Book Three: Accomplishment of the Promise Made to the Dead Woman (Part Two: Cosette)

Aug 29, 2013 18:03



(Hapgood on Kindle)Chapter 1: The Water Question at Montfermeil, Location 6964-7010
Montfermeil was quite a nice village, but you had to go a long way to get water. Some people, including the Thenardiers, payed a man to fetch their water, but he stopped work at 7pm. If they needed water after that, poor Cosette got sent out for it. Even when Fantine stopped paying, the Thenardiers kept Cosette on because she was useful as a servant. On Christmas Eve, 1823, there were some travellers in the inn. Cosette was sitting under a table, knitting stockings for Eponine or Azelma, who were playing in the adjoining room. There was a cat-o'-nine tails hanging in the corner. The Thenardiers' three year old son was crying somewhere in the house, but his mother didn't bother to go to him.

Chapter 2: Two Complete Portraits, Location 7021-7097
Thenardier was just past 50, and his wife was approaching 40. Madame Thenardier was huge, blonde, and red-faced. Cosette was her only servant (because her husband tended to pay too much attention to others, and she got jealous). Thenardier was small, pale and bony. He was cunning, and smiled and acted politely towards nearly everyone. He pretended to be literary (and was a good speaker so he fooled most people), and to have served in the army. He liked to recount his daring rescue of a wounded general at Waterloo, and his inn was therefore known as "the cabaret of the Sergeant of Waterloo". He was a Bonapartist. He didn't show his anger much, but when he did it was scary. He was clever. Madame Thenardier submitted totally to him. She was a mother to her daughters, but not her sons. And Thenardier cared only about getting rich, but he wasn't doing very well at this. In 1823 he was about 1500 francs in debt. They were both awful to Cosette in their different ways - she "was overwhelmed by blows - this was the woman's; she went barefoot in winter - that was the man's doing." She was worked very hard.

Chapter 3: Men Must Have Wine and Horses Must Have Water, Location 7107-7145
Cosette was worrying that more water was going to be needed, and that she would be sent out in the cold and dark to fetch it. A traveller came in wanting his horse watered, and Madame Thenardier sent her out with a huge bucket. She gave her 15 sous to buy some bread on her way back too.

Chapter 4: Entrance on the Scene of a Doll, Location 7150-7168
There was a toy stall opposite the inn, and in it was a beautiful, two foot high doll. Cosette paused and gazed at it in amazement. "She said to herself that one must be a queen, or at least a princess, to have a "thing" like that." "She thought she was gazing at paradise." She forgot what she was meant to be doing for a minute, but then Madame Thenardier spotted her standing there and yelled at her to get going.

Chapter 5: The Little One All Alone, Location 7173-7256
Cosette walked through the dark streets, and then reached the edge of town. She was too scared to go further, and turned back. But then her fear of Madame Thenardier overcame her fear of the dark, and she ran into the forest. She reached the spring, and didn't notice the 15 sous falling from her pocket as she filled the bucket. She was exhausted and had to sit down for a minute. She was terrified and overwhelmed, but began to count and that brought her back to reality a bit. She was cold and frightened, and wanted to get back to the light as quickly as possible, but she didn't dare go back without the water. She set off, but couldn't carry the bucket for more than a few steps at a time, so she had to keep stopping. Cold water splashed onto her bare legs. She made very slow progress, and knew Madame Thenardier would beat her when she finally got back. She was exhausted and terrified, and cried out "O my God! my God!". At that moment a hand seized the handle of her bucket and took it from her. Cosette saw that a man had appeared beside her without her hearing, but she wasn't afraid.

Chapter 6: Which Possibly Proves Boulatruelle's Intelligence, Location 7261-7340
That same afternoon a man had acquired lodgings in the most deserted part of the Boulevard de l'Hopital in Paris. He appeared very poor but also very clean and worthy. King Louis XVIII used to pass along that street almost every day at about 2 o'clock, and as he passed on this day the captain of the guard spotted this mysterious man and thought him suspicious. He sent guards to follow him, but they lost him. At 4.30 the man got on a coach leaving Paris, and paid to go to Lagny. However, he actually got off at Chelles, and walked quickly towards Montfermeil. He did some strange stuff in the forest, then continued towards Montfermeil. It was then that he met Cosette.

Chapter 7: Cosette Side by Side with the Stranger in the Dark, Location 7343-7395
He talked to Cosette a little, and learned that she was eight years old and had no mother she knew of. Then he asked her name, and was shocked when he heard it. Walking beside him Cosette was happy and no longer tired. Valjean (bored of pretending like his identity isn't incredibly obvious) inquired about her shitty life and she told him. Cosette forgot to buy bread as they passed the bakery. As they neared the inn she asked for the bucket back, saying that Madame Thenardier would beat her if she knew someone else had been carrying it.

Chapter 8: The Unpleasantness of Receiving Into One's House a Poor Man who May Be a Rich Man, Location 7399-7700
The Thenardiers gave Valjean a room and a meal, and spent much of the evening wondering whether he was a beggar or a millionaire. He spent most of the evening staring at Cosette. He twice stopped Madame Thenardier from beating her, and persuaded the woman to let Cosette play. He bought her the doll from the stall outside, and she named it Catherine. Cosette overheard the Thenardiers telling Valjean that her mother must be dead, as they'd not heard from her for months. Valjean didn't go to bed until about 3am, after everyone else. Before he did so he put a louis d'or in the shoe Cosette had left out for Santa.

Chapter 9: Thenardier and his Manoeuvres, Location 7701-7834
Early the next morning Thenardier made up a ridiculously pricey bill for Valjean. As she handed it to him, she complained about how expensive Cosette was to keep. He offered to take her, and she jumped at the chance. But Monsieur Thenardier claimed that he loved Cosette too much to let her go, that he would at least need to know who Valjean was and where they were going. But Valjean refused to tell him that, so Thenardier instead just asked for 1500 francs, which Valjean immediately handed over. Meanwhile Cosette had found the louis d'or. Madame Thenardier summoned her, and Valjean gave her some black clothes to change into. Then they left together.

Chapter 10: He Who Seeks to Better Himself may Render his Situation Worse, Location 7836-7914
Madame Thenardier wasn't pleased to learn that her husband had only got 1500 francs from Valjean. So he set off after them. When he caught up he handed back the money, and said he was going to take Cosette back. He couldn't give her up without written permission from her mother, he said. So Valjean showed him the letter Fantine had signed, giving permission. Thenardier still said he would not give her up, but Valjean ignored him and walked off. He had a big stick so Thenardier let him, but he followed at a bit of a distance. However eventually Valjean gave him a look and he turned back.

Chapter 11: Number 9,430 Reappears, and Cosette Wins It in the Lottery, Location 7923-7938
Valjean wasn't dead (no shit). When everyone thought he'd drowned he actually ran away. On the evening of the day he'd taken Cosette, the two of them entered Paris at nightfall and went to the Boulevard de l'Hopital. Though Cosette never complained she was clearly tired, and Valjean carried her on his back for a while, where she fell asleep.

could it be he's jean valjean?, brick part two, go away thenardier, i'm jean valjean, she knows her way around, bravo little gavroche, et moi cosette, les misérables, reading the brick

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