1312 Les Miserables
‘—With the assistance of Patron-Minette, it can’t fail.’
‘Do you think so?’ said the bearded man.
And the long-haired one began again:—
‘It’s as good as a warrant for each one, of five hundred
balls, and the worst that can happen is five years, six years,
ten years at the most!’
The other replied with some hesitation, and shivering
beneath his fez:—
‘That’s a real thing. You can’t go against such things.’
‘I tell you that the affair can’t go wrong,’ resumed the
long-haired man. ‘Father What’s-his-name’s team will be
already harnessed.’
Then they began to discuss a melodrama that they had
seen on the preceding evening at the Gaite Theatre.
Marius went his way.
It seemed to him that the mysterious words of these men,
so strangely hidden behind that wall, and crouching in the
snow, could not but bear some relation to Jondrette’s abom-
inable projects. That must be the affair.
He directed his course towards the faubourg Saint-Mar-
ceau and asked at the first shop he came to where he could
find a commissary of police.
He was directed to Rue de Pontoise, No. 14.
Thither Marius betook himself.
As he passed a baker’s shop, he bought a two-penny roll,
and ate it, foreseeing that he should not dine.
On the way, he rendered justice to Providence. He re-
flected that had he not given his five francs to the Jondrette
girl in the morning, he would have followed M. Leblanc’s