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　　His　trouble　was　so　great　that　he　could　not　perceive　the　form　of　a　single　idea　distinctly；　and　he　could　have　told　nothing　about　himself；　except　that　he　had　received　a　great　blow。
　　He　repaired　to　Fantine's　bed　of　suffering；　as　usual；　and　prolonged　his　visit；　through　a　kindly　instinct；　telling　himself　that　he　must　behave　thus；　and　remend　her　well　to　the　sisters；　in　case　he　should　be　obliged　to　be　absent　himself。
　　He　had　a　vague　feeling　that　he　might　be　obliged　to　go　to　Arras；　and　without　having　the　least　in　the　world　made　up　his　mind　to　this　trip；　he　said　to　himself　that　being；　as　he　was；　beyond　the　shadow　of　any　suspicion；　there　could　be　nothing　out　of　the　way　in　being　a　witness　to　what　was　to　take　place；　and　he　engaged　the　tilbury　from　Scaufflaire　in　order　to　be　prepared　in　any　event。
　　He　dined　with　a　good　deal　of　appetite。
　　On　returning　to　his　room；　he　muned　with　himself。
　　He　examined　the　situation；　and　found　it　unprecedented；　so　unprecedented　that　in　the　midst　of　his　revery　he　rose　from　his　chair；　moved　by　some　inexplicable　impulse　of　anxiety；　and　bolted　his　door。
　　He　feared　lest　something　more　should　enter。　He　was　barricading　himself　against　possibilities。
　　A　moment　later　he　extinguished　his　light；　it　embarrassed　him。
　　lt　seemed　to　him　as　though　he　might　be　seen。
　　By　whom？
　　Alas！
　　That　on　which　he　desired　to　close　the　door　had　already　entered；　that　which　he　desired　to　blind　was　staring　him　in　the　face；　his　conscience。
　　His　conscience；　that　is　to　say；　God。
　　Nevertheless；　he　deluded　himself　at　first；　he　had　a　feeling　of　security　and　of　solitude；　the　bolt　once　drawn；　he　thought　himself　impregnable；　the　candle　extinguished；　he　felt　himself　invisible。
　　Then　he　took　possession　of　himself：
　　he　set　his　elbows　on　the　table；　leaned　his　head　on　his　hand；　and　began　to　meditate　in　the　dark。
　　〃Where　do　I　stand？
　　Am　not　I　dreaming？
　　What　have　I　heard？
　　Is　it　really　true　that　I　have　seen　that　Javert；　and　that　he　spoke　to　me　in　that　manner？
　　Who　can　that　Champmathieu　be？
　　So　he　resembles　me！　Is　it　possible？
　　When　I　reflect　that　yesterday　I　was　so　tranquil；　and　so　far　from　suspecting　anything！
　　What　was　I　doing　yesterday　at　this　hour？
　　What　is　there　in　this　incident？
　　What　will　the　end　be？　What　is　to　be　done？〃
　　This　was　the　torment　in　which　he　found　himself。
　　His　brain　had　lost　its　power　of　retaining　ideas；　they　passed　like　waves；　and　he　clutched　his　brow　in　both　hands　to　arrest　them。
　　Nothing　but　anguish　extricated　itself　from　this　tumult　which　overwhelmed　his　will　and　his　reason；　and　from　which　he　sought　to　draw　proof　and　resolution。
　　His　head　was　burning。
　　He　went　to　the　window　and　threw　it　wide　open。　There　were　no　stars　in　the　sky。
　　He　returned　and　seated　himself　at　the　table。
　　The　first　hour　passed　in　this　manner。
　　Gradually；　however；　vague　outlines　began　to　take　form　and　to　fix　themselves　in　his　meditation；　and　he　was　able　to　catch　a　glimpse　with　precision　of　the　reality；not　the　whole　situation；　but　some　of　the　details。
　　He　began　by　recognizing　the　fact　that；　critical　and　extraordinary　as　was　this　situation；　he　was　pletely　master　of　it。
　　This　only　caused　an　increase　of　his　stupor。
　　Independently　of　the　severe　and　religious　aim　which　he　had　assigned　to　his　actions；　all　that　he　had　made　up　to　that　day　had　been　nothing　but　a　hole　in　which　to　bury　his　name。
　　That　which　he　had　always　feared　most　of　all　in　his　hours　of　self…munion；　during　his　sleepless　nights；　was　to　ever　hear　that　name　pronounced；　he　had　said　to　himself；　that　that　would　be　the　end　of　all　things　for　him；　that　on　the　day　when　that　name　made　its　reappearance　it　would　cause　his　new　life　to　vanish　from　about　him；　andwho　knows？　perhaps　even　his　new　soul　within　him；　also。
　　He　shuddered　at　the　very　thought　that　this　was　possible。
　　Assuredly；　if　any　one　had　said　to　him　at　such　moments　that　the　hour　would　e　when　that　name　would　ring　in　his　ears；　when　the　hideous　words；　Jean　Valjean；　would　suddenly　emerge　from　the　darkness　and　rise　in　front　of　him；　when　that　formidable　light；　capable　of　dissipating　the　mystery　in　which　he　had　enveloped　himself；　would　suddenly　blaze　forth　above　his　head；　and　that　that　name　would　not　menace　him；　that　that　light　would　but　produce　an　obscurity　more　dense；　that　this　rent　veil　would　but　increase　the　mystery；　that　this　earthquake　would　solidify　his　edifice；　that　this　prodigious　incident　would　have　no　other　result；　so　far　as　he　was　concerned；　if　so　it　seemed　good　to　him；　than　that　of　rendering　his　existence　at　once　clearer　and　more　impenetrable；　and　that；　out　of　his　confrontation　with　the　phantom　of　Jean　Valjean；　the　good　and　worthy　citizen　Monsieur　Madeleine　would　emerge　more　honored；　more　peaceful；　and　more　respected　than　everif　any　one　had　told　him　that；　he　would　have　tossed　his　head　and　regarded　the　words　as　those　of　a　madman。
