking　on　the　left　the　name　of　Little　Picpus　Street；　and　on　the　right　the　name　of　the　Rue　Polonceau。　The　two　limbs　of　the　Y　were　connected　at　the　apex　as　by　a　bar；　this　bar　was　called　Rue　Droit…Mur。　The　Rue　Polonceau　ended　there；　Rue　Petit…Picpus　passed　on；　and　ascended　towards　the　Lenoir　market。　A　person　ing　from　the　Seine　reached　the　extremity　of　the　Rue　Polonceau；　and　had　on　his　right　the　Rue　Droit…Mur；　turning　abruptly　at　a　right　angle；　in　front　of　him　the　wall　of　that　street；　and　on　his　right　a　truncated　prolongation　of　the　Rue　Droit…Mur；　which　had　no　issue　and　was　called　the　Cul…de…Sac　Genrot。
　　It　was　here　that　Jean　Valjean　stood。
　　As　we　have　just　said；　on　catching　sight　of　that　black　silhouette　standing　on　guard　at　the　angle　of　the　Rue　Droit…Mur　and　the　Rue　Petit…Picpus；　he　recoiled。
　　There　could　be　no　doubt　of　it。　That　phantom　was　lying　in　wait　for　him。
　　What　was　he　to　do？
　　The　time　for　retreating　was　passed。
　　That　which　he　had　perceived　in　movement　an　instant　before；　in　the　distant　darkness；　was　Javert　and　his　squad　without　a　doubt。
　　Javert　was　probably　already　at　the　mencement　of　the　street　at　whose　end　Jean　Valjean　stood。　Javert；　to　all　appearances；　was　acquainted　with　this　little　labyrinth；　and　had　taken　his　precautions　by　sending　one　of　his　men　to　guard　the　exit。
　　These　surmises；　which　so　closely　resembled　proofs；　whirled　suddenly；　like　a　handful　of　dust　caught　up　by　an　unexpected　gust　of　wind；　through　Jean　Valjean's　mournful　brain。　He　examined　the　Cul…de…Sac　Genrot；　there　he　was　cut　off。　He　examined　the　Rue　Petit…Picpus；　there　stood　a　sentinel。
　　He　saw　that　black　form　standing　out　in　relief　against　the　white　pavement；　illuminated　by　the　moon；　to　advance　was　to　fall　into　this　man's　hands；　to　retreat　was　to　fling　himself　into　Javert's　arms。
　　Jean　Valjean　felt　himself　caught；　as　in　a　net；　which　was　slowly　contracting；　he　gazed　heavenward　in　despair。


BOOK　FIFTH。FOR　A　BLACK　HUNT；　A　MUTE　PACK　
CHAPTER　IV　
　　THE　GROPINGS　OF　FLIGHT
　　　In　order　to　understand　what　follows；　it　is　requisite　to　form　an　exact　idea　of　the　Droit…Mur　lane；　and；　in　particular；　of　the　angle　which　one　leaves　on　the　left　when　one　emerges　from　the　Rue　Polonceau　into　this　lane。
　　Droit…Mur　lane　was　almost　entirely　bordered　on　the　right；　as　far　as　the　Rue　Petit…Picpus；　by　houses　of　mean　aspect；　on　the　left　by　a　solitary　building　of　severe　outlines；　posed　of　numerous　parts　which　grew　gradually　higher　by　a　story　or　two　as　they　approached　the　Rue　Petit…Picpus　side；　so　that　this　building；　which　was　very　lofty　on　the　Rue　Petit…Picpus　side；　was　tolerably　low　on　the　side　adjoining　the　Rue　Polonceau。
　　There；　at　the　angle　of　which　we　have　spoken；　it　descended　to　such　a　degree　that　it　consisted　of　merely　a　wall。
　　This　wall　did　not　abut　directly　on　the　Street；　it　formed　a　deeply　retreating　niche；　concealed　by　its　two　corners　
from　two　observers　who　might　have　been；　one　in　the　Rue　Polonceau；　the　other　in　the　Rue　Droit…Mur。
　　Beginning　with　these　angles　of　the　niche；　the　wall　extended　along　the　Rue　Polonceau　as　far　as　a　house　which　bore　the　number　49；　and　along　the　Rue　Droit…Mur；　where　the　fragment　was　much　shorter；　as　far　as　the　gloomy　building　which　we　have　mentioned　and　whose　gable　it　intersected；　thus　forming　another　retreating　angle　in　the　street。　This　gable　was　sombre　of　aspect；　only　one　window　was　visible；　or；　to　speak　more　correctly；　two　shutters　covered　with　a　sheet　of　zinc　and　kept　constantly　closed。
