CHAPTERIII
ABURIAL;ANOCCASIONTOBEBORNAGAIN
Inthespringof1832,althoughthecholerahadbeenchillingallmindsforthelastthreemonthsandhadcastovertheiragitationanindescribableandgloomypacification,Parishadalreadylongbeenripeforcommotion。Aswehavesaid,thegreatcityresemblesapieceofartillery;whenitisloaded,itsufficesforasparktofall,andtheshotisdischarged。InJune,1832,thesparkwasthedeathofGeneralLamarque。
Lamarquewasamanofrenownandofaction。Hehadhadinsuccession,undertheEmpireandundertheRestoration,thesortsofbraveryrequisiteforthetwoepochs,thebraveryofthebattle—fieldandthebraveryofthetribune。Hewasaseloquentashehadbeenvaliant;aswordwasdiscernibleinhisspeech。LikeFoy,hispredecessor,afterupholdingthecommand,heupheldliberty;
hesatbetweentheleftandtheextremeleft,belovedofthepeoplebecauseheacceptedthechancesofthefuture,belovedofthepopulacebecausehehadservedtheEmperorwell;hewas,incompanywithComtesGerardandDrouet,oneofNapoleon’smarshalsinpetto。
Thetreatiesof1815removedhimasapersonaloffence。HehatedWellingtonwithadownrighthatredwhichpleasedthemultitude;
and,forseventeenyears,hemajesticallypreservedthesadnessofWaterloo,payinghardlyanyattentiontointerveningevents。
Inhisdeathagony,athislasthour,heclaspedtohisbreastaswordwhichhadbeenpresentedtohimbytheofficersoftheHundredDays。
Napoleonhaddiedutteringthewordarmy,Lamarqueutteringthewordcountry。
Hisdeath,whichwasexpected,wasdreadedbythepeopleasaloss,andbythegovernmentasanoccasion。Thisdeathwasanaffliction。
Likeeverythingthatisbitter,afflictionmayturntorevolt。
Thisiswhattookplace。
Ontheprecedingevening,andonthemorningofthe5thofJune,thedayappointedforLamarque’sburial,theFaubourgSaint—Antoine,whichtheprocessionwastotouchat,assumedaformidableaspect。
Thistumultuousnetworkofstreetswasfilledwithrumors。
Theyarmedthemselvesasbesttheymight。Joinerscarriedoffdoor—weightsoftheirestablishment\"tobreakdowndoors。\"Oneofthemhadmadehimselfadaggerofastocking—weaver’shookbybreakingoffthehookandsharpeningthestump。Another,whowasinafever\"toattack,\"sleptwhollydressedforthreedays。AcarpenternamedLombiermetacomrade,whoaskedhim:\"Whitherareyougoing?\"
\"Eh!well,Ihavenoweapons。\"\"Whatthen?\"\"I’mgoingtomytimber—yardtogetmycompasses。\"\"Whatfor?\"\"Idon’tknow,\"
saidLombier。AcertainJacqueline,anexpeditiousman,accostedsomepassingartisans:\"Comehere,you!\"Hetreatedthemtotensous’
worthofwineandsaid:\"Haveyouwork?\"\"No。\"\"GotoFilspierre,betweentheBarriereCharonneandtheBarriereMontreuil,andyouwillfindwork。\"AtFilspierre’stheyfoundcartridgesandarms。
Certainwell—knownleadersweregoingtherounds,thatistosay,runningfromonehousetoanother,tocollecttheirmen。
AtBarthelemy’s,neartheBarriereduTrone,atCapel’s,nearthePetit—Chapeau,thedrinkersaccostedeachotherwithagraveair。
Theywereheardtosay:\"Haveyouyourpistol?\"\"Undermyblouse。\"
\"Andyou?\"\"Undermyshirt。\"IntheRueTraversiere,infrontoftheBlandworkshop,andintheyardoftheMaison—Brulee,infrontoftool—makerBernier’s,groupswhisperedtogether。
AmongthemwasobservedacertainMavot,whoneverremainedmorethanaweekinoneshop,asthemastersalwaysdischargedhim\"becausetheywereobligedtodisputewithhimeveryday。\"MavotwaskilledonthefollowingdayatthebarricadeoftheRueMenilmontant。
Pretot,whowasdestinedtoperishalsointhestruggle,secondedMavot,andtothequestion:\"Whatisyourobject?\"
hereplied:\"Insurrection。\"WorkmenassembledatthecorneroftheRuedeBercy,waitedforacertainLemarin,therevolutionaryagentfortheFaubourgSaint—Marceau。Watchwordswereexchangedalmostpublicly。
Onthe5thofJune,accordingly,adayofmingledrainandsun,GeneralLamarque’sfuneralprocessiontraversedPariswithofficialmilitarypomp,somewhataugmentedthroughprecaution。Twobattalions,withdrapeddrumsandreversedarms,tenthousandNationalGuards,withtheirswordsattheirsides,escortedthecoffin。
Thehearsewasdrawnbyyoungmen。TheofficersoftheInvalidescameimmediatelybehindit,bearinglaurelbranches。Thencameaninnumerable,strange,agitatedmultitude,thesectionariesoftheFriendsofthePeople,theLawSchool,theMedicalSchool,refugeesofallnationalities,andSpanish,Italian,German,andPolishflags,tricoloredhorizontalbanners,everypossiblesortofbanner,childrenwavinggreenboughs,stone—cuttersandcarpenterswhowereonstrikeatthemoment,printerswhowererecognizablebytheirpapercaps,marchingtwobytwo,threebythree,utteringcries,nearlyallofthembrandishingsticks,somebrandishingsabres,withoutorderandyetwithasinglesoul,nowatumultuousrout,againacolumn。Squadschosethemselvesleaders;amanarmedwithapairofpistolsinfullview,seemedtopassthehostinreview,andthefilesseparatedbeforehim。Onthesidealleysoftheboulevards,inthebranchesofthetrees,onbalconies,inwindows,ontheroofs,swarmedtheheadsofmen,women,andchildren;
alleyeswerefilledwithanxiety。Anarmedthrongwaspassing,andaterrifiedthronglookedon。
TheGovernment,onitsside,wastakingobservations。Itobservedwithitshandonitssword。FoursquadronsofcarabineerscouldbeseeninthePlaceLouisXV。intheirsaddles,withtheirtrumpetsattheirhead,cartridge—boxesfilledandmusketsloaded,allinreadinesstomarch;intheLatincountryandattheJardindesPlantes,theMunicipalGuardechelonnedfromstreettostreet;
attheHalle—aux—Vins,asquadronofdragoons;attheGrevehalfofthe12thLightInfantry,theotherhalfbeingattheBastille;
the6thDragoonsattheCelestins;andthecourtyardoftheLouvrefullofartillery。Theremainderofthetroopswereconfinedtotheirbarracks,withoutreckoningtheregimentsoftheenvironsofParis。Powerbeinguneasy,heldsuspendedoverthemenacingmultitudetwenty—fourthousandsoldiersinthecityandthirtythousandinthebanlieue。
