Chapter 360 Three They recall the gardens of the Rue Plumet

This is the last time.No sooner had this last gleam passed than there was a total extinction.There are no more close expressions, no more kisses when greeting each other, and no longer hear the very warm title of "father"!It was he who, according to his own wishes and his own plans, drove away all his happiness one after another; he suffered the loss of Cosette in one day, first all, and then little by little. The eyes were used to the light in the cellar.In short, he was satisfied with seeing Cosette every day.His life is concentrated in this moment.He sat beside her, looked at her quietly, or talked to her about the past years, her childhood, her scene in the nunnery and her children at that time.

One afternoon—in early April, when the weather was warm but still a little cool, it was a sunny moment, and the garden outside the window of Marius and Cosette had awakened, the hawthorn was about to open, and a row of violets was as gorgeous as Gemstones bloom on the old walls, pink chrysanthemums open their mouths in the stone crevices, feverfew and goldenseals appear cutely in the green grass, and this year's white butterflies also make their appearance for the first time.The wind, the trumpeter of eternal joy, begins to play the grand symphony of dawn in the woods, which the old poet calls the new spring.Marius said to Cosette: "We said we were going to see our garden in the Rue Plumet, so go now, and don't be ungrateful." So they went, like two swallows flying to Same as spring.They felt that the gardens of the Rue Plumet were their dawn.They have left something like the spring of love in their lives.The house in Rue Plumet, which was originally leased, still belonged to Cosette.They went to the garden and the house.There they met again, and there they forgot everything.In the evening, at the usual hour, Jean Valjean came to the Rue de la Crucifixion. "Madame and Monsieur have gone out together and haven't returned yet," Basque said to him.He sat and waited for an hour, but Cosette had not returned.He put his head down and left.

Enthralled by this revisit to "their garden," and so happy to be "living in her past for a whole day," Cosette talked of nothing but it the next day, and she did not Noticed that she had not seen Jean Valjean. "How did you get there?" Jean Valjean asked her. "Going." "Come back?" "Take a streetcar." Jean Valjean had lately noticed that the young couple was living frugally, and this troubled him.Frugality, which Marius strictly observed, had a full meaning to Jean Valjean.He tentatively asked: "Why don't you have a carriage of your own? A fine carriage costs five hundred francs a month, and you are well off."

"I don't know," replied Cosette. "Take Toussaint for example," said Jean Valjean. "She is gone, and you don't add anyone. Why?" "Nicolette is enough." "You should have a housemaid to tidy up the rooms." "Have I not Marius?" "You should have your own houses, your own servants, a carriage and boxes at the theatre, and nothing is too much for you. Why not use your wealth? Wealth adds to happiness!" Cosette was silent. The time of Jean Valjean's visit did not shorten, on the contrary, if the heart was sliding down, it would not stop on the slope.

When Jean Valjean wanted to prolong his visit and make people forget time, he praised Marius; he thought him a handsome man, noble, brave, wise, eloquent, and good-hearted.Cosette even more with supplements.Jean Valjean resumed his praises, and could hardly finish.Marius, the meanings of this name are endless, and the six letters of the name contain the contents of several books.This would allow Jean Valjean to stay longer.How warm it was for him to see Cosette forgetting everything by his side!This is the dressing for his wound.Several times Basque announced twice in succession: "Monsieur Gillenormand asked me to remind the Baroness that dinner is ready."

During these days Jean Valjean went home with a heavy heart. Marius had thought of comparing him to a chrysalis, but was there a real side to it?Was Jean Valjean a chrysalis, the butterfly that persistently came to visit him? One day he stayed a little longer than usual.The next day he noticed that there was no fire in the stove. "Why!" he thought, "there's no fire." He explained himself: "It's simple, it's already April. The cold weather is over!" "God! It's cold in here!" cried Cosette, as she entered. "Isn't it cold?" said Jean Valjean.

"Then you told Basque not to light the fire?" "Yes, we're almost in May." "But we're going to have a fire until June. In this cellar, it's got to be a fire all year round." "I don't think it should be fired." "This is your strange idea again!" said Cosette. The next day, the fire started again.But the two armchairs were placed by the door. "What does this mean?" Jean Valjean wondered. He went and brought the chairs and put them by the fire. The rekindled fire gave him courage.He made their chat a little longer than usual.When he got up to go, Cosette said:

"Yesterday my husband and I had a very strange talk." "What's up?" "He said to me: 'Cosette, we have an annuity of thirty thousand livres, you have twenty-seven thousand, and my grandfather gave me three thousand.' I said: 'There are thirty thousand.' And he said: 'You have courage Do you live with the three thousand francs?' I replied: 'Yes, you can do without money, as long as you are with you.' I asked him afterwards: 'Why did you say these things to me?' He replied: 'In order to think Learn about.'" Jean Valjean had nothing to say.Cosette probably awaited his explanation, and he listened sadly.He returned to Warrior Street; his preoccupation with the matter led him to the wrong gate.Instead of entering his own home, he went into the house next door and almost reached the third floor before realizing his mistake and turning back again.

Guessing tormented his spirits. Marius must have suspected the source of the six hundred thousand francs. He was afraid that the source was unknown. Who knows?Perhaps he found out that the money belonged to him, Jean Valjean, and he was sceptical about accepting this dubious property!He and Cosette would rather remain poor than become rich on this dubious fortune. In addition, Jean Valjean began to feel vaguely that the master wanted to chase away the guests. The next day, he was shocked when he walked into the basement. The armchair was gone, not even an ordinary chair. "Ah, what's the matter!" cried Cosette, coming in. "There is no armchair; where is it?"

"They are gone," replied Jean Valjean. "This is outrageous!" Jean Valjean stammered: "I told Basque to move." "what is the reason?" "I'm only here for a few minutes today." "There's no reason to stand for a while." "I think a Basque living room needs an armchair!" "why?" "You may have guests tonight." "Not a single guest tonight." Jean Valjean had nothing more to say. Cosette shrugged. "Send the armchairs to be removed! You were a queer man to turn off the engine that day."

"Good-bye," said Jean Valjean softly. He did not say: "Good-bye, Cosette," but he did not have the courage to say: "Good-bye, Madame." He came out with a heavy heart. This time he understood. He didn't come the next day.Cosette did not notice until evening. "Eh," she said, "Mr. Jean didn't come today." She was a little depressed, but it was not obvious, and a kiss from Marius made her forget it. In the following days, he did not come again. Cosette did not notice, she passed her nights and slept her sleep, thinking as usual only when she awoke.She is so happy!She soon sent Nicolette to Monsieur Jean's to inquire if she was ill, and why she had not come last night.Nicolette brought back a reply from Mr. Jean that he was not sick at all.He's busy, he'll be here soon, he tries to come as early as possible.Besides, he was going on a short trip.Madame should remember that his habit is to go out for a trip from time to time, so don't worry about him, don't miss him. When Nicolette entered Monsieur Jean's house, she repeated to him the words of her mistress: "Madame sent me to ask why Monsieur Jean did not come last night." "I haven't been there for two days." Jean said it kindly. But Nicolette didn't remember what he mentioned, and she didn't tell Cosette when she went back.