Page 719 - les-miserables

which he had already erected so many conjectures; it was
that man’s hat. The brushwood was not high. Thenardier
recognized the fact that the man and Cosette were sitting
there. The child could not be seen on account of her small
size, but the head of her doll was visible.
Thenardier was not mistaken. The man was sitting there,
and letting Cosette get somewhat rested. The inn-keep-
er walked round the brushwood and presented himself
abruptly to the eyes of those whom he was in search of.
‘Pardon, excuse me, sir,’ he said, quite breathless, ‘but
here are your fifteen hundred francs.’
So saying, he handed the stranger the three bank-bills.
The man raised his eyes.
‘What is the meaning of this?’
Thenardier replied respectfully:—
‘It means, sir, that I shall take back Cosette.’
Cosette shuddered, and pressed close to the old man.
He replied, gazing to the very bottom of Thenardier’s
eyes the while, and enunciating every syllable distinctly:—
‘You are go-ing to take back Co-sette?’
‘Yes, sir, I am. I will tell you; I have considered the mat-
ter. In fact, I have not the right to give her to you. I am an
honest man, you see; this child does not belong to me; she
belongs to her mother. It was her mother who confided her
to me; I can only resign her to her mother. You will say to
me, ‘But her mother is dead.’ Good; in that case I can only
give the child up to the person who shall bring me a writ-
ing, signed by her mother, to the effect that I am to hand the
child over to the person therein mentioned; that is clear.’

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