Chapter 49 Madame Vic-Douignan spent thirty-five francs for the hearts of the world

Fantine had a momentary pleasure in seeing herself able to live.What a blessing to be able to earn my own living honestly!She did have a labor-loving mood again.She bought a looking-glass, admired her youth, her fair hair, and her fine teeth, and forgot many things except her Cosette and her possible future, and she was almost a happy being.She rented a small room and bought some furniture on the security of her future wages, a remnant of her frivolous habits. She could not tell anyone that she was married, so she avoided talking about her youngest daughter, whom we have already briefly mentioned.

At first, as we have seen, she always paid the Thenardiers on time.Since she only knew about signatures, she had to find a letter writer to write to them. She often sends letters.This draws the attention of others.In the women's workshop a chatter began, about Fantine "sending letters every day" and that she was doing "strange things." The weirdest thing in the world is to spy on other people's things that have nothing to do with themselves. "Why does that gentleman keep looking for that brown-haired girl?" "Why doesn't Mr. So-and-so hang his key on a nail on Thursday?" "Why does he always go down the side street?" "Why does that lady always Get out of the carriage before you get home?" "Why should she send for a bundle when her letter-box is full?" and so on.There are many people in the world who are willing to spend more money, time and effort than doing ten good deeds to solve the mystery, even though they have nothing to do with them.And, do that kind of thing without getting paid, just for the momentary pleasure, curious out of curiosity.They can follow this man or that woman from morning to night, for days on end, on street corners, under doorways in alleys, in the dark and in the cold and rain, spying for hours, buying eyeliners, and getting coachmen drunk With servants, to bribe maids, to conspire with gatekeepers.What is the purpose?Aimless, purely a desire to see, to know, to gain insight, purely to show off one's well-informed heart.Once the hidden secrets are discovered, the secrets are revealed, and the mysteries are exposed, many disasters, duels, bankruptcy, family ruin, and life are cut off. In fact, these things have nothing to do with them, and they are purely instinctive. " and felt great joy.What a sad thing.

Some people go out of their way to be mean just for the sake of being garrulous.Their conversations, their heart-to-heart conversations in the living room, and the gossip in the waiting room are like the kind of expensive fireplace that needs a lot of fuel, and that fuel is the people around them. Attention was drawn to Fantine. In addition, many women are jealous of her blond hair and fine teeth. She was indeed seen turning her head away and wiping tears when she was among the people in the workshop.That was the moment when she thought about her child, and maybe at the same time thinking about the one she loved.

It is indeed a painful process to let go of the lingering old hatred. It was indeed discovered that she had to write at least two letters a month, and always to the same address, and she had to post a stamp after writing. Someone found the address: "Monsieur Thenardier, the owner of Montfermeil's Inn." The gentleman who wrote was an old man who couldn't fill his stomach with red wine without telling his secrets. They invited him to the hotel for a chat.In short, they knew that Fantine had a child. "She must be that kind of woman." It happened that a gossiping woman had gone to Montfermeil and had a conversation with the Thenardiers, and when she came back she said: "It cost me thirty-five francs. Happy. I saw the boy."

The gossip who did this was a hag named Madame Victunian, guardian and keeper of the chastity of all.Madame Victunian was fifty-six, old and ugly.Throat trembling, thoughts cunning.It is strange that the old woman has had youth.In her youth, exactly in 1993, she married a monk who had escaped from the monastery. The monk put on a red hat and changed from a follower of St. Bernard to a Jacobin.He had tortured her a lot, and since she was a widow, though she missed her husband, she had been ruthless, brutal, pungent, sharp, prickly, and almost poisonous.She is a nettle rubbed by a frock.In the Restoration Era, she became very devout, and because of her strong belief in God, the priests stopped pursuing her monk and forgave her.She had a small fortune which had been donated with great fanfare to a religious order.She is well respected in the diocese of Arras.This Madame Victunian had gone to Montfermeil, and when she came back said: "I saw the child."

All this took some time.Fantine has been at the factory for more than a year.One morning, the workshop stewardess handed her fifty francs, saying it was from the mayor, and told her that she was no longer from the workshop, and that she was ordered by the mayor to leave Montana. Fei Mei. It just so happened that this was the month when Mamma Thenardier forced her to increase from twelve to fifteen francs after she had asked her to increase it from six to twelve. Fantine was greatly embarrassed.She couldn't leave the place, and she owed rent and furniture.Fifty francs were not enough to settle the debt.She stammered some words of intercession.The female administrator told her to leave the workshop immediately.After all, Fantine was just an ordinary worker.She couldn't stand the humiliation, and she was unemployed, so she had to leave the workshop and return to her own residence.Her fault is now well known.

She felt that she didn't even have the courage to say a word.Someone advised her to see the mayor, but she dared not.Monsieur the Mayor gave her fifty francs because he was kind, and sent her away because he was honest.She succumbed to the decision.