Diversreportswereincirculationinthecortege。Legitimisttrickswerehintedat;theyspokeoftheDucdeReichstadt,whomGodhadmarkedoutfordeathatthatverymomentwhenthepopulaceweredesignatinghimfortheEmpire。Onepersonage,whosenamehasremainedunknown,announcedthatatagivenhourtwooverseerswhohadbeenwonover,wouldthrowopenthedoorsofafactoryofarmstothepeople。
Thatwhichpredominatedontheuncoveredbrowsofthemajorityofthosepresentwasenthusiasmmingledwithdejection。
Hereandthere,also,inthatmultitudegivenovertosuchviolentbutnobleemotions,therewerevisiblegenuinevisagesofcriminalsandignoblemouthswhichsaid:\"Letusplunder!\"Therearecertainagitationswhichstirupthebottomsofmarshesandmakecloudsofmudrisethroughthewater。Aphenomenontowhich\"welldrilled\"
policemenarenostrangers。
Theprocessionproceeded,withfeverishslowness,fromthehouseofthedeceased,bywayoftheboulevardsasfarastheBastille。
Itrainedfromtimetotime;therainmatterednothingtothatthrong。
Manyincidents,thecoffinborneroundtheVendomecolumn,stonesthrownattheDucdeFitz—James,whowasseenonabalconywithhishatonhishead,theGalliccocktornfromapopularflaganddraggedinthemire,apolicemanwoundedwithablowfromaswordatthePorteSaint—Martin,anofficerofthe12thLightInfantrysayingaloud:\"IamaRepublican,\"thePolytechnicSchoolcomingupunexpectedlyagainstorderstoremainathome,theshoutsof:
\"LonglivethePolytechnique!LonglivetheRepublic!\"markedthepassageofthefuneraltrain。AttheBastille,longfilesofcuriousandformidablepeoplewhodescendedfromtheFaubourgSaint—Antoine,effectedajunctionwiththeprocession,andacertainterribleseethingbegantoagitatethethrong。
Onemanwasheardtosaytoanother:\"Doyouseethatfellowwitharedbeard,he’stheonewhowillgivethewordwhenwearetofire。\"
Itappearsthatthisredbeardwaspresent,atanotherriot,theQuenissetaffair,entrustedwiththissamefunction。
ThehearsepassedtheBastille,traversedthesmallbridge,andreachedtheesplanadeofthebridgeofAusterlitz。Thereithalted。
Thecrowd,surveyedatthatmomentwithabird’seyeview,wouldhavepresentedtheaspectofacometwhoseheadwasontheesplanadeandwhosetailspreadoutovertheQuaiBourdon,coveredtheBastille,andwasprolongedontheboulevardasfarasthePorteSaint—Martin。A
circlewastracedaroundthehearse。Thevastroutheldtheirpeace。
LafayettespokeandbadeLamarquefarewell。Thiswasatouchingandaugustinstant,allheadsuncovered,allheartsbeathigh。
Allatonce,amanonhorseback,cladinblack,madehisappearanceinthemiddleofthegroupwitharedflag,otherssay,withapikesurmountedwitharedliberty—cap。Lafayetteturnedasidehishead。
Exelmansquittedtheprocession。
Thisredflagraisedastorm,anddisappearedinthemidstofit。
FromtheBoulevardBourdontothebridgeofAusterlitzoneofthoseclamorswhichresemblebillowsstirredthemultitude。
Twoprodigiousshoutswentup:\"LamarquetothePantheon!——
LafayettetotheTown—hall!\"Someyoungmen,amidthedeclamationsofthethrong,harnessedthemselvesandbegantodragLamarqueinthehearseacrossthebridgeofAusterlitzandLafayetteinahackney—coachalongtheQuaiMorland。
InthecrowdwhichsurroundedandcheeredLafayette,itwasnoticedthataGermanshowedhimselfnamedLudwigSnyder,whodiedacentenarianafterwards,whohadalsobeeninthewarof1776,andwhohadfoughtatTrentonunderWashington,andatBrandywineunderLafayette。
Inthemeantime,themunicipalcavalryontheleftbankhadbeensetinmotion,andcametobarthebridge,ontherightbankthedragoonsemergedfromtheCelestinsanddeployedalongtheQuaiMorland。
ThemenwhoweredraggingLafayettesuddenlycaughtsightofthematthecornerofthequayandshouted:\"Thedragoons!\"
Thedragoonsadvancedatawalk,insilence,withtheirpistolsintheirholsters,theirswordsintheirscabbards,theirgunsslungintheirleathersockets,withanairofgloomyexpectation。
Theyhaltedtwohundredpacesfromthelittlebridge。ThecarriageinwhichsatLafayetteadvancedtothem,theirranksopenedandallowedittopass,andthenclosedbehindit。Atthatmomentthedragoonsandthecrowdtouched。Thewomenfledinterror。
Whattookplaceduringthatfatalminute?Noonecansay。
Itisthedarkmomentwhentwocloudscometogether。SomedeclarethatablastoftrumpetssoundingthechargewasheardinthedirectionoftheArsenalothersthatablowfromadaggerwasgivenbyachildtoadragoon。Thefactis,thatthreeshotsweresuddenlydischarged:
thefirstkilledCholet,chiefofthesquadron,thesecondkilledanolddeafwomanwhowasintheactofclosingherwindow,thethirdsingedtheshoulderofanofficer;awomanscreamed:
\"Theyarebeginningtoosoon!\"andallatonce,asquadronofdragoonswhichhadremainedinthebarracksuptothistime,wasseentodebouchatagallopwithbaredswords,throughtheRueBassompierreandtheBoulevardBourdon,sweepingallbeforethem。
Thenallissaid,thetempestisloosed,stonesraindown,afusilladebreaksforth,manyprecipitatethemselvestothebottomofthebank,andpassthesmallarmoftheSeine,nowfilledin,thetimber—yardsoftheIsleLouviers,thatvastcitadelreadytohand,bristlewithcombatants,stakesaretornup,pistol—shotsfired,abarricadebegun,theyoungmenwhoarethrustbackpasstheAusterlitzbridgewiththehearseatarun,andthemunicipalguard,thecarabineersrushup,thedragoonsplytheirswords,thecrowddispersesinalldirections,arumorofwarfliestoallfourquartersofParis,menshout:\"Toarms!\"theyrun,tumbledown,flee,resist。Wrathspreadsabroadtheriotaswindspreadsafire。
CHAPTERIV
THEEBULLITIONSOFFORMERDAYS
Nothingismoreextraordinarythanthefirstbreakingoutofariot。
Everythingburstsfortheverywhereatonce。Wasitforeseen?
