書蟲1級《悲慘世界》4. 馬呂斯

4. Marius

FOREWORD

Nine years pass. Valjean and Cosette are living in the Rue Plumet in Paris, in a house with a big garden. It is a quiet street and nobody comes there. This pleases Valjean, because he is still afraid of Inspector Javert.

Cosette is now a young woman. She is tall, with golden-brown hair. She is beautiful, but there are many beautiful faces in the world. The wonderful thing about Cosette's face is her smile – a slow, warm, gentle smile, like sunlight after rain.

And now we must meet Marius, and his young friend Gavroche. Marius is a student, a young man with many ideas but no money. Paris is full of young men like this. Marius has a grandfather (his father is dead), but he does not talk to him. Their political ideas are very different. At seventeen, he leaves home with 30 francs, his watch, and a small bag of clothes. Now, five years older, he lives with other students, and they talk all night about books and ideas, politics and government, life and death. All students are like this. They live for ideas, and do a little work here and there. When they need to.

Gavroche is a child of the Paris streets. He is eleven or twelve years old, and wears a man's trousers and a woman's shirt (a kind woman gave these clothes to him). He lives on the streets, knows everybody, goes everywhere, and enjoys life. Well, why not? He knows no other life, only this one.

Marius loved walking through the streets and gardens of Paris, and he often walked in the Luxembourg garden. One day in the garden he saw a man with a young girl. The man was about sixty, and the girl, Marius thought, was about seventeen. He did not see her eyes, but he saw her golden-brown hair and her slow gentle smile.

He walked past them once, and did not look back. But he came to the Luxembourg the next day, and the day after that, and for the next five days. The man and the girl were always there. He could not stop looking at the girl. He wanted very much to see that smile again.

On the seventh day the girl turned her head and looked at Marius. She looked into his eyes across the garden, and that look went, like a bullet from a gun, into Marius's heart. There were no words, but at once Marius knew and the girl knew. This was love.

Life stopped for Marius then. He spent hours in the Luxembourg, and every time he saw her, the sun came out and all the birds in the garden began singing.

But the man began to look at Marius too, and his face was not friendly. Marius was afraid, and he went to Gavroche.

Gavroche, please, you must help me.'

Why? What's the matter, Monsieur Marius?'

There's a girl, Gavroche. She walks in the Luxembourg every day. I want you to follow her home and tell me the address.'

Why don't you follow her? I'm busy,' said Gavroche.

I'm afraid to,' said Marius. 'Her father, grandfather, I don't know, is watching me. He doesn't like me.'

Why is this important, Monsieur Marius?' Gavroche said. He had a big smile on his face.

Why is this important, Monsieur Marius?' asked Gavroche.

Because I'm IN LOVE,' shouted Marius. 'Please, Gavroche, do it!'

Gavroche ran away, laughing. Two days later he came to Marius's rooms.

Rue Plumet,' he said. 'House at the end of the street. Hard to find. You need to look for it.'

Spring came, and Cosette began to go out into the garden at Rue Plumet. She was usually alone. Her old servant, Toussaint, was always in the kitchen, and Father (Jean Valjean) was in his room, reading.

Cosette was sad. She remembered the young man in the Luxembourg garden, but Father no longer wanted to go there. But that evening in the Rue Plumet garden, something very wonderful happened.

She heard a voice, a man's voice. She looked round, and it was him.

I'm so sorry,' he said. 'Please don't be afraid. I just wanted to... You remember the Luxembourg garden? I saw you there for the first time... I can't forget you, day and night I think about you... Please don't be afraid... You see, I love you... It just happened to me... I can't stop it... Don't be afraid... please.'

Cosette listened to this wonderful river of words, and then held out her hand to him. He took her hand, and she pulled it to her, and put it against her heart.

Then – you love me?' he said.

Of course! You know that.'

A kiss. No words. They did not need words. Later, words came. The story of his life, the story of her life, everything. Between lovers, everything is interesting.

When they were done with words, Cosette put her head on Marius's shoulder and asked:

What is your name?'

My name is Marius. And yours?'

Cosette.'

Every evening they met secretly in the garden at Rue Plumet. A kiss, a gentle laugh, whispered words of love – it was the spring and summer of their young lives.

It was the spring and summer of their young lives.

But around them, outside their garden, there was change. There were angry people; there were police and soldiers on the streets of Paris. And one day Jean Valjean said to Cosette, 'My dearest child, we live in dangerous times. We must leave France and go to England.'

Cosette looked at him with frightened eyes. 'Must we go, Father?' she said.

Valjean watched her face. 'We must,' he said. 'Get ready to leave very soon.'

There was a change in Cosette. Valjean remembered the young man in the Luxembourg garden, and he looked at Cosette's beautiful young face. He was afraid – afraid of losing his dear daughter.

That evening in the Rue Plumet garden, there were many unhappy tears.

But you must follow us to England,' cried Cosette.

How can I do that?' cried Marius. 'I have no money, no passport even! England to me is like the moon!'

They held hands in the moonlight.

Listen. I have an idea,' Marius said slowly. 'Wait two days. Perhaps...'

Two days?' cried Cosette. 'How can I live two days without you?'