Page 708 - les-miserables

‘Ah! sir, my dear sir, take her, keep her, lead her off, carry
her away, sugar her, stuff her with truffles, drink her, eat
her, and the blessings of the good holy Virgin and of all the
saints of paradise be upon you!’
‘Agreed.’
‘Really! You will take her away?’
‘I will take her away.’
‘Immediately?’
‘Immediately. Call the child.’
‘Cosette!’ screamed the Thenardier.
‘In the meantime,’ pursued the man, ‘I will pay you what
I owe you. How much is it?’
He cast a glance on the bill, and could not restrain a start
of surprise:—
‘Twenty-three francs!’
He looked at the landlady, and repeated:—
‘Twenty-three francs?’
There was in the enunciation of these words, thus repeat-
ed, an accent between an exclamation and an interrogation
point.
The Thenardier had had time to prepare herself for the
shock. She replied, with assurance:—
‘Good gracious, yes, sir, it is twenty-three francs.’
The stranger laid five five-franc pieces on the table.
‘Go and get the child,’ said he.
At that moment Thenardier advanced to the middle of
the room, and said:—
‘Monsieur owes twenty-six sous.’
‘Twenty-six sous!’ exclaimed his wife.

708 Les Miserables