Yes。Wasitprepared?No。Whencecomesit?Fromthepavements。
Whencefallsit?Fromtheclouds。Hereinsurrectionassumesthecharacterofaplot;thereofanimprovisation。Thefirstcomerseizesacurrentofthethrongandleadsitwhitherhewills。
Abeginningfullofterror,inwhichismingledasortofformidablegayety。Firstcomeclamors,theshopsareclosed,thedisplaysofthemerchantsdisappear;thencomeisolatedshots;
peopleflee;blowsfromgun—stocksbeatagainstportescocheres,servantscanbeheardlaughinginthecourtyardsofhousesandsaying:
\"There’sgoingtobearow!\"
AquarterofanhourhadnotelapsedwhenthisiswhatwastakingplaceattwentydifferentspotsinParisatonce。
IntheRueSainte—Croix—de—la—Bretonnerie,twentyyoungmen,beardedandwithlonghair,enteredadram—shopandemergedamomentlater,carryingahorizontaltricoloredflagcoveredwithcrape,andhavingattheirheadthreemenarmed,onewithasword,onewithagun,andthethirdwithapike。
IntheRuedesNonaindieres,averywell—dressedbourgeois,whohadaprominentbelly,asonorousvoice,abaldhead,aloftybrow,ablackbeard,andoneofthesestiffmustacheswhichwillnotlieflat,offeredcartridgespubliclytopassers—by。
IntheRueSaint—Pierre—Montmartre,menwithbarearmscarriedaboutablackflag,onwhichcouldbereadinwhitelettersthisinscription:
\"RepublicorDeath!\"IntheRuedesJeuneurs,RueduCadran,RueMontorgueil,RueMandar,groupsappearedwavingflagsonwhichcouldbedistinguishedingoldletters,thewordsectionwithanumber。
Oneoftheseflagswasredandbluewithanalmostimperceptiblestripeofwhitebetween。
Theypillagedafactoryofsmall—armsontheBoulevardSaint—Martin,andthreearmorers’shops,thefirstintheRueBeaubourg,thesecondintheRueMichel—le—Comte,theotherintheRueduTemple。
Inafewminutes,thethousandhandsofthecrowdhadseizedandcarriedofftwohundredandthirtyguns,nearlyalldouble—barrelled,sixty—fourswords,andeighty—threepistols。Inordertoprovidemorearms,onemantookthegun,theotherthebayonet。
OppositetheQuaidelaGreve,youngmenarmedwithmusketsinstalledthemselvesinthehousesofsomewomenforthepurposeoffiring。
Oneofthemhadaflint—lock。Theyrang,entered,andsetaboutmakingcartridges。Oneofthesewomenrelates:\"Ididnotknowwhatcartridgeswere;itwasmyhusbandwhotoldme。\"
OneclusterbrokeintoacuriosityshopintheRuedesViellesHaudriettes,andseizedyataghansandTurkisharms。
Thebodyofamasonwhohadbeenkilledbyagun—shotlayintheRuedelaPerle。
Andthenontherightbank,theleftbank,onthequays,ontheboulevards,intheLatincountry,inthequarteroftheHalles,pantingmen,artisans,students,membersofsectionsreadproclamationsandshouted:\"Toarms!\"brokestreetlanterns,unharnessedcarriages,unpavedthestreets,brokeinthedoorsofhouses,uprootedtrees,rummagedcellars,rolledouthogsheads,heapeduppaving—stones,roughslabs,furnitureandplanks,andmadebarricades。
Theyforcedthebourgeoistoassisttheminthis。Theyenteredthedwellingsofwomen,theyforcedthemtohandovertheswordsandgunsoftheirabsenthusbands,andtheywroteonthedoor,withwhiting:
\"Thearmshavebeendelivered\";somesigned\"theirnames\"toreceiptsforthegunsandswordsandsaid:\"Sendforthemto—morrowattheMayor’soffice。\"TheydisarmedisolatedsentinelsandNationalGuardsmeninthestreetsontheirwaytotheTownhall。Theytoretheepauletsfromofficers。IntheRueduCimitiere—Saint—Nicholas,anofficeroftheNationalGuard,onbeingpursuedbyacrowdarmedwithclubsandfoils,tookrefugewithdifficultyinahouse,whencehewasonlyabletoemergeatnightfallandindisguise。
IntheQuartierSaint—Jacques,thestudentsswarmedoutoftheirhotelsandascendedtheRueSaint—HyacinthetotheCafeduProgress,ordescendedtotheCafedesSept—Billards,intheRuedesMathurins。
There,infrontofthedoor,youngmenmountedonthestonecorner—posts,distributedarms。Theyplunderedthetimber—yardintheRueTransnonaininordertoobtainmaterialforbarricades。
Onasinglepointtheinhabitantsresisted,atthecorneroftheRueSainte—AvoyeandtheRueSimon—Le—Franc,wheretheydestroyedthebarricadewiththeirownhands。Atasinglepointtheinsurgentsyielded;theyabandonedabarricadebegunintheRuedeTempleafterhavingfiredonadetachmentoftheNationalGuard,andfledthroughtheRuedelaCorderie。Thedetachmentpickedupinthebarricadearedflag,apackageofcartridges,andthreehundredpistol—balls。TheNationalGuardsmentoreuptheflag,andcarriedoffitstatteredremainsonthepointsoftheirbayonets。
Allthatwearehererelatingslowlyandsuccessivelytookplacesimultaneouslyatallpointsofthecityinthemidstofavasttumult,likeamassoftonguesoflightninginoneclapofthunder。
Inlessthananhour,twenty—sevenbarricadessprangoutoftheearthinthequarteroftheHallesalone。InthecentrewasthatfamoushouseNo。50,whichwasthefortressofJeanneandhersixhundredcompanions,andwhich,flankedontheonehandbyabarricadeatSaint—Merry,andontheotherbyabarricadeoftheRueMaubuee,commandedthreestreets,theRuedesArcis,theRueSaint—Martin,andtheRueAubry—le—Boucher,whichitfaced。Thebarricadesatrightanglesfellback,theoneoftheRueMontorgueilontheGrande—Truanderie,theotheroftheRueGeoffroy—LangevinontheRueSainte—Avoye。WithoutreckoninginnumerablebarricadesintwentyotherquartersofParis,intheMarais,atMont—Sainte—Genevieve;
oneintheRueMenilmontant,wherewasvisibleaportecocheretornfromitshinges;anothernearthelittlebridgeoftheHotel—Dieumadewithan\"ecossais,\"whichhadbeenunharnessedandoverthrown,threehundredpacesfromthePrefectureofPolice。
AtthebarricadeoftheRuedesMenetriers,awell—dressedmandistributedmoneytotheworkmen。AtthebarricadeoftheRueGrenetat,ahorsemanmadehisappearanceandhandedtotheonewhoseemedtobethecommanderofthebarricadewhathadtheappearanceofarollofsilver。\"Here,\"saidhe,\"thisistopayexpenses,wine,etcaetera。\"Alight—hairedyoungman,withoutacravat,wentfrombarricadetobarricade,carryingpass—words。Another,withanakedsword,abluepolicecaponhishead,placedsentinels。
Intheinterior,beyondthebarricades,thewine—shopsandporters’
lodgeswereconvertedintoguard—houses。Otherwisetheriotwasconductedafterthemostscientificmilitarytactics。
Thenarrow,uneven,sinuousstreets,fullofanglesandturns,wereadmirablychosen;theneighborhoodoftheHalles,inparticular,anetworkofstreetsmoreintricatethanaforest。TheSocietyoftheFriendsofthePeoplehad,itwassaid,undertakentodirecttheinsurrectionintheQuartierSainte—Avoye。AmankilledintheRueduPonceauwhowassearchedhadonhispersonaplanofParis。
Thatwhichhadreallyundertakenthedirectionoftheuprisingwasasortofstrangeimpetuositywhichwasintheair。
Theinsurrectionhadabruptlybuiltbarricadeswithonehand,andwiththeotherseizednearlyallthepostsofthegarrison。
Inlessthanthreehours,likeatrainofpowdercatchingfire,theinsurgentshadinvadedandoccupied,ontherightbank,theArsenal,theMayoraltyofthePlaceRoyale,thewholeoftheMarais,thePopincourtarmsmanufactory,laGaliote,theChateau—d’Eau,andallthestreetsneartheHalles;ontheleftbank,thebarracksoftheVeterans,Sainte—Pelagie,thePlaceMaubert,thepowdermagazineoftheDeux—Moulins,andallthebarriers。
Atfiveo’clockintheevening,theyweremastersoftheBastille,oftheLingerie,oftheBlancs—Manteaux;theirscoutshadreachedthePlacedesVictoires,andmenacedtheBank,thePetits—Peresbarracks,andthePost—Office。AthirdofPariswasinthehandsoftherioters。
Theconflicthadbeenbegunonagiganticscaleatallpoints;
and,asaresultofthedisarmingdomiciliaryvisits,andarmorers’
shopshastilyinvaded,was,thatthecombatwhichhadbegunwiththethrowingofstoneswascontinuedwithgun—shots。
Aboutsixo’clockintheevening,thePassageduSaumonbecamethefieldofbattle。Theuprisingwasatoneend,thetroopswereattheother。Theyfiredfromonegatetotheother。Anobserver,adreamer,theauthorofthisbook,whohadgonetogetanearviewofthisvolcano,foundhimselfinthepassagebetweenthetwofires。
Allthathehadtoprotecthimfromthebulletswastheswellofthetwohalf—columnswhichseparatetheshops;heremainedinthisdelicatesituationfornearlyhalfanhour。
Meanwhilethecalltoarmswasbeaten,theNationalGuardarmedinhaste,thelegionsemergedfromtheMayoralities,theregimentsfromtheirbarracks。Oppositethepassagedel’Ancreadrummerreceivedablowfromadagger。Another,intheRueduCygne,wasassailedbythirtyyoungmenwhobrokehisinstrument,andtookawayhissword。AnotherwaskilledintheRueGrenier—Saint—Lazare。
IntheRue—Michelle—Comte,threeofficersfelldeadoneaftertheother。ManyoftheMunicipalGuards,onbeingwounded,intheRuedesLombards,retreated。
InfrontoftheCour—Batave,adetachmentofNationalGuardsfoundaredflagbearingthefollowinginscription:Republicanrevolution,No。127。Wasthisarevolution,infact?
