Chapter 70 Sanshawei proud

Here's what happened. It was half-past twelve in the evening when M. Madeleine emerged from the Court of Arras.He returned to the hotel just in time to return by the mail coach, and we remember that he had reserved a seat early.He arrived at Montreuil-sur-Mer before six o'clock in the morning, and the first thing he did was to deliver the letter addressed to M. Lafitte to the post office, and then to see Fantine in the convalescent room. No sooner had he left the chamber of the Superior Court than the public prosecutor, suppressing his confusion, began to speak, deploring the absurdity of the venerable mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer, and declaring that he would never be dismayed by such a singular accident. Changing his original opinion, why this accident happened, he will definitely be able to figure it out in the future, and he also believes that Shangmadi is the real Jean Valjean, and demands that he be convicted first.The prosecutor's insistence on the original proposal is obviously contrary to the views of every observer, member of the court and jury.The defense of the accused refuted his argument in a few words, and pointed out that the case had been so radically changed by the revelation of M. Madeleine, that is to say, the real Jean Valjean, that all that remained before the eyes of the jurors was a innocent people.The lawyer made a summary of some errors in the legal procedure. Unfortunately, what he said was not a new discovery. Within, it was announced that Shangmadi would not be prosecuted.

But the prosecutor had to have Jean Valjean, and if he couldn't catch Champtiers, he had to catch Madeleine. After Shang Madi was released, the prosecutor and the chief judge immediately locked themselves in the room for a secret talk.They discussed "the need to arrest the mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer himself."This phrase with many "of" characters is the masterpiece of Mr. Prosecutor, and he wrote it himself on the draft of the report submitted to the Chief Prosecutor.After feeling nervous for a while, the president did not object much.The law can never hit a wall.And to be honest, although the president of the court is a kind and clever man, he has a very strong idea of ​​protecting the king. The mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer mentioned the "Emperor" instead of "Bonaparte" when talking about the Cannes landing incident. , he felt very unpleasant.

A warrant of arrest was issued.The prosecutor sent a special person to Montreuil-sur-Mer night and night, and ordered the scout Javert to execute it. We know that Javert returned to Montreuil-sur-Mer immediately after his testimony. Javert was just getting up when the messenger handed him the arrest warrant and summons. The messenger was also a competent police officer, and he explained to Javert what had happened in Arras in a few words.The arrest warrant was signed by the prosecutor, and it read: "Scout Javert, quickly arrest the Mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer, Mr. Madeleine, who has been found to be a released convict of hard labor during today's public trial. Jean."

Had a man who had never seen Javert seen him enter the antechamber of the convalescent room, he would not have guessed what had happened, and would have thought that his air was the most ordinary in the world.His manner was calm and serious, his gray hair plastered neatly to his temples, and his steps up the stairs had been as leisurely as ever.But if there is a person who knows what he is, and observes him carefully, he will feel horrified.The buttons of his fur collar were not at the back of his neck, but above his left ear.This explained the kind of panic he had never felt at that time. Javert was a perfect man, there was nothing to criticize in his working attitude and dressing manner, he was never tolerant of the mob, and he was never meticulous about the buttons on his clothes.

For him to be able to button his collar askew, it must have been a turmoil in him called an "inner earthquake." He asked for a corporal commander and four soldiers from the nearby post, and came as if nothing had happened.He left the soldiers in the courtyard, and told him to tell him about Fantine's house, the old housekeeper, who was not on the alert, for she was used to seeing armed men come to the mayor. Javert went to Fantine's door, turned the knob, opened it with the softness of a nurse or a spy, and entered. Strictly speaking, he did not come in, but stood in the half-open doorway, with his hat on his head and his left hand thrust into his frock coat that buttoned down to his neck.The leaden end of his thick walking stick, hidden behind his back, protruded from the crook of his elbow.

He stood there for almost a minute without attracting any attention.Suddenly, Fantine raised his eyes, caught sight of him, and again directed M. Madeleine to turn his head away. When M. Madeleine's eyes met those of Javert, Javert did not move, did not startle, did not approach, but only showed a look of terror.In terms of human emotions, the most terrible thing is the color of complacency. This is the face of a devil who has found a friend. He was so sure that he could catch Jean Valjean that all that was in his heart showed in his face.The muddy bottom affected the water surface.He thought that he had sniffed the wrong way and mistakenly identified Shangmadi for a while, and he was very upset. Fortunately, he had seen him through at the beginning, and he was still sober all these years. Thinking of this, the annoyance dissipated.Javert's joy was accentuated by his haughty attitude, and his narrow brow was disfigured by victory.There was nothing ugly about that smug face.

At this time, Javert was in heaven. Although he didn't know it very well, he had a vague intuition about the importance of his own success and status. He, Javert, personified law, light and truth, he was representing They perform the task of eliminating evil given by heaven.He has boundless power, reason, justice, the spirit of the rule of law, and public opinion, and the sky is full of stars surrounding him and around him.He maintains social order, he makes the law thunder, he eliminates violence for the society, he defends the absolute truth, and he stands in the center of the divine light; although he has won the game, he still has the courage to provoke and fight; he stands upright with dignity He is majestic and majestic, filling the sky with the superhuman majesty of a brave god.In the frightful shadow of the task he was carrying out, one could see in his clenched fist the cold gleam of a sword of social power.He happily and resentfully stepped on crime, scandal, rebellion, depravity, and hell with his heels. spirit.

Javert was fierce, but never mean. Integrity, sincerity, honesty, self-confidence, and loyalty to duties, these qualities can become ugly when they are misinterpreted, but even if they are ugly, they still have their greatness; their majesty is unique to human conscience, so in the ugly still exists.This is some good quality with a flaw, and that flaw is that it can go wrong.There is an unfeeling and honest joy in those who are obsessed with a certain belief, in the indulgence of violence, which somehow has a gloomy and admirable light.Javert, in his frightful joy, was as worthy of pity as every successful villain.That face expressed what we may call the best of all evils, and there is nothing in the world so miserable or dreadful.