Jean Valjean stepped out of the cut, entered the street,traversed the storm of bullets, walked up to the mattress,hoisted it upon his back, and returned to the barricade.
He placed the mattress in the cut with his own hands. He fixedit there against the wall in such a manner that the artillery-menshould not see it.
That done, they awaited the next discharge of grape-shot.
It was not long in coming.
The cannon vomited forth its package of buck-shot with a roar. But there was no rebound. The effect which they had foreseen hadbeen attained. The barricade was saved.
"Citizen," said Enjolras to Jean Valjean, "the Republic thanks you."
Bossuet admired and laughed. He exclaimed:
"It is immoral that a mattress should have so much power. Triumph of that which yields over that which strikes with lightning. But never mind, glory to the mattress which annuls a cannon!"
┆本┆作┆品┆由┆思┆兔┆在┆線┆閱┆讀┆網┆友┆整┆理┆上┆傳┆
CHAPTER X
DAWN
At that moment, Cosette awoke.
Her chamber was narrow, neat, unobtrusive, with a long sash-window,facing the East on the back court-yard of the house.
Cosette knew nothing of what was going on in Paris. She had notbeen there on the preceding evening, and she had already retiredto her chamber when Toussaint had said: