Part 5 Book 3 Chapter 11 Concussion in the Absolute

They did not open their lips again during the whole space of their ride.

What did Jean Valjean want? To finish what he had begun; to warn Cosette,to tell her where Marius was, to give her, possibly, some other useful information, to take, if he could, certain final measures. As for himself, so far as he was personally concerned, all was over; he had been seized by Javert and had not resisted; any other man than himself in like situation would, perhaps, have had some vague thoughts connected with the rope which Thenardier had given him, and of the bars of the first cell that he should enter; but, let us impress it upon the reader, after the Bishop, there had existed in Jean Valjean a profound hesitation in the presence of any violence, even when directed against himself.

Suicide, that mysterious act of violence against the unknown which may contain, in a measure, the death of the soul, was impossible to Jean Valjean.

At the entrance to the Rue de l'Homme Arme, the carriage halted, the way being too narrow to admit of the entrance of vehicles. Javert and Jean Valjean alighted.

The coachman humbly represented to "monsieur l'Inspecteur," that the Utrecht velvet of his carriage was all spotted with the blood of the assassinated man, and with mire from the assassin. That is the way he understood it. He added that an indemnity was due him. At the same time, drawing his certificate book from his pocket, he begged the inspector to have the goodness to write him "a bit of an attestation."

Javert thrust aside the book which the coachman held out to him, and said:

"How much do you want, including your time of waiting and the drive?"

"It comes to seven hours and a quarter," replied the man, "and my velvet was perfectly new. Eighty francs, Mr. Inspector."

Javert drew four napoleons from his pocket and dismissed the carriage.

Jean Valjean fancied that it was Javert's intention to conduct him on foot to the post of the Blancs-Manteaux or to the post of the Archives, both of which are close at hand.

They entered the street. It was deserted as usual. Javert followed Jean Valjean. They reached No. 7. Jean Valjean knocked. The door opened.

"It is well," said Javert. "Go up stairs."

He added with a strange expression, and as though he were exerting an effort in speaking in this manner:

"I will wait for you here."

Jean Valjean looked at Javert. This mode of procedure was but little in accord with Javert's habits. However, he could not be greatly surprised that Javert should now have a sort of haughty confidence in him, the confidence of the cat which grants the mouse liberty to the length of its claws, seeing that Jean Valjean had made up his mind to surrender himself and to make an end of it. He pushed open the door, entered the house, called to the porter who was in bed and who had pulled the cord from his couch: "It is I!" and ascended the stairs.

On arriving at the first floor, he paused. All sorrowful roads have their stations. The window on the landing-place, which was a sash-window, was open. As in many ancient houses, the staircase got its light from without and had a view on the street. The street-lantern, situated directly opposite, cast some light on the stairs, and thus effected some economy in illumination.

Jean Valjean, either for the sake of getting the air, or mechanically, thrust his head out of this window. He leaned out over the street. It is short, and the lantern lighted it from end to end. Jean Valjean was overwhelmed with amazement; there was no longer any one there.

Javert had taken his departure.

在整个路程中他们不再开口。

冉阿让打算怎么办？结束他已开始的事，通知珂赛特，告诉她马吕斯在什么地方，可能另外给她一些有用的指示，如果可能的话，作些最后的安排。至于他，和他本身有关的，那是完了；他被沙威逮捕了，他不抗拒；如果是另一个人碰到这种处境，可能多少会想起德纳第给他的绳子和他将进入的第一所牢房门上的铁棍；但是，自从见到了主教以后，冉阿让对一切侵犯，包括对自己的侵犯，我们可以肯定说，宗教信仰已使他踌躇不前了。

自尽，这神秘的对未知境界的粗暴行为，在某种程度上意味着灵魂的死亡，对冉阿让是不可能的。

进入武人街口，车子停下，因街道太窄，车子进不去。沙威和冉阿让下了车。

车夫谦恭地向“侦察员先生”提出他车上的乌德勒支丝绒被受害者的血和凶手的泥浆弄脏了。他是这样理解的。他说得给他一笔赔偿费，同时，他从口袋里抽出他的记录本，请侦察员先生替他写上“一点证明”。

沙威把车夫递给他的小本子推回去，并说：

“一共该给你多少，连等的钱和车费在内？”

“一共七小时一刻钟，”车夫回答，“还有我的丝绒是全新的。共八十法郎，侦察员先生。”

沙威在口袋里取出四个金拿破仑，把马车打发走了。

冉阿让猜想沙威想徒步把他带到白大衣商店哨所或历史文物陈列馆哨所那里去，这两处都不远。

他们走进了街，照样空无一人。沙威跟着冉阿让，他们到了七号，冉阿让敲门，门开了。

“好吧，”沙威说，“上去。”

他用奇特的表情好象很费劲地说了这样一句话：

“我在这儿等您。”

冉阿让看看沙威，这做法和沙威的习惯不相符。然而，如果说现在沙威对他有一种高傲的信任，象一只猫给一只小耗子的、和它爪子那么长的一点自由的信任，既然冉阿让决心自首并决心结束一切，沙威的这种做法不会使他太诧异。他推开大门，走进屋子，对睡在床上拉了床边开门绳的门房叫一声：

“是我！”就走上楼去。

上了二楼，他歇了一下。一切痛苦的道路都有停留站。楼梯平台的窗子是一扇吊窗，正敞开着，就象好些老式住宅一样，楼梯在此取光并可望见街道。街上的路灯，正装在对面，还照亮一点楼梯，这样就可以节省照明。

冉阿让可能为了喘一口气，也许是机械地探头望望窗外，俯身看看街心。街道很短，从头到尾有路灯照亮着。冉阿让惊喜得发呆了，没有人了。

沙威已经离去。