Page 1931 - les-miserables

ther refuses his consent to the marriage. Nothing is changed
in our fates.’ Dreamers like Marius are subject to supreme
attacks of dejection, and desperate resolves are the result.
The fatigue of living is insupportable; death is sooner over
with. Then he reflected that he had still two duties to fulfil:
to inform Cosette of his death and send her a final farewell,
and to save from the impending catastrophe which was in
preparation, that poor child, Eponine’s brother and Thenar-
dier’s son.
He had a pocket-book about him; the same one which
had contained the note-book in which he had inscribed so
many thoughts of love for Cosette. He tore out a leaf and
wrote on it a few lines in pencil:—
‘Our marriage was impossible. I asked my grandfather,
he refused; I have no fortune, neither hast thou. I hastened
to thee, thou wert no longer there. Thou knowest the prom-
ise that I gave thee, I shall keep it. I die. I love thee. When
thou readest this, my soul will be near thee, and thou wilt
smile.’
Having nothing wherewith to seal this letter, he content-
ed himself with folding the paper in four, and added the
address:—
‘To Mademoiselle Cosette Fauchelevent, at M. Fauchelev-
ent’s, Rue de l’Homme Arme, No. 7.’
Having folded the letter, he stood in thought for a mo-
ment, drew out his pocket-book again, opened it, and wrote,
with the same pencil, these four lines on the first page:—
‘My name is Marius Pontmercy. Carry my body to my
grandfather, M. Gillenormand, Rue des Filles-du-Calvaire,

1931