雨果 悲惨世界 英文版1-第118部分

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cular　planks；　the　upper　ones　being　broader　than　the　lower；　bound　together　by　long　transverse　strips　of　iron。　At　one　side　there　was　a　carriage　gate　of　the　ordinary　dimensions；　and　which　had　evidently　not　been　cut　more　than　fifty　years　previously。
　　A　linden…tree　showed　its　crest　above　the　niche；　and　the　wall　was　covered　with　ivy　on　the　side　of　the　Rue　Polonceau。
　　In　the　imminent　peril　in　which　Jean　Valjean　found　himself；　this　sombre　building　had　about　it　a　solitary　and　uninhabited　look　which　tempted　him。
　　He　ran　his　eyes　rapidly　over　it；　he　said　to　himself；　that　if　he　could　contrive　to　get　inside　it；　he　might　save　himself。　First　he　conceived　an　idea；　then　a　hope。
　　In　the　central　portion　of　the　front　of　this　building；　on　the　Rue　Droit…Mur　side；　there　were　at　all　the　windows　of　the　different　stories　ancient　cistern　pipes　of　lead。
　　The　various　branches　of　the　pipes　which　led　from　one　central　pipe　to　all　these　little　basins　sketched　out　a　sort　of　tree　on　the　front。
　　These　ramifications　of　pipes　with　their　hundred　elbows　imitated　those　old　leafless　vine…stocks　which　writhe　over　the　fronts　of　old　farm…houses。
　　This　odd　espalier；　with　its　branches　of　lead　and　iron；　was　the　first　thing　that　struck　Jean　Valjean。
　　He　seated　Cosette　with　her　back　against　a　stone　post；　with　an　injunction　to　be　silent；　and　ran　to　the　spot　where　the　conduit　touched　the　pavement。　Perhaps　there　was　some　way　of　climbing　up　by　it　and　entering　the　house。　But　the　pipe　was　dilapidated　and　past　service；　and　hardly　hung　to　its　fastenings。
　　Moreover；　all　the　windows　of　this　silent　dwelling　were　grated　with　heavy　iron　bars；　even　the　attic　windows　in　the　roof。　And　then；　the　moon　fell　full　upon　that　facade；　and　the　man　who　was　watching　at　the　corner　of　the　street　would　have　seen　Jean　Valjean　in　the　act　of　climbing。
　　And　finally；　what　was　to　be　done　with　Cosette？　How　was　she　to　be　drawn　up　to　the　top　of　a　three…story　house？
　　He　gave　up　all　idea　of　climbing　by　means　of　the　drain…pipe；　and　crawled　along　the　wall　to　get　back　into　the　Rue　Polonceau。
　　When　he　reached　the　slant　of　the　wall　where　he　had　left　Cosette；　he　noticed　that　no　one　could　see　him　there。
　　As　we　have　just　explained；　he　was　concealed　from　all　eyes；　no　matter　from　which　direction　they　were　approaching；　besides　this；　he　was　in　the　shadow。　Finally；　there　were　two　doors；　perhaps　they　might　be　forced。　The　wall　above　which　he　saw　the　linden…tree　and　the　ivy　evidently　abutted　on　a　garden　where　he　could；　at　least；　hide　himself；　although　there　were　as　yet　no　leaves　on　the　trees；　and　spend　the　remainder　of　the　night。
　　Time　was　passing；　he　must　act　quickly。
　　He　felt　over　the　carriage　door；　and　immediately　recognized　the　fact　that　it　was　impracticable　outside　and　in。
　　He　approached　the　other　door　with　more　hope；　it　was　frightfully　decrepit；　its　very　immensity　rendered　it　less　solid；　the　planks　were　rotten；　the　iron　bandsthere　were　only　three　of　themwere　rusted。
　　It　seemed　as　though　it　might　be　possible　to　pierce　this　worm…eaten　barrier。
