Chapter 366 There is dawn after five dark nights

Jean Valjean turned away when he heard a knock at the door. "Come in." He said in a weak voice. As soon as the door opened, Cosette and Marius appeared. Cosette ran into the room. Marius was standing at the door, leaning against the frame. "Cosette!" said Jean Valjean, straightening up in his chair, with outstretched arms trembling, with a frightened, pale, frightening look, and infinite joy in his eyes. Cosette, suffocated by excitement, fell into Jean Valjean's arms. "Father!" she cried. Jean Valjean, delirious, stammered: "Cosette! She! It is you! Madame! Ah! My God!"

Then, in Cosette's embrace, he cried: "It's you! You are here! You forgive me!" Marius lowered his eyelids to keep his tears from falling, and taking a step closer, his lips pursed convulsively, suppressed his sobs, and exclaimed softly: "my father!" "You too, and you forgive me!" said Jean Valjean. Marius could not utter a word, and Jean Valjean added: "Thank you." Cosette pulled down the scarf and threw her hat on the bed. "It's inconvenient to wear," she said. And she sat down on the old man's lap, brushing his white hair back with a charming gesture, and kissing his forehead.

Jean Valjean was at her mercy, in a dazed state. Cosette understood this vaguely, and she redoubled her affection, as if to atone for Marius. Jean Valjean said vaguely: "How silly I was! I thought I should never see her. Just think, Monsieur Pontmercy, when you came in I was thinking: 'Well, here's her little frock, I'm a wretched creature, can I see you? Here comes Cosette.' When I thought this, you were going up the stairs. How stupid I am! How stupid! We did not think of God. The merciful God said: 'You think they have abandoned you in this way, Fool! No, no, never. Come, here's a poor man who needs an angel.' And the angel came, and I saw my Cosette again, and my little one again. Cosette! Ah! I have been in such agony!"

He could barely speak for a while, then went on: "I really need to see Cosette once in a while. A heart needs a little sustenance. But I also feel that I am a superfluous person. I convince myself: 'They don't need you anymore, stay in your own corner Well, you have no right to hang on forever.' Ah! Thank God I see her again! Do you know, Cosette, that your husband is beautiful? Ah! You have a beautiful embroidered collar, so nice! Very much. I love the pattern. Your husband chose it, didn't he? And you ought to have some cashmere scarves, Mr. Pontmercy, let me call her you. It won't be long."

Cosette continued: "How unnatural you are to leave us like this! Where have you been? Why have you been away so long? Your previous trips were three or four days at most. When I sent Nicolette, I kept answering, 'He hasn't come back.' "When did you come back? Why didn't you tell us? You've changed a lot, do you know? Ah! Bad father! He's sick and we don't know it! Look, Marius, touch his hand, and you'll see it." It's so cold!" "So you have come! Monsieur Pontmercy, you forgive me," repeated Jean Valjean. Hearing Jean Valjean repeat these words, all that was congested in Marius found an outlet and burst forth:

"Do you hear, Cosette? He still talks like that! Asks me to forgive him. Do you know what he did to me, Cosette? He saved my life. He did more than that, he gave you Me. After saving me, after giving me you, Cosette, what of himself? He sacrificed himself. That's what he was. And the ungrateful to me, the forgetful to me To me, a cruel man, a sinner, he said: 'Thank you!' Cosette, I have devoted all my life to him, and I cannot repay him. This barricade, this gutter, this fire pit, these sewers, He has gone through it all, for me, for you, Cosette! He has carried me from all death, while he himself has suffered it all. All courage, all justice, all heroism, all holiness, He has it all! Cosette, what an angel this man is!"

"Hush! hush!" whispered Jean Valjean. "Why do you say these things?" "But you!" said Marius, angrily but respectfully, "why don't you say these things? It's your fault, too, that you saved someone's life and kept it from them! Above all, on the pretext that you were going to expose yourself." Myself, you are actually slandering yourself, which is terrible." "I speak the truth," replied Jean Valjean. "No," Marius went on, "to tell the truth, to tell the whole truth, and you didn't tell it. You are M. Madeleine, why didn't you tell it? You saved Javert, why didn't you tell it? You saved it." Why don't you tell me about my life?"

