1318 Les Miserables
man. Courage does not fear crime, and honesty does not
fear authority.’
Marius interrupted him:—
‘That is well, but what do you intend to do?’
The inspector contented himself with the remark:—
‘The lodgers have pass-keys with which to get in at night.
You must have one.’
‘Yes,’ said Marius.
‘Have you it about you?’
‘ Ye s .’
‘Give it to me,’ said the inspector.
Marius took his key from his waistcoat pocket, handed it
to the inspector and added:—
‘If you will take my advice, you will come in force.’
The inspector cast on Marius such a glance as Voltaire
might have bestowed on a provincial academician who had
suggested a rhyme to him; with one movement he plunged
his hands, which were enormous, into the two immense
pockets of his top-coat, and pulled out two small steel pis-
tols, of the sort called ‘knock-me-downs.’ Then he presented
them to Marius, saying rapidly, in a curt tone:—
‘Take these. Go home. Hide in your chamber, so that you
may be supposed to have gone out. They are loaded. Each
one carries two balls. You will keep watch; there is a hole in
the wall, as you have informed me. These men will come.
Leave them to their own devices for a time. When you think
matters have reached a crisis, and that it is time to put a
stop to them, fire a shot. Not too soon. The rest concerns
me. A shot into the ceiling, the air, no matter where. Above