Page 276 - les-miserables

CHAPTER II

MADELEINE

He was a man about fifty years of age, who had a preoccu-
pied air, and who was good. That was all that could be said
about him.
Thanks to the rapid progress of the industry which he
had so admirably re-constructed, M. sur M. had become a
rather important centre of trade. Spain, which consumes
a good deal of black jet, made enormous purchases there
each year. M. sur M. almost rivalled London and Berlin in
this branch of commerce. Father Madeleine’s profits were
such, that at the end of the second year he was able to erect a
large factory, in which there were two vast workrooms, one
for the men, and the other for women. Any one who was
hungry could present himself there, and was sure of finding
employment and bread. Father Madeleine required of the
men good will, of the women pure morals, and of all, pro-
bity. He had separated the work-rooms in order to separate
the sexes, and so that the women and girls might remain
discreet. On this point he was inflexible. It was the only
thing in which he was in a manner intolerant. He was all
the more firmly set on this severity, since M. sur M., being

276 Les Miserables