Page 2409 - les-miserables

the breast; but this was only detail; as the hand of the states-
man should always be thrust into his coat and laid upon his
heart, its function was to conceal the absent button.
If Marius had been familiar with the occult institutions
of Paris, he would instantly have recognized upon the back
of the visitor whom Basque had just shown in, the states-
man’s suit borrowed from the pick-me-down-that shop of
the Changer.
Marius’ disappointment on beholding another man than
the one whom he expected to see turned to the newcomer’s
disadvantage.
He surveyed him from head to foot, while that personage
made exaggerated bows, and demanded in a curt tone:
‘What do you want?’
The man replied with an amiable grin of which the ca-
ressing smile of a crocodile will furnish some idea:
‘It seems to me impossible that I should not have already
had the honor of seeing Monsieur le Baron in society. I
think I actually did meet monsieur personally, several years
ago, at the house of Madame la Princesse Bagration and in
the drawing-rooms of his Lordship the Vicomte Dambray,
peer of France.’
It is always a good bit of tactics in knavery to pretend to
recognize some one whom one does not know.
Marius paid attention to the manner of this man’s speech.
He spied on his accent and gesture, but his disappointment
increased; the pronunciation was nasal and absolutely un-
like the dry, shrill tone which he had expected.
He was utterly routed.

2409