Éponine