[Masterpiece Les Miserables] Paris Sparks

Both Fantine and Coronne were up late that day.After turning off the lights, they couldn't help but chatted for a long time through the curtain.The two sisters are only ten years apart, but their life trajectories are very different. They are both too curious about each other's life, and have countless things to tell each other about their own life.As she spoke, Corona couldn't help but sat up, and stretched out her hand to open the curtain in the middle.The two sisters were lying on their sides, face to face, and couldn't see each other's expression clearly in the dark, but there was a silhouette there, and they felt that fate was so wonderful.

Even so, Corona woke up early the next day, which she had been used to for more than ten years.On the bed opposite her, Fantine was still sleeping soundly.Corona couldn't bear to wake her up, so she quietly put on her clothes and slipped out the door.

She bumped into the nanny next door and hurriedly said hello to her.It was the Mammy she had met when she came in the previous night, tall, pale, and kind.After a while another nun also came out, this one was a bit more pudgy, more like a peasant woman than a nun, with flushed cheeks.Seeing Coronne, she asked, "Is your sister awake?" Her voice was raised high, not thinking about waking Fantine.

"Not yet, can I let her sleep a little longer?" Corona replied quietly.

The two nuns took her to breakfast, and Corona talked to them along the way, and learned that the tall, thin one was called Sister Sanpris, and the other was called Aunt Perpedia.She asked Mr. Mayor and Caton again, and learned that the two of them had gone out for the night and hadn't come back yet.

She did not know that this night and the morning were enough for the two gentlemen to find out about Fantine.Mr. Madeleine didn't know about Fantine's expulsion from the factory at the beginning. Besides, the reason for her expulsion did exist, and Caton naturally did not blame him.But Mr. Madeleine—that is, Jean Valjean—had a long talk with Caton back then. He knew that Caton had always blamed himself for Ramona’s whereabouts, and he also knew that looking for the children left behind by Ramona was very important to Caton. How important it is.Knowing now that Fantine had suffered so much in the city he ruled, he felt nothing but guilt.

The last stop for the two was the house they rented in Fantine.After asking the neighbors about Fantine's situation, they can return.Margaret always got up early, because she had to get up early to work, and it was still dark when the two returned.At this time, Caton held Madeleine. "Do you have a place to talk?" he asked.

M. Madeleine took him to his house.The room was neat and plain, with cheap wallpaper and ugly mahogany furniture.The mayor's house was also infinitely better than the poor man's house they left.Carton didn't look at the surrounding furnishings, but just took out a carefully sealed envelope from his arms.

"The official documents of the government should have arrived in the past few days, but I still want to hand this to you." He said, solemnly handing the envelope to M. Madeleine, "please keep it for later."

M. Madeleine opened the envelope, and drew from it an amnesty.He has read a lot of books, and there is only one bookshelf in the room, but at this moment, he stared at the piece of paper as if he could not read, and his hands trembled.

"You... How did you get this amnesty order?" It took him a long time to ask, his voice was so dry that it was not his own.

"I have inherited a title. You don't have to worry about it, it's not difficult for me. You don't have to thank me. Your contribution to Montreuil has been recognized by everyone over the years. I just return it to you You deserve it."

"Mr Carton!"

M. Madeleine could only utter the name with infinite gratitude, and was left speechless.There is no need for other words, so many emotions are contained in this cry.Caton accepted his tearful gratitude wordlessly.

"You don't have to think that this is a kind of persecution." He paused, and added, "I returned your innocent status, but you don't need it that much: you already have another one. From then on, Whether you are Jean Valjean or Madeleine is entirely up to you. If you choose the one and give up the other forever, that is your right, and I will not be offended by your choice of either. "

These words were like a basin of cold water, which suddenly awakened Madeleine from his stupor, but only plunged him into another whirlpool.Yes, Jean Valjean is innocent now, but the amnesty can only pardon his existing crimes, and cannot change the fact that he was a convict.If he regains his original identity, Jean Valjean will always be a person who "has been a convict".He would no longer be M. Madeleine, an upright and innocent man, and those respectful eyes and children's laughter would be far away from him.When he thought of this, he felt like a knife was piercing his heart and it was difficult to make a choice.If he is still Jean Valjean, returning to his original identity and being an honest person, he will lose the right to be a good person at the same time.If he remained Mayor of Madeleine, a benevolent man, he gave up his right to be honest with himself.These two thoughts tore him to two sides, and he couldn't have both sides whichever way he went.He walked back and forth in the room unknowingly, like a trapped animal trapped in his own thoughts.

