Part 5 Book 1 Chapter 6 Marius Haggard, Javert Laconic

Let us narrate what was passing in Marius' thoughts.

Let the reader recall the state of his soul. We have just recalled it, everything was a vision to him now. His judgment was disturbed. Marius, let us insist on this point, was under the shadow of the great, dark wings which are spread over those in the death agony. He felt that he had entered the tomb, it seemed to him that he was already on the other side of the wall, and he no longer beheld the faces of the living except with the eyes of one dead.

How did M. Fauchelevent come there? Why was he there? What had he come there to do? Marius did not address all these questions to himself. Besides, since our despair has this peculiarity, that it envelops others as well as ourselves, it seemed logical to him that all the world should come thither to die.

Only, he thought of Cosette with a pang at his heart.

However, M. Fauchelevent did not speak to him, did not look at him, and had not even the air of hearing him, when Marius raised his voice to say: "I know him."

As far as Marius was concerned, this attitude of M. Fauchelevent was comforting, and, if such a word can be used for such impressions, we should say that it pleased him. He had always felt the absolute impossibility of addressing that enigmatical man, who was, in his eyes, both equivocal and imposing. Moreover, it had been a long time since he had seen him; and this still further augmented the impossibility for Marius' timid and reserved nature.

The five chosen men left the barricade by way of Mondetour lane; they bore a perfect resemblance to members of the National Guard. One of them wept as he took his leave. Before setting out, they embraced those who remained.

When the five men sent back to life had taken their departure, Enjolras thought of the man who had been condemned to death.

He entered the tap-room. Javert, still bound to the post, was engaged in meditation.

"Do you want anything?" Enjolras asked him.

"Javert replied: "When are you going to kill me?"

"Wait. We need all our cartridges just at present."

"Then give me a drink," said Javert.

Enjolras himself offered him a glass of water, and, as Javert was pinioned, he helped him to drink.

"Is that all?" inquired Enjolras.

"I am uncomfortable against this post," replied Javert. "You are not tender to have left me to pass the night here. Bind me as you please, but you surely might lay me out on a table like that other man."

And with a motion of the head, he indicated the body of M. Mabeuf.

There was, as the reader will remember, a long, broad table at the end of the room, on which they had been running bullets and making cartridges. All the cartridges having been made, and all the powder used, this table was free.

At Enjolras' command, four insurgents unbound Javert from the post. While they were loosing him, a fifth held a bayonet against his breast.

Leaving his arms tied behind his back, they placed about his feet a slender but stout whip-cord, as is done to men on the point of mounting the scaffold, which allowed him to take steps about fifteen inches in length, and made him walk to the table at the end of the room, where they laid him down, closely bound about the middle of the body.

By way of further security, and by means of a rope fastened to his neck, they added to the system of ligatures which rendered every attempt at escape impossible, that sort of bond which is called in prisons a martingale, which, starting at the neck, forks on the stomach, and meets the hands, after passing between the legs.

While they were binding Javert, a man standing on the threshold was surveying him with singular attention. The shadow cast by this man made Javert turn his head. He raised his eyes, and recognized Jean Valjean. He did not even start, but dropped his lids proudly and confined himself to the remark: "It is perfectly simple."

我们来谈谈马吕斯的思想活动。

大家可以回忆一下他的精神状态。我们刚才已经提到，现在一切对他只是一种幻影。他的辨别力很弱。我们再重复一遍，马吕斯是处在临终者上方那巨大而幽暗的阴影之下，他自己感到已进入坟墓，已在围墙之外，他现在是在用死人的目光望着活人的脸。

割风先生怎么会在这儿呢？他为什么要来？他来干吗？马吕斯不去追究这些问题。再说，我们的失望有这样一个特点，它包围我们自己，也包围着别人，所有的人都到这里来死这件事他觉得好象还是合理的。

但是他的心情沉重，想念着珂赛特。

再说割风先生不和他说话，也不望他一眼，好象根本没有听见马吕斯在高声说：“我认识他。”

至于马吕斯，割风先生的这种态度使他精神上没有负担，如果能用这样一个词来形容这种心情，我们可以说，他很喜欢这种态度。他一向觉得绝对不可能和这个既暧昧威严，又莫测高深的人交谈。何况马吕斯又很久没有见到他了，马吕斯的性格本来就腼腆审慎，这更使他不可能去和他交谈了。

五个指定的人从蒙德都巷子走出了街垒，他们非常象国民自卫军。其中的一个泣不成声。离开以前，他们拥抱了所有留下的人。

当这五个又回到生路上去的人走了以后，安灼拉想起了该处死的那个人。他走进地下室，沙威仍被绑在柱子上，正在思考着什么。

安灼拉问他：“你需要什么吗？”

沙威回答：

“你们什么时候处死我？”

“等一等，目前我们还需要我们所有的子弹。”

沙威说：“那就给我一点水喝。”

安灼拉亲自递了一杯水给他，帮他喝下，因为沙威被捆绑着。

安灼拉又问：“不需要别的了？”

“我在这柱子上很不舒服，”沙威回答，“你们一点也不仁慈，就让我这样过夜。随便你们怎样捆绑，可是至少得让我躺在桌上，象那一个一样。”

他用头朝马白夫先生的尸体点了一下。

我们还记得，那间屋子的尽头有一张大长桌，用来熔化弹头和制造子弹的。子弹做好及炸药用完之后，现在桌子是空着的。

根据安灼拉的命令，四个起义者把沙威从柱子上解下来。这时，第五个人用刺刀顶住他的胸膛。他们把他的手反绑在背后，把他的脚用一根当鞭子用的结实绳子捆起来，使他只能迈十五寸的步子，象上断头台的犯人那样，他们让他走到屋子尽头的桌旁，把他放在上面，拦腰紧紧捆牢。

为了万无一失，又用一根绳子套在他脖子上，使他不可能逃跑，这种捆扎方法在狱中称之为马颔缰，从脖子捆起，在肚子上交叉分开，再穿过大腿又绑在手上。

捆绑沙威的时候，有一个人在门口特别注意地端详他。这个人的投影使沙威回转头来，认出了是冉阿让。他一点也不惊慌，傲慢地垂下眼皮，说了句：“这毫不足怪。”