CHAPTER V--DIVERS CLAPS OF THUNDER FALL ON MA'AM BOUGON

  On the following day, Ma'am Bougon, as Courfeyrac styled the oldportress-principal-tenant, housekeeper of the Gorbeau hovel, Ma'amBougon, whose name was, in reality, Madame Burgon, as we have foundout, but this iconoclast, Courfeyrac, respected nothing,--Ma'am Bougonobserved, with stupefaction, that M. Marius was going out again in hisnew coat.

  He went to the Luxembourg again, but he did not proceed further than hisbench midway of the alley. He seated himself there, as on the precedingday, surveying from a distance, and clearly making out, the whitebonnet, the black dress, and above all, that blue light. He did not stirfrom it, and only went home when the gates of the Luxembourg closed. Hedid not see M. Leblanc and his daughter retire. He concluded that theyhad quitted the garden by the gate on the Rue de l'Ouest. Later on,several weeks afterwards, when he came to think it over, he could neverrecall where he had dined that evening.

  On the following day, which was the third, Ma'am Bougon wasthunderstruck. Marius went out in his new coat. "Three days insuccession!" she exclaimed.

  She tried to follow him, but Marius walked briskly, and with immensestrides; it was a hippopotamus undertaking the pursuit of a chamois.She lost sight of him in two minutes, and returned breathless,three-quarters choked with asthma, and furious. "If there is any sense,"she growled, "in putting on one's best clothes every day, and makingpeople run like this!"

  Marius betook himself to the Luxembourg.

  The young girl was there with M. Leblanc. Marius approached as near ashe could, pretending to be busy reading a book, but he halted afar off,then returned and seated himself on his bench, where he spent four hoursin watching the house-sparrows who were skipping about the walk, and whoproduced on him the impression that they were making sport of him.

  A fortnight passed thus. Marius went to the Luxembourg no longer for thesake of strolling there, but to seat himself always in the same spot,and that without knowing why. Once arrived there, he did not stir.He put on his new coat every morning, for the purpose of not showinghimself, and he began all over again on the morrow.

  She was decidedly a marvellous beauty. The only remark approaching acriticism, that could be made, was, that the contradiction betweenher gaze, which was melancholy, and her smile, which was merry, gavea rather wild effect to her face, which sometimes caused this sweetcountenance to become strange without ceasing to be charming.