　　On　examining　it　he　found　that　the　door　was　not　a　door；　it　had　neither　hinges；　cross…bars；　lock；　nor　fissure　in　the　middle；　the　iron　bands　traversed　it　from　side　to　side　without　any　break。　Through　the　crevices　in　the　planks　he　caught　a　view　of　unhewn　slabs　and　blocks　of　stone　roughly　cemented　together；　which　passers…by　might　still　have　seen　there　ten　years　ago。
　　He　was　forced　to　acknowledge　with　consternation　that　this　apparent　door　was　simply　the　wooden　decoration　of　a　building　against　which　it　was　placed。　It　was　easy　to　tear　off　a　plank；　but　then；　one　found　one's　self　face　to　face　with　a　wall。


BOOK　FIFTH。FOR　A　BLACK　HUNT；　A　MUTE　PACK　
CHAPTER　V　
　　WHICH　WOULD　BE　IMPOSSIBLE　WITH　GAS　LANTERNS
　　　At　that　moment　a　heavy　and　measured　sound　began　to　be　audible　at　some　distance。
　　Jean　Valjean　risked　a　glance　round　the　corner　of　the　street。
　　Seven　or　eight　soldiers；　drawn　up　in　a　platoon；　had　just　debouched　into　the　Rue　Polonceau。
　　He　saw　the　gleam　of　their　bayonets。
　　They　were　advancing　towards　him；　these　soldiers；　at　whose　head　he　distinguished　Javert's　tall　figure；　advanced　slowly　and　cautiously。
　　They　halted　frequently；　it　was　plain　that　they　were　searching　all　the　nooks　of　the　walls　and　all　the　embrasures　of　the　doors　and　alleys。
　　This　was　some　patrol　that　Javert　had　encounteredthere　could　be　no　mistake　as　to　this　surmiseand　whose　aid　he　had　demanded。
　　Javert's　two　acolytes　were　marching　in　their　ranks。
　　At　the　rate　at　which　they　were　marching；　and　in　consideration　of　the　halts　which　they　were　making；　it　would　take　them　about　a　quarter　of　an　hour　to　reach　the　spot　where　Jean　Valjean　stood。　It　was　a　frightful　moment。
　　A　few　minutes　only　separated　Jean　Valjean　from　that　terrible　precipice　which　yawned　before　him　for　the　third　time。
　　And　the　galleys　now　meant　not　only　the　galleys；　but　Cosette　lost　to　him　forever；　that　is　to　say；　a　life　resembling　the　interior　of　a　tomb。
　　There　was　but　one　thing　which　was　possible。
　　Jean　Valjean　had　this　peculiarity；　that　he　carried；　as　one　might　say；　two　beggar's　pouches：
　　in　one　he　kept　his　saintly　thoughts；　in　the　other　the　redoubtable　talents　of　a　convict。
　　He　rummaged　in　the　one　or　the　other；　according　to　circumstances。
　　Among　his　other　resources；　thanks　to　his　numerous　escapes　from　the　prison　at　Toulon；　he　was；　as　it　will　be　remembered；　a　past　master　in　the　incredible　art　of　crawling　up　without　ladder　or　climbing…irons；　by　sheer　muscular　force；　by　leaning　on　the　nape　of　his　neck；　his　shoulders；　his　hips；　and　his　knees；　by　helping　himself　on　the　rare　projections　of　the　stone；　in　the　right　angle　of　a　wall；　as　high　as　the　sixth　story；　if　need　be；　an　art　which　has　rendered　so　celebrated　and　so　alarming　that　corner　of　the　wall　of　the　Conciergerie　of　Paris　by　which　Battemolle；　condemned　to　death；　made　his　escape　twenty　years　ago。
　　Jean　Valjean　measured　with　his　eyes　the　wall　above　which　he　espied　the　linden；　it　was　about　eighteen　feet　in　height。
