Part 296 (1/2)

”Monsieur le Baron, a sewer is not the Champ de Mars. One lacks everything there, even room. When two men are there, they must meet.

That is what happened. The man domiciled there and the pa.s.ser-by were forced to bid each other good-day, greatly to the regret of both. The pa.s.ser-by said to the inhabitant:--”You see what I have on my back, I must get out, you have the key, give it to me.” That convict was a man of terrible strength. There was no way of refusing. Nevertheless, the man who had the key parleyed, simply to gain time. He examined the dead man, but he could see nothing, except that the latter was young, well dressed, with the air of being rich, and all disfigured with blood.

While talking, the man contrived to tear and pull off behind, without the a.s.sa.s.sin perceiving it, a bit of the a.s.sa.s.sinated man's coat. A doc.u.ment for conviction, you understand; a means of recovering the trace of things and of bringing home the crime to the criminal. He put this doc.u.ment for conviction in his pocket. After which he opened the grating, made the man go out with his embarra.s.sment on his back, closed the grating again, and ran off, not caring to be mixed up with the remainder of the adventure and above all, not wis.h.i.+ng to be present when the a.s.sa.s.sin threw the a.s.sa.s.sinated man into the river. Now you comprehend. The man who was carrying the corpse was Jean Valjean; the one who had the key is speaking to you at this moment; and the piece of the coat ...”

Thenardier completed his phrase by drawing from his pocket, and holding, on a level with his eyes, nipped between his two thumbs and his two forefingers, a strip of torn black cloth, all covered with dark spots.

Marius had sprung to his feet, pale, hardly able to draw his breath, with his eyes riveted on the fragment of black cloth, and, without uttering a word, without taking his eyes from that fragment, he retreated to the wall and fumbled with his right hand along the wall for a key which was in the lock of a cupboard near the chimney.

He found the key, opened the cupboard, plunged his arm into it without looking, and without his frightened gaze quitting the rag which Thenardier still held outspread.

But Thenardier continued:

”Monsieur le Baron, I have the strongest of reasons for believing that the a.s.sa.s.sinated young man was an opulent stranger lured into a trap by Jean Valjean, and the bearer of an enormous sum of money.”

”The young man was myself, and here is the coat!” cried Marius, and he flung upon the floor an old black coat all covered with blood.

Then, s.n.a.t.c.hing the fragment from the hands of Thenardier, he crouched down over the coat, and laid the torn morsel against the tattered skirt.

The rent fitted exactly, and the strip completed the coat.

Thenardier was petrified.

This is what he thought: ”I'm struck all of a heap.”

Marius rose to his feet trembling, despairing, radiant.

He fumbled in his pocket and stalked furiously to Thenardier, presenting to him and almost thrusting in his face his fist filled with bank-notes for five hundred and a thousand francs.

”You are an infamous wretch! you are a liar, a calumniator, a villain.

You came to accuse that man, you have only justified him; you wanted to ruin him, you have only succeeded in glorifying him. And it is you who are the thief! And it is you who are the a.s.sa.s.sin! I saw you, Thenardier Jondrette, in that lair on the Rue de l'Hopital. I know enough about you to send you to the galleys and even further if I choose. Here are a thousand francs, bully that you are!”

And he flung a thousand franc note at Thenardier.

”Ah! Jondrette Thenardier, vile rascal! Let this serve you as a lesson, you dealer in second-hand secrets, merchant of mysteries, rummager of the shadows, wretch! Take these five hundred francs and get out of here!

Waterloo protects you.”

”Waterloo!” growled Thenardier, pocketing the five hundred francs along with the thousand.

”Yes, a.s.sa.s.sin! You there saved the life of a Colonel...”

”Of a General,” said Thenardier, elevating his head.

”Of a Colonel!” repeated Marius in a rage. ”I wouldn't give a ha'penny for a general. And you come here to commit infamies! I tell you that you have committed all crimes. Go! disappear! Only be happy, that is all that I desire. Ah! monster! here are three thousand francs more. Take them. You will depart to-morrow, for America, with your daughter; for your wife is dead, you abominable liar. I shall watch over your departure, you ruffian, and at that moment I will count out to you twenty thousand francs. Go get yourself hung elsewhere!”

”Monsieur le Baron!” replied Thenardier, bowing to the very earth, ”eternal grat.i.tude.” And Thenardier left the room, understanding nothing, stupefied and delighted with this sweet crus.h.i.+ng beneath sacks of gold, and with that thunder which had burst forth over his head in bank-bills.

Struck by lightning he was, but he was also content; and he would have been greatly angered had he had a lightning rod to ward off such lightning as that.