Free eBooks at Planet eBook.com 759
could devise, returning on his track at times, to make sure
that he was not being followed.
This manoeuvre is peculiar to the hunted stag. On soil
where an imprint of the track may be left, this manoeuvre
possesses, among other advantages, that of deceiving the
huntsmen and the dogs, by throwing them on the wrong
scent. In venery this is called false re-imbushment.
The moon was full that night. Jean Valjean was not sor-
ry for this. The moon, still very close to the horizon, cast
great masses of light and shadow in the streets. Jean Valjean
could glide along close to the houses on the dark side, and
yet keep watch on the light side. He did not, perhaps, take
sufficiently into consideration the fact that the dark side es-
caped him. Still, in the deserted lanes which lie near the Rue
Poliveau, he thought he felt certain that no one was follow-
ing him.
Cosette walked on without asking any questions. The
sufferings of the first six years of her life had instilled
something passive into her nature. Moreover,—and this
is a remark to which we shall frequently have occasion to
recur,—she had grown used, without being herself aware of
it, to the peculiarities of this good man and to the freaks of
destiny. And then she was with him, and she felt safe.
Jean Valjean knew no more where he was going than
did Cosette. He trusted in God, as she trusted in him. It
seemed as though he also were clinging to the hand of some
one greater than himself; he thought he felt a being leading
him, though invisible. However, he had no settled idea, no
plan, no project. He was not even absolutely sure that it was