Les Miserables

house, and
said: 'Knock there!' I have knocked. What is this place? Are you an
inn? I have money; my savings, one hundred and nine francs and fifteen
sous which I have earned in the galleys by my work for nineteen years.
I will pay. What do I care? I have money. I am very tired- twelve
leagues on foot, and I am so hungry. Can I stay?"
"Madame Magloire," said the bishop, "put on another plate."
The man took three steps, and came near the lamp which stood on
the table. "Stop," he exclaimed; as if he had not been understood,
"not that, did you understand me? I am a galley-slave- a convict- I am
just from the galleys." He drew from his pocket a large sheet of
yellow paper, which he unfolded. "There is my passport, yellow as
you see. That is enough to have me kicked out wherever I go. Will
you read it? I know how to read, I do. I learned in the galleys. There
is a school there for those who care for it. See, here is what they
have put in the passport: 'Jean Valjean, a liberated convict, native
of-' you don't care for that, 'has been nineteen years in the galleys;
five years for burglary; fourteen years for having attempted four
times to escape. This man is very dangerous.' There you have it!
Everybody has thrust me out; will you receive me? Is this an inn?
Can you give me something to eat, and a place to sleep? Have you a
stable?"
"Madame Magloire," said the bishop, "put some sheets on the bed in
the alcove."
We have already described the kind of obedience yielded by these two
women.
{FANTINE|BOOK_2ND|III ^paragraph 15}
Madame Magloire went out to fulfil her orders.
The bishop turned to the man:
"Monsieur, sit down and warm yourself: we are going to take supper
presently, and your bed will be made ready while you sup." At last the
man quite understood; his face, the expression of which till then
had been gloomy and hard, now expressed stupefaction, doubt, and
joy, and became absolutely wonderful. He began to stutter like a
madman.
"True? What! You will keep me? you won't drive me away? a convict!
You call me Monsieur and don't say 'Get out, dog!' as everybody else
does. I thought that you would send me away, so I told first off who I
am. Oh! the fine woman who sent me here! I shall have a supper! a
bed like other people with mattress and sheets- a bed! It is
nineteen years that I have not slept on a bed. You are really
willing that I should stay? You are good people! Besides I have money:
I will pay well. I beg your pardon, Monsieur Innkeeper, what is your
name? I will pay all you say. You are a fine man. You are an
innkeeper, an't you?"
"I am a priest who lives here," said the bishop.
{FANTINE|BOOK_2ND|III