Page 1305 - les-miserables

of puns, good God! no more farces, Eternal Father! I want to
eat till I am full, I want to drink my fill! to gormandize! to
sleep! to do nothing! I want to have my turn, so I do, come
now! before I die! I want to be a bit of a millionnaire!’
He took a turn round the hovel, and added:—
‘Like other people.’
‘What do you mean by that?’ asked the woman.
He shook his head, winked, screwed up one eye, and
raised his voice like a medical professor who is about to
make a demonstration:—
‘What do I mean by that? Listen!’
‘Hush!’ muttered the woman, ‘not so loud! These are
matters which must not be overheard.’
‘Bah! Who’s here? Our neighbor? I saw him go out a little
while ago. Besides, he doesn’t listen, the big booby. And I
tell you that I saw him go out.’
Nevertheless, by a sort of instinct, Jondrette lowered
his voice, although not sufficiently to prevent Marius hear-
ing his words. One favorable circumstance, which enabled
Marius not to lose a word of this conversation was the fall-
ing snow which deadened the sound of vehicles on the
boulevard.
This is what Marius heard:—
‘Listen carefully. The Croesus is caught, or as good as
caught! That’s all settled already. Everything is arranged. I
have seen some people. He will come here this evening at
six o’clock. To bring sixty francs, the rascal! Did you no-
tice how I played that game on him, my sixty francs, my
landlord, my fourth of February? I don’t even owe for one

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