"Because I think like you, and I think you have a point. I should go away. If you found out about the gutter, you'd keep me with you. So I shouldn't say it. If I did, everyone would Felt constrained." "What restraint! Who restraint!" replied Marius. "Do you still want to stay here? We're taking you away. Oh, my God! It occurred to me that I've learned all this by chance! We're going to take you, you're inseparable from us. You're Her father is also mine. You will not stay another day in this dreadful house. Don't think you will be here tomorrow."

"To-morrow," said Jean Valjean, "I shall not be here, but I shall not be at your house either." "What do you mean?" asked Marius. "Ah, you are not allowed to travel now. Don't leave us again. You are ours, and we will not let you go." "This time, what you say is what you say." Cosette added. "We have a car below, we will take you away, and if necessary, I will use force!" So she smiled and made a gesture of hugging the old man in her arms. "Your room has always been kept at home," she went on. "Do you know how beautiful the garden is now! The rhododendrons are in full bloom. The paths are paved with river sand, and there are small purple shells in the sand. You I'm going to eat my strawberries, I watered them myself. There's no Madame, there's nothing Monsieur, we all live in a republic and we all address you as 'thou'. Is that right, Marius? Live The laws have changed too. You don't know, father, I have a sad case where a robin made a nest in a hole in the wall and a nasty cat ate it up. My poor pretty little robin The bird looked at me with its head out of its window! I cried for it, and I wanted to kill the cat! But now no one cries. Everyone laughs, everyone is happy. You will go back with us. How grandpa would be Rejoice! You're going to have your little plot in the garden, and you'll cultivate it yourself, and we'll see if your strawberries grow as well as mine. And I'll obey you in everything, and you'll have to Listen to me carefully."

Jean Valjean listened, but did not hear, listened to her musical voice instead of understanding her words; a great tear, the dark pearl of the soul, slowly fell in his eye. appeared, and he whispered: "Sufficient proof that God is merciful, she is here." "Father!" Cosette called. Jean Valjean continued: "Yes, how wonderful it is to be able to live together. There are many birds in the trees. Cosette and I went for a walk, and greeted each other like living people, and called each other in the garden. See. We each plant a field. It would be nice to let me eat the strawberries she planted, and let her pick my roses. But..."

