712 Les Miserables
He caught glimpses of everything, but he saw nothing. Be
that as it may, on entering into conversation with the man,
sure that there was some secret in the case, that the latter
had some interest in remaining in the shadow, he felt him-
self strong; when he perceived from the stranger’s clear and
firm retort, that this mysterious personage was mysteri-
ous in so simple a way, he became conscious that he was
weak. He had expected nothing of the sort. His conjectures
were put to the rout. He rallied his ideas. He weighed every-
thing in the space of a second. Thenardier was one of those
men who take in a situation at a glance. He decided that the
moment had arrived for proceeding straightforward, and
quickly at that. He did as great leaders do at the decisive
moment, which they know that they alone recognize; he
abruptly unmasked his batteries.
‘Sir,’ said he, ‘I am in need of fifteen hundred francs.’
The stranger took from his side pocket an old pocket-
book of black leather, opened it, drew out three bank-bills,
which he laid on the table. Then he placed his large thumb
on the notes and said to the inn-keeper:—
‘Go and fetch Cosette.’
While this was taking place, what had Cosette been do-
ing?
On waking up, Cosette had run to get her shoe. In it she
had found the gold piece. It was not a Napoleon; it was one
of those perfectly new twenty-franc pieces of the Restora-
tion, on whose effigy the little Prussian queue had replaced
the laurel wreath. Cosette was dazzled. Her destiny began
to intoxicate her. She did not know what a gold piece was;