Chapter 66 Ten Ways to Deny

The time has come to declare the debate closed.The presiding judge called the accused to his feet and asked him the usual question: "Do you have anything to add in your defense?" The man, standing, was turning a battered little hat in his hand, as if not hearing. The President repeated the question. This time, the man heard it.As if he understood, he made a movement as if waking from a dream, opened his eyes and looked around, at the audience, at the bailiff, at his lawyer, at the jury, at the court, at the place where his huge fist was placed in front of his bench. On the wooden railing, I looked again.Suddenly, with his eyes fixed on the prosecutor, he began to speak, which seemed to explode.His rambling, urgent, abrupt, and chaotic words burst out, as if every sentence was busy trying to squeeze out at the same time.He said:

"I have this to say. I worked as a carmaker in Paris, and at M. Barlou's. It's a laborious trade. Carmakers always work in the open air, in yards, only Only in the shed at the home of the good owner; but never in the workshop with doors and windows, because there are many places, you know. In winter, everyone beats their arms to keep themselves warm; but the owner always No, they said, it would be a waste of time. It's bad enough to hold an iron in your hand when the ground is frozen. Even a good man must die. Do that kind of craft, and the boys will become little old men. By four It's over at ten. I, I was fifty-three years old, and I've suffered all the crimes. And the old friends, all of them are ruthless! A good person, when you get old, they tell you to do it Old melon, old beast! I can only earn thirty sous a day, and those employers are still trying to keep my wages as low as possible at my age. Besides, I used to have a daughter who washed in the river. Clothes, she makes a little money in that too. The two of us can get by. She has suffered enough. Whether it rains or snows, or the wind blows your face, she has to wear half of her body from morning to night. Soak it in the laundry tub; it’s the same when it’s freezing, you have to wash it; some people don’t have any more clothes to wash, and they send them to be washed, and they wait for a change; It's a seam, it's leaking everywhere, splashing all over you. Her skirt is wet inside and out. The water is soaking in. She worked in the red doll laundry factory, where the water came from the tap Laundry people don't use buckets, they only wash in front of the faucet, and then send it to the sink behind for rinsing. Because it is inside the house, it is not so cold on the body. But the water vapor in there is frightening, it Blind your eyes too. She comes back at seven o'clock at night. Goes to bed quickly, she's so sleepy. Her husband beats her a lot. Now she's dead. We haven't had a good time. That She's a good girl, she doesn't go to balls, and she's quiet. I remember one carnival night, she went to bed at eight o'clock. That's it. I'm telling the truth. Just ask. Yeah. Yes, ask. How stupid I am! Paris is a bottomless pit. Who knows Uncle Shangmadi? But I will tell you about Mr. Ballou. You go to Mr. Ballou's and ask. Other than that, I don't know you What do you want me to do?"

The man stopped talking and stood still.He uttered the passage in a loud, rough, forceful, hoarse voice, impatient, reckless, and innocent in his manner.Once, he paused to greet a man in the audience.He babbled to the public, and when he got serious, his voice sounded like a choke, and he added the gesture of a woodcutter chopping wood.After he finished speaking, the audience roared with laughter.He looked at everyone and saw people laughing. He was puzzled and laughed too. It's a tragic scene. The President, a thoughtful man, spoke loudly. He reminded "gentlemen of the jury" again, saying, "The defendant said that he used to work in the home of Mr. Balu's carmaker, so there is no need to mention these things. Mr. Balu has already left at a loss, and his whereabouts are unknown." Turning to the defendant, calling his attention to what he was saying, he added:

"Your current situation must be carefully considered. You have extremely serious suspicions that may cause extremely serious consequences. Defendant, for your benefit, I will take care of you for the last time. Please explain two things straightforwardly: first , have you climbed the wall of the Garden of Belle, broken a branch, and stolen an apple, that is, have committed the crime of burglary over the wall? Second, are you the freed convict Jean Valjean?" The accused shook his head with an air of confidence, as of a man who knows everything and knows how to answer.He opened his mouth, turned to the president and said:

"first……" Then he looked at his hat, and at the ceiling, but said nothing. "Defendant," said the prosecutor in a stern voice, "you have to be careful, you don't answer anything that people ask you. If you are so flustered, it's tantamount to self-reporting. You are obviously not a Shangmadi. First of all, you clearly It was Jean Valjean, the convict who took the name of his mother and changed his name to Jean Marty. You have been in the Auvergne, you were born in Favelolès, and you worked as a tree-pruner there. You have clearly climbed Don't steal the ripe apples from the wall of the Red Garden. Gentlemen of the jury, please consider."

