1276 Les Miserables
‘The philanthropist?’
‘ Ye s .’
‘From the church of Saint-Jacques?’
‘ Ye s .’
‘That old fellow?’
‘ Ye s .’
‘And he is coming?’
‘He is following me.’
‘You are sure?’
‘I am sure.’
‘There, truly, he is coming?’
‘He is coming in a fiacre.’
‘In a fiacre. He is Rothschild.’
The father rose.
‘How are you sure? If he is coming in a fiacre, how is it
that you arrive before him? You gave him our address at
least? Did you tell him that it was the last door at the end
of the corridor, on the right? If he only does not make a
mistake! So you found him at the church? Did he read my
letter? What did he say to you?’
‘Ta, ta, ta,’ said the girl, ‘how you do gallop on, my good
man! See here: I entered the church, he was in his usual
place, I made him a reverence, and I handed him the let-
ter; he read it and said to me: ‘Where do you live, my child?’
I said: ‘Monsieur, I will show you.’ He said to me: ‘No, give
me your address, my daughter has some purchases to make,
I will take a carriage and reach your house at the same time
that you do.’ I gave him the address. When I mentioned the
house, he seemed surprised and hesitated for an instant,