He paused and said softly: "pity." The tears did not fall, they were withdrawn, and Jean Valjean replaced them with a smile. Cosette took the old man's hands in hers. "My God!" she said, "your hands are getting colder. Are you sick? Are you ill?" "I am not ill," replied Jean Valjean, "I am well, but..." He stopped talking again. "But what?" "I'm going to die soon." Cosette and Marius trembled when they heard this. "Death!" cried Marius. "Yes, but that is nothing," said Jean Valjean. He took a breath, smiled, and went on: "Cosette, you were talking to me just now, go on, say something more, then your little robin is dead, go on, and let me hear your voice!" Marius, petrified, looked at the old man. Cosette uttered a mournful cry. "Father! My father! You want to live, you will live, I want you to live, hear me!" Jean Valjean looked up to her with an air of love: "Oh, yes, forbid me to die. Who knows? I might obey. I was dying when you came, and so I stopped, and I felt as if I were alive again." "You are full of vigor and life," cried Marius; "do you think a man can die like this? You have suffered and will never suffer again. It is I who beg your pardon, and I will I beg your forgiveness on my knees! You will live, and live with us, and live long. We will take you home. We both have only one wish from now on, and that is your happiness!" "You see," said Cosette, tear-stained, "Marius says you will not die." Jean Valjean continued, smiling: "Mr. Pontmercy, if you take me back, will I not be what I am now? No, God thinks like you and me, and he will not change his mind. I had better go away. Death is a good way." Arrangement. God knows better than we what we need. I wish you joy, M. Pontmercy has Cosette, youth is with the morning, my children, you are surrounded by lilacs and orioles, and your life is like Beautiful lawn in the morning sun, heavenly joy fills your hearts, now I'm useless, let me die, sure it's all going to be all right. You see, understand, it's all over now, I think I am absolutely lost. An hour ago, I fainted once. And last night, I drank this jug of water. Your husband is very kind, Cosette! You are much better with him than with me." There was a sound at the door.It was the doctor who came in. "Good morning and good-bye, doctor," said Jean Valjean, "these are my poor children." Marius approached the doctor, who said only two words to him: "Sir? . . . " But he said it with the air of asking a complete question. The doctor responded by throwing him an expressive wink. "Because such things are unpleasant," said Jean Valjean, "that is no excuse for injustice to God." Everyone was silent, and everyone's heart felt heavy. Jean Valjean turned to Cosette, and gazed at her, as if wishing to carry her image into immortality.Although he had sunk into the depths of darkness, he was still fascinated by watching Cosette.This gentle countenance made his pale face shine, and the tomb had its splendor. The doctor checked his pulse. "Ah! So what he lacks is you." He said softly, looking at Cosette and Marius. Then he leaned close to Marius's ear and whispered: "Too late." Jean Valjean looked almost constantly at Cosette, at Marius and the doctor in silence.We heard the following sentence mumbled from his lips: "Death is not a big deal, the terrible thing is that you can't live." Suddenly he stood up, this recovery of physical strength is sometimes a dying struggle.He walked steadily towards the wall, pushed away Marius and the doctor who were about to help him, took down the brass cross hanging on the wall, returned to sit down as freely as if he was in perfect health, and placed the cross on the table. and said aloud: "This is the great martyr." Then his chest sank, his head shook for a moment, as if the intoxication of the grave had overtaken him, and the hands on his knees began to pick at the fabric of his trousers with his fingernails. Cosette held his shoulders and sobbed, trying to speak to him but unable to speak.We heard her say this with tears and saliva in her mouth: "Father, don't leave us. How can we lose you as soon as we find you?" We can say that the dying struggle is like a snake, it goes and comes again, approaches the grave and turns back to life, there is a process of groping in the movement of death. Jean Valjean regained some strength from his half-conscious state, shook his head as if to shake off the darkness, and then became almost fully conscious.He took a corner of Cosette's sleeve and kissed it. "He's recovering! Doctor, he's recovering!" cried Marius. "You are both well," said Jean Valjean; "I tell you what is tormenting me. What is tormenting me, M. Pontmercy, is that you refuse to touch the sum. It is indeed your wife's. I would like to explain to you, my children, that it is for this reason that I am glad to meet you. The black jade is a product of England, and the white jade is a product of Norway. It is all written on this paper, and you will see it later Well. As for the bracelets, I have invented the clasps of metal, which are not welded with solder, but fastened together, which is more handsome and cheap. You know that you can make a lot of money in this way. Therefore Cosette's property is indeed It belongs to her. I give these details to reassure you." The porter came upstairs, peeping in through the half-open door, and the doctor told her to go away, but could not prevent the earnest woman from saying loudly to the dying man: "Do you want a priest?" "I have one," replied Jean Valjean. Then he seemed to point his finger somewhere above his head, and he seemed to see someone. Presumably the bishop really came at this hour of death. Cosette tucked a pillow softly around his waist. Jean Valjean continued: "Don't worry, Monsieur de Pontmercy, I beseech you. The six hundred thousand francs belong to Cosette. If you will not enjoy it, my life will be in vain! We have made these glass ornaments with great success. We and It is called Berlin's jewelry competition, but it