The defendant had already sat down, but after the prosecutor finished speaking, he suddenly stood up and shouted: "You're black, you! That's what I was going to say. I didn't think it up. I didn't steal anything. I don't have food every day. I was coming from Ery when it rained heavily, I passed a place where it was washed by the rain and turned into a piece of yellow mud. The water in the depression flowed in all directions, and only a few small pieces of grass were exposed in the sand on the roadside. I found a broken branch on the ground with some Apple, I picked up the branch, not thinking of getting me into trouble. I have been in prison for three months, and have been brought here and there. I have nothing to say but that; If you have trouble with me, you say to me: 'Answer!' This soldier is a good man. He shakes my arm and whispers to me: 'Answer.' I don't know how to explain it, I, I don't Culture, I'm a poor man. You mustn't have failed to find out. I didn't steal. I picked things up from the ground. What do you say Jean Valjean, Jean Marty! I don't know any of these people. They are from the country. I worked in the hospital Mr. Lubalu's family. My name is Shangmadi. You can tell me where I was born. You have the ability. I don't know it myself. Not everyone in the world Born out of the womb with a house. That's so convenient. I think my father and my mother were some kind of scroungers. And I don't know. When I was a kid, people called me a little trick , now, people call me old man. These are my christening names. Call them whatever you want. I've been to Auvergne, I've been to Favirolles, of course! What? Can't you go to Auvergne, can't you go to Favirolles? I tell you, I haven't stolen anything. I'm Uncle Mercantile. I've worked and lived in M. Barrou's house. Listen. You nonsense, I'm so impatient! Why are all the people in the world coming to force me like grieving ghosts!"

The prosecutor still stood, and he said to the president: "Mr. President, this defendant wants to pretend to be stupid and cunning, but we have warned him in advance that he will not escape. Based on his flickering and cunning denial, we request the President and the court to arraign the prisoners Brevet and Ghoshbay again. , Cheniger, and Javert, the scout, for a final interrogation, to prove whether the accused is Jean Valjean." "I would like to draw your attention, Mr. Prosecutor," said the President, "that Javert, the scout, left the court immediately after his testimony, and left the town, because of his business in the town of the neighboring county. We let him go. Prosecutor." Both Mr. and the defendant's lawyer agreed."

"That's right, Mr President," went on the prosecutor. "Since Mr. Javert is not here, I think I should repeat to the gentlemen of the jury what he just said here. Javert is a man respected by everyone. He is a man of fortitude, prudence, and integrity. The important task is very competent, and this is what he left when he testified: "I don't need any mental speculation or material evidence to expose the defendant's false confession. I know him absolutely. This man is not named Shang. Marty, he was once a very vicious, very fierce convict named Jean Valjean. He was released after serving his sentence, which we think is extremely wrong. He was tortured for nineteen years for a grand robbery. He Attempts to escape, as many as five or six times. In addition to the burglary of the petit Rierwei and the burglary of the Biehong Garden, I also suspected that he had committed theft in the house of the late Bishop of Digne. When I was deputy prison officer in Toulon I have seen him often. I repeat, I know him for sure.'”

This proclamation of incomparable precision seemed to have made a deep impression on the audience and on the jury.After the prosecutor finished reading, he insisted (though Javert was no longer there) to seriously interrogate the three witnesses of Bleiwei, Chenijie and Ghoshbayi again. The presiding judge handed over the summons to a bailiff, and a moment later the door of the witness room opened.Under the protection of a guard, the bailiff brought the prisoner Bravet.The audience was dubious, and their hearts were beating, as if they had only one soul in common. The old prisoner, Bradwig, wore the grey-black coat of Central Prison.Brevet was a man of about sixty, with the face of a business owner and the air of a hooligan, and sometimes there is that kind of coincidence.He continued to do bad things, so that he was in prison and became something like a guard. The leaders said: "This man is looking for opportunities to please." The priests who preached in prison also testified to some of his good habits in religion. .We should not forget that this is a Restoration era.

