170 Les Miserables
On the day following his liberation, he saw, at Grasse, in
front of an orange-flower distillery, some men engaged in
unloading bales. He offered his services. Business was press-
ing; they were accepted. He set to work. He was intelligent,
robust, adroit; he did his best; the master seemed pleased.
While he was at work, a gendarme passed, observed him,
and demanded his papers. It was necessary to show him the
yellow passport. That done, Jean Valjean resumed his labor.
A little while before he had questioned one of the workmen
as to the amount which they earned each day at this occupa-
tion; he had been told thirty sous. When evening arrived, as
he was forced to set out again on the following day, he pre-
sented himself to the owner of the distillery and requested
to be paid. The owner did not utter a word, but handed him
fifteen sous. He objected. He was told, ‘That is enough for
thee.’ He persisted. The master looked him straight between
the eyes, and said to him ‘Beware of the prison.’
There, again, he considered that he had been robbed.
Society, the State, by diminishing his hoard, had robbed
him wholesale. Now it was the individual who was robbing
him at retail.
Liberation is not deliverance. One gets free from the gal-
leys, but not from the sentence.
That is what happened to him at Grasse. We have seen in
what manner he was received at D——