Page 506 - les-miserables

that poor, unhappy woman?’
‘No,’ said he; ‘I am pursued; it would only end in their ar-
resting me in that room, and that would disturb her.’
He had hardly finished when a loud noise became au-
dible on the staircase. They heard a tumult of ascending
footsteps, and the old portress saying in her loudest and
most piercing tones:—
‘My good sir, I swear to you by the good God, that not a
soul has entered this house all day, nor all the evening, and
that I have not even left the door.’
A man responded:—
‘But there is a light in that room, nevertheless.’
They recognized Javert’s voice.
The chamber was so arranged that the door in opening
masked the corner of the wall on the right. Jean Valjean
blew out the light and placed himself in this angle. Sister
Simplice fell on her knees near the table.
The door opened.
Javert entered.
The whispers of many men and the protestations of the
portress were audible in the corridor.
The nun did not raise her eyes. She was praying.
The candle was on the chimney-piece, and gave but very
little light.
Javert caught sight of the nun and halted in amazement.
It will be remembered that the fundamental point in
Javert, his element, the very air he breathed, was venera-
tion for all authority. This was impregnable, and admitted
of neither objection nor restriction. In his eyes, of course,

506 Les Miserables