Page 1318 - les-miserables

man. Courage does not fear crime, and honesty does not
fear authority.’
Marius interrupted him:—
‘That is well, but what do you intend to do?’
The inspector contented himself with the remark:—
‘The lodgers have pass-keys with which to get in at night.
You must have one.’
‘Yes,’ said Marius.
‘Have you it about you?’
‘Yes.’
‘Give it to me,’ said the inspector.
Marius took his key from his waistcoat pocket, handed it
to the inspector and added:—
‘If you will take my advice, you will come in force.’
The inspector cast on Marius such a glance as Voltaire
might have bestowed on a provincial academician who had
suggested a rhyme to him; with one movement he plunged
his hands, which were enormous, into the two immense
pockets of his top-coat, and pulled out two small steel pis-
tols, of the sort called ‘knock-me-downs.’ Then he presented
them to Marius, saying rapidly, in a curt tone:—
‘Take these. Go home. Hide in your chamber, so that you
may be supposed to have gone out. They are loaded. Each
one carries two balls. You will keep watch; there is a hole in
the wall, as you have informed me. These men will come.
Leave them to their own devices for a time. When you think
matters have reached a crisis, and that it is time to put a
stop to them, fire a shot. Not too soon. The rest concerns
me. A shot into the ceiling, the air, no matter where. Above

1318 Les Miserables