The Miserable World

Chapter 77 Part One (76)
But to-day，you see，I cried because it hurt me.I was not expecting that snow from the gentleman at all；and then as I told you，I am not well；I have a cough；I seem to have a burning ball in my stomach，and the doctor tells me，Take care of yourself.'
Here，feel，give me your hand；don't be afraid——it is here.'
She no longer wept，her voice was caressing；she placed Javert's coarse hand on her delicate，white throat and looked smilingly at him.
All at once she rapidly adjusted her disordered garments，dropped the folds of her skirt，which had been pushed up as she dragged herself along，almost to the height of her knee，and stepped towards the door，saying to the soldiers in a low voice，and with a friendly nod：——

'Children，Monsieur l'Inspecteur has said that I am to be released，and I am going.'
She laid her hand on the latch of the door.
One step more and she would be in the street.
Javert up to that moment had remained erect，motionless，with his eyes fixed on the ground，cast athwart this scene like some displaced statue，which is waiting to be put away somewhere.
The sound of the latch roused him.
He raised his head with an expression of sovereign authority，an expression all the more alarming in proportion as the authority rests on a low level，ferocious in the wild beast，atrocious in the man of no estate.
'Sergeant！'he cried，'don't you see that that jade is walking off！Who bade you let her go？'
'I，'said Madeleine.
Fantine trembled at the sound of Javert's voice，and let go of the latch as a thief relinquishes the article which he has stolen.At the sound of Madeleine's voice she turned around，and from that moment forth she uttered no word，nor dared so much as to breathe freely，but her glance strayed from Madeleine to Javert，and from Javert to Madeleine in turn，according to which was speaking.
It was evident that Javert must have been exasperated beyond measure before he would permit himself to apostrophize the sergeant as he had done，after the mayor's suggestion that Fantine should be set at liberty.
Had he reached the point of forgetting the mayor's presence？

Had he finally declared to himself that it was impossible that any'authority'should have given such an order，and that the mayor must certainly have said one thing by mistake for another，without intending it？

Or，in view of the enormities of which he had been a witness for the past two hours，did he say to himself，that it was necessary to recur to supreme resolutions，that it was indispensable that the small should be made great，that the police spy should transform himself into a magistrate，that the policeman should become a dispenser of justice，and that，in this prodigious extremity，order，law，morality，government，society in its entirety，was personified in him，Javert？

However that may be，when M.Madeleine uttered that word，_I_，as we have just heard，Police Inspector Javert was seen to turn toward the mayor，pale，cold，with blue lips，and a look of despair，his whole body agitated by an imperceptible quiver and an unprecedented occurrence，and say to him，with downcast eyes but a firm voice：——

'Mr.Mayor，that cannot be.'
'Why not？'said M.Madeleine.
'This miserable woman has insulted a citizen.'
'Inspector Javert，'replied the mayor，in a calm and conciliating tone，'listen.
You are an honest man，and I feel no hesitation in explaining matters to you.
Here is the true state of the case：I was passing through the square just as you were leading this woman away；there were still groups of people standing about，and I made inquiries and learned everything；it was the townsman who was in the wrong and who should have been arrested by properly conducted police.'
Javert retorted：——

'This wretch has just insulted Monsieur le Maire.'
'That concerns me，'said M.Madeleine.
'My own insult belongs to me，I think.
I can do what I please about it.'
'I beg Monsieur le Maire's pardon.
The insult is not to him but to the law.'
'Inspector Javert，'replied M.Madeleine，'the highest law is conscience.
I have heard this woman；I know what I am doing.'
'And I，Mr.Mayor，do not know what I see.'
'Then content yourself with obeying.'
'I am obeying my duty.
My duty demands that this woman shall serve six months in prison.'
M.Madeleine replied gently：——

'Heed this well；she will not serve a single day.'
At this decisive word，Javert ventured to fix a searching look on the mayor and to say，but in a tone of voice that was still profoundly respectful：——

'I am sorry to oppose Monsieur le Maire；it is for the first time in my life，but he will permit me to remark that I am within the bounds of my authority.
I confine myself，since Monsieur le Maire desires it，to the question of the gentleman.
I was present.This woman flung herself on Monsieur Bamatabnois，who is an elector and the proprietor of that handsome house with a balcony，which forms the corner of the esplanade，three stories high and entirely of cut stone.
Such things as there are in the world！In any case，Monsieur le Maire，this is a question of police regulations in the streets，and concerns me，and I shall detain this woman Fantine.'
Then M.Madeleine folded his arms，and said in a severe voice which no one in the town had heard hitherto：——

'The matter to which you refer is one connected with the municipal police.
According to the terms of articles nine，eleven，fifteen，and sixty-six of the code of criminal examination，I am the judge.
I order that this woman shall be set at liberty.'
Javert ventured to make a final effort.
'But，Mr.Mayor——'
'I refer you to article eighty-one of the law of the 13th of December，1799，in regard to arbitrary detention.'
'Monsieur le Maire，permit me——'
'Not another word.'
'But——'
'Leave the room，'said M.Madeleine.
Javert received the blow erect，full in the face，in his breast，like a Russian soldier.
He bowed to the very earth before the mayor and left the room.
Fantine stood aside from the door and stared at him in amazement as he passed.
Nevertheless，she also was the prey to a strange confusion.
(End of this chapter)