TheinsurrectionhadmadeofthecentreofParisasortofinextricable,tortuous,colossalcitadel。
Therewasthehearth;there,evidently,wasthequestion。
Alltherestwasnothingbutskirmishes。Theproofthatallwouldbedecidedtherelayinthefactthattherewasnofightinggoingonthereasyet。
Insomeregiments,thesoldierswereuncertain,whichaddedtothefearfuluncertaintyofthecrisis。Theyrecalledthepopularovationwhichhadgreetedtheneutralityofthe53doftheLineinJuly,1830。Twointrepidmen,triedingreatwars,theMarshalLobauandGeneralBugeaud,wereincommand,BugeaudunderLobau。
Enormouspatrols,composedofbattalionsoftheLine,enclosedinentirecompaniesoftheNationalGuard,andprecededbyacommissaryofpolicewearinghisscarfofoffice,wenttoreconnoitrethestreetsinrebellion。Theinsurgents,ontheirside,placedvidettesatthecornersofallopenspaces,andaudaciouslysenttheirpatrolsoutsidethebarricades。Eachsidewaswatchingtheother。
TheGovernment,withanarmyinitshand,hesitated;thenightwasalmostuponthem,andtheSaint—Merrytocsinbegantomakeitselfheard。TheMinisterofWaratthattime,MarshalSoult,whohadseenAusterlitz,regardedthiswithagloomyair。
Theseoldsailors,accustomedtocorrectmanoeuvresandhavingasresourceandguideonlytactics,thatcompassofbattles,areutterlydisconcertedinthepresenceofthatimmensefoamwhichiscalledpublicwrath。
TheNationalGuardsofthesuburbsrushedupinhasteanddisorder。
Abattalionofthe12thLightcameatarunfromSaint—Denis,the14thoftheLinearrivedfromCourbevoie,thebatteriesoftheMilitarySchoolhadtakenuptheirpositionontheCarrousel;
cannonsweredescendingfromVincennes。
SolitudewasformedaroundtheTuileries。LouisPhilippewasperfectlyserene。
CHAPTERV
ORIGINALITYOFPARIS
Duringthelasttwoyears,aswehavesaid,Parishadwitnessedmorethanoneinsurrection。Nothingis,generally,moresingularlycalmthanthephysiognomyofParisduringanuprisingbeyondtheboundsoftherebelliousquarters。Parisveryspeedilyaccustomsherselftoanything,——itisonlyariot,——andParishassomanyaffairsonhand,thatshedoesnotputherselfoutforsosmallamatter。Thesecolossalcitiesalonecanoffersuchspectacles。
Theseimmenseenclosuresalonecancontainatthesametimecivilwarandanoddandindescribabletranquillity。Ordinarily,whenaninsurrectioncommences,whentheshop—keeperhearsthedrum,thecalltoarms,thegeneralalarm,hecontentshimselfwiththeremark:——
\"ThereappearstobeasquabbleintheRueSaint—Martin。\"
Or:——
\"IntheFaubourgSaint—Antoine。\"
Oftenheaddscarelessly:——
\"Orsomewhereinthatdirection。\"
Lateron,whentheheart—rendingandmournfulhubbubofmusketryandfiringbyplatoonsbecomesaudible,theshopkeepersays:——
\"It’sgettinghot!Hullo,it’sgettinghot!\"
Amomentlater,theriotapproachesandgainsinforce,heshutsuphisshopprecipitately,hastilydonshisuniform,thatistosay,heplaceshismerchandiseinsafetyandriskshisownperson。
Menfireinasquare,inapassage,inablindalley;theytakeandre—takethebarricade;bloodflows,thegrape—shotriddlesthefrontsofthehouses,theballskillpeopleintheirbeds,corpsesencumberthestreets。Afewstreetsaway,theshockofbilliard—ballscanbeheardinthecafes。
Thetheatresopentheirdoorsandpresentvaudevilles;thecuriouslaughandchatacoupleofpacesdistantfromthesestreetsfilledwithwar。Hackney—carriagesgotheirway;passers—byaregoingtoadinnersomewhereintown。Sometimesintheveryquarterwherethefightingisgoingon。
In1831,afusilladewasstoppedtoallowaweddingpartytopass。
Atthetimeoftheinsurrectionof1839,intheRueSaint—Martinalittle,infirmoldman,pushingahand—cartsurmountedbyatricoloredrag,inwhichhehadcarafesfilledwithsomesortofliquid,wentandcamefrombarricadetotroopsandfromtroopstothebarricade,offeringhisglassesofcocoaimpartially,——nowtotheGovernment,nowtoanarchy。
Nothingcanbestranger;andthisisthepeculiarcharacterofuprisingsinParis,whichcannotbefoundinanyothercapital。
Tothisend,twothingsarerequisite,thesizeofParisanditsgayety。
ThecityofVoltaireandNapoleonisnecessary。
Onthisoccasion,however,intheresorttoarmsofJune25th,1832,thegreatcityfeltsomethingwhichwas,perhaps,strongerthanitself。
Itwasafraid。
Closeddoors,windows,andshuttersweretobeseeneverywhere,inthemostdistantandmost\"disinterested\"quarters。Thecourageoustooktoarms,thepoltroonshid。Thebusyandheedlesspasser—bydisappeared。Manystreetswereemptyatfouro’clockinthemorning。
Alarmingdetailswerehawkedabout,fatalnewswasdisseminated,——
thattheyweremastersoftheBank;——thatthereweresixhundredofthemintheCloisterofSaint—Merryalone,entrenchedandembattledinthechurch;thatthelinewasnottobedependedon;thatArmandCarrelhadbeentoseeMarshalClauselandthattheMarshalhadsaid:
\"Getaregimentfirst\";thatLafayettewasill,butthathehadsaidtothem,nevertheless:\"Iamwithyou。Iwillfollowyouwhereverthereisroomforachair\";thatonemustbeonone’sguard;
thatatnighttherewouldbepeoplepillagingisolateddwellingsinthedesertedcornersofParis(theretheimaginationofthepolice,thatAnneRadcliffemixedupwiththeGovernmentwasrecognizable);
thatabatteryhadbeenestablishedintheRueAubryleBoucher;
thatLobauandBugeaudwereputtingtheirheadstogether,andthat,atmidnight,oratdaybreakatlatest,fourcolumnswouldmarchsimultaneouslyonthecentreoftheuprising,thefirstcomingfromtheBastille,thesecondfromthePorteSaint—Martin,thethirdfromtheGreve,thefourthfromtheHalles;thatperhaps,also,thetroopswouldevacuateParisandwithdrawtotheChamp—de—Mars;
thatnooneknewwhatwouldhappen,butthatthistime,itcertainlywasserious。
PeoplebusiedthemselvesoverMarshalSoult’shesitations。Whydidnotheattackatonce?Itiscertainthathewasprofoundlyabsorbed。
Theoldlionseemedtoscentanunknownmonsterinthatgloom。
Eveningcame,thetheatresdidnotopen;thepatrolscirculatedwithanairofirritation;passers—byweresearched;suspiciouspersonswerearrested。Bynineo’clock,morethaneighthundredpersonshadbeenarrested,thePrefectureofPolicewasencumberedwiththem,sowastheConciergerie,sowasLaForce。
AttheConciergerieinparticular,thelongvaultwhichiscalledtheRuedePariswaslitteredwithtrussesofstrawuponwhichlayaheapofprisoners,whomthemanofLyons,Lagrange,haranguedvaliantly。Allthatstrawrustledbyallthesemen,producedthesoundofaheavyshower。Elsewhereprisonerssleptintheopenairinthemeadows,piledontopofeachother。
Anxietyreignedeverywhere,andacertaintremorwhichwasnothabitualwithParis。
Peoplebarricadedthemselvesintheirhouses;wivesandmotherswereuneasy;nothingwastobeheardbutthis:\"Ah!myGod!
