[Masterpiece Les Miserables] Paris Sparks

Fantine washed her face during dinner, and asked Corona to help her put on a little makeup, but it still couldn't cover the red and swollen eye circles and the bloodshot eyes.M. Madeleine, who came to visit as usual in the evening, was startled by Fantine's appearance. "What is the matter with you?" he asked eagerly. "Is Cosette all right?"

"Cosette is fine. Thank you for your concern, Monsieur Mayor."

M. Madeleine cast his eyes on Corona.Corona calmed down a little, and could only smile wryly at him. "It's just some housework related to our mother, you don't have to worry about it."

M. Madeleine, when he was Jean Valjean, had heard Caton talk about these old memories.He could only smile wryly. "And what about Mr. Carton?"

"Father says he's at the hotel. The Grizzly Inn, you know, is the second one by the port. The lady who runs it is Mrs. Anthony with the red hair. We live in the third room on the second floor."

She gave the address in detail, as if she had already guessed that he planned to go to check it—even vaguely expecting him and entrusting him to go there.Mr. Madeleine caught her unfinished words and nodded to her, "So, how many words has Cosette learned today?" He changed the subject and asked.

Cosette finally diverted Fantine's attention a little.She was still too young and too late in her education to fully comprehend the long conversation before, but she was obviously a little frightened by Fantine and Corona's gaffe afterwards.For her, something that can make these two people mess up must be a big deal, so she is also anxious.More than two hours later, when Mr. Madeleine left and returned, he knocked on the door again. Fantine was busy taking care of Cosette, but Corona, who was waiting for the door to ring, ran to open the door immediately.M. Madeleine was greeted with an uncharacteristically serious expression.

"There was no one at the Grizzly Inn, Mrs. Anthony said, and Mr. Carton checked out when it got dark."

Corona's face was pale. "So, does anyone know where he went?" she asked, barely maintaining her composure.

"I asked all the people in the neighborhood, and a carpenter saw him get on the stagecoach, and the direction was to Paris."

Everything suddenly made sense in an instant.

As early as when she left to pick up Cosette, she had asked her father what happened between him and Ramona back then.At that time, Caton said that he had to arrange some things before he could tell her.His tone was so sad that even though he couldn't detect any movement after that, Corona didn't ask about it anymore.

And then there was that sudden engagement.After she had rejected the marriage contract with the Courfeyrac family, her father suddenly agreed to take her out, and suddenly he couldn't wait to teach her everything: the assets, the accounts, the cover-ups, and the trustworthy He has been a middleman in business for many years... He suddenly asked her to study economics, law, and become a painter as soon as possible.For more than a year, Corona was very busy, and at the same time, she also had doubts and uneasiness in her heart. She once poured out this uneasiness to Basil Howard: it seemed that Carton was arranging to deliver everything to her, arranging for the She took over everything he managed safely and securely, and he himself was slowly letting go.

While she was secretly uneasy, she was also wary.But a few months passed, and a year passed, and she gradually became a painter. With a lot of hypocritical praise and critical criticism, she established a firm foothold in Paris, and even opened an exhibition.After she rose to fame as a talented girl painter, nothing happened, Carton was still by her side, and those accounts, finances, and the means of welcoming and sending gradually became her usual daily affairs.Slowly, in the day-to-day habits, those vigilance and those feelings of something wrong were let go.

——Until this day they made a comeback and caught her by surprise.She suddenly realized that all of this was for today: for Caton to throw all the truth to them, leave them honor and property, and then think that he has fulfilled his obligations, and think that nothing but more trials and punishments , they will not ask to be associated with him again.

"Paris," she said, struggling to regain her composure.Thanks to Caton's teachings and the critics' training, she recovered her composure quickly despite her cold hands and feet and trembling fingers, "To Paris--sir, will you be just right?" Do you know when is the next carriage to Paris?"

"Seven o'clock tomorrow morning."

Corona looked back into the house. "That's twelve hours--hope father can stay in Paris longer--I'll pack my bags and talk to Fantine. But I guess she won't want to go to Paris just yet." She turned her head. , looking back at M. Madeleine, "I'm so sorry, sir. But—"

"You don't have to say sorry, it's my duty, and M. Carton is also my benefactor," said M. Madeleine. "I promise you to take care of Fantine and Cosette."

Corona exhaled lightly: "Thank you."

"You know……"

"what?"

"Perhaps it is not my business to intervene," said M. Madeleine slowly, "but Mr. Carton loves you very much."

Corona smiled.

"Thank you, I know," she said, "I love him very much, too."

Uncle Mazlo, who was guarding the house on Boulevard Saint-Germain, was startled by Corona rushing through the door.

After they moved into this small three-story building that fit the status of aristocrats, Carton found Master Mazlo from the workhouse and hired him as a porter.Every time Corona goes out in men's clothing, she always sneaks out through a remote path behind the railing. This old man has only seen the appearance of a noble lady in Corona's gorgeous dress, and the appearance of a commoner woman's attire. In his mind, Coronna is an elegant and dignified lady.Therefore, when he saw her jumping out of the carriage with the suitcase and running over with a strand of hair loose, he was frightened, afraid that he might have mistaken her. "Is father back?" Corona asked him out of breath.Master Mazlo nodded.

"Is he in the house?"

Master Mazlo nodded again.

Corona threw the suitcase to the ground, picked up her skirt and ran in along the garden path. Uncle Mazlo wanted to help her carry the suitcase and open the door for her, but when he looked up to find the key, he saw that she had already arrived in the hall .She opened the door, turned inside and was gone.Uncle Mazlo stared dumbfounded at the half-open door, and he still had no time to move his feet at the iron gate.

"My God." He shook his head and sighed, bent over to pick up the small suitcase, and walked slowly towards the door.

Instinctively, Corona ran across the corridor to Caton's study.The documents on the desk have been tidied up and sorted into three neat stacks, and Caton is sorting the last few documents. "Father!" Corona called.

Carton raised his head and saw Corona standing at the door with a flushed face and panting.There was a rare expression of utterly veiled shock on his face. "God, I thought her footsteps were just another fantasy of mine," he whispered to himself.

"You—you!" Corona accused, too angry to speak.She threw herself into Caton's arms, and hammered his shoulder resentfully, after all, she lifted it lightly, not willing to use force, "Are you going to abandon me and sneak away?"

"Why are you here?" Caton asked in a low voice, his arms gently wrapped around Corona's back, his fingers landed on her butterfly bones, almost just lightly touching the fabric of the coat there, as if to wrap It is not a real person, but a dream.Coronna straightened up a little, stepped back a little, and stared at him seriously, her hands moved back a little almost immediately.

"If I don't come, are you planning to run back to England right now-you tell us the truth, and then you have fulfilled all your obligations and settled all your responsibilities, and you will abandon me from now on ?”

She said feeling a sense of unreasonable grievance, "For you, do I only mean the responsibility to Ramona?"

If it weren't for the thick fabric of the winter coat, she might feel the slight trembling of those hands. "No!" Caton said, the word almost spit out without thinking, as if his emotion was so intense that he couldn't keep the word between his lips and teeth for a moment, "Absolutely not."

"Then—then why are you so eager to leave, and even planning for so long?"

She knew Carton was in love with her--she really did.But for some reason, the grievance in her heart at this moment still made her eyes heat up, "You have been planning to leave a long time ago, since you got engaged to me, right? You insisted on making an engagement with me for two years Basil and I didn't understand the time limit at first—because in fact, the time I can enjoy the blessing of the title of countess is not very long, right? I don't believe you don't care about me, father, you have arranged so many things But why, exactly why do you refuse to stay by yourself?!"

"Don't cry." Caton said softly, raising his hand to gently wipe away a line of tears rolling down for her, "Do you really want me to stay? Don't you blame me?"

"No! No, I will never, never blame you."

"But what about Fantine?"

"She also understands the truth. Besides, she lives in Montreuil and doesn't want to come to Paris. I asked—her doctor said that her lung disease has taken root, and Montreuil has better air than Paris, which is suitable for recuperation. Moreover, Cosette is also reluctant to part with Mr. Madeleine.——Don’t think that you let our sisters separate, it’s none of your business! It’s just that we each chose our favorite city.”

"If you wish, then I will stay."

"Really? You must not go back on your word. You cannot sneak away again as you did at Montreuil."

"No, I assure you."

"... You know, I don't really want you to stay in Paris," Corona whispered after a while.

"Ok?"

"I mean, if you really don't like Paris, or, if you don't like France. You don't have to stay here, I'd like to go with you to England - or if you prefer some other country, some other place, I They are all willing to go with you. I don't want to force you to stay in a city you don't like. I just want to stay with you."

"And what about your dream of being a painter? You have only just made a name for yourself in Paris."

"That doesn't matter! Look, doesn't Basil have studios in England and France? Of course, I'm not as good as him, but I can try my best. Even if I can't become a painter, that's fine. I'll never be a painter." You don’t have to be a painter to get by.”

Carton's hands that surrounded her vaguely finally landed on her back, gently stroking the ends of her hair. "That's unnecessary," he said in a low, low voice. "It's not that I don't like Paris."

"Are you serious?"

"real."

Corona was dubious and fearful, but Caton did not leave without saying goodbye this time.He would still guide her in managing her accounts, would still accompany her to the parties and dances she had to go to, and would sit in the corner of her studio with a book in his spare time.Everything seems to go back to the past, nothing has changed.Finally, Corona's heart gradually settled down.

Then Caton seemed to get busy.

He spends more and more time out and less and less time at home.Corona is no surprise: he has his own friends, his own affairs.After all, Sidney Carton - now Sidney Evermond - was still a famous barrister.Occasionally, when he was busy with affairs and missed her entertainment, he would take her by the arm and send her to the carriage.Corona didn't take it seriously, she was now able to deal with those social rhetoric alone.Gradually, seeing her ability, Caton felt relieved and slowly withdrew from the social circle.Corona knew that he had always been impatient with those nobles, and he didn't like the habits and ostentation of nobles, so she just took it as her father's peace of mind for her, and stopped forcing herself to attend those boring occasions.She was even glad that Carton was able to avoid all these tedious and boring interactions, given that she herself didn't like those entertainments.

After spending more than half a year like this, Corona gradually got used to her father being away all day, and also got used to handling various affairs alone.In autumn, her second art exhibition will also be held.

This exhibition happened to coincide with Lucy's birthday.

Corona is not yet famous enough to set a time with the gallery at will. The gallery is free in early September, and her art exhibition is scheduled for early September, so the time is hard to change.Therefore, she could not go back to celebrate Lucy's birthday this year.She had no choice but to write a long letter, and squeezed out time in advance to make a portrait of Lucy as a gift.Carton boarded the ship to London with her gifts and blessings.

During this period of time, Corona has gotten used to getting together with her father less often, and now parting is no longer as reluctant as before. "You must remember to greet them for me!" she urged, "you should also take care of your body in London."

She didn't hold back any more. In her heart, this was already a common thing. She just watched the ship go away, and there was a moment of sadness and farewell in her heart. Huai left it behind.

In this way, one year and three months passed, and Caton finally realized his original wish, and he gradually disappeared from Corona's life.

The author has something to say: In fact, Caton and Jean Valjean in the original Les Misérables adopted the same strategy: slowly disappear, slowly let her daughter get used to the life of her absence, and normalize this life in the habit.

Modern young people go through a similar process when they leave home to go to university (...). They are very homesick in the first few months, and after half a year or a year, they feel that it is normal to not see their families for a long time... Many people think that the original Cosette Heartless, I don't think I can blame her, I can only say that Jean Valjean's method was too successful...