Chapter 47 Uncle Liufeng

One morning M. Madeleine was passing through a small unpaved street in Montreuil-sur-Mer.He heard a loud noise and saw a group of people in the distance.He got there.An old man named Uncle Fauchelevent had just fallen under his cart, when the horse that drew it slipped. This Uncle Fauchelevent was one of the few friends who at that time consistently discriminated against M. Madeleine.Fauchelevent, a former country clerk and a poorly literate peasant, had just begun to lose his fortune when Madeleine first arrived there.Fauchelevent saw this ordinary worker getting richer and richer, while himself, a big boss, was gradually declining. He was full of jealousy, and whenever he had the opportunity, he tried his best to plot against Madeleine.Later, he went bankrupt, was old, had only a small cart and a horse, and had no family and children. In order to make a living, he had to drive a cart.

The horse had bruised its hind legs and could not get up, and the old man was stuck between the wheels.The fall was so unfortunate that the weight of the entire car was on his chest.The things in the car are quite heavy.Uncle Fauchelevent screamed in agony.Others tried to drag him out, but to no avail.If he acts recklessly, the help will not be obtained properly, and a shake can kill him.There was nothing to get him out except by propping the car up from underneath.Javert came when the accident happened, and he sent for a jack. M. Madeleine also came.Everyone respectfully gave way. "Help!" cried old Fauchelevent. "Who is a good boy? Help the old man."

M. Madeleine turned to the audience and said: "Do you have jacks?" "Someone has already looked for it," replied a farmer. "How long will it take to find it?" "It was at the nearest place, to Frachaux, where there was a horseshoe-binder, but at any rate it took a good quarter of an hour." "A quarter of an hour!" cried Madeleine. The night before, it had rained and the ground was soaked, and the car was sinking, pressing the old coachman's chest tighter and tighter.In less than five minutes his ribs were bound to snap. "Wait a quarter of an hour, no!" Madeleine said to the peasants present.

"Just wait!" "But it must be too late! Don't you see that car is sinking?" "Holy Mother!" "Listen," continued Madeleine, "there's still room under the car for a man to climb in and push it up on his back. It only takes half a minute to get the poor man out. Here's a man with a waist A man of strength and conscience? There are five louis to earn!" No one in the crowd moved. "Ten louis," said Madeleine. All the people present lowered their eyes, and one of them whispered: "It has to be a person with supernatural power. And if you don't do it well, you will even crush yourself to death."

"Come!" repeated Madeleine, "twenty louis!" Still nothing. "They're not heartless," said a voice. M. Madeleine turned and recognized Javert.Didn't see him when he came. Javert continued: "What they lack is strength. To carry such a car on their backs, there must be a particularly powerful person." Then, fixing his eyes on M. Madeleine, he continued emphatically: "Monsieur Madeleine, I have never known but one man capable of doing what you say." Madeleine was taken aback. Javert went on with an air of indifference, but did not take his eyes off Madeleine.

"That man was once a convict." "Ah!" said Madeleine. "Convicts in the prisons of Toulon." Madeleine paled. At that point, the car slowly continued to sink.Uncle Fauchelevent gasped and roared: "I can't breathe! My ribs are going to break! Get a jack! Or something! Ouch!" Madeleine looked around. "Is no one willing to earn the twenty louis to save the poor old man's life?" There was no one moving.Javert added: "I've only ever known one person who could take the place of the jack, and that was the convict."

"Ah! I'm crushed to death!" cried the old man. Madeleine raised his head and met Javert's eagle eyes which were fixed on his face. Madeleine looked at the motionless peasants and smiled wryly.Then, without saying a word, he knelt down on his knees, and before the audience could shout, he was under the car. There was a thrilling wait for the dawn. Madeleine was seen lying almost flat under the monstrous mass, and tried twice, in vain, to bring his elbows to his knees.Everyone shouted to him: "Come out, Uncle Madeleine!" And old Fauchelevent himself said to him: "Monsieur Madeleine! Go away, please! I'm damned, you see! Let me go! You too." Will be crushed to death here!" Madeleine did not answer.

The audience gasped in panic.The wheels sank a little more, and Madeleine had little chance of getting out from under the car. Suddenly, everyone saw that the huge pile of things shook, and the car slowly rose, and the wheels had already risen halfway from the mud pit.A voice, almost breathless, cried: "Hurry up! Help!" It was Madeleine who had just exhausted the last of his strength. Everyone rushed forward.The effort of one brings forth the strength and courage of all.The car was lifted by twenty arms.Old Fauchelevent was spared. Madeleine stood up, blue in the face despite the profuse sweat.His clothes were torn and he was covered in mud.Everyone cried.The old man kissed his knee and called him a merciful God.As for him, there was an indescribably sublime, joyful misery in his face, and he cast his serene and free eyes on Javert's face, and Javert was always looking at him.