"Monsieur Marius?"
Marius looked sharply to his left, where the voice had come from. A ragged girl was keeping pace with him, her hair matted and tangled, her skin smudged with filth, her dress nothing more than a ripped chemise. What was her name again? Ah, Eponine. "What is it?" he asked, his voice coming out snappier than he meant it to be.
"Hello," she said, smiling that toothless smile at him. "Where are you going today? If either of us was rich, you could take me to a cafe and we could eat, and people would think I was your mistress. Isn't that funny? But I wish it was so, because I'm very hungry. I haven't eaten since three days ago. Where are you going, Monsieur Marius? Can I come with you?"
"No, you can't," said Marius, ignoring everything but the last question. He averted his gaze from her, fiddled with the brim of his hat. If he wanted to, he could pretend the girl wasn't there beside him. Yes, that sounded like a good idea.
"Why not, Monsieur Marius? You know..." she fell silent. This was strange for a girl like Eponine, and Marius, realizing this, turned to face her.
"What?"
Without preamble, Eponine turned her dirty face upwards and kissed Marius gently on the lips. Her own were chapped and rough, but his were soft and sweet, and so perfect. Sighing, she pulled back, and fled.
Marius stared after her in disbelief, before reaching a hand up to wipe his mouth. The girl's sour breath lingered in his nostrils, and the ghost of her lips against his made his stomach churn in a most unpleasant way. Fighting the urge to retch, he shook his head and walked on.
Marius looked sharply to his left, where the voice had come from. A ragged girl was keeping pace with him, her hair matted and tangled, her skin smudged with filth, her dress nothing more than a ripped chemise. What was her name again? Ah, Eponine. "What is it?" he asked, his voice coming out snappier than he meant it to be.
"Hello," she said, smiling that toothless smile at him. "Where are you going today? If either of us was rich, you could take me to a cafe and we could eat, and people would think I was your mistress. Isn't that funny? But I wish it was so, because I'm very hungry. I haven't eaten since three days ago. Where are you going, Monsieur Marius? Can I come with you?"
"No, you can't," said Marius, ignoring everything but the last question. He averted his gaze from her, fiddled with the brim of his hat. If he wanted to, he could pretend the girl wasn't there beside him. Yes, that sounded like a good idea.
"Why not, Monsieur Marius? You know..." she fell silent. This was strange for a girl like Eponine, and Marius, realizing this, turned to face her.
"What?"
Without preamble, Eponine turned her dirty face upwards and kissed Marius gently on the lips. Her own were chapped and rough, but his were soft and sweet, and so perfect. Sighing, she pulled back, and fled.
Marius stared after her in disbelief, before reaching a hand up to wipe his mouth. The girl's sour breath lingered in his nostrils, and the ghost of her lips against his made his stomach churn in a most unpleasant way. Fighting the urge to retch, he shook his head and walked on.