　　Well；　all　this　was　precisely　what　had　just　e　to　pass；　all　that　accumulation　of　impossibilities　was　a　fact；　and　God　had　permitted　these　wild　fancies　to　bee　real　things！
　　His　revery　continued　to　grow　clearer。
　　He　came　more　and　more　to　an　understanding　of　his　position。
　　It　seemed　to　him　that　he　had　but　just　waked　up　from　some　inexplicable　dream；　and　that　he　found　himself　slipping　down　a　declivity　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　erect；　shivering；　holding　back　all　in　vain；　on　the　very　brink　of　the　abyss。
　　He　distinctly　perceived　in　the　darkness　a　stranger；　a　man　unknown　to　him；　whom　destiny　had　mistaken　for　him；　and　whom　she　was　thrusting　into　the　gulf　in　his　stead；　in　order　that　the　gulf　might　close　once　more；　it　was　necessary　that　some　one；　himself　or　that　other　man；　should　fall　into　it：　he　had　only　let　things　take　their　course。
　　The　light　became　plete；　and　he　acknowledged　this　to　himself：　That　his　place　was　empty　in　the　galleys；　that　do　what　he　would；　it　was　still　awaiting　him；　that　the　theft　from　little　Gervais　had　led　him　back　to　it；　that　this　vacant　place　would　await　him；　and　draw　him　on　until　he　filled　it；　that　this　was　inevitable　and　fatal；　and　then　he　said　to　himself；　〃that；　at　this　moment；　be　had　a　substitute；　that　it　appeared　that　a　certain　Champmathieu　had　that　ill　luck；　and　that；　as　regards　himself；　being　present　in　the　galleys　in　the　person　of　that　Champmathieu；　present　in　society　under　the　name　of　M。　Madeleine；　he　had　nothing　more　to　fear；　provided　that　he　did　not　prevent　men　from　sealing　over　the　head　of　that　Champmathieu　this　stone　of　infamy　which；　like　the　stone　of　the　sepulchre；　falls　once；　never　to　rise　again。〃
　　All　this　was　so　strange　and　so　violent；　that　there　suddenly　took　place　in　him　that　indescribable　movement；　which　no　man　feels　more　than　two　or　three　times　in　the　course　of　his　life；　a　sort　of　convulsion　of　the　conscience　which　stirs　up　all　that　there　is　doubtful　in　the　heart；　which　is　posed　of　irony；　of　joy；　and　of　despair；　and　which　may　be　called　an　outburst　of　inward　laughter。
　　He　hastily　relighted　his　candle。
　　〃Well；　what　then？〃　he　said　to　himself；　〃what　am　I　afraid　of？　What　is　there　in　all　that　for　me　to　think　about？
　　I　am　safe；　all　is　over。
　　I　had　but　one　partly　open　door　through　which　my　past　might　invade　my　life；　and　behold　that　door　is　walled　up　forever！　That　Javert；　who　has　been　annoying　me　so　long；　that　terrible　instinct　which　seemed　to　have　divined　me；　which　had　divined　me　good　God！　and　which　followed　me　everywhere；　that　frightful　hunting…dog；　always　making　a　point　at　me；　is　thrown　off　the　scent；　engaged　elsewhere；　absolutely　turned　from　the　trail：
　　henceforth　he　is　satisfied；　he　will　leave　me　in　peace；　he　has　his　Jean　Valjean。　Who　knows？　it　is　even　probable　that　he　will　wish　to　leave　town！　And　all　this　has　been　brought　about　without　any　aid　from　me；　and　I　count　for　nothing　in　it！
　　Ah！　but　where　is　the　misfortune　in　this？　Upon　my　honor；　people　would　think；　to　see　me；　that　some　catastrophe　had　happened　to　me！
　　After　all；　if　it　does　bring　harm　to　some　one；　that　is　not　my　fault　in　the　least：
　　it　is　Providence　which　has　done　it　all；　it　is　because　it　wishes　it　so　to　be；　evidently。
　　Have　I　the　right　to　disarrange　what　it　has　arranged？
　　What　do　I　ask　now？　Why　should　I　meddle？
　　It　does　not　concern　me；　what！
　　I　am　not　satisfied：　but　what　more　do　I　want？
　　The　goal　to　which　I　have　aspired　for　so　many　years；　the　dream　of　my　nights；　the　object　of　my　prayers　to　Heaven；security；I　have　now　attained；　it　is　God　who　wills　it；　I　can　do　nothing　against　the　will　of　God；　and　why　does　God　will　it？　In　order　that　I　may　continue　what　I　have　begun；　that　I　may　do　good；　that　I　may　one　day　be　a　grand　and　encouraging　example；　that　it　may　be　said　at　last；　that　a　little　happiness　has　been　attached　to　the　penance　which　I　have　undergone；　and　to　that　virtue　to　which　I　have　returned。
　　Really；　I　do　not　understand　why　I　was　afraid；　a　little　while　ago；　to　enter　the　house　of　that　good　cure；　and　to　ask　his　advice；　this　is　evidently　what　he　would　have　said　to　me：　It　is　settled；　let　things　take　their　course；　let　the　good　God　do　as　he　likes！〃
　　Thus　did　he　address　himself　in　the　depths　of　his　own　conscience；　bending　over　what　may　be　called　his　own　abyss；　he　rose　from　his　chair；　and　began　to　pace　the　room：
　　〃e；〃　sa