　　The　state　of　the　places　of　which　we　are　here　giving　a　description　is　rigorously　exact；　and　will　certainly　awaken　a　very　precise　memory　in　the　mind　of　old　inhabitants　of　the　quarter。
　　The　niche　was　entirely　filled　by　a　thing　which　resembled　a　colossal　and　wretched　door；　it　was　a　vast；　formless　assemblage　of　perpendicular　planks；　the　upper　ones　being　broader　than　the　lower；　bound　together　by　long　transverse　strips　of　iron。　At　one　side　there　was　a　carriage　gate　of　the　ordinary　dimensions；　and　which　had　evidently　not　been　cut　more　than　fifty　years　previously。
　　A　linden…tree　showed　its　crest　above　the　niche；　and　the　wall　was　covered　with　ivy　on　the　side　of　the　Rue　Polonceau。
　　In　the　imminent　peril　in　which　Jean　Valjean　found　himself；　this　sombre　building　had　about　it　a　solitary　and　uninhabited　look　which　tempted　him。
　　He　ran　his　eyes　rapidly　over　it；　he　said　to　himself；　that　if　he　could　contrive　to　get　inside　it；　he　might　save　himself。　First　he　conceived　an　idea；　then　a　hope。
　　In　the　central　portion　of　the　front　of　this　building；　on　the　Rue　Droit…Mur　side；　there　were　at　all　the　windows　of　the　different　stories　ancient　cistern　pipes　of　lead。
　　The　various　branches　of　the　pipes　which　led　from　one　central　pipe　to　all　these　little　basins　sketched　out　a　sort　of　tree　on　the　front。
　　These　ramifications　of　pipes　with　their　hundred　elbows　imitated　those　old　leafless　vine…stocks　which　writhe　over　the　fronts　of　old　farm…houses。
　　This　odd　espalier；　with　its　branches　of　lead　and　iron；　was　the　first　thing　that　struck　Jean　Valjean。
　　He　seated　Cosette　with　her　back　against　a　stone　post；　with　an　injunction　to　be　silent；　and　ran　to　the　spot　where　the　conduit　touched　the　pavement。　Perhaps　there　was　some　way　of　climbing　up　by　it　and　entering　the　house。　But　the　pipe　was　dilapidated　and　past　service；　and　hardly　hung　to　its　fastenings。
　　Moreover；　all　the　windows　of　this　silent　dwelling　were　grated　with　heavy　iron　bars；　even　the　attic　windows　in　the　roof。　And　then；　the　moon　fell　full　upon　that　facade；　and　the　man　who　was　watching　at　the　corner　of　the　street　would　have　seen　Jean　Valjean　in　the　act　of　climbing。
　　And　finally；　what　was　to　be　done　with　Cosette？　How　was　she　to　be　drawn　up　to　the　top　of　a　three…story　house？
　　He　gave　up　all　idea　of　climbing　by　means　of　the　drain…pipe；　and　crawled　along　the　wall　to　get　back　into　the　Rue　Polonceau。
　　When　he　reached　the　slant　of　the　wall　where　he　had　left　Cosette；　he　noticed　that　no　one　could　see　him　there。
　　As　we　have　just　explained；　he　was　concealed　from　all　eyes；　no　matter　from　which　direction　they　were　approaching；　besides　this；　he　was　in　the　shadow。　Finally；　there　were　two　doors；　perhaps　they　might　be　forced。　The　wall　above　which　he　saw　the　linden…tree　and　the　ivy　evidently　abutted　on　a　garden　where　he　could；　at　least；　hide　himself；　although　there　were　as　yet　no　leaves　on　the　trees；　and　spend　the　remainder　of　the　night。
　　Time　was　passing；　he　must　act　quickly。
　　He　felt　over　the　carriage　door；　and　immediately　recognized　the　fact　that　it　was　impracticable　outside　and　in。
　　He　approached　the　other　door　with　more　hope；　it　was　frightfully　decrepit；　its　very　immensity　rendered　it　less　solid；　the　planks　were　rotten；　the　iron　bandsthere　were　only　three　of　themwere　rusted。
　　It　seemed　as　though　it　might　be　possible　to　pierce　this　worm…eaten　barrier。
　　On　examining