468 Les Miserables
pathetic words, and asked him, as he had asked the other
two, if he persisted, without hesitation or trouble, in recog-
nizing the man who was standing before him.
‘He is Jean Valjean,’ said Cochepaille. ‘He was even called
Jean-the-Screw, because he was so strong.’
Each of these affirmations from these three men, evi-
dently sincere and in good faith, had raised in the audience
a murmur of bad augury for the prisoner,—a murmur which
increased and lasted longer each time that a fresh declara-
tion was added to the proceeding.
The prisoner had listened to them, with that astounded
face which was, according to the accusation, his principal
means of defence; at the first, the gendarmes, his neighbors,
had heard him mutter between his teeth: ‘Ah, well, he’s a
nice one!’ after the second, he said, a little louder, with an
air that was almost that of satisfaction, ‘Good!’ at the third,
he cried, ‘Famous!’
The President addressed him:—
‘Have you heard, prisoner? What have you to say?’
He replied:—
‘I say, ‘Famous!’’
An uproar broke out among the audience, and was com-
municated to the jury; it was evident that the man was lost.
‘Ushers,’ said the President, ‘enforce silence! I am going
to sum up the arguments.’
At that moment there was a movement just beside the
President; a voice was heard crying:—
‘Brevet! Chenildieu! Cochepaille! look here!’
All who heard that voice were chilled, so lamentable and