was the same usher who had turned his back upon him but a moment previously； and who was now bowing to the earth before him。 At the same time； the usher handed him the paper。
He unfolded it； and as he chanced to be near the light； he could read it。
〃The President of the Court of Assizes presents his respects to M。 Madeleine。〃
He crushed the paper in his hand as though those words contained for him a strange and bitter aftertaste。
He followed the usher。
A few minutes later he found himself alone in a sort of wainscoted cabinet of severe aspect； lighted by two wax candles； placed upon a table with a green cloth。
The last words of the usher who had just quitted him still rang in his ears：
〃Monsieur； you are now in the council…chamber； you have only to turn the copper handle of yonder door； and you will find yourself in the court…room； behind the President's chair。〃 These words were mingled in his thoughts with a vague memory of narrow corridors and dark staircases which he had recently traversed。
The usher had left him alone。
The supreme moment had arrived。 He sought to collect his faculties； but could not。
It is chiefly at the moment when there is the greatest need for attaching them to the painful realities of life； that the threads of thought snap within the brain。
He was in the very place where the judges deliberated and condemned。
With stupid tranquillity he surveyed this peaceful and terrible apartment； where so many lives had been broken； which was soon to ring with his name； and which his fate was at that moment traversing。
He stared at the wall； then he looked at himself； wondering that it should be that chamber and that it should be he。
He had eaten nothing for four and twenty hours； he was worn out by the jolts of the cart； but he was not conscious of it。 It seemed to him that he felt nothing。
He approached a black frame which was suspended on the wall； and which contained； under glass； an ancient autograph letter of Jean Nicolas Pache； mayor of Paris and minister； and dated； through an error； no doubt； the 9th of June； of the year II。； and in which Pache forwarded to the mune the list of ministers and deputies held in arrest by them。
Any spectator who had chanced to see him at that moment； and who had watched him； would have imagined； doubtless； that this letter struck him as very curious； for he did not take his eyes from it； and he read it two or three times。 He read it without paying any attention to it； and unconsciously。 He was thinking of Fantine and Cosette。
As he dreamed； he turned round； and his eyes fell upon the brass knob of the door which separated him from the Court of Assizes。 He had almost forgotten that door。
His glance； calm at first； paused there； remained fixed on that brass handle； then grew terrified； and little by little became impregnated with fear。
Beads of perspiration burst forth among his hair and trickled down upon his temples。
At a certain moment he made that indescribable gesture of a sort of authority mingled with rebellion； which is intended to convey； and which does so well convey； 〃Pardieu！ who pels me to this？〃 Then he wheeled briskly round； caught sight of the door through which he had entered in front of him； went to it； opened it； and passed out。 He was no longer in that chamber； he was outside in a corridor； a long； narrow corridor； broken by steps and gratings； making all sorts of angles； lighted here and there by lanterns similar to the night taper of invalids； the corridor through which he had approached。 He breathed； he listened； not a sound in front； not a sound behind him； and he fled as though pursued。
When he had turned many angles in this corridor； he still listened。 The same silence reigned； and there was the same darkness around him。 He was out of breath； he staggered； he leaned against the wall。 The stone was cold； the perspiration lay ice…cold on his brow； he straightened himself up with a shiver。
Then； there alone in the darkness； trembling with cold and with something else； too； perchance； he meditated。
He had meditated all night long； he had meditated all the day： he heard within him but one voice； which said； 〃Alas！〃
A quarter of an hour passed thus。
At length he bowed his head； sighed with agony； dropped his arms； and retraced his steps。 He walked slowly； and as though crushed。
It seemed as though some one had overtaken him in his flight and was leading him back。
He re…entered the council…chamber。 The first thing he caught sight of was the knob of the door。
This knob； which was round and of polished brass； shone like a terrible star for him。 He gazed at it as a lamb might gaze into the eye of a tiger。
He could not take his eyes from it。
From time to time he advanced a step and approached the door。
Had he listened； he would have heard the sound of the adjoining hall like a sort of confused murmur； but he did not listen； and he did not hear。
Suddenly； without himself knowing how it happened； he found himself near the door； he grasped the knob convulsively； the door opened。
He was in the court…room。
BOOK SEVENTH。THE CHAMPMATHIEU AFFAIR
CHAPTER IX
A PLACE WHERE CONVICTIONS ARE IN PROCESS OF FORMATION
He advanced a pace； closed the door mechanically behind him； and remained standing； contemplating what he saw。
It was a vast and badly lighted apartment； now full of uproar； now full of silence； where all the apparatus of a criminal case； with its petty and mournful gravity in the midst of the throng； was in process of development。
At the one end of the hall； the one where he was； were judges； with abstracted air； in threadbare robes； who were gnawing their nails or closing their eyelids； at the other end； a ragged crowd； lawyers in all sorts of attitudes； soldiers with hard but honest faces； ancient； spotted woodwork； a dirty ceiling； tables covered with serge that was yellow rather than green； doors blackened by handmarks； tap…room lamps which emitted more smoke than light； suspended from nails in the wainscot； on the tables candles in brass candlesticks； darkness； ugliness； sadness； and from all this there was disengaged an austere and august impression； for one there felt that grand human thing which is called the law； and that grand divine thing which is called justice。
No one in all that throng paid any attention to him； all glances were directed towards a single point； a wooden bench placed against a small door； in the stretch of wall on the President's left； on this bench； illuminated by several candles； sat a man between two gendarmes。
This man was the man。
He did not seek him； he saw him； his eyes went thither naturally； as though they had known beforehand where that figure was。
He thought he was looking at himself； grown old； not absolutely the same in face； of course； but exactly similar in attitude and aspect； with his bristling hair； with that wild and uneasy eye； with that blouse； just as it was on the day when he entered D； full of hatred； concealing his soul in that hideous mass of frightful thoughts which he had spent nineteen years in collecting on the floor of the prison。
He said to himself with a shudder； 〃Good God！ shall I bee like that again？〃
This creature seemed to be at least sixty； there was something indescribably coarse； stupid； and frightened about him。
At the sound made by the opening door； people had drawn aside to make way for him； the President had turned his head； and； understanding that the personage who had just entered was the mayor of M。 sur M。； he had bowed to him； the attorney…general； who had seen M。 Madeleine at M。 sur M。； whither the duties of his office had called him more than once； recognized him and saluted him also：
he had hardly perceived it； he was the victim of a sort of hallucination； he was watching。
Judges； clerks； gendarmes； a throng of cruelly curious heads； all these he had already beheld once； in days gone by； twenty…seven years before； he had encountered those fatal things once more； there they were； they moved； they existed； it was no longer an effort of his memory； a mirage of his thought； they were real gendarmes and real judges； a real crowd； and real men of flesh and blood：
it was all over； he beheld the monstrous aspects of his past reappear and live once more around him； with all that there is formidable in reality。
All this was yawning before him。
He was horrified by it； he shut his eyes； and exclaimed in the deepest recesses of his soul； 〃Never！〃
And by a tragic play of destiny which made all his ideas tremble； and rendered him nearly mad； it was another self of his that was there！ all called that man who was being tried Jean Valjean。
Under his very eyes； unheard…of vision； he had a sort of representation of the most horrible moment of his life； enacted by his spectre。
Everything was there； the apparatus was the same； the hour of the night； the faces of the judges； of soldiers； and of spectators； all were the same； only above the President's head there hung a crucifix； something which the courts had lacked at the time of his condemnation： God had been absent when he had been judged。
There was a chair behind him； he dropped into it； terrified at the thought that he might be seen； when he was seated； he took advantage of a pile of cardboard boxes； which stood on the judge's desk； to conceal his face from the whole room； he could now see without being seen； he had fully regained consciousness of the reality of things； gradually he recovered； he attained that phase of posure where it is possible to listen。
M。 Bamatabois was one of the jurors。
He looked for Javert； but did not see him； the seat of the witnesses was hidden from him by the clerk's table； and then； as we have just said； the hall was sparely lighted。
At the moment of this entrance； the defendant's lawyer had just finished his plea。
The attention of all was excited to the highest pitch； the affair had lasted for three hours：
for three hours that crowd had been watching a strange man； a miserable specimen of humanity； either profoundly stupid or profoundly subtle； gradually bending beneath the weight of a terrible likeness。
This man； as the reader already knows； was a vagabond who had been found in a field carrying a branch laden with ripe apples； broken in the orchard of a neighbor； called the Pierron orchard。
Who was this man？ an examination had been made； witnesses had been heard； and they were unanimous； light had abounded throughout the entire debate； the accusation said： 〃We have in our grasp not only a marauder； a stealer of fruit； we have here； in our hands； a bandit； an old offender who has broken his ban； an ex…convict； a miscreant of the most dangerous description； a malefactor named Jean Valjean； whom justice has long been in search of； and who； eight years ago； on emerging from the galleys at Toulon； mitted a highway robbery； acpanied by violence； on the person of a child； a Savoyard named Little Gervais； a crime provided for by article 383 of the Penal Code； the right to try him for which we reserve hereafter； when his identity shall have been judici