CHAPTER XV--JONDRETTE MAKES HIS PURCHASES

  A few moments later, about three o'clock, Courfeyrac chanced to bepassing along the Rue Mouffetard in company with Bossuet. The snow hadredoubled in violence, and filled the air. Bossuet was just saying toCourfeyrac:--

  "One would say, to see all these snow-flakes fall, that there was aplague of white butterflies in heaven." All at once, Bossuet caughtsight of Marius coming up the street towards the barrier with a peculiarair.

  "Hold!" said Bossuet. "There's Marius."

  "I saw him," said Courfeyrac. "Don't let's speak to him."

  "Why?"

  "He is busy."

  "With what?"

  "Don't you see his air?"

  "What air?"

  "He has the air of a man who is following some one."

  "That's true," said Bossuet.

  "Just see the eyes he is making!" said Courfeyrac.

  "But who the deuce is he following?"

  "Some fine, flowery bonneted wench! He's in love."

  "But," observed Bossuet, "I don't see any wench nor any flowery bonnetin the street. There's not a woman round."

  Courfeyrac took a survey, and exclaimed:--

  "He's following a man!"

  A man, in fact, wearing a gray cap, and whose gray beard could bedistinguished, although they only saw his back, was walking along abouttwenty paces in advance of Marius.

  This man was dressed in a great-coat which was perfectly new and toolarge for him, and in a frightful pair of trousers all hanging in ragsand black with mud.

  Bossuet burst out laughing.

  "Who is that man?"

  "He?" retorted Courfeyrac, "he's a poet. Poets are very fond of wearingthe trousers of dealers in rabbit skins and the overcoats of peers ofFrance."

  "Let's see where Marius will go," said Bossuet; "let's see where the manis going, let's follow them, hey?"

  "Bossuet!" exclaimed Courfeyrac, "eagle of Meaux! You are a prodigiousbrute. Follow a man who is following another man, indeed!"

  They retraced their steps.

  Marius had, in fact, seen Jondrette passing along the Rue Mouffetard,and was spying on his proceedings.

  Jondrette walked straight ahead, without a suspicion that he was alreadyheld by a glance.

  He quitted the Rue Mouffetard, and Marius saw him enter one of the mostterrible hovels in the Rue Gracieuse; he remained there about a quarterof an hour, then returned to the Rue Mouffetard. He halted atan ironmonger's shop, which then stood at the corner of the RuePierre-Lombard, and a few minutes later Marius saw him emerge from theshop, holding in his hand a huge cold chisel with a white wood handle,which he concealed beneath his great-coat. At the top of the RuePetit-Gentilly he turned to the left and proceeded rapidly to the Rue duPetit-Banquier. The day was declining; the snow, which had ceased for amoment, had just begun again. Marius posted himself on the watch at thevery corner of the Rue du Petit-Banquier, which was deserted, as usual,and did not follow Jondrette into it. It was lucky that he did so,for, on arriving in the vicinity of the wall where Marius had heard thelong-haired man and the bearded man conversing, Jondrette turned round,made sure that no one was following him, did not see him, then sprangacross the wall and disappeared.

  The waste land bordered by this wall communicated with the back yard ofan ex-livery stable-keeper of bad repute, who had failed and who stillkept a few old single-seated berlins under his sheds.

  Marius thought that it would be wise to profit by Jondrette's absence toreturn home; moreover, it was growing late; every evening, Ma'am Bougonwhen she set out for her dish-washing in town, had a habit of lockingthe door, which was always closed at dusk. Marius had given his key tothe inspector of police; it was important, therefore, that he shouldmake haste.

  Evening had arrived, night had almost closed in; on the horizon and inthe immensity of space, there remained but one spot illuminated by thesun, and that was the moon.

  It was rising in a ruddy glow behind the low dome of Salpêtrière.

  Marius returned to No. 50-52 with great strides. The door was still openwhen he arrived. He mounted the stairs on tip-toe and glided along thewall of the corridor to his chamber. This corridor, as the reader willremember, was bordered on both sides by attics, all of which were, forthe moment, empty and to let. Ma'am Bougon was in the habit of leavingall the doors open. As he passed one of these attics, Marius thoughthe perceived in the uninhabited cell the motionless heads of four men,vaguely lighted up by a remnant of daylight, falling through a dormerwindow.

  Marius made no attempt to see, not wishing to be seen himself. Hesucceeded in reaching his chamber without being seen and without makingany noise. It was high time. A moment later he heard Ma'am Bougon takeher departure, locking the door of the house behind her.