　　The　angle　which　it　formed　with　the　gable　of　the　large　building　was　filled；　at　its　lower　extremity；　by　a　mass　of　masonry　of　a　triangular　shape；　probably　intended　to　preserve　that　too　convenient　corner　from　the　rubbish　of　those　dirty　creatures　called　the　passers…by。　This　practice　of　filling　up　corners　of　the　wall　is　much　in　use　in　Paris。
　　This　mass　was　about　five　feet　in　height；　the　space　above　the　summit　of　this　mass　which　it　was　necessary　to　climb　was　not　more　than　fourteen　feet。
　　The　wall　was　surmounted　by　a　flat　stone　without　a　coping。
　　Cosette　was　the　difficulty；　for　she　did　not　know　how　to　climb　a　wall。　Should　he　abandon　her？
　　Jean　Valjean　did　not　once　think　of　that。　It　was　impossible　to　carry　her。
　　A　man's　whole　strength　is　required　to　successfully　carry　out　these　singular　ascents。
　　The　least　burden　would　disturb　his　centre　of　gravity　and　pull　him　downwards。
　　A　rope　would　have　been　required；　Jean　Valjean　had　none。
　　Where　was　he　to　get　a　rope　at　midnight；　in　the　Rue　Polonceau？
　　Certainly；　if　Jean　Valjean　had　had　a　kingdom；　he　would　have　given　it　for　a　rope　at　that　moment。
　　All　extreme　situations　have　their　lightning　flashes　which　sometimes　dazzle；　sometimes　illuminate　us。
　　Jean　Valjean's　despairing　glance　fell　on　the　street　lantern…post　of　the　blind　alley　Genrot。
　　At　that　epoch　there　were　no　gas…jets　in　the　streets　of　Paris。　At　nightfall　lanterns　placed　at　regular　distances　were　lighted；　they　were　ascended　and　descended　by　means　of　a　rope；　which　traversed　the　street　from　side　to　side；　and　was　adjusted　in　a　groove　of　the　post。　The　pulley　over　which　this　rope　ran　was　fastened　underneath　the　lantern　in　a　little　iron　box；　the　key　to　which　was　kept　by　the　lamp…lighter；　and　the　rope　itself　was　protected　by　a　metal　case。
　　Jean　Valjean；　with　the　energy　of　a　supreme　struggle；　crossed　the　street　at　one　bound；　entered　the　blind　alley；　broke　the　latch　of　the　little　box　with　the　point　of　his　knife；　and　an　instant　later　he　was　beside　Cosette　once　more。
　　He　had　a　rope。
　　These　gloomy　inventors　of　expedients　work　rapidly　when　they　are　fighting　against　fatality。
　　We　have　already　explained　that　the　lanterns　had　not　been　lighted　that　night。
　　The　lantern　in　the　Cul…de…Sac　Genrot　was　thus　naturally　extinct；　like　the　rest；　and　one　could　pass　directly　under　it　without　even　noticing　that　it　was　no　longer　in　its　place。
　　Nevertheless；　the　hour；　the　place；　the　darkness；　Jean　Valjean's　absorption；　his　singular　gestures；　his　goings　and　ings；　all　had　begun　to　render　Cosette　uneasy。
　　Any　other　child　than　she　would　have　given　vent　to　loud　shrieks　long　before。
　　She　contented　herself　with　plucking　Jean　Valjean　by　the　skirt　of　his　coat。
　　They　could　hear　the　sound　of　the　patrol's　approach　ever　more　and　more　distinctly。
　　〃Father；〃　said　she；　in　a　very　low　voice；　〃I　am　afraid。
　　Who　is　ing　yonder？〃
　　〃Hush！〃　replied　the　unhappy　man；　〃it　is　Madame　Thenardier。〃
　　Cosette　shuddered。
　　He　added：
　　〃Say　nothing。
　　Don't　interfere　with　me。
　　If　you　cry　out；　if　you　weep；　the　Thenardier　is　lying　in　wait　for　you。
　　She　is　ing　to　take　you　back。〃
　　Then；　without　haste；　but　without　making　a　useless　movement；　wi