1842 Les Miserables
a joke that they’re playing on you, isn’t it. He gave me ten
sous.’
‘Joly, lend me ten sous,’ said Laigle; and, turning to
Grantaire: ‘Grantaire, lend me ten sous.’
This made twenty sous, which Laigle handed to the lad.
‘Thank you, sir,’ said the urchin.
‘What is your name?’ inquired Laigle.
‘Navet, Gavroche’s friend.’
‘Stay with us,’ said Laigle.
‘Breakfast with us,’ said Grantaire,
The child replied:—
‘I can’t, I belong in the procession, I’m the one to shout
‘Down with Polignac!’’
And executing a prolonged scrape of his foot behind
him, which is the most respectful of all possible salutes, he
took his departure.
The child gone, Grantaire took the word:—
‘That is the pure-bred gamin. There are a great many va-
rieties of the gamin species. The notary’s gamin is called
Skip-the-Gutter, the cook’s gamin is called a scullion, the
baker’s gamin is called a mitron, the lackey’s gamin is called
a groom, the marine gamin is called the cabin-boy, the sol-
dier’s gamin is called the drummer-boy, the painter’s gamin
is called paint-grinder, the tradesman’s gamin is called an
errand-boy, the courtesan gamin is called the minion, the
kingly gamin is called the dauphin, the god gamin is called
the bambino.’
In the meantime, Laigle was engaged in reflection; he
said half aloud:—