He is a gentleman of property, sir. A very kind man who does good to the unfortunate, though not rich himself. What is his name? resumed Marius. The porter raised his head and said: Are you a police spy, sir? Marius went off quite abashed, but delighted. He was getting on. Good, thought he, I know that her name is Ursule, that she is the daughter of a gentleman who lives on his income, and that she lives there, on the third floor, in the Rue de lOuest. On the following day, M. Leblanc and his daughter made only a very brief stay in the Luxembourg; they went away while it was still broad daylight. Marius followed them to the Rue de lOuest, as he had taken up the habit of doing. On arriving at the carriage entrance M. Leblanc made his daughter pass in first, then paused, before crossing the

Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 1219 threshold, and stared intently at Marius. On the next day they did not come to the Luxembourg. Marius waited for them all day in vain. At nightfall, he went to the Rue de lOuest, and saw a

He walked about beneath the windows until the light was extinguished. The next day, no one at the Luxembourg. Marius waited all day, then went and did sentinel duty under their windows. This carried him on to ten oclock in the evening. His dinner took care of itself. Fever nourishes the sick man, and love the lover. He spent a week in this manner. M. Leblanc no longer appeared at the Luxembourg. Marius indulged in melancholy conjectures; he dared not watch the porte cochere during the day; he contented himself with going at night to gaze upon the red light of the windows. At times he saw shadows flit across them, and his heart began to beat. On the eighth day, when he arrived under the windows, there was no light in them.

Hello! he said, the lamp is not lighted yet. But it is dark. Can they have gone out? He waited until ten oclock. Until midnight. Until one in the morning. Not a light appeared in the windows of the third story, and no one entered the house. He went away in a very gloomy frame of mind. On the morrow,for he only existed from morrow to morrow, there was, so to speak, no to-day for him,on the 1220 Les Miserables morrow, he found no one at the Luxembourg; he had expected this. At dusk, he went to the house. No light in the windows; the shades were drawn; the third floor was totally dark. Marius rapped at the porte cochere, entered, and said to the porter: The gentleman on the third floor? Has moved away, replied the porter. Marius reeled and said feebly: How long ago? Yesterday. Where is he living now? I dont know anything about it. So he has not left his new address? No. And the porter, raising his eyes, recognized Marius. Come! So its you! said he; but you are decidedly a spy