I am hurrying down the street towards the cafè, not wanting to be late for our meeting. This could be the time we can finally begin to spread the word to those who live on the streets of Paris, so they shall fight with us when the time comes. Marius claims to have befriended one of them, a street girl named Eponine. Hopefully, she will be able to give us some insight on how the people will respond.
"Our meticulous leader is late! Has the world come upon it's end?" Comferre jokes.
"Very funny, Combferre. Classes were held late today, if you must know."
"Never mind, never mind, come this way Enjorlas. You simply must see the girl Marius dragged in. It will be a miracle if she even understands what we are speaking of!"
"Monsieur, I may live on the street, but I am no fool. You would be surprised at how street knowledge could help a person more than whatever it is you learn at school," a sweet voice comes from behind us. I whirl around, and meet the eyes of a girl not much younger than I am. I take in her sunken cheeks and diminutive waist. Obviously, she is very much in need of a good meal.
Attempting to make up for Combferre's foolish statement, I welcome her. "Ah, you must be mademoiselle Eponine. I am Enjorlas."
"Monsieur, call me Eponine. Now, Monsieur Marius has spoken to me of your plans for revolution here in Paris."
"Yes, we plan to overthrow the government, in a way. We wish for a world where everyone everyone shall be treated as equals. Where a person is not stuck in the social class they were born into," I explain, hoping that she will agree with my ideals.
Eponine stares up at me with sparkling brown eyes, brow furrowed. "Is this all the men you have, Monsieur? For I am afraid that you will need many more if you plan to fight."
"There are a few more men, not everyone is capable of attending every meeting," I inform her, wondering what is going on though her mind.
"Still, it is not nearly enough." Eponine states.
"Well, the people will surely fight with us once they understand what we are fighting for," Courfeyrac proclaims. "That is where you come in, mademoiselle. Being of your, er, social status, we believe that you will know how we can appeal to the people. What is the best way to get our message across?"
"That will take a lot of thought, Monsieur. The majority of them can not read nor write, so pamphlets and things of that nature will do nothin. I believe that the best way will be to go out in groups, not to small nor to large. Remember, there is safety in number, but to many people will frighten them. Groups of two or three should do. Avoid the gangs, especially the Patron-Minette, they are nothing but trouble. Aim for men with families, for they will want a good life for their children."
"So you believe this could work, Eponine?" Marius wonders hopefully.
She looks at him with bliss, as if this is the first time he has ever asked for her opinion. How strange.
"I do not want to disappoint, but it is unlikely the people will fight with you. The people of my status are cowards. They do what they can to keep their families alive, and that is that. It will take a lot of convincing.
"You are not speaking as if it is impossible. What do you think will happen." I request. It is not a question, it is a demand. The entire revolution, what we have spent years working on, may come down to what this gamine girl has to say.
Eponine hesitates, obviously debating with herself over what to say.
"I-it is not impossible, Monsieur. But it will be incredibly difficult." Glancing at the clock, her face clouds over with worry. "My apologizes, Monsieur, but I must be off. Father will worry if I am out to late." With that she swiftly exits the room, and we can hear her clambering down the stairs.
She is a peculiar one, this Eponine. She does not act like any of the bourgeois girls, nor like the other girls from her social class. She is knowledgable, and obviously has had a good education, even if it was many years ago. She intrigues me. Eponine may become a distraction, but she is needed to make the uprisings work.
"What do you think of her, Enjorlas?" Marius asks.
"She may be useful to the cause," I respond distractedly. I can not get the thought of her eyes out of my mind, of her worry when she saw the time. It was obviously something larger than the reason she stated, and I plan to figure it out.
"Shall I bring her to the next meeting?" Another questions hurled at me, which I barely process. My mind is still on the girl.
"I suppose." Snap out of it, Enjorlas. I think. You promised yourself a long time ago that you would not be distracted by girls. So I emerge myself back into the world of revolution and barricades, but she still haunts me in the back of my mind.