[Masterpiece Les Miserables] Paris Sparks

This is not because Corona doesn't love Caton anymore.

It's just that she has grown up gradually, and has reached the stage when teenagers leave their parents and start to stand on their own-her father is no longer the whole content of her life.She started having her own society and friends, managed her finances, learned about French history, and even became a painter.The beginning of any matter is always much busier than after it is on the right track, not to mention that Corona started many things at the same time. Even though she is very smart, she is often too busy to take care of others.

And when things gradually got on the right track, Coronna resumed her regular painting time and reading time, sorted out the family's financial situation, and made friends with several noble ladies and ladies—she was used to the time when her father was not around. live.

What's more, not long after, she encountered another difficult matter.

The port in the autumn of [-] was a hectic one.Those who unloaded goods, picked up people, carried luggage, and many spectators gathered at the pier to watch the excitement.In the crowd, a thin boy wearing a large dark overcoat stepped down.He is alone, wearing a black wide-brimmed hat that covers almost all of his hair.He looked around the port of Montreuil, separated from the crowd, walked towards a blond woman with a little girl, and patted her on the shoulder.

Fantine turned with a start. "Sir, you—"

The boy pushed the brim of his hat up slightly. "Sir?" He -- no, she asked with a smile in a clear female voice.

"Corona!" Fantine recognized her now, and looked at her in surprise, "Why are you dressed like this?"

"Going out alone, it's more convenient to dress up as a man." Coronne replied, and then looked down at the little girl Fantine was pulling, "Cosette, do you remember me?"

Cosette was quite a beautiful child now.She was white and tidy, her clothes were delicate and lovely, and the timidity that had been cultivated at the Thenardier's house disappeared.She raised her head and smiled at Corona.The three of them squeezed out of the crowd, and Corona asked: "Mr. Mayor—excuse me, where is M. Madeleine?"

"He is called Jean Valjean now," replied Fantine in a low voice.

"I heard he resigned the mayor and sold the factory to someone else? Is he still in Montreuil?"

"Yes. It's just that he's going to hand over the factory matters to Mr. Farner during the day, and he said he will be back in the evening." Fantine said somewhat angrily, "Some people in Montreuil are really ungrateful to him, I don’t know how to be grateful.”

"But even if he regains his original identity, Jean Valjean is now innocent. He has already received an amnesty. What's more, he is exposing for a noble purpose, to prevent others from going to prison wrongly. Own identity!"

"Who says it's not—it's a shame that some people just can't make sense!"

Saying this, perhaps because she was too excited, she coughed a few more times.Corona looked at her worriedly: "Is your illness still not fully recovered?"

"No, I'm all right! Don't worry about me," said Fantine. "The doctor won't let me run and do heavy work. He doesn't need to worry at all. M. Madeleine treats me as if he were a noble lady! What does he do?" If I want to, I can just play with Cosette all day long. Sometimes he even teaches Cosette to read by himself. Tell me, why is God so unfair to such a good man? ?”

"Yes." Corona said softly, "Why is God so unfair to good people?"

When she came back this time, she received a letter from Mr. Madeleine, detailing the whole story: he accidentally heard that someone was mistaken for Jean Valjean and arrested for stealing apples.In order to clear his crimes, Mr. Madeleine hurried to the court dozens of miles away, and revealed his identity in court.He was worried that this might implicate the Fantine mother and daughter who were originally under his protection and be criticized, so he wrote to ask Corona if she agreed to take them to live in Paris or England.

Corona didn't think that Fantine and Cosette would care about these things, but since M. Madeleine said so, she would naturally not refuse.She first sent an urgent letter to England, explaining the reason to Carton, and immediately set off to pick them up as soon as she received a reply.She also thought along the way that maybe this was just M. Madeleine's unfounded worry.She knew from her father that good people tend to take too much responsibility for themselves.

At Montreuil, she knew: things were not going as well as she had imagined.Just because of the words "he was a convict" they almost completely abandoned him.All the good things he did in the past were all forgotten in less than two hours.People in the streets and alleys said his original name: Jean Valjean, talking about all kinds of evils they had not seen, and in fact never existed.Even though there were people in the whole city who still remembered his benefits, they did not dare to show their gratitude, for fear of being accused of being an accomplice of the sinner.There were only four or five people who really remembered and respected him, including the old lady who showed him the door, as well as Fantine and Cosette.

Corona walked with them, and heard people whispering in the street.These days the factories are closed, so there are a lot of idlers on the street. Some female workers even openly pointed at them with their hands.Fantine did not look sideways, but with her head held high, she led Cosette straight forward.

But halfway through, they were stopped.

The one who stopped her was a female worker who was jealous of Fantine in the factory. After seeing Fantine kicked out of the factory, she was proud for a while, but after Fantine got relief, she began to feel unjust again. , should not have such a good fate. "Fantine!" She stopped on the road triumphantly and asked: "The convict was exposed not long ago, have you found a new mistress?"

Fantine's face was flushed, and Coronne took a step forward, blocking her behind, and gave the woman a cold look.She can be sweet and cute when she is acting like a baby, but when she pretends to be a man and becomes serious, her fierce expression is also terrifying.The female worker was so shocked that she couldn't speak for a while.Corona took a step closer to her, and she couldn't help but backed away, making way for the middle of the road.Corona led Fantine and Cosette through.They entered the small gate of the garden, and the female worker spit angrily at the backs of the three of them. "Bah!" she said.

The ticket is the next morning.Most of the things had already been packed and shipped to Paris, and the old maid left in the house on Boulevard Saint-Germain would take care of them. When Jean Valjean came over at night, Fantine and Cosette were packing the last clothes.As soon as they heard the knock at the door, they ran out of the house to meet him. "Monsieur Madeleine!" cried Cosette, almost flying into his arms.

"My name is not Madeleine," said Jean Valjean with a wry smile, but he took her tenderly.

"Monsieur Jean," cried Cosette, with the same intimacy in her tone.Jean Valjean squatted down, put his arms around her, and then straightened up and nodded to Coronne. "I owe you my apology that I promised your sister to stay in Montreuil as long as she wanted. I have not been able to keep that promise."

"Don't say that! My sister, it should be my responsibility. Over the years, my sister and Cosette have received a lot of care from you, but I only came to visit a few times, so I should thank you."

Jean Valjean shook his head: "I don't deserve your thanks. This is just a small reward for my help to Mr. Carton."

Fantine and Cosette stood aside, saying nothing.For Cosette, it was because her early submissive temperament had not been completely eliminated; for Fantine, it was because she admired her learned sister and respected M. Madeleine, so she dared not intervene casually.Corona looked at the two of them and asked, "I heard that you handed over the factory to a Mr. Farner today."

"Yes. He is a well-known good man in the local area. I believe he can take care of the factory well. He is also the next mayor."

"So you have nothing unfinished business at Montreuil?"

"Is such that."

"So—if you will allow me to ask this—where are you going next?"

Because she is Caton's daughter, Jean Valjean has always respected her.If someone asked this question, he might avoid it, but since Corona asked, he answered honestly: "I haven't thought about it. Maybe find another city and live there."

"You haven't figured it out? So, please forgive me for asking, do you have a favorite city? Or where have you bought property and are you planning to move there?"

"Neither. To me, it's the same everywhere."

Corona looked again at Fantine and Cosette. "In that case, would you like to come and live with us in Paris?"

Jean Valjean stared at her in astonishment, which made Corona smile: "Why, didn't you expect that we would have such an invitation? You should have thought of it! You don't know, this afternoon, I How many times have I heard your name. You are as dear to Fantine and Cosette as I am. It would only be a blessing to us if you would come. Would you not like to live with us?"

"Me! But..."

"Before I came here, I wrote to my father and got his permission--or rather, he warmly welcomes you to move to Paris if you like. He also said that if you don't want to, you If you don't like Paris, then I must ask you where you are going."

"It is the kindness of M. Carton," said Jean Valjean, "but I can . . . and in what name can I live with you?"

"In what name! A friend of my father's; a distant cousin or uncle of ours; an old acquaintance of our mother's—whatever you want! In Paris, you are not known. It is a city that loves the new and hates the old. No one will have any doubts about living in our house in the name of Te's father."

The word "Cosette's father" moved Jean Valjean, and what moved him even more was that when he turned his eyes to Cosette and Fantine hesitantly, they did not express the slightest objection to this, but their eyes were bright. looking at him.Cosette even took a kind of innocent joy. "Is Monsieur Mayor going to live with us?" she asked cheerfully.Jean Valjean was still M. Mayor to her.

"Do you agree?" asked Fantine in a trembling voice.

"Do you not mind? I am a convict."

"Do you think we would mind! Ah, then you think very little of us."

"But, haven't you already bought the boat ticket?"

"I bought an extra ticket for tomorrow morning, and I will set off with us. If you still have something to do, then here is another ticket for the morning after tomorrow." Corona said, "But if you want, I really hope You will come with us tomorrow morning."

Jean Valjean turned pale.A fierce inner struggle was revealed on that resolute face, but after a long silence, he still shook his head slowly. "I have nothing to do with you. I can't do that."

"Neither relatives nor relatives!" cried Fantine; "what are you talking about, Monsieur Mayor!"

Coronne put her arms around her shoulders and shook her hand. "Monsieur Jean," she said softly, "don't think that I am a shameless person until you have heard what I have to say. I would like to ask you, you think my father is kind to you, don't you?"

"Yes."

"My father is not here, I can convey his meaning on his behalf, and I can also exercise his power on his behalf, can't I?"

"You do have rights."

"Then I exercise this right to make a request of you. I beg you to tell me honestly whether you do not wish to live with us, or whether you do not wish to go to Paris. If you answer one of your refusals, we will not What more can I ask of you?"

Jean Valjean's lips moved, and he could not speak.The three girls looked at him expectantly.He buried his head deeply, avoiding their eyes, and after a while, he lifted it up suddenly. "I can't do it," said he, and his voice twisted slightly as if the words had cost him so much, "I was a sinner, madam, and I am still a man of strength." .And your family, as far as I know, doesn't have too many servants and guards. Can't you see how dangerous and inappropriate it is to let me live with you?"

"But how could you hurt us!" cried Fantine.

"Mr. Jean, you must not treat yourself unfairly just because the world treats you unfairly." Corona said, "Please believe that our request is only out of good intentions and sincerity. If you are not willing to share with us If you live together, if you have other things to do, or want to go to other places, you can just say it, and I will never force you to stay. But if you stay away from us because of other people's prejudice, it would be too unfair to us."

Jean Valjean was persuaded.In fact, no one was happier than he was to be persuaded.He thought that the upright and innocent life would be far away from him again, but Corona's invitation painted another hopeful future for him. After all, he is still a mortal, not a god who wants nothing. , one might even say, fascinated.If it's not just for his own happiness -- but for the happiness and safety of others, why not?He was full of gratitude for this, but in the end he could only say one sentence in a deep voice: "...Thank you."

"So, do you agree?" Corona asked happily.

"Really?" cried Cosette joyfully, throwing herself on Jean Valjean. "Are you going to Paris with us?"

She was so happy, and Fantine was so happy.Jean Valjean's last hesitation was also dispelled. "Yes, I will go with you."