Chapter 359 Two took a few steps back

The next day, at the same hour, Jean Valjean arrived. Cosette stopped asking him, didn't show surprise, didn't make her feel cold, didn't mention the drawing-room; she avoided calling him father or Monsieur Jean.She allowed him to call him "you" and "madame", but her joy was lessened.If she could be depressed, she would be. It is probable that she and Marius had already had such a conversation in which her lover said what he wanted to say without explaining it, and satisfied his beloved wife.People who are in love will not be too curious about things other than love.

The basement has been tidied up a bit.Basque took the bottle and Nicolette removed the cobwebs. After this, and at the same moment, Jean Valjean came.He came every day, and he had no courage not to do what Marius said.Marius managed to keep himself out of the house when Jean Valjean came.The family also got used to this new situation of M. Fauchelevent.Dusan also helped explain. "It's always been like this, sir," she repeated.Grandfather made such a conclusion: "This is a strange man." One sentence said everything.In addition, it is impossible for a ninety-year-old to have any contacts, everything is just make do, and a newcomer will inevitably feel restrictive, there are no vacancies; all habits have been formed.M. Fauchelevent, M. Fauchelevent, Grandfather Gillenormand thought it best that this "sir" should not come.He added: "Such eccentrics are common. They often do queer things. For what purpose? No. The Marquis de Gonable is even more eccentric than he. He bought a palace and lived in a garret. Some people would There is such a weird performance!"

No one can dimly feel that something terrible is hidden.Who can guess such a thing?There is a swamp in India, where the water seems to be so special, incomprehensible, that when there is no wind, the water ripples; where there should be calm, there are waves.People can see the undulating waves on the surface of the water, but they can't see the seven-headed snake crawling under the water. So many have a secret monster, a self-inflicted malady; a dragon that gnaws at them, a despair that keeps them restless at night.This kind of person comes and goes like everyone else.We do not know that he has a kind of pain, and a terrible creature with a thousand teeth parasitizes the miserable man and causes his death.We do not know that this man is an abyss, that he is dead water, very deep.For unknown reasons, there was occasional confusion on the surface of the water.A circle of mysterious water lines suddenly disappeared, and suddenly appeared again; a bubble rose up and burst.It's a trivial thing, but it's scary.It was the breath of an unknown beast.

Man has certain strange habits, one comes when others are gone, and hides when others are showing off, and on all occasions he wears a coat of the color we call an earthen wall, seeks out secluded paths, and likes to Street where people walk.Don't take part in other people's conversations, avoid crowds and festivals, look rich but be poor, always keep the keys for yourself despite being rich, keep candlesticks in the porter's house, enter by small doors, take secret stairs, all these things don't matter Strange movements, such as ripples, bubbles, fleeting ripples in the water's surface, often come from a terrible depth.

Weeks passed like this.A new life slowly took possession of Cosette; married affairs, visits, household chores, amusements, and so on.Cosette's amusements were not costly, and could be summed up chiefly in one: being with Marius.Going out with him, being with him, was the big thing in her life.They go out together arm in arm at any time, in the sun, on the road, without hiding, just the two of them, and appearing in front of the crowd is always a new joy for them.One unsatisfactory thing about Cosette is that Toussaint left because she couldn't get along with Nicolette.It is impossible to make two spinsters get along well.The grandfather is in good health; Marius sometimes defends several lawsuits; Aunt Gillenormand lives her secondary life quietly and contently beside the new couple.Jean Valjean came every day.

The address of "you" disappeared, and "you", "madame" and "Monsieur Jean" were used, which made him different in front of Cosette.He managed to alienate Cosette from him, and it worked.She is getting happier and happier, but her warmth is getting less and less day by day.In fact, she still loves him very much, and he can feel it.One day she suddenly said to him: "You were my father, but you are no longer. You were my uncle, and you are no longer. You were M. Fauchelevent, but now you are M. Jean. What are you?" People? I don't like that. If I didn't know you're so kind, I'd be afraid to see you."

He still lived in the Rue des Warriors, unable to make up his mind to leave the district where Cosette lived. He stayed with Cosette only a few minutes at first, and then went away. Gradually he got into the habit of prolonging his visits, as if he could do so because the days were longer, arriving earlier and leaving later. One day Cosette blurted out calling him "Father".A gleam of joy flashed across Jean Valjean's old and gloomy face, and he said to her: "Jean." "Oh, yes," she replied, laughing, "Monsieur Jean." "Very well." He Say.He turned away so she wouldn't see him rubbing his eyes.