Page 2273 - les-miserables

ness.’ Don’t be vexed, Marius, give me permission to speak;
I say no evil of the people as you see, I am always harping
on your people, but do look favorably on my dealing a bit of
a slap to the bourgeoisie. I belong to it. He who loves well
lashes well. Thereupon, I say plainly, that now-a-days peo-
ple marry, but that they no longer know how to marry. Ah!
it is true, I regret the grace of the ancient manners. I regret
everything about them, their elegance, their chivalry, those
courteous and delicate ways, that joyous luxury which ev-
ery one possessed, music forming part of the wedding, a
symphony above stairs, a beating of drums below stairs,
the dances, the joyous faces round the table, the fine-spun
gallant compliments, the songs, the fireworks, the frank
laughter, the devil’s own row, the huge knots of ribbon. I
regret the bride’s garter. The bride’s garter is cousin to the
girdle of Venus. On what does the war of Troy turn? On
Helen’s garter, parbleu! Why did they fight, why did Diomed
the divine break over the head of Meriones that great brazen
helmet of ten points? why did Achilles and Hector hew each
other up with vast blows of their lances? Because Helen al-
lowed Paris to take her garter. With Cosette’s garter, Homer
would construct the Iliad. He would put in his poem, a lo-
quacious old fellow, like me, and he would call him Nestor.
My friends, in bygone days, in those amiable days of yore,
people married wisely; they had a good contract, and then
they had a good carouse. As soon as Cujas had taken his de-
parture, Gamacho entered. But, in sooth! the stomach is an
agreeable beast which demands its due, and which wants to
have its wedding also. People supped well, and had at table a

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