Hehasnotcomehome!\"Therewashardlyeventhedistantrumbleofavehicletobeheard。
Peoplelistenedontheirthresholds,totherumors,theshouts,thetumult,thedullandindistinctsounds,tothethingsthatweresaid:\"Itiscavalry,\"or:\"Thosearethecaissonsgalloping,\"
tothetrumpets,thedrums,thefiring,and,aboveall,tothatlamentablealarmpealfromSaint—Merry。
Theywaitedforthefirstcannon—shot。Mensprangupatthecornersofthestreetsanddisappeared,shouting:\"Gohome!\"Andpeoplemadehastetobolttheirdoors。Theysaid:\"Howwillallthisend?\"
Frommomenttomoment,inproportionasthedarknessdescended,Parisseemedtotakeonamoremournfulhuefromtheformidableflamingoftherevolt。
BOOKELEVENTH。——THEATOMFRATERNIZESWITHTHEHURRICANE
CHAPTERI
SOMEEXPLANATIONSWITHREGARDTOTHEORIGINOFGAVROCHE’SPOETRY。
THEINFLUENCEOFANACADEMICIANONTHISPOETRY
Attheinstantwhentheinsurrection,arisingfromtheshockofthepopulaceandthemilitaryinfrontoftheArsenal,startedamovementinadvanceandtowardstherearinthemultitudewhichwasfollowingthehearseandwhich,throughthewholelengthoftheboulevards,weighed,sotospeak,ontheheadoftheprocession,therearoseafrightfulebb。Theroutwasshaken,theirrankswerebroken,allran,fled,madetheirescape,somewithshoutsofattack,otherswiththepallorofflight。
Thegreatriverwhichcoveredtheboulevardsdividedinatwinkling,overflowedtorightandleft,andspreadintorrentsovertwohundredstreetsatoncewiththeroarofasewerthathasbrokenloose。
Atthatmoment,araggedchildwhowascomingdownthroughtheRueMenilmontant,holdinginhishandabranchofblossominglaburnumwhichhehadjustpluckedontheheightsofBelleville,caughtsightofanoldholster—pistolintheshow—windowofabric—a—bracmerchant’sshop。
\"MotherWhat’s—your—name,I’mgoingtoborrowyourmachine。\"
Andoffheranwiththepistol。
Twominuteslater,afloodoffrightenedbourgeoiswhowerefleeingthroughtheRueAmelotandtheRueBasse,encounteredtheladbrandishinghispistolandsinging:——
Lanuitonnevoitrien,Lejouronvoittresbien,D’unecritapocryphaLebourgeoiss’ebouriffe,Pratiquezlavertu,Tutu,chapeaupointu![44]
[44]Atnightoneseesnothing,bydayoneseesverywell;
thebourgeoisgetsflurriedoveranapocryphalscrawl,practicevirtue,tutu,pointedhat!
ItwaslittleGavrocheonhiswaytothewars。
Ontheboulevardhenoticedthatthepistolhadnotrigger。
Whowastheauthorofthatcoupletwhichservedtopunctuatehismarch,andofalltheothersongswhichhewasfondofsingingonoccasion?
Weknownot。Whodoesknow?Himself,perhaps。However,Gavrochewaswellupinallthepopulartunesincirculation,andhemingledwiththemhisownchirpings。Anobservingurchinandarogue,hemadeapotpourriofthevoicesofnatureandthevoicesofParis。Hecombinedtherepertoryofthebirdswiththerepertoryoftheworkshops。
Hewasacquaintedwiththieves,atribecontiguoustohisown。
Hehad,itappears,beenforthreemonthsapprenticedtoaprinter。
HehadonedayexecutedacommissionforM。Baour—Lormian,oneoftheForty。Gavrochewasagaminofletters。
Moreover,Gavrochehadnosuspicionofthefactthatwhenhehadofferedthehospitalityofhiselephanttotwobratsonthatvillainouslyrainynight,itwastohisownbrothersthathehadplayedthepartofProvidence。Hisbrothersintheevening,hisfatherinthemorning;thatiswhathisnighthadbeenlike。
OnquittingtheRuedesBalletsatdaybreak,hehadreturnedinhastetotheelephant,hadartisticallyextractedfromitthetwobrats,hadsharedwiththemsomesortofbreakfastwhichhehadinvented,andhadthengoneaway,confidingthemtothatgoodmother,thestreet,whohadbroughthimup,almostentirely。Onleavingthem,hehadappointedtomeetthematthesamespotintheevening,andhadleftthemthisdiscoursebywayofafarewell:\"Ibreakacane,otherwiseexpressed,Icutmystick,or,astheysayatthecourt,Ifileoff。Ifyoudon’tfindpapaandmamma,young’uns,comebackherethisevening。I’llscrambleyouupsomesupper,andI’llgiveyouashakedown。\"Thetwochildren,pickedupbysomepolicemanandplacedintherefuge,orstolenbysomemountebank,orhavingsimplystrayedoffinthatimmenseChinesepuzzleofaParis,didnotreturn。Thelowestdepthsoftheactualsocialworldarefulloftheselosttraces。Gavrochedidnotseethemagain。
Tenortwelveweekshadelapsedsincethatnight。Morethanoncehehadscratchedthebackofhisheadandsaid:\"Wherethedevilaremytwochildren?\"
Inthemeantime,hehadarrived,pistolinhand,intheRueduPont—aux—Choux。Henoticedthattherewasbutoneshopopeninthatstreet,and,amatterworthyofreflection,thatwasapastry—cook’sshop。Thispresentedaprovidentialoccasiontoeatanotherapple—turnoverbeforeenteringtheunknown。
Gavrochehalted,fumbledinhisfob,turnedhispocketinsideout,foundnothing,notevenasou,andbegantoshout:\"Help!\"
Itishardtomissthelastcake。
Nevertheless,Gavrochepursuedhisway。
TwominuteslaterhewasintheRueSaint—Louis。WhiletraversingtheRueduParc—Royal,hefeltcalledupontomakegoodthelossoftheapple—turnoverwhichhadbeenimpossible,andheindulgedhimselfintheimmensedelightoftearingdownthetheatrepostersinbroaddaylight。
Alittlefurtheron,oncatchingsightofagroupofcomfortable—lookingpersons,whoseemedtobelandedproprietors,heshruggedhisshouldersandspitoutatrandombeforehimthismouthfulofphilosophicalbileastheypassed:
\"Howfatthosemoneyedmenare!They’redrunk!Theyjustwallowingooddinners。Ask’emwhattheydowiththeirmoney。
Theydon’tknow。Theyeatit,that’swhattheydo!Asmuchastheirbellieswillhold。\"
CHAPTERII
GAVROCHEONTHEMARCH
Thebrandishingofatriggerlesspistol,graspedinone’shandintheopenstreet,issomuchofapublicfunctionthatGavrochefelthisfervorincreasingwitheverymoment。AmidthescrapsoftheMarseillaisewhichhewassinging,heshouted:——
\"Allgoeswell。Isufferagreatdealinmyleftpaw,I’mallbrokenupwithrheumatism,butI’msatisfied,citizens。Allthatthebourgeoishavetodoistobearthemselveswell,I’llsneezethemoutsubversivecouplets。Whatarethepolicespies?Dogs。AndI’djustliketohaveoneofthemattheendofmypistol。I’mjustfromtheboulevard,myfriends。It’sgettinghotthere,it’sgettingintoalittleboil,it’ssimmering。It’stimetoskimthepot。
Forwardmarch,men!Letanimpurebloodinundatethefurrows!
Igivemydaystomycountry,Ishallneverseemyconcubinemore,Nini,finished,yes,Nini?Butnevermind!Longlivejoy!
