Page 766 - les-miserables

CHAPTER III

TO WIT, THE PLAN

OF PARIS IN 1727

Three hundred paces further on, he arrived at a point
where the street forked. It separated into two streets, which
ran in a slanting line, one to the right, and the other to the
left.
Jean Valjean had before him what resembled the two
branches of a Y. Which should he choose? He did not hesi-
tate, but took the one on the right.
Why?
Because that to the left ran towards a suburb, that is to
say, towards inhabited regions, and the right branch towards
the open country, that is to say, towards deserted regions.
However, they no longer walked very fast. Cosette’s pace
retarded Jean Valjean’s.
He took her up and carried her again. Cosette laid her
head on the shoulder of the good man and said not a word.
He turned round from time to time and looked behind
him. He took care to keep always on the dark side of the
street. The street was straight in his rear. The first two or

766 Les Miserables