Page 2417 - les-miserables

Thenardier, the reader will remember, although he had
been Marius’ neighbor, had never seen him, which is not
unusual in Paris; he had formerly, in a vague way, heard his
daughters talk of a very poor young man named Marius who
lived in the house. He had written to him, without knowing
him, the letter with which the reader is acquainted.
No connection between that Marius and M. le Baron
Pontmercy was possible in his mind.
As for the name Pontmercy, it will be recalled that, on
the battlefield of Waterloo, he had only heard the last two
syllables, for which he always entertained the legitimate
scorn which one owes to what is merely an expression of
thanks.
However, through his daughter Azelma, who had started
on the scent of the married pair on the 16th of February,
and through his own personal researches, he had succeeded
in learning many things, and, from the depths of his own
gloom, he had contrived to grasp more than one mysterious
clew. He had discovered, by dint of industry, or, at least, by
dint of induction, he had guessed who the man was whom
he had encountered on a certain day in the Grand Sewer.
From the man he had easily reached the name. He knew
that Madame la Baronne Pontmercy was Cosette. But he
meant to be discreet in that quarter.
Who was Cosette? He did not know exactly himself. He
did, indeed, catch an inkling of illegitimacy, the history of
Fantine had always seemed to him equivocal; but what was
the use of talking about that? in order to cause himself to be
paid for his silence? He had, or thought he had, better wares

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