Page 384 - les-miserables

of M. Madeleine, he had nothing more to fear, provided that
he did not prevent men from sealing over the head of that
Champmathieu this stone of infamy which, like the stone of
the sepulchre, falls once, never to rise again.’
All this was so strange and so violent, that there sudden-
ly took place in him that indescribable movement, which
no man feels more than two or three times in the course of
his life, a sort of convulsion of the conscience which stirs up
all that there is doubtful in the heart, which is composed
of irony, of joy, and of despair, and which may be called an
outburst of inward laughter.
He hastily relighted his candle.
‘Well, what then?’ he said to himself; ‘what am I afraid
of? What is there in all that for me to think about? I am
safe; all is over. I had but one partly open door through
which my past might invade my life, and behold that door
is walled up forever! That Javert, who has been annoying
me so long; that terrible instinct which seemed to have di-
vined me, which had divined me— good God! and which
followed me everywhere; that frightful hunting-dog, always
making a point at me, is thrown off the scent, engaged else-
where, absolutely turned from the trail: henceforth he is
satisfied; he will leave me in peace; he has his Jean Valjean.
Who knows? it is even probable that he will wish to leave
town! And all this has been brought about without any aid
from me, and I count for nothing in it! Ah! but where is the
misfortune in this? Upon my honor, people would think, to
see me, that some catastrophe had happened to me! After
all, if it does bring harm to some one, that is not my fault in

384 Les Miserables