Caton has quietly withdrawn.He left Mr. Madeleine to meditate alone in the room, and he returned to the factory first. When he returned, Corona was helping the two nuns to put breakfast on the table. "Ah, father, are you back?" She saw Carton at a glance, and hurried to the door to meet him, "Is Mr. Mayor not with you?"

"He has other things to do," said Carton. "Where's Fantine?"

"I went to see her just now. She's still asleep. Have you had breakfast?"

"I'll go and see her first," Carton said.

He quietly glanced at the door, without disturbing Fantine, who was still sleeping.When I returned, I met M. Madeleine striding in through the door.Although he was quite a bit late before starting, because he was walking fast on the road, he rushed over quickly. "Mr. Mayor." Corona greeted him, startled by his pale face, "My sister is still sleeping."

M. Madeleine still greeted her kindly like yesterday, but Corona always felt that he was different today, as if he had sunk into another world of his own and was not so connected with the outside world. "Have you and Mr. Mayor not had breakfast yet?" She turned to Carton.

"Yes."

"Then will you come and eat with us?" asked Coronne. "Monsieur Mayor, will you allow me?"

"Of course. You don't have to ask my permission."

"So, are you coming with us too? My sister is still sleeping. Maybe she will wake up after breakfast. You can go and see her again."

When Corona looked at people with that pleading look, it was hard to refuse her.Bread and cheese were already laid out on the breakfast table, and the two nuns were busy adding two more sets to Madeleine and Caton.After eating, Caton asked: "What are you going to do about Fantine's child, Cosette?"

"I will send the money owed to the family today so that they can take good care of the child. The only difficulty is that she is currently suffering from scarlet fever, so it may not be convenient for her to travel far."

"I think so too. So, if it's convenient for you, I want to keep Corona, and I will go to Thenardier's house to see the child."

"You're going to keep me?" asked Corona. "Why don't you take me with you, papa? I've got scarlet fever anyway, and it won't come back."

"Aren't you staying with Fantine?"

"We talked for half the night last night. Didn't you hear the tone of her talking about the child! If you want to ask her, let me see her little Cosette, or stay here, she will definitely let me go to Cosette." Seth's side—I think she might want to go by herself!"

She hit the spot.Fantine woke up at noon and knew that Coronne and Caton were going to see Cosette. They laughed and begged, but they had to go with them no matter what.Coronne, Monsieur Madeleine, and the two nuns tried their best to comfort her and make various promises before she was forced to submit.So, just after lunch, Corona and Caton hired the best cart and horse in Montreuil and set off, and Caton drove the car himself.

It was winter, and despite the midday sun, it was still cold outside.The snow and mud on the road were a dirty gray-black color, and the wheels creaked as they rolled.There is still some residual snow on the branches and in the field, which melts during the day and condenses into ice at night, sealing some dead grass in a thin layer of ice.Corona refused to stay in the car and insisted on sitting outside to accompany Caton, so now the two of them sat outside the car, one on each side. Inside the hat, the cheeks and the tip of the nose were flushed by the wind.

"Father." After a few hours of silence, when the sun was gradually sinking on the horizon, she asked quietly, as if she had been thinking about this question for the past few hours, "You and Ramona, What the hell happened?"

Carton stared straight at the road ahead without turning his face to look at her. The expression on his face was also flat, but she saw Carton's hands tremble. "Do you want to know?"

"I think."

"There are still some things that are not finished. Later, when all the things I have to prepare are over, I will tell you everything. Will you?"

His tone was gentle, but Corona felt a kind of unreasonable sadness from it.It was so quiet all around, and the sun gradually set, leaving only a faint yellow light, illuminating the empty road coldly.She suddenly felt sad too. "Okay." She replied in a low voice.