Les Miserables (Literary fiction, Men/women)
Description
Vocal Characteristics
Language
EnglishAccents
North American (General)Transcript
Note: Transcripts are generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors.
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.
In a few minutes he was breakfasting at the same table at which Jean Valjean had sat the night before. While breakfasting, Monseigneur Bienvenu pleasantly remarked to his sister, who said nothing, and Madame Magloire, who was grumbling to herself that there was really no need even of a wooden spoon or fork to dip a piece of bread into a cup of milk.
"Was there ever such an idea?" said Madame Magloire to herself, as she went backwards and forwards, "to take in a man like that and to give him a bed beside him. And yet! What a blessing it was that he did nothing but steal! Oh, my stars! It makes the chills run over me! When I think of it."
Just as the brother and sister were rising from the table, there was a knock at the door.
"Come in!" Said the bishop.
The door opened. A strange, fierce group appeared on the threshold. Three men were holding a fourth by the collar. The three men were gendarmes. The fourth, Jean Valjean.
A brigadier of gendarmes, who appeared to head the group, was near the door. He advanced toward the bishop, giving a military salute.
"Monseigneur." said he.
At this word, jean Valjean, who was sullen and seemed entirely cast down, raised his head with a stupefied air.
"Monseigneur," he murmured. "Then it is not the cure."
"Silence!" said the gendarme. "It is, Monseigneur, the Bishop!
In the meantime, Monseigneur Bienvenue approached as quickly as his great age permitted.
"Ah, there you are!" said he, looking towards Jean Valjean.
"I am glad to see you! But I gave you the candlesticks also, which are silver like the rest, and would bring 200 francs. Why did you not take them along with your plates?"
Jean Valjean opened his eyes and looked at the Bishop with an expression which no human tongue could describe.
"Monseigneur, said the Brigadier. 'then what this man said was true? We met him. He was going like a man who was running away and we arrested him in order to see. He had this silver - "
"And he told you," interrupted the bishop with a smile, "that it had been given him by a good old priest with whom he had passed the night. Well, I see it all! And you brought him back here. It is all a mistake!
"If that is so, said the Brigadier, we can let him go.
"Certainly!" replied the bishop.
The gendarmes released Jean Valjean, who shrank back.
"Is it true they, let me go?" he said, as if he was speaking in his sleep.
"Yes, you can go. Do you not understand?"
"My friend, before you go away here are your candlesticks! Take them!" He went to the mantelpiece, took the two candlesticks and brought them to Jean Valjean. The two women beheld the action without a word or gesture, or look that might disturb the bishop.
Jean Valjean was trembling in every limb. He took the two candlesticks mechanically, and with a wild appearance.
"Now, said the Bishop, "Go in peace. Oh, by the way, my friend, When you come again, you need not come through the garden. You can always come in and go out by the front door. It is closed only with a latch, day or night."
Then turning to the gendarmes, he said,
"Monseigneurs, you can retire!"
The gendarmes withdrew.
Jean Valjean felt like a man who was just about to faint.
The bishop approached him and said in a low voice:
"Forget not, never forget that you have promised me to use this silver to become an honest man."
Jean Valjean, who had no recollection of this promise stood confounded. The bishop had laid much stress upon these words as he uttered them. He continued solemnly:
"Jean Valjean, my brother, you belong no longer to evil, but too good. It is your soul that I am buying for you; I withdraw it from dark thoughts and from the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God.