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ted at the extremity of the square; dragging the wretched woman after him。 She yielded mechanically。
Neither he nor she uttered a word。 The cloud of spectators followed; jesting; in a paroxysm of delight。 Supreme misery an occasion for obscenity。
On arriving at the police station; which was a low room; warmed by a stove; with a glazed and grated door opening on the street; and guarded by a detachment; Javert opened the door; entered with Fantine; and shut the door behind him; to the great disappointment of the curious; who raised themselves on tiptoe; and craned their necks in front of the thick glass of the station…house; in their effort to see。 Curiosity is a sort of gluttony。
To see is to devour。
On entering; Fantine fell down in a corner; motionless and mute; crouching down like a terrified dog。
The sergeant of the guard brought a lighted candle to the table。 Javert seated himself; drew a sheet of stamped paper from his pocket; and began to write。
This class of women is consigned by our laws entirely to the discretion of the police。
The latter do what they please; punish them; as seems good to them; and confiscate at their will those two sorry things which they entitle their industry and their liberty。 Javert was impassive; his grave face betrayed no emotion whatever。 Nevertheless; he was seriously and deeply preoccupied。
It was one of those moments when he was exercising without control; but subject to all the scruples of a severe conscience; his redoubtable discretionary power。
At that moment he was conscious that his police agent's stool was a tribunal。
He was entering judgment。 He judged and condemned。
He summoned all the ideas which could possibly exist in his mind; around the great thing which he was doing。 The more he examined the deed of this woman; the more shocked he felt。 It was evident that he had just witnessed the mission of a crime。 He had just beheld; yonder; in the street; society; in the person of a freeholder and an elector; insulted and attacked by a creature who was outside all pales。
A prostitute had made an attempt on the life of a citizen。
He had seen that; he; Javert。
He wrote in silence。
When he had finished he signed the paper; folded it; and said to the sergeant of the guard; as he handed it to him; 〃Take three men and conduct this creature to jail。〃
Then; turning to Fantine; 〃You are to have six months of it。〃 The unhappy woman shuddered。
〃Six months! six months of prison!〃 she exclaimed。
〃Six months in which to earn seven sous a day!
But what will bee of Cosette? My daughter! my daughter!
But I still owe the Thenardiers over a hundred francs; do you know that; Monsieur Inspector?〃
She dragged herself across the damp floor; among the muddy boots of all those men; without rising; with clasped hands; and taking great strides on her knees。
〃Monsieur Javert;〃 said she; 〃I beseech your mercy。
I assure you that I was not in the wrong。
If you had seen the beginning; you would have seen。
I swear to you by the good God that I was not to blame!
That gentleman; the bourgeois; whom I do not know; put snow in my back。
Has any one the right to put snow down our backs when we are walking along peaceably; and doing no harm to any one? I am rather ill; as you see。
And then; he had been saying impertinent things to me for a long time:
‘You are ugly! you have no teeth!' I know well that I have no longer those teeth。
I did nothing; I said to myself; ‘The gentleman is amusing himself。'
I was honest with him; I did not speak to him。
It was at that moment that he put the snow down my back。
Monsieur Javert; good Monsieur Inspector! is there not some person here who saw it and can tell you that this is quite true?
Perhaps I did wrong to get angry。 You know that one is not master of one's self at the first moment。 One gives way to vivacity; and then; when some one puts something cold down your back just when you are not expecting it!
I did wrong to spoil that gentleman's hat。
Why did he go away?
I would ask his pardon。
Oh; my God!
It makes no difference to me whether I ask his pardon。
Do me the favor to…day; for this once; Monsieur Javert。 Hold! you do not know that in prison one can earn only seven sous a day; it is not the government's fault; but seven sous is one's earnings; and just fancy; I must pay one hundred francs; or my little girl will be sent to me。
Oh; my God!
I cannot have her with me。 What I do is so vile!
Oh; my Cosette!
Oh; my little angel of the Holy Virgin! what will bee of her; poor creature?
I will tell you: it is the Thenardiers; inn…keepers; peasants; and such people are unreasonable。
They want money。
Don't put me in prison! You see; there is a little girl who will be turned out into the street to get along as best she may; in the very heart of the winter; and you must have pity on such a being; my good Monsieur Javert。 If she were older; she might earn her living; but it cannot be done at that age。
I am not a bad woman at bottom。
It is not cowardliness and gluttony that have made me what I am。
If I have drunk brandy; it was out of misery。
I do not love it; but it benumbs the senses。 When I was happy; it was only necessary to glance into my closets; and it would have been evident that I was not a coquettish and untidy woman。
I had linen; a great deal of linen。
Have pity on me; Monsieur Javert!〃
She spoke thus; rent in twain; shaken with sobs; blinded with tears; her neck bare; wringing her hands; and coughing with a dry; short cough; stammering softly with a voice of agony。
Great sorrow is a divine and terrible ray; which transfigures the unhappy。 At that moment Fantine had bee beautiful once more。
From time to time she paused; and tenderly kissed the police agent's coat。 She would have softened a heart of granite; but a heart of wood cannot be softened。
〃e!〃 said Javert; 〃I have heard you out。
Have you entirely finished? You will get six months。
Now march!
The Eternal Father in person could do nothing