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ion bee irresistible at that word fillette; accentuated in almost the very same fashion by the granduncle and the grandnephew。
She resumed:
〃Do us a favor。
Follow Marius a little。
He does not know you; it will be easy。
Since a lass there is; try to get a sight of her。 You must write us the tale。
It will amuse his grandfather。〃
Theodule had no excessive taste for this sort of spying; but he was much touched by the ten louis; and he thought he saw a chance for a possible sequel。
He accepted the mission and said: 〃As you please; aunt。〃
And he added in an aside; to himself:
〃Here I am a duenna。〃
Mademoiselle Gillenormand embraced him。
〃You are not the man to play such pranks; Theodule。
You obey discipline; you are the slave of orders; you are a man of scruples and duty; and you would not quit your family to go and see a creature。〃
The lancer made the pleased grimace of Cartouche when praised for his probity。
Marius; on the evening following this dialogue; mounted the diligence without suspecting that he was watched。
As for the watcher; the first thing he did was to fall asleep。
His slumber was plete and conscientious。
Argus snored all night long。
At daybreak; the conductor of the diligence shouted:
〃Vernon! relay of Vernon!
Travellers for Vernon!〃
And Lieutenant Theodule woke。
〃Good;〃 he growled; still half asleep; 〃this is where I get out。〃
Then; as his memory cleared by degrees; the effect of waking; he recalled his aunt; the ten louis; and the account which he had undertaken to render of the deeds and proceedings of Marius。 This set him to laughing。
〃Perhaps he is no longer in the coach;〃 he thought; as he rebuttoned the waistcoat of his undress uniform。
〃He may have stopped at Poissy; he may have stopped at Triel; if he did not get out at Meulan; he may have got out at Mantes; unless he got out at Rolleboise; or if he did not go on as far as Pacy; with the choice of turning to the left at Evreus; or to the right at Laroche…Guyon。 Run after him; aunty。
What the devil am I to write to that good old soul?〃
At that moment a pair of black trousers descending from the imperial; made its appearance at the window of the coupe。
〃Can that be Marius?〃 said the lieutenant。
It was Marius。
A little peasant girl; all entangled with the horses and the postilions at the end of the vehicle; was offering flowers to the travellers。 〃Give your ladies flowers!〃 she cried。
Marius approached her and purchased the finest flowers in her flat basket。
〃e now;〃 said Theodule; leaping down from the coupe; 〃this piques my curiosity。
Who the deuce is he going to carry those flowers to? She must be a splendidly handsome woman for so fine a bouquet。 I want to see her。〃
And no longer in pursuance of orders; but from personal curiosity; like dogs who hunt on their own account; he set out to follow Marius。
Marius paid no attention to Theodule。
Elegant women descended from the diligence; he did not glance at them。
He seemed to see nothing around him。
〃He is pretty deeply in love!〃 thought Theodule。
Marius directed his steps towards the church。
〃Capital;〃 said Theodule to himself。
〃Rendezvous seasoned with a bit of mass are the best sort。
Nothing is so exquisite as an ogle which passes over the good God's head。〃
On arriving at the church; Marius did not enter it; but skirted the apse。
He disappeared behind one of the angles of the apse。
〃The rendezvous is appointed outside;〃 said Theodule。
〃Let's have a look at the lass。〃
And he advanced on the tips of his boots towards the corner which Marius had turned。
On arriving there; he halted in amazement。
Marius; with his forehead clasped in his hands; was kneeling upon the grass on a grave。
He had strewn his bouquet there。
At the extremity of the grave; on a little swelling which marked the head; there stood a cross of black wood with this name in white letters: COLONEL BARON PONTMERCY。
Marius' sobs were audible。
The 〃lass〃 was a grave。
BOOK THIRD。THE GRANDFATHER AND THE GRANDSON
CHAPTER VIII
MARBLE AGAINST GRANITE
It was hither that Marius had e on the first occasion of his absenting himself from Paris。
It was hither that he had e every time that M。 Gillenormand had said:
〃He is sleeping out。〃
Lieutenant Theodule was absolutely put out of countenance by this unexpected encounter with a sepulchre; he experienced a singular and disagreeable sensation which he was incapable of analyzing; and which was posed of respect for the tomb; mingled with respect for the colonel。
He retreated; leaving Marius alone in the cemetery; and there was discipline in this retreat。
Death appeared to him with large epaulets; and he almost made the military salute to him。 Not knowing what to write to his aunt; he decided not to write at all; and it is probable that nothing would have resulted from the discovery made by Theodule as to the love affairs of Marius; if; by one of those mysterious arrangements which are so frequent in chance; the scene at Vernon had not had an almost immediate counter…shock at Paris。
Marius returned from Vernon on the third day; in the middle of the morning; descended at his grandfather's door; and; wearied by the two nights spent in the diligence; and feeling the need of repairing his loss of sleep by an hour at the swimming…school; he mounted rapidly to his chamber; took merely time enough to throw off his travelling…coat; and the black ribbon which he wore round his neck; and went off to the bath。
M。Gillenormand; who had risen betimes like all old men in good health; had heard his entrance; and had made haste to climb; as quickly as his old legs permitted; the stairs to the upper story where Marius lived; in order to embrace him; and to question him while so doing; and to find out where he had been。
But the youth had taken less time to descend than the old man had to ascend; and when Father Gillenormand entered the attic; Marius was no longer there。
The bed had not been disturbed; and on the bed lay; outspread; but not defiantly the great…coat and the black ribbon。
〃I like this better;〃 said M。 Gillenormand。
And a moment later; he made his entrance into the salon; where Mademoiselle Gillenormand was already seated; busily embroidering her cart…wheels。
The entrance was a triumphant one。
M。 Gillenormand held in one hand the great…coat; and in the other the neck…ribbon; and exclaimed:
〃Victory!
We are about to penetrate the mystery!
We are going to learn the most minute details; we are going to lay our finger on the debaucheries of our sly friend!
Here we have the romance itself。 I have the portrait!〃
In fact; a case of black shagreen; resembling a medallion portrait; was suspended from the ribbon。
The old man took this case and gazed at it for some time without opening it; with that air of enjoyment; rapture; and wrath; with which a poor hungry fellow beholds an admirable dinner which is not for him; pass under his very nose。
〃For this evide