Let’sfight,crebleu!I’vehadenoughofdespotism。\"
Atthatmoment,thehorseofalanceroftheNationalGuardhavingfallen,Gavrochelaidhispistolonthepavement,andpickeduptheman,thenheassistedinraisingthehorse。Afterwhichhepickeduphispistolandresumedhisway。IntheRuedeThorigny,allwaspeaceandsilence。Thisapathy,peculiartotheMarais,presentedacontrastwiththevastsurroundinguproar。Fourgossipswerechattinginadoorway。
Scotlandhastriosofwitches,Parishasquartettesofoldgossipinghags;
andthe\"ThoushaltbeKing\"couldbequiteasmournfullyhurledatBonaparteintheCarrefourBaudoyerasatMacbethontheheathofArmuyr。Thecroakwouldbealmostidentical。
ThegossipsoftheRuedeThorignybusiedthemselvesonlywiththeirownconcerns。Threeofthemwereportresses,andthefourthwasarag—pickerwithherbasketonherback。
Allfourofthemseemedtobestandingatthefourcornersofoldage,whicharedecrepitude,decay,ruin,andsadness。
Therag—pickerwashumble。Inthisopen—airsociety,itistherag—pickerwhosalutesandtheportresswhopatronizes。
Thisiscausedbythecornerforrefuse,whichisfatorlean,accordingtothewilloftheportresses,andafterthefancyoftheonewhomakestheheap。Theremaybekindnessinthebroom。
Thisrag—pickerwasagratefulcreature,andshesmiled,withwhatasmile!onthethreeportresses。Thingsofthisnatureweresaid:——
\"Ah,bytheway,isyourcatstillcross?\"
\"Goodgracious,catsarenaturallytheenemiesofdogs,youknow。
It’sthedogswhocomplain。\"
\"Andpeoplealso。\"
\"Butthefleasfromacatdon’tgoafterpeople。\"
\"That’snotthetrouble,dogsaredangerous。Irememberoneyearwhenthereweresomanydogsthatitwasnecessarytoputitinthenewspapers。ThatwasatthetimewhentherewereattheTuileriesgreatsheepthatdrewthelittlecarriageoftheKingofRome。
DoyouremembertheKingofRome?\"
\"IlikedtheDucdeBordeaubetter。\"
\"IknewLouisXVIII。IpreferLouisXVIII。\"
\"Meatisawfullydear,isn’tit,MotherPatagon?\"
\"Ah!don’tmentionit,thebutcher’sshopisahorror。
Ahorriblehorror——onecan’taffordanythingbutthepoorcutsnowadays。\"
Heretherag—pickerinterposed:——
\"Ladies,businessisdull。Therefuseheapsaremiserable。
Noonethrowsanythingawayanymore。Theyeateverything。\"
\"Therearepoorerpeoplethanyou,laVargouleme。\"
\"Ah,that’strue,\"repliedtherag—picker,withdeference,\"Ihaveaprofession。\"
Apausesucceeded,andtherag—picker,yieldingtothatnecessityforboastingwhichliesatthebottomofman,added:——
\"Inthemorning,onmyreturnhome,Ipickovermybasket,Isortmythings。Thismakesheapsinmyroom。Iputtheragsinabasket,thecoresandstalksinabucket,thelineninmycupboard,thewoollenstuffinmycommode,theoldpapersinthecornerofthewindow,thethingsthataregoodtoeatinmybowl,thebitsofglassinmyfireplace,theoldshoesbehindmydoor,andthebonesundermybed。\"
Gavrochehadstoppedbehindherandwaslistening。
\"Oldladies,\"saidhe,\"whatdoyoumeanbytalkingpolitics?\"
Hewasassailedbyabroadside,composedofaquadruplehowl。
\"Here’sanotherrascal。\"
\"What’sthathe’sgotinhispaddle?Apistol?\"
\"Well,I’dliketoknowwhatsortofabeggar’sbratthisis?\"
\"Thatsortofanimalisnevereasyunlesshe’soverturningtheauthorities。\"
Gavrochedisdainfullycontentedhimself,bywayofreprisal,withelevatingthetipofhisnosewithhisthumbandopeninghishandwide。
Therag—pickercried:——
\"Youmalicious,bare—pawedlittlewretch!\"
TheonewhoansweredtothenameofPatagonclappedherhandstogetherinhorror。
\"There’sgoingtobeevildoings,that’scertain。Theerrand—boynextdoorhasalittlepointedbeard,Ihaveseenhimpasseverydaywithayoungpersoninapinkbonnetonhisarm;to—dayIsawhimpass,andhehadagunonhisarm。MameBacheuxsays,thatlastweektherewasarevolutionat——at——at——where’sthecalf!——atPontoise。
Andthen,thereyouseehim,thathorridscamp,withhispistol!
ItseemsthattheCelestinsarefullofpistols。WhatdoyousupposetheGovernmentcandowithgood—for—nothingswhodon’tknowhowtodoanythingbutcontrivewaysofupsettingtheworld,whenwehadjustbeguntogetalittlequietafterallthemisfortunesthathavehappened,goodLord!tothatpoorqueenwhomIsawpassinthetumbril!
Andallthisisgoingtomaketobaccodearer。It’sinfamous!
AndIshallcertainlygotoseehimbeheadedontheguillotine,thewretch!\"
\"You’vegotthesniffles,oldlady,\"saidGavroche。
\"Blowyourpromontory。\"
Andhepassedon。WhenhewasintheRuePavee,therag—pickeroccurredtohismind,andheindulgedinthissoliloquy:——
\"You’reinthewrongtoinsulttherevolutionists,MotherDust—Heap—Corner。Thispistolisinyourinterests。
It’ssothatyoumayhavemoregoodthingstoeatinyourbasket。\"
Allatonce,heheardashoutbehindhim;itwastheportressPatagonwhohadfollowedhim,andwhowasshakingherfistathiminthedistanceandcrying:——
\"You’renothingbutabastard。\"
\"Oh!Comenow,\"saidGavroche,\"Idon’tcareabrassfarthingforthat!\"
Shortlyafterwards,hepassedtheHotelLamoignon。Thereheutteredthisappeal:——
\"Forwardmarchtothebattle!\"
Andhewasseizedwithafitofmelancholy。Hegazedathispistolwithanairofreproachwhichseemedanattempttoappeaseit:——
\"I’mgoingoff,\"saidhe,\"butyouwon’tgooff!\"
Onedogmaydistracttheattentionfromanotherdog。[45]Averygauntpoodlecamealongatthemoment。Gavrochefeltcompassionforhim。
[45]Chien,dog,trigger。
\"Mypoordoggy,\"saidhe,\"youmusthavegoneandswallowedacask,forallthehoopsarevisible。\"
Thenhedirectedhiscoursetowardsl’Orme—Saint—Gervais。
CHAPTERIII
JUSTINDIGNATIONOFAHAIR—DRESSER
Theworthyhair—dresserwhohadchasedfromhisshopthetwolittlefellowstowhomGavrochehadopenedthepaternalinterioroftheelephantwasatthatmomentinhisshopengagedinshavinganoldsoldierofthelegionwhohadservedundertheEmpire。
Theyweretalking。Thehair—dresserhad,naturally,spokentotheveteranoftheriot,thenofGeneralLamarque,andfromLamarquetheyhadpassedtotheEmperor。ThencesprangupaconversationbetweenbarberandsoldierwhichPrudhomme,hadhebeenpresent,wouldhaveenrichedwitharabesques,andwhichhewouldhaveentitled:
\"Dialoguebetweentherazorandthesword。\"
\"HowdidtheEmperorride,sir?\"saidthebarber。
\"Badly。Hedidnotknowhowtofall——soheneverfell。\"
\"Didhehavefinehorses?Hemusthavehadfinehorses!\"
\"Onthedaywhenhegavememycross,Inoticedhisbeast。
Itwasaracingmare,perfectlywhite。Herearswereverywideapart,hersaddledeep,afineheadmarkedwithablackstar,averylongneck,stronglyarticulatedknees,prominentribs,obliqueshouldersandapowerfulcrupper。Alittlemorethanfifteenhandsinheight。\"
\"Aprettyhorse,\"remarkedthehair—dresser。
\"ItwasHisMajesty’sbeast。\"
Thehair—dresserfelt,thatafterthisobservation,ashortsilencewouldbefitting,soheconformedhimselftoit,andthenwenton:——
\"TheEmperorwasneverwoundedbutonce,washe,sir?\"
Theoldsoldierrepliedwiththecalmandsovereigntoneofamanwhohadbeenthere:——
