1262 Les Miserables
would say that they smoked and that the wind blew them
out, I am bewildered, as though horses were breathing in
my ears; although it is night, I hear hand-organs and spin-
ning-machines, and I don’t know what all. I think people
are flinging stones at me, I flee without knowing whither,
everything whirls and whirls. You feel very queer when you
have had no food.’
And then she stared at him with a bewildered air.
By dint of searching and ransacking his pockets, Mar-
ius had finally collected five francs sixteen sous. This was
all he owned in the world for the moment. ‘At all events,’
he thought, ‘there is my dinner for to-day, and to-morrow
we will see.’ He kept the sixteen sous, and handed the five
francs to the young girl.
She seized the coin.
‘Good!’ said she, ‘the sun is shining!’
And, as though the sun had possessed the property
of melting the avalanches of slang in her brain, she went
on:—
‘Five francs! the shiner! a monarch! in this hole! Ain’t
this fine! You’re a jolly thief! I’m your humble servant! Bra-
vo for the good fellows! Two days’ wine! and meat! and stew!
we’ll have a royal feast! and a good fill!’
She pulled her chemise up on her shoulders, made a low
bow to Marius, then a familiar sign with her hand, and went
towards the door, saying:—
‘Good morning, sir. It’s all right. I’ll go and find my old
ma n.’
As she passed, she caught sight of a dry crust of bread