"Brevec," said the president, "you have received a disgraceful punishment, and you should not take an oath..." Brevet lowered his eyes. "But," went on the President, "if grace permits, even a man who has been degraded by the law may retain in his heart a little love of honour, of equality. In this critical moment, I hope This is the kind of feeling that you have. If you still have this kind of feeling in your heart, I think you do, then, before answering me, you should think carefully. Can make the law shine. This is a solemn moment, and if you think that you have said something wrong, you have time to take back your words. Defendant, stand up. Brevc, look at this defendant well, remember your past, and then Tell us, in your soul and conscience, whether you really think this man is Jean Valjean, your former prison friend."

Bradwig looked at the defendant, then turned to the court and said: "Yes, Monsieur President. I was the first to say it was Jean Valjean, and I still say it. This is Jean Valjean. Entered Toulon in 1796, came out in 1815. I am Came out a year later. He looks like a fool now, so perhaps age has made him a fool, he was already so queer in prison. I do know him." "Go and sit down," said the president, "stand still, defendant." Schönig was also brought in. He was dressed in red and green hat, and at a glance he was a lifelong convict.He was serving his sentence in Toulon Prison.It was brought out of jail for this case.He was a man of about fifty, short, quick, wrinkled, yellow, cheeky, violent, with a sickness of weakness in his limbs and whole body, but with an extraordinary power in his eyes.His fellow prisoner gave him the nickname "Zinije". The president said to him in much the same way as he had just said to Brevett.He said that he had done dishonorable things and had lost his eligibility to take the oath, but at this moment Schönig raised his head as usual and stared blankly at the audience.The President taught him to concentrate, and asked him, as he had first asked Brevett, whether he still knew the defendant. Scheneger laughed out loud. "Certainly! Did I know him? We hung on a chain for five years. Are you mad, old friend?" "Go and sit down," said the President. The bailiff led Ghoshbayi to come.This prisoner, who was serving a life sentence, was also brought out of prison like Cheniger, and he also wore a red coat.He was a countryman from Lourdes, almost a savage in the Pyrenees.He guarded cattle and sheep in the mountains, from a shepherd to a robber.Compared with this defendant, Ghoshbayi was not inferior in brute force, but superior in ignorance.There are some unfortunate people in the world who first created wild animals from the natural environment, and then created prisoners from human society until they died of old age. Ghoshbai is one of them. The presiding judge tried to impress him with some dignified and touching remarks, and then asked him, in the same way he had asked the two men earlier, whether he could insist without doubt and unequivocally that he knew the man who stood before him. "This is Jean Valjean," said Gouchbail, "we still call him a jack, because of his strength." The affirmation of these three people was obviously sincere, and they spoke out of conscience, which aroused waves of murmuring whispers among the audience. Every time one more person gave an affirmative answer, the tumultuous voice became stronger and longer. , which is an ominous omen.As for the accused, he listened with astonishment to what they said, which, according to the indictment, was his chief defense.When the first witness had finished speaking, the bailiff next to him heard him gritting his teeth and muttering in a low voice: "Well! There is one." When the second finished speaking, he said again, a little louder, almost With a smug air: "Good!" When the third finished speaking, he shouted: "Excellent!" The President asked him: "Defendant, you heard me. What more can you say?" He replied: "I said 'Excellent!'" There was an uproar in the audience, and the jury was almost affected.This man was clearly ruined. "Bailier," said the presiding judge, "tell everyone to be quiet, and I will immediately declare the debate closed." At this time, someone moved around the president.A voice was heard shouting: "Bravet, Shanij, Ghoshbayi! Look this way." The people who heard the voice all stood on end, the voice was so miserable and frightening.All eyes turned to that side.An observer sitting behind the judge in the reception seat just stood up, pushed open the low gate between the judge's seat and the lawyer's seat, and stood in the middle of the hall.The President, the Prosecutor, Mr. Bamadabo, and twenty others, all of whom knew him, shouted in unison: "Monsieur Madeleine!"