Chapter 19 The heroic spirit of three absolute obedience

The door opened. The door flew wide open at once, as if someone had pushed it with great force and determination. Someone came in. We already know this person, he is the passer-by we met just now. He came in, took a step forward, and stopped, leaving the door open behind him.He had a sack over his shoulder, a stick in his hand, and a look in his eyes that was rude, presumptuous, weary, and violent.The fire in the hearth was shining on him, and he looked so terrible and terrible, the devil incarnate. Madame Magloire did not even have the strength to cry out.Startled, she became dumbfounded.

Miss Baptistine looked back and saw the man walking towards the door, she was so frightened that she couldn't stand up straight, and after a while she turned her head slowly, facing the fireplace, looking at her brother, her face turned into a deep and peaceful face again. that's it. The bishop looked at the man with calm eyes. He was about to ask the newcomer what he wanted, when the newcomer leaned his hands on his stick, looked back and forth between the old man and the two women, and before the bishop could speak, said loudly: "Listen to me. My name is Jean Valjean. I am a convict. I have spent nineteen years in prison. I have been released for four days, and now I am going to Pontarières, which is my destination. I have never It has been four days since I came to Toulon, and today I have traveled twelve leagues in one day. I have only been here in the dark, and I have been to an inn only because I had a yellow passport at the town hall. Then I was kicked out. It was necessary to ask for an inspection. I went to another inn. They said to me: "Get out!" This one doesn't want me, and that one doesn't want me. I went to prison again, look The person who opened the door refused to open the door. I also went to the kennel. The dog bit me and kicked me out, as if it was a human being, as if it knew who I was. I ran to the field , planning to spend the night in the open air. But there are no stars in the sky. I thought it was going to rain, and there was no good God to stop the rain. I went back to the city to find a doorway. Over there, in that open space, there is a I was lying down, Slate, when a mother-in-law showed me your house and said, 'Go and knock on that door.' I have already knocked. What is this place? Is it an inn? I have Money. I have savings. One hundred and nine francs and fifteen sous. I have worked nineteen years in prison. I can pay the bills. What does it matter? I have money. I am very sleepy. I have traveled twelve leagues, and I am very hungry. Will you let me rest?"

"Madame Magloire," said the Bishop, "add a knife and fork." The man took three steps and approached the lamp on the stage. "No," he said, as if he didn't understand, "that's not what it means. Do you hear me? I'm a convict, a convict for hard labor. I've just come out of prison." He took out a piece of big yellow paper from his pocket, unfolded it and said, "This is my passport. It's yellow, you see. This thing keeps me kicked out everywhere. Do you want to read it? I can read it, I, I read it in prison Books. There is a school there, and anyone who wants to read can enter. Listen, here are the words written on the paper: 'Jean Valjean, convict, ex-convict, from...' You don't have to know that I am Somewhere, 'Nineteen years in prison. Five years for burglary through walls. Fourteen years for escape attempts. Very dangerous.' That's it! Everybody kick me out, you'll take me in Is this an inn? Will you give me food and sleep? Have you a stable?"

"Madame Magloire," said the Bishop, "make a white sheet on the bed in the alcove." We have explained what the obedience of the two women was like. Madame Magloire immediately went out to carry out the order. The bishop turned back toward the man. "Sit down, sir, and warm yourself by the fire. In a moment we shall have supper, and while you are eating your bed will be ready." By this time, the man fully understood.His usually sullen and serious face became curiously amazed, puzzled, and joyful, and he murmured like a madman: "Really? What? Will you keep me? You won't throw me away! A convict! You call me 'sir'! You don't use 'you' when you talk to me. 'Go away! You bastard!' Call me that. I thought you'd throw me out. And I'll tell you who I am when I come up. Oh! That good mother-in-law, she told me the place. I've got supper! Bed! A bed with mattresses and sheets! Just like everyone else! I haven't slept in a bed for nineteen years, and you really don't want me to go! You have a conscience! And I have money. Of course I have to pay the bill. Excuse me, What's your name, Mr. Innkeeper? I'll pay for all you want. You're a good fellow. You're the innkeeper, aren't you?"

"I am a priest who lives here," said the Bishop. "A priest!" said the man. "Oh, what a priest! You don't want my money, then? Curé, do you? The curé of the cathedral. Yes! Oh, how stupid I am, I didn't notice your little hat just now!" As he spoke, he put the sack and stick in the corner of the room, then put his passport in his pocket, and sat down, while Miss Baptistine looked at him kindly.He continued: "You are humane, Monsieur curé. You have no contempt. It is a good priest. Will you not want me to pay the bill?" "No bill," said the Bishop, "keep your money. How much do you have? Didn't you say one hundred and nine francs?"

