His aunt did not inform his grandfather of this refusal for fear of exasperating him.
Besides, had he not said:
"Let me never hear the name of that blood-drinker again!"
Marius left the hotel de la Porte Saint-Jacques, as he did not wish to run in debt there.
Index
BOOK FIFTH.--THE EXCELLENCE OF MISFORTUNE
CHAPTER I
MARIUS INDIGENT ㊣思㊣兔㊣在㊣線㊣閱㊣讀㊣
Life became hard for Marius.
It was nothing to eat his clothes and his watch.
He ate of that terrible, inexpressible thing that is called de la vache enrage; that is to say, he endured great hardships and privations.
A terrible thing it is, containing days without bread, nights without sleep, evenings without a candle, a hearth without a fire, weeks without work, a future without hope, a coat out at the elbows, an old hat which evokes the laughter of young girls, a door which one finds locked on one at night because one''s rent is not paid, the insolence of the porter and the cook-shop man, the sneers of neighbors, humiliations, dignity trampled on, work of whatever nature accepted, disgusts, bitterness, despondency.
Marius learned how all this is eaten, and how such are often the only things which one has to devour.