Chapter 97 The three want to drink, the horse wants to drink water

There are four new travelers. Cosette was very distressed, for, though she was only eight years old, she had suffered so much that when she was distressed she looked like an old woman. She has a black eye socket, which is the scar from the punch of Madame Thenardier. Madame Thenardier often pointed to it and said: "This girl is really ugly, she is always blind in one eye." Cosette was thinking that it was already dark, it was already dark, but four guests suddenly came, and she had to go immediately to fill the pitchers and bottles in the rooms of those guests, but there was no water in the sink. .

Fortunately, the Thenardiers didn't drink a lot of water, so she felt a little more at ease.Of course there are quite a few people who are thirsty, but for that kind of thirst, in their opinion, hydrolysis is not as good as alcohol solution.Everyone was drinking, and if anyone asked for water, all those people thought he was a brute.Still, the child trembled: a pot of water boiled on the stove, Madame Thenardier lifted the lid, picked up another glass, and hurried to the sink.She turned on the faucet, and the child had already raised his head, watching her every move.A thin stream of water flowed from the tap, filling the cup halfway. "Hmph," she said, "there's no water!" Then she said nothing immediately.The child held his breath too.

"That's it!" said Madame Thenardier, looking at the half-full glass, "that will probably be enough." Cosette continued her work, but for a quarter of an hour her heart felt like a ball beating in her chest. She counted the passage of time every minute and every second, wishing that it would be the next morning in no time. From time to time, a drinker looked at the street and said loudly: "It's as dark as a hole!" or said: "Only a cat can go out on the street without a lantern at such an hour!" trembling. Suddenly a shopkeeper who was going to spend the night in the inn came in and said sharply:

"You didn't give my horses water." "I have given it, I have given it a long time ago," said Madame Thenardier. "I said you didn't give it, ma'am," said the peddler. Cosette emerged from under the table. "Oh, yes, sir," said she, "the horse drank, in the bucket, a full bucket, which I sent him to drink, and I told him Lots of words." That was not the truth, Cosette was lying. "This chick is only the size of a fist, but she already knows how to tell big lies," said the peddler. "Little goblin! Let me tell you, she hasn't drunk. She hasn't drunk, and the way she exhales is different. I can tell at a glance. "

Cosette continued to argue, she was anxious, her throat was stiff, and she couldn't speak clearly, so that others could hardly hear what she was saying: "And it's plenty to drink!" "That's enough," the peddler said angrily, "It's nothing, just get water for my horse, don't talk too much!" Cosette went back under the table again. "Indeed, that is true," said Madame Thenardier. "If the animal has not had water, of course it must." Then she looked around. "Why, that one disappeared again?" Bending down, she saw Cosette curled up at the other end of the table, almost under the feet of the drinkers.

"Are you coming out?" Madame Thenardier roared. Cosette crawled out of her hiding-hole.Madame Thenardier continued: "You nameless lady dog, get some water and feed the horses." "But, madame," whispered Cosette, "there is no more water." Madame Thenardier opened the door and said: "No water? Get it!" Cosette lowered her head, went to the corner of the fireplace and took an empty barrel. The bucket was bigger than her, and if the child sat in it, it would never be too small. Madame Thenardier returned to her fire, took a wooden spoon, tasted the soup in the pot, and murmured:

"There is water by the spring. It's not a big deal. I think it's better not to put onions." Then she rummaged through a drawer that held loose change, peppers, onions and garlic. "Come, Miss Toad," she continued, "when you come back, go to the baker's and bring a loaf of bread. Here's the money, fifteen sous a piece." Cosette had a small pocket on the side of her apron, and she took the money without saying a word, and stuffed it into it. She was holding the bucket, facing the open door, and stood still.She seemed to be counting on someone to rescue her.

"Not yet!" shouted Madame Thenardier. Cosette was gone.The gate was also closed.