"Add fifteen sous," said the man. "One hundred and nine francs and fifteen sous. How long did it take you to earn it?" "Nineteen years." "Nineteen years!" The Bishop sighed deeply. The man went on to say: "I have all my money. I spent only twenty-five sous in these four days, and I earned the twenty-five sous by helping unload the trucks in Grasse. Since you are a priest, I will I must tell you that there used to be a preacher in our prison. One day I saw a bishop. Everyone called him 'Monsieur Bishop.' It was the bishop of the Marseilles Major. Priest. Excuse me, you know, I can't speak; it's really not good for me! You know, people like us! He said mass on an altar in the prison, and he had a spike on his head. How bright it was in the noonday sun. We were lined up on three sides. Ahead of us were many cannons, with kindling cords on fire. We couldn't see very well. .He spoke to us, but he stood too far in and we couldn't hear him. That's a bishop."

As he talked, the bishop went to close the open door. Madame Magloire entered again with a set of cutlery, which she placed on the table. "Madame Magloire," said the Bishop, "put this table near the fire." He turned again to his guest: "The night wind in the Alps is enough. You must be cold, sir?" The man beamed with joy every time he said the word "sir" in his soft serious, hospitable voice. "Sir" is to the criminal what a glass of water is to the victim of Medusa.Shamed people crave the respect of others. "This lamp," said the Bishop, "is too dim."

Madame Magloire understood, went to the bishop's bedroom, took the two silver candlesticks from the fireplace, lighted them, and placed them on the table. "Monsieur Priest," said the man, "you are very kind. You do not despise me. You let me live in your house, and you light candles for me. I did not hide from you where I came from, nor I'm not kidding you, I'm an unlucky guy." The Bishop sat beside him, gently pressing his hand. "You don't have to tell me who you are. This is not my house, this is the house of Jesus Christ. This door does not ask the person who walks in if he has a name, but asks him if he has pain. You have pain, You are hungry and thirsty, stay at ease. And don't thank me, don't say that I keep you in my house. No one is in his own house unless he needs a place to live. You are a passer-by, I tell you, I'm not in my house so much as you are in your house. Everything here is yours. Why should I know your name? And when you tell me your name You already had a name before, and I knew it long ago."

The man opened his eyes round, a little inexplicably. "Really? Did you already know my name?" "Yes," replied the Bishop, "your name is 'My Brother.'" "How strange, Monsieur abbe," cried the man, "I was really hungry when I came in, but you are so kind that I don't know I'm hungry anymore, I'm not hungry anymore." The bishop looked at him and said to him: "Have you suffered a lot?" "Wear red clothes, drag iron balls on your feet, sleep with only one plank, suffer from heat, cold, do hard labor, join the prison team, and suffer from sticks! You have to be dragged on a chain for everything. If you say a word wrong, you will be locked up. A dark room. Sick and dragging a chain on the bed, the dog, the dog is happier! Nineteen years! I am already forty-six years old. Now I have to carry a yellow passport, that’s all.”

"Yes," said the bishop, "you came from the place of torment. Listen to me. One sinner who weeps and repents is more delighted in heaven than a hundred good men clad in white." If you come out of that miserable place, if you have anger and hatred, you are worthy of pity; if you have thoughts of kindness, love, and peace, you are nobler than any of us. " Madame Magloire brought out the supper.A pot of soup made of plain water, vegetable oil, bread, and salt, with a bit of bacon, a piece of mutton, figs, fresh cheese, and a large loaf of rye bread.In addition to Mr. Bishop's daily food, she took the initiative to add a bottle of old mother blessing wine.

The cheerful look of a hospitable man suddenly came into the bishop's face. "Please sit down." He said quickly.As usual at dinner, he invited the man to sit on his right, and the Baptistine girl, in perfect tranquility, to his left. According to his custom, the bishop said the prayers first, and then served the soup with his own hands.The man ate greedily. The bishop suddenly said, "There seems to be something missing from the table." It is true that Madame Magloire did not set the three indispensable sets of tableware.According to the custom of the family, when the bishop invited guests to supper, the six servings of silver were always displayed on the tablecloth, which was really an optional arrangement.That genteel false luxury was a playful childishness of the family, elevating the arid scene to a grandeur. Madame Magloire understood what he meant, and went out without saying a word. After a while, the three sets of tableware requested by the bishop were neatly laid out in front of the three diners, shining on the tablecloth. .