Back at his flat, Marius was sitting on a tatty mattress in a tiny hovel of a room. He was taking out a hunting rifle from under the mattress, wrapped in a rag. The ring on his finger caught his eye. It was a signet ring, with a family crest. Marius stared at the ring then took it off his finger. Éponine was staring at him through the door.

"Hey there Monsieur what's new with you? Haven't seen much of you of late. Planning no doubt to change the world? Plotting to overthrow the state? Still living here in this old sewer might as well doss down in a ditch you still pretending to be poor? Everyone knows your Grandpa's rich" Marius rushed down the stairs of the slum, Éponine followed.

"How did you...?"

"There's lots of things I know" Éponine said

"Won't take a franc that I've not earned, all of those bridges have been burned." Replied Marius

"I like the way you talk Monsieur!" Smiled Éponine

"I like the way you always tease." Replied Marius, Éponine came to a stop, looking wistfully after him.

"Little he knows. Little he sees."


Marius was stopped as he exited the front door of the Gorbeau Tenement by a passing carriage. Once it passed he saw three people in the street outside. One was an old gentleman, the other two were two beautiful young girls. The trio was giving alms to beggars as they walked back from evening church service. Marius couldn't take his eyes off the girl. He had never seen anyone so lovely in his life. As if drawn by Marius' gaze, the one of girl looked up and met his eyes. She too was amazed: he was looking at her as if he already knew her. A second carriage broke their held gaze. Marius continued on down the street and when he looked back, at that precise moment the girl looked at him again. The old gentleman instinctively put his arm round her, guarding her jealously from the distant boy's gaze. Further down the street to an alleyway where the Thènardier's, heavily disguised, were waiting for Valjean's approach with their gang of crooks, Babet, Brujon, Clacquesous, Montparnasse.

"Everyone here, you know your place Brujon, Babet, Clacquesous you, Montparnasse, watch for the law with Éponine take care." Montparnasse hurried over to the doorway where Éponine was watching Marius

"You turn on the tears!" Madame Thènardier was holding a baby

"No mistakes, my dears!" Monsieur Thènardier approached Valjean and lured him into the mouth of the alleyway where Madame Thènardier was sat on the ground holding the crying infant. The girls were a few steps behind, still entranced by the sight of Marius and lost in her own thoughts.

"Please, M'sieur, come this way. Here's a child that ain't eaten today. Save a life, spare a sou! God rewards all the good that you do." As Valjean bent down to look at Madame Thènardier she recognized him.

"Wait a bit! Know that face! Ain't the world a remarkable place!" Monsieur Thènardier looked at the man and saw what his wife saw.

"Men like me don't forget you're the bastard who borrowed Cosette and Rosette!" Screeched Madame Valjean was grabbed by some thugs.

"What is this? Are you mad? No, Monsieur, you don't know what you say!" The Thènardier's pulled off their disguises. And Valjean recognized them.

"You know me! I know you! And you'll pay what I'm due." Monsieur cried, he signaled to his gang. A door opened in the alleyway revealing the huge Brujon. The gang moved in on Valjean menacingly. Just then Éponine shouted from up the street

"It's the police! Disappear! Run for it! It's Javert!" The gang spilled out into the street to find themselves confronted by Javert now with his men. Marius watched, as did Gavroche, drawn by the rumpus.

"Another brawl in the square! Another stink in the air! Was there a witness to this? Well, let him speak to Javert!" Javert saw a man with his arm protectively round two girls but did not recognize him for Valjean had averted his face.

"Monsieur, these streets are not safe. But let these vermin beware, we'll see that justice is done!" He turned back on the Thènardier gang in the passage.

"Look upon this fine collection crawled from underneath a stone. This swarm of worms and maggots could have picked you to the bone! I know this man over here, I know his name and his trade. And on your witness, M'sieur, I'll see him suitably paid. " He turned back to find Valjean and the girls gone.

"But where's the gentlemen gone? And why on earth did he run?"

"You will have a job to find him!" Thènardier cried

"He's not all he seems to be and those girls he trails behind him their the children he stole from me!" Marius, equally baffled, went off in search of them.

"Could it be he's that old jailbird that the tide now washes in? Heard my name and started running... All the omens point to him." Javert said Thènardier, listening, heard this all with great interest. So Valjean was a crook like them.

"And the girls who stood beside him, When I turned they all had gone. Could he be the man I've hunted? Could it be he's Jean Valjean?"

"In the absence of a victim, Dear Inspector, may we go? And remember when you've nicked him it was me what told you so." But Javert was too caught up in his own thoughts to reply.

"Let the old man keep on running I will run him off his feet!" Javert turned to the crowd,

"Everyone about your business! Clear this garbage off the street!" Gavroche was sitting on a horse trough and fell back into it when Javert surprised him. He was furious. He called out to Javert's departing back, and to Marius who was close by.

"That inspector thinks 'e's something But it's me who runs this town! And my theatre never closes and the curtain's never down! Trust Gavroche! 'Ave no fear! You can always find me 'ere!"

" Éponine! Who was that girl?" Marius asked his friend

"That bourgeois two-a-penny thing!" Cried Éponine

"Regina, find her for me!"

"What will you give me?"

"Anything!"

"Got you all excited now," smirked Éponine

"But God knows what you see in her. Aren't you all delighted now?" Marius pressed a franc into her hand.

"No, I don't want your money, sir."

" Éponine, do this for me, Discover where she lives. But careful how you go don't let your father know. Éponine! I'm lost until she's found." Marius said

"You see? I told you so! There's lots of things I know! Éponine, she knows her way around."

AWWW POOR 'PONNE! :( REVIEW!