can't compare with German black glass. There are twelve hundred neatly polished beads in a row for three francs." When someone we love is dying, our eyes are fixed on him, trying to keep him.The two of them, speechless in agony, not knowing what to say to the dying man, stood trembling with disappointment before him, and Marius held Cosette's hand. Little by little Jean Valjean was failing, he was getting weaker and weaker, and he was approaching the horizon of darkness.His breathing was intermittent; a rattling sound in his throat was intermittently cutting off his breath, his upper arms were hard to move, his feet were already immobile, and as his limbs failed and his body became more and more exhausted, the majestic soul was ascending , and has been shown on his forehead.The light of an unknown world has already appeared in his eyeballs. His face was fading, but still smiling, life was over, and there was something else.His breathing was interrupted, his eyes were wide open, and it was thought to be a winged corpse. He made a gesture for Cosette to come closer, and for Marius to come nearer; it must have been the last minute of the last hour, and he spoke to them in a voice so faint that it seemed to come from afar, and now it seemed that there was a wall. separated him from them. "Come here, come here, you two, I love you so much, oh! How good it is to die like this! You too, you love me, my Cosette. I know you have always had feelings for you old man, you put this How considerate of the cushions on my waist! You're going to cry for me a little, won't you? Don't be too much. I don't want you to be really sad. You should have fun, my children. I forgot to tell you Well, buckles without pins are more profitable than everything else. Twelve dozen cost only ten francs, and they sell for sixty francs. It's a good deal. So don't feel any more about having six hundred thousand francs Surprised, Mr. Pontmercy. This is pure money, and you can enjoy wealth and wealth. You should have a car, book a box from time to time to go to the theater to see plays, make some beautiful ball costumes, my Cosette, entertain you with a feast My friend, live very happily. I wrote a letter to Cosette just now. She will find my letter. I leave her the pair of candlesticks on the mantelpiece. The candlesticks are silver, but for me they are It's gold, it's diamond, and it turns the candle it's stuck in into a magic candle. I don't know if the one who gave it to me is happy with me in heaven, I've done my best. Son Gentlemen, don't forget that I am a poor man. Bury me on any spot and mark it with a slab of stone. It is my last wish. No name should be engraved on the stone. If Cosette would come to visit me sometime I shall be pleased in a minute. And you, M. Pontmercy. I confess to you that I have not always been fond of you, and I apologize for that. You and she are now one to me. I am very grateful to you, and I feel that you have made Cosette happy. Do you know, Monsieur Pontmercy, that her ruddy and beautiful cheeks are my pleasure, and that I am troubled when I see her a little haggard. There is a five-hundred-franc note in the cupboard. I have not yet used it. It is a charity for the poor. Cosette, do you see your little skirt on this bed? Do you recognize it? It is only ten Years ago. How time flies! How happy we were. It's over now. Don't cry, children, I can't go far. I can see you from there. When it gets dark, you just watch you will see me smiling. Cosette, do you remember how frightened you were at Montfermeil, in the woods? Do you remember when I lifted the handle of the bucket? That was the first time I came into contact with you, poor Little hand, it's cold! Ah! Your hand was red then, miss, and it's white now. And your big baby! Do you remember? You called her Katrin. You regret not calling her Brought into the nunnery! Sometimes you make me laugh, my lovely angel! When it rains, you put the grass stems in the gutter and watch them float away. One day I bought a wicker beater and a yellow blue Green and tricolor badminton for you. You have forgotten these things. How naughty you were when you were a child! You played. You put cherries in your ears. These are things of the past. The forest I passed with my children, we The trees under which we walked together, the convent where we hid together, the games, the mirth of childhood, allhas disappeared.I've always thought it was all mine, and that's where I'm stupid.The Thenardiers are vicious, forgive them.Cosette, it is time for me to tell you your mother's name.Her name is Fantine.Remember the name: Fantine.You should kneel when you mention her name.She has suffered a lot.She loves you very much, and her pain is in contrast to your happiness.This is God's arrangement.He is in heaven, he sees us all, he knows all that he does in his star.I'm going, children, you love each other forever.There is hardly anything else in the world but being in love.You sometimes think of the poor old man who died here.what!My Cosette, it was not my fault that I did not see you these days, when my heart was broken; I went as far as the corner of the street where you lived, and those who saw me passed must have thought me Weird, like I was crazy, once I went out without my hat on.Children, I can't see very clearly now, I have something to say, forget it.You think about me for a moment.You are God bless people.I don't know what's wrong with me, I see light.Come closer to me, both of you, and I'll die happily ever after.Put your darling heads close to me so I can put my hands on them. " Cosette and Marius knelt, disturbed, choked with tears, and each leaned on Jean Valjean's hand, which was no longer moved. He fell back, illuminated by the light of two candles; his white face looked up to heaven, and he made Cosette and Marius kiss his hand desperately, and he died. The night is starless, pitch black, and in the darkness, there may be a standing archangel with spread wings, waiting for this soul.