Page 2422 - les-miserables

had no other assassin than Javert. If I speak, it is because I
have proofs. Not manuscript proofs— writing is suspicious,
handwriting is complaisant,—but printed proofs.’
As he spoke, Thenardier extracted from the envelope two
copies of newspapers, yellow, faded, and strongly saturated
with tobacco. One of these two newspapers, broken at ev-
ery fold and falling into rags, seemed much older than the
other.
‘Two facts, two proofs,’ remarked Thenardier. And he of-
fered the two newspapers, unfolded, to Marius.
The reader is acquainted with these two papers. One, the
most ancient, a number of the Drapeau Blanc of the 25th of
July, 1823, the text of which can be seen in the first volume,
established the identity of M. Madeleine and Jean Valjean.
The other, a Moniteur of the 15th of June, 1832, an-
nounced the suicide of Javert, adding that it appeared from
a verbal report of Javert to the prefect that, having been tak-
en prisoner in the barricade of the Rue de la Chanvrerie, he
had owed his life to the magnanimity of an insurgent who,
holding him under his pistol, had fired into the air, instead
of blowing out his brains.
Marius read. He had evidence, a certain date, irrefragable
proof, these two newspapers had not been printed expressly
for the purpose of backing up Thenardier’s statements; the
note printed in the Moniteur had been an administrative
communication from the Prefecture of Police. Marius could
not doubt.
The information of the cashier-clerk had been false, and
he himself had been deceived.

2422 Les Miserables