and social fatality； pursued an obscure and undulating itinerary。
He found his first refuge at Pradeaux； near Beausset。
Then he directed his course towards Grand…Villard； near Briancon； in the Hautes…Alpes。 It was a fumbling and uneasy flight； a mole's track； whose branchings are untraceable。
Later on； some trace of his passage into Ain； in the territory of Civrieux； was discovered； in the Pyrenees； at Accons； at the spot called Grange…de…Doumec； near the market of Chavailles； and in the environs of Perigueux at Brunies； canton of La Chapelle…Gonaguet。 He reached Paris。 We have just seen him at Montfermeil。
His first care on arriving in Paris had been to buy mourning clothes for a little girl of from seven to eight years of age； then to procure a lodging。
That done； he had betaken himself to Montfermeil。 It will be remembered that already； during his preceding escape； he had made a mysterious trip thither； or somewhere in that neighborhood； of which the law had gathered an inkling。
However； he was thought to be dead； and this still further increased the obscurity which had gathered about him。
At Paris； one of the journals which chronicled the fact fell into his hands。 He felt reassured and almost at peace； as though he had really been dead。
On the evening of the day when Jean Valjean rescued Cosette from the claws of the Thenardiers； he returned to Paris。
He re…entered it at nightfall； with the child； by way of the Barrier Monceaux。 There he entered a cabriolet； which took him to the esplanade of the Observatoire。
There he got out； paid the coachman； took Cosette by the hand； and together they directed their steps through the darkness；through the deserted streets which adjoin the Ourcine and the Glaciere； towards the Boulevard de l'Hopital。
The day had been strange and filled with emotions for Cosette。 They had eaten some bread and cheese purchased in isolated taverns； behind hedges； they had changed carriages frequently； they had travelled short distances on foot。
She made no plaint； but she was weary； and Jean Valjean perceived it by the way she dragged more and more on his hand as she walked。
He took her on his back。 Cosette； without letting go of Catherine； laid her head on Jean Valjean's shoulder； and there fell asleep。
BOOK FOURTH。THE GORBEAU HOVEL
CHAPTER I
MASTER GORBEAU
Forty years ago； a rambler who had ventured into that unknown country of the Salpetriere； and who had mounted to the Barriere d'Italie by way of the boulevard； reached a point where it might be said that Paris disappeared。
It was no longer solitude； for there were passers…by； it was not the country； for there were houses and streets； it was not the city； for the streets had ruts like highways； and the grass grew in them； it was not a village； the houses were too lofty。
What was it； then？
It was an inhabited spot where there was no one； it was a desert place where there was some one； it was a boulevard of the great city； a street of Paris； more wild at night than the forest； more gloomy by day than a cemetery。
It was the old quarter of the Marche…aux…Chevaux。
The rambler； if he risked himself outside the four decrepit walls of this Marche…aux…Chevaux； if he consented even to pass beyond the Rue du Petit…Banquier； after leaving on his right a garden protected by high walls； then a field in which tan…bark mills rose like gigantic beaver huts； then an enclosure encumbered with timber； with a heap of stumps； sawdust； and shavings； on which stood a large dog； barking； then a long； low； utterly dilapidated wall； with a little black door in mourning； laden with mosses； which were covered with flowers in the spring； then； in the most deserted spot； a frightful and decrepit building； on which ran the inscription in large letters：
POST NO BILLS；this daring rambler would have reached little known latitudes at the corner of the Rue des Vignes…Saint…Marcel。 There； near a factory； and between two garden walls； there could be seen； at that epoch； a mean building； which； at the first glance； seemed as small as a thatched hovel； and which was； in reality； as large as a cathedral。 It presented its side and gable to the public road； hence its apparent diminutiveness。
Nearly the whole of the house was hidden。 Only the door and one window could be seen。
This hovel was only one story high。
The first detail that struck the observer was； that the door could never have been anything but the door of a hovel； while the window； if it had been carved out of dressed stone instead of being in rough masonry； might have been the lattice of a lordly mansion。
The door was nothing but a collection of worm…eaten planks roughly bound together by cross…beams which resembled roughly hewn logs。 It opened directly on a steep staircase of lofty steps； muddy； chalky； plaster…stained； dusty steps； of the same width as itself； which could be seen from the street； running straight up like a ladder and disappearing in the darkness between two walls。
The top of the shapeless bay into which this door shut was masked by a narrow scantling in the centre of which a triangular hole had been sawed； which served both as wicket and air…hole when the door was closed。 On the inside of the door the figures 52 had been traced with a couple of strokes of a brush dipped in ink； and above the scantling the same hand had daubed the number 50； so that one hesitated。 Where was one？
Above the door it said； 〃Number 50〃； the inside replied； 〃no； Number 52。〃
No one knows what dust…colored figures were suspended like draperies from the triangular opening。
