Page 464 - les-miserables

with M. Baloup; I have had a settled residence. You worry
me with your nonsense, there! Why is everybody pursuing
me so furiously?’
The district-attorney had remained standing; he
addressed the President:—
‘Monsieur le President, in view of the confused but ex-
ceedingly clever denials of the prisoner, who would like to
pass himself off as an idiot, but who will not succeed in so
doing,— we shall attend to that,—we demand that it shall
please you and that it shall please the court to summon once
more into this place the convicts Brevet, Cochepaille, and
Chenildieu, and Police-Inspector Javert, and question them
for the last time as to the identity of the prisoner with the
convict Jean Valjean.’
‘I would remind the district-attorney,’ said the Presi-
dent, ‘that Police-Inspector Javert, recalled by his duties to
the capital of a neighboring arrondissement, left the court-
room and the town as soon as he had made his deposition;
we have accorded him permission, with the consent of the
district-attorney and of the counsel for the prisoner.’
‘That is true, Mr. President,’ responded the district-at-
torney. ‘In the absence of sieur Javert, I think it my duty
to remind the gentlemen of the jury of what he said here a
few hours ago. Javert is an estimable man, who does honor
by his rigorous and strict probity to inferior but important
functions. These are the terms of his deposition: ‘I do not
even stand in need of circumstantial proofs and moral pre-
sumptions to give the lie to the prisoner’s denial. I recognize
him perfectly. The name of this man is not Champmathieu;

464 Les Miserables