The Miserable World

Chapter 76 Part One (75)
From time to time she paused，and tenderly kissed the police agent's coat.She would have softened a heart of granite；but a heart of wood cannot be softened.
'Come！'said Javert，'I have heard you out.
Have you entirely finished？You will get six months.
Now march！

The Eternal Father in person could do nothing more.'
At these solemn words，'the Eternal Father in person could do nothing more，'she understood that her fate was sealed.She sank down，murmuring，'Mercy！'
Javert turned his back.
The soldiers seized her by the arms.
A few moments earlier a man had entered，but no one had paid any heed to him.
He shut the door，leaned his back against it，and listened to Fantine's despairing supplications.
At the instant when the soldiers laid their hands upon the unfortunate woman，who would not rise，he emerged from the shadow，and said：——

'One moment，if you please.'
Javert raised his eyes and recognized M.Madeleine.
He removed his hat，and，saluting him with a sort of aggrieved awkwardness：——

'Excuse me，Mr.Mayor——'
The words'Mr.Mayor'produced a curious effect upon Fantine.She rose to her feet with one bound，like a spectre springing from the earth，thrust aside the soldiers with both arms，walked straight up to M.Madeleine before any one could prevent her，and gazing intently at him，with a bewildered air，she cried：——

'Ah！so it is you who are M.le Maire！'
Then she burst into a laugh，and spit in his face.
M.Madeleine wiped his face，and said：——

'Inspector Javert，set this woman at liberty.'
Javert felt that he was on the verge of going mad.
He experienced at that moment，blow upon blow and almost simultaneously，the most violent emotions which he had ever undergone in all his life.To see a woman of the town spit in the mayor's face was a thing so monstrous that，in his most daring flights of fancy，he would have regarded it as a sacrilege to believe it possible.On the other hand，at the very bottom of his thought，he made a hideous comparison as to what this woman was，and as to what this mayor might be；and then he，with horror，caught a glimpse of I know not what simple explanation of this prodigious attack.But when he beheld that mayor，that magistrate，calmly wipe his face and say，'Set this woman at liberty，'he underwent a sort of intoxication of amazement；thought and word failed him equally；the sum total of possible astonishment had been exceeded in his case.He remained mute.
The words had produced no less strange an effect on Fantine.She raised her bare arm，and clung to the damper of the stove，like a person who is reeling.
Nevertheless，she glanced about her，and began to speak in a low voice，as though talking to herself：——

'At liberty！

I am to be allowed to go！

I am not to go to prison for six months！

Who said that？

It is not possible that any one could have said that.
I did not hear aright.
It cannot have been that monster of a mayor！

Was it you，my good Monsieur Javert，who said that I was to be set free？

Oh，see here！

I will tell you about it，and you will let me go.
That monster of a mayor，that old blackguard of a mayor，is the cause of all.
Just imagine，Monsieur Javert，he turned me out！all because of a pack of rascally women，who gossip in the workroom.
If that is not a horror，what is？

To dismiss a poor girl who is doing her work honestly！Then I could no longer earn enough，and all this misery followed.In the first place，there is one improvement which these gentlemen of the police ought to make，and that is，to prevent prison contractors from wronging poor people.
I will explain it to you，you see：

you are earning twelve sous at shirt-making，the price falls to nine sous；and it is not enough to live on.Then one has to become whatever one can.
As for me，I had my little Cosette，and I was actually forced to become a bad woman.Now you understand how it is that that blackguard of a mayor caused all the mischief.
After that I stamped on that gentleman's hat in front of the officers'cafe；but he had spoiled my whole dress with snow.
We women have but one silk dress for evening wear.You see that I did not do wrong deliberately——truly，Monsieur Javert；and everywhere I behold women who are far more wicked than I，and who are much happier.
O Monsieur Javert！it was you who gave orders that I am to be set free，was it not？

Make inquiries，speak to my landlord；I am paying my rent now；they will tell you that I am perfectly honest.
Ah！my God！

I beg your pardon；I have unintentionally touched the damper of the stove，and it has made it smoke.'
M.Madeleine listened to her with profound attention.
While she was speaking，he fumbled in his waistcoat，drew out his purse and opened it.
It was empty.
He put it back in his pocket.He said to Fantine，'How much did you say that you owed？'
Fantine，who was looking at Javert only，turned towards him：——

'Was I speaking to you？'
Then，addressing the soldiers：——

'Say，you fellows，did you see how I spit in his face？Ah！you old wretch of a mayor，you came here to frighten me，but I'm not afraid of you.
I am afraid of Monsieur Javert.I am afraid of my good Monsieur Javert！'
So saying，she turned to the inspector again：——

'And yet，you see，Mr.Inspector，it is necessary to be just.I understand that you are just，Mr.Inspector；in fact，it is perfectly simple：

a man amuses himself by putting snow down a woman's back，and that makes the officers laugh；one must divert themselves in some way；and we——well，we are here for them to amuse themselves with，of course！

And then，you，you come；you are certainly obliged to preserve order，you lead off the woman who is in the wrong；but on reflection，since you are a good man，you say that I am to be set at liberty；it is for the sake of the little one，for six months in prison would prevent my supporting my child.Only，don't do it again，you hussy！'
Oh!

I won't do it again，Monsieur Javert！

They may do whatever they please to me now；I will not stir.
(End of this chapter)