\"Intheheel。AtRatisbon。Ineversawhimsowelldressedasonthatday。Hewasasneatasanewsou。\"
\"Andyou,Mr。Veteran,youmusthavebeenoftenwounded?\"
\"I?\"saidthesoldier,\"ah!nottoamounttoanything。AtMarengo,Ireceivedtwosabre—blowsonthebackofmyneck,abulletintherightarmatAusterlitz,anotherinthelefthipatJena。
AtFriedland,athrustfromabayonet,there,——attheMoskowasevenoreightlance—thrusts,nomatterwhere,atLutzenasplinterofashellcrushedoneofmyfingers。Ah!andthenatWaterloo,aballfromabiscaieninthethigh,that’sall。\"
\"Howfinethatis!\"exclaimedthehair—dresser,inPindaricaccents,\"todieonthefieldofbattle!Onmywordofhonor,ratherthandieinbed,ofanillness,slowly,abitbybiteachday,withdrugs,cataplasms,syringes,medicines,Ishouldprefertoreceiveacannon—ballinmybelly!\"
\"You’renotoverfastidious,\"saidthesoldier。
Hehadhardlyspokenwhenafearfulcrashshooktheshop。
Theshow—windowhadsuddenlybeenfractured。
Thewig—makerturnedpale。
\"Ah,goodGod!\"heexclaimed,\"it’soneofthem!\"
\"What?\"
\"Acannon—ball。\"
\"Hereitis,\"saidthesoldier。
Andhepickedupsomethingthatwasrollingaboutthefloor。
Itwasapebble。
Thehair—dresserrantothebrokenwindowandbeheldGavrochefleeingatthefullspeed,towardstheMarcheSaint—Jean。Ashepassedthehair—dresser’sshopGavroche,whohadthetwobratsstillinhismind,hadnotbeenabletoresisttheimpulsetosaygooddaytohim,andhadflungastonethroughhispanes。
\"Yousee!\"shriekedthehair—dresser,whofromwhitehadturnedblue,\"thatfellowreturnsanddoesmischiefforthepurepleasureofit。
Whathasanyonedonetothatgamin?\"
CHAPTERIV
THECHILDISAMAZEDATTHEOLDMAN
Inthemeantime,intheMarcheSaint—Jean,wheretheposthadalreadybeendisarmed,Gavrochehadjust\"effectedajunction\"
withabandledbyEnjolras,Courfeyrac,Combeferre,andFeuilly。
Theywerearmedafterafashion。BahorelandJeanProuvairehadfoundthemandswelledthegroup。Enjolrashadadouble—barrelledhunting—gun,CombeferrethegunofaNationalGuardbearingthenumberofhislegion,andinhisbelt,twopistolswhichhisunbuttonedcoatallowedtobeseen,JeanProuvaireanoldcavalrymusket,Bahorelarifle;
Courfeyracwasbrandishinganunsheathedsword—cane。Feuilly,withanakedswordinhishand,marchedattheirheadshouting:
\"LonglivePoland!\"
TheyreachedtheQuaiMorland。Cravatless,hatless,breathless,soakedbytherain,withlightningintheireyes。Gavrocheaccostedthemcalmly:——
\"Wherearewegoing?\"
\"Comealong,\"saidCourfeyrac。
BehindFeuillymarched,orratherbounded,Bahorel,whowaslikeafishinwaterinariot。Heworeascarletwaistcoat,andindulgedinthesortofwordswhichbreakeverything。
Hiswaistcoatastoundedapasser—by,whocriedinbewilderment:——
\"Herearethereds!\"
\"Thereds,thereds!\"retortedBahorel。\"Aqueerkindoffear,bourgeois。FormypartIdon’ttremblebeforeapoppy,thelittleredhatinspiresmewithnoalarm。Takemyadvice,bourgeois,let’sleavefearoftheredtohornedcattle。\"
Hecaughtsightofacornerofthewallonwhichwasplacardedthemostpeaceablesheetofpaperintheworld,apermissiontoeateggs,aLentenadmonitionaddressedbytheArchbishopofParistohis\"flock。\"
Bahorelexclaimed:——
\"`Flock’;apolitewayofsayinggeese。\"
Andhetorethechargefromthenail。ThisconqueredGavroche。
FromthatinstantGavrochesethimselftostudyBahorel。
\"Bahorel,\"observedEnjolras,\"youarewrong。Youshouldhaveletthatchargealone,heisnotthepersonwithwhomwehavetodeal,youarewastingyourwrathtonopurpose。Takecareofyoursupply。
Onedoesnotfireoutoftherankswiththesoulanymorethanwithagun。\"
\"Eachoneinhisownfashion,Enjolras,\"retortedBahorel。
\"Thisbishop’sproseshocksme;Iwanttoeateggswithoutbeingpermitted。Yourstyleisthehotandcold;Iamamusingmyself。Besides,I’mnotwastingmyself,I’mgettingastart;
andifItoredownthatcharge,Hercle!’twasonlytowhetmyappetite。\"
Thisword,Hercle,struckGavroche。Hesoughtalloccasionsforlearning,andthattearer—downofposterspossessedhisesteem。
Heinquiredofhim:——
\"WhatdoesHerclemean?\"
Bahorelanswered:——
\"Itmeanscursednameofadog,inLatin。\"
HereBahorelrecognizedatawindowapaleyoungmanwithablackbeardwhowaswatchingthemastheypassed,probablyaFriendoftheABC。Heshoutedtohim:——
\"Quick,cartridges,parabellum。\"
\"Afineman!that’strue,\"saidGavroche,whonowunderstoodLatin。
Atumultuousretinueaccompaniedthem,——students,artists,youngmenaffiliatedtotheCougourdeofAix,artisans,longshoremen,armedwithclubsandbayonets;some,likeCombeferre,withpistolsthrustintotheirtrousers。
Anoldman,whoappearedtobeextremelyaged,waswalkingintheband。
Hehadnoarms,andhemadegreathaste,sothathemightnotbeleftbehind,althoughhehadathoughtfulair。
Gavrochecaughtsightofhim:——
\"Keksekca?\"saidhetoCourfeyrac。
\"He’sanoldduffer。\"
ItwasM。Mabeuf。
CHAPTERV
THEOLDMAN
Letusrecountwhathadtakenplace。
EnjolrasandhisfriendshadbeenontheBoulevardBourdon,nearthepublicstorehouses,atthemomentwhenthedragoonshadmadetheircharge。Enjolras,Courfeyrac,andCombeferrewereamongthosewhohadtakentotheRueBassompierre,shouting:\"Tothebarricades!\"
IntheRueLesdiguierestheyhadmetanoldmanwalkingalong。
Whathadattractedtheirattentionwasthatthegoodmanwaswalkinginazig—zag,asthoughhewereintoxicated。Moreover,hehadhishatinhishand,althoughithadbeenrainingallthemorning,andwasrainingprettybrisklyattheverytime。CourfeyrachadrecognizedFatherMabeuf。HeknewhimthroughhavingmanytimesaccompaniedMariusasfarashisdoor。Ashewasacquaintedwiththepeacefulandmorethantimidhabitsoftheoldbeadle—book—collector,andwasamazedatthesightofhiminthemidstofthatuproar,acoupleofpacesfromthecavalrycharges,almostinthemidstofafusillade,hatlessintherain,andstrollingaboutamongthebullets,hehadaccostedhim,andthefollowingdialoguehadbeenexchangedbetweentherioteroffireandtheoctogenarian:——
\"M。Mabeuf,gotoyourhome。\"
\"Why?\"
\"There’sgoingtobearow。\"
\"That’swell。\"
\"Thrustswiththeswordandfiring,M。Mabeuf。\"
\"Thatiswell。\"
\"Firingfromcannon。\"
\"Thatisgood。Wherearetherestofyougoing?\"
\"Wearegoingtoflingthegovernmenttotheearth。\"
\"Thatisgood。\"
Andhehadsetouttofollowthem。Fromthatmomentforthhehadnotutteredaword。Hisstephadsuddenlybecomefirm;
artisanshadofferedhimtheirarms;hehadrefusedwithasignofthehead。Headvancednearlytothefrontrankofthecolumn,withthemovementofamanwhoismarchingandthecountenanceofamanwhoissleeping。
\"Whatafierceoldfellow!\"mutteredthestudents。TherumorspreadthroughthetroopthathewasaformermemberoftheConvention,——
anoldregicide。ThemobhadturnedinthroughtheRuedelaVerrerie。
LittleGavrochemarchedinfrontwiththatdeafeningsongwhichmadeofhimasortoftrumpet。
Hesang:
\"Voicilalunequiparatt,Quandirons—nousdanslaforet?
DemandaitCharlotaCharlotte。
ToutoutouPourChatou。
Jen’aiqu’unDieu,qu’unroi,qu’unliard,etqu’unebotte。
\"PouravoirbudegrandmatinLaroseeamemelethym,Deuxmoineauxetaientenribotte。
ZiziziPourPassy。
Jen’aiqu’unDieu,qu’unroi,qu’unliard,etqu’unebotte。
\"Etcesdeuxpauvrespetitsloups,Commedeuxgrivesestaientsouls;
Unetigreenriaitdanssagrotte。
DondondonPourMeudon。
Jen’aiqu’unDieu,qu’unroi,qu’unliard,etqu’unebotte。
\"L’unjuraitetl’autresacrait。
Quandironsnousdanslaforet?
DemandaitCharlotaCharlotte。
TintintinPourPantin。
Jen’aiqu’unDieu,qu’unroi,qu’unliard,etqu’unebotte。\"[46]
TheydirectedtheircoursetowardsSaint—Merry。
[46]Hereisthemornappearing。Whenshallwegototheforest,CharlotaskedCharlotte。Tou,tou,tou,forChatou,IhavebutoneGod,oneKing,onehalf—farthing,andoneboot。Andthesetwopoorlittlewolveswereastipsyassparrowsfromhavingdrunkdewandthymeveryearlyinthemorning。Andthesetwopoorlittlethingswereasdrunkasthrushesinavineyard;atigerlaughedattheminhiscave。
Theonecursed,theotherswore。Whenshallwegototheforest?
CharlotaskedCharlotte。
CHAPTERVI
RECRUITS
Thebandaugmentedeverymoment。NeartheRuedesBillettes,amanofloftystature,whosehairwasturninggray,andwhoseboldanddaringmienwasremarkedbyCourfeyrac,Enjolras,andCombeferre,butwhomnoneofthemknew,joinedthem。Gavroche,whowasoccupiedinsinging,whistling,humming,runningonaheadandpoundingontheshuttersoftheshopswiththebuttofhistriggerlesspistol;
paidnoattentiontothisman。
ItchancedthatintheRuedelaVerrerie,theypassedinfrontofCourfeyrac’sdoor。
\"Thishappensjustright,\"saidCourfeyrac,\"Ihaveforgottenmypurse,andIhavelostmyhat。\"
Hequittedthemobandranuptohisquartersatfullspeed。
Heseizedanoldhatandhispurse。
Healsoseizedalargesquarecoffer,ofthedimensionsofalargevalise,whichwasconcealedunderhissoiledlinen。
Ashedescendedagainatarun,theportresshailedhim:——
\"MonsieurdeCourfeyrac!\"
\"What’syourname,portress?\"
Theportressstoodbewildered。
\"Why,youknowperfectlywell,I’mtheconcierge;mynameisMotherVeuvain。\"
\"Well,ifyoucallmeMonsieurdeCourfeyracagain,IshallcallyouMotherdeVeuvain。Nowspeak,what’sthematter?Whatdoyouwant?\"
\"Thereissomeonewhowantstospeakwithyou。\"
\"Whoisit?\"
\"Idon’tknow。\"
\"Whereishe?\"
\"Inmylodge。\"
\"Thedevil!\"ejaculatedCourfeyrac。
\"Butthepersonhasbeenwaitingyourreturnforoveranhour,\"
saidtheportress。
Atthesametime,asortofpale,thin,small,freckled,andyouthfulartisan,cladinatatteredblouseandpatchedtrousersofribbedvelvet,andwhohadrathertheairofagirlaccoutredasamanthanofaman,emergedfromthelodgeandsaidtoCourfeyracinavoicewhichwasnottheleastintheworldlikeawoman’svoice:——
\"MonsieurMarius,ifyouplease。\"
\"Heisnothere。\"
\"Willhereturnthisevening?\"
\"Iknownothingaboutit。\"
AndCourfeyracadded:——
\"Formypart,Ishallnotreturn。\"
Theyoungmangazedsteadilyathimandsaid:——
\"Whynot?\"
\"Because。\"
\"Whereareyougoing,then?\"
\"Whatbusinessisthatofyours?\"
\"Wouldyouliketohavemecarryyourcofferforyou?\"
\"Iamgoingtothebarricades。\"
\"Wouldyouliketohavemegowithyou?\"
\"Ifyoulike!\"repliedCourfeyrac。\"Thestreetisfree,thepavementsbelongtoeveryone。\"
Andhemadehisescapeataruntojoinhisfriends。Whenhehadrejoinedthem,hegavethecoffertooneofthemtocarry。
Itwasonlyaquarterofanhourafterthisthathesawtheyoungman,whohadactuallyfollowedthem。
Amobdoesnotgopreciselywhereitintends。Wehaveexplainedthatagustofwindcarriesitaway。TheyovershotSaint—Merryandfoundthemselves,withoutpreciselyknowinghow,intheRueSaint—Denis。
BOOKTWELFTH。——CORINTHE
CHAPTERI
HISTORYOFCORINTHEFROMITSFOUNDATION
TheParisianswhonowadaysonenteringontheRueRambuteauattheendneartheHalles,noticeontheirright,oppositetheRueMondetour,abasket—maker’sshophavingforitssignabasketintheformofNapoleontheGreatwiththisinscription:——
NAPOLEONISMADE
WHOLLYOFWILLOW,havenosuspicionoftheterriblesceneswhichthisveryspotwitnessedhardlythirtyyearsago。
ItwastherethatlaytheRuedelaChanvrerie,whichancientdeedsspellChanverrerie,andthecelebratedpublic—housecalledCorinthe。
Thereaderwillrememberallthathasbeensaidaboutthebarricadeeffectedatthispoint,andeclipsed,bytheway,bythebarricadeSaint—Merry。ItwasonthisfamousbarricadeoftheRuedelaChanvrerie,nowfallenintoprofoundobscurity,thatweareabouttoshedalittlelight。
Maywebepermittedtorecur,forthesakeofclearnessintherecital,tothesimplemeanswhichwehavealreadyemployedinthecaseofWaterloo。PersonswhowishtopicturetothemselvesinatolerablyexactmannertheconstitutionofthehouseswhichstoodatthatepochnearthePointeSaint—Eustache,atthenortheastangleoftheHallesofParis,whereto—dayliestheembouchureoftheRueRambuteau,haveonlytoimagineanNtouchingtheRueSaint—DeniswithitssummitandtheHalleswithitsbase,andwhosetwoverticalbarsshouldformtheRuedelaGrande—Truanderie,andtheRuedelaChanvrerie,andwhosetransversebarshouldbeformedbytheRuedelaPetite—Truanderie。TheoldRueMondetourcutthethreestrokesoftheNatthemostcrookedangles。
Sothatthelabyrinthineconfusionofthesefourstreetssufficedtoform,onaspacethreefathomssquare,betweentheHallesandtheRueSaint—Denisontheonehand,andbetweentheRueduCygneandtheRuedesPrecheursontheother,sevenislandsofhouses,oddlycutup,ofvaryingsizes,placedcrosswiseandhap—hazard,andbarelyseparated,liketheblocksofstoneinadock,bynarrowcrannies。
Wesaynarrowcrannies,andwecangivenomorejustideaofthosedark,contracted,many—angledalleys,linedwitheight—storybuildings。