Page 1725 - les-miserables

louis to Courfeyrac, one of my friends with whom you are
not acquainted! I have an old hat which is not worth three
francs, I have a coat which lacks buttons in front, my shirt is
all ragged, my elbows are torn, my boots let in the water; for
the last six weeks I have not thought about it, and I have not
told you about it. You only see me at night, and you give me
your love; if you were to see me in the daytime, you would
give me a sou! Go to England! Eh! I haven’t enough to pay
for a passport!’
He threw himself against a tree which was close at hand,
erect, his brow pressed close to the bark, feeling neither the
wood which flayed his skin, nor the fever which was throb-
bing in his temples, and there he stood motionless, on the
point of falling, like the statue of despair.
He remained a long time thus. One could remain for
eternity in such abysses. At last he turned round. He heard
behind him a faint stifled noise, which was sweet yet sad.
It was Cosette sobbing.
She had been weeping for more than two hours beside
Marius as he meditated.
He came to her, fell at her knees, and slowly prostrating
himself, he took the tip of her foot which peeped out from
beneath her robe, and kissed it.
She let him have his way in silence. There are moments
when a woman accepts, like a sombre and resigned goddess,
the religion of love.
‘Do not weep,’ he said.
She murmured:—
‘Not when I may be going away, and you cannot come!’

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