The window was large； sufficiently elevated； garnished with Venetian blinds； and with a frame in large square panes； only these large panes were suffering from various wounds； which were both concealed and betrayed by an ingenious paper bandage。 And the blinds； dislocated and unpasted； threatened passers…by rather than screened the occupants。
The horizontal slats were missing here and there and had been naively replaced with boards nailed on perpendicularly； so that what began as a blind ended as a shutter。
This door with an unclean； and this window with an honest though dilapidated air； thus beheld on the same house； produced the effect of two inplete beggars walking side by side； with different miens beneath the same rags； the one having always been a mendicant； and the other having once been a gentleman。
The staircase led to a very vast edifice which resembled a shed which had been converted into a house。
This edifice had； for its intestinal tube； a long corridor； on which opened to right and left sorts of partments of varied dimensions which were inhabitable under stress of circumstances； and rather more like stalls than cells。 These chambers received their light from the vague waste grounds in the neighborhood。
All this was dark； disagreeable； wan； melancholy； sepulchral； traversed according as the crevices lay in the roof or in the door； by cold rays or by icy winds。
An interesting and picturesque peculiarity of this sort of dwelling is the enormous size of the spiders。
To the left of the entrance door； on the boulevard side； at about the height of a man from the ground； a small window which had been walled up formed a square niche full of stones which the children had thrown there as they passed by。
A portion of this building has recently been demolished。 From what still remains of it one can form a judgment as to what it was in former days。
As a whole； it was not over a hundred years old。 A hundred years is youth in a church and age in a house。 It seems as though man's lodging partook of his ephemeral character； and God's house of his eternity。
The postmen called the house Number 50…52； but it was known in the neighborhood as the Gorbeau house。
Let us explain whence this appellation was derived。
Collectors of petty details； who bee herbalists of anecdotes； and prick slippery dates into their memories with a pin； know that there was in Paris； during the last century； about 1770； two attorneys at the Chatelet named； one Corbeau （Raven）； the other Renard （Fox）。 The two names had been forestalled by La Fontaine。 The opportunity was too fine for the lawyers； they made the most of it。 A parody was immediately put in circulation in the galleries of the court…house； in verses that limped a little：
Maitre Corbeau； sur un dossier perche；＇13＇
Tenait dans son bee une saisie executoire；
Maitre Renard； par l'odeur alleche；
Lui fit a peu pres cette histoire： He！ bonjour。
Etc。
＇13＇ Lawyer Corbeau； perched on a docket； held in his beak a writ of execution； Lawyer Renard； attracted by the smell； addressed him nearly as follows； etc。
The two honest practitioners； embarrassed by the jests； and finding the bearing of their heads interfered with by the shouts of laughter which followed them； resolved to get rid of their names； and hit upon the expedient of applying to the king。
Their petition was presented to Louis XV。
on the same day when the Papal Nuncio； on the one hand； and the Cardinal de la Roche…Aymon on the other； both devoutly kneeling； were each engaged in putting on； in his Majesty's presence； a slipper on the bare feet of Madame du Barry； who had just got out of bed。
The king； who was laughing； continued to laugh； passed gayly from the two bishops to the two lawyers； and bestowed on these limbs of the law their former names； or nearly so。
By the kings mand； Maitre Corbeau was permitted to add a tail to his initial letter and to call himself Gorbeau。 Maitre Renard was less lucky； all he obtained was leave to place a P in front of his R； and to call himself Prenard； so that the second name bore almost as much resemblance as the first。
Now； according to local tradition； this Maitre Gorbeau had been the proprietor of the building numbered 50…52 on the Boulevard de l'Hopital。 He was even the author of the monumental window。
Hence the edifice bore the name of the Gorbeau house。
Opposite this house； among the trees of the boulevard； rose a great elm which was three…quarters dead； almost directly facing it opens the Rue de la Barriere des Gobelins； a street then without houses； unpaved； planted with unhealthy trees； which was green or muddy according to the season； and which ended squarely in the exterior wall of Paris。
An odor of copperas issued in puffs from the roofs of the neighboring factory。
The barrier was close at hand。
In 1823 the city wall was still in existence。
This barrier itself evoked gloomy fancies in the mind。
It was the road to Bicetre。
It was through it that； under the Empire and the Restoration； prisoners condemned to death re…entered Paris on the day of their execution。
It was there； that； about 1829； was mitted that mysterious assassination； called 〃The assassination of the Fontainebleau barrier；〃 whose authors justice was never able to discover； a melancholy problem which has never been elucidated； a frightful enigma which has never been unriddled。
Take a few steps； and you e upon that fatal Rue Croulebarbe； where Ulbach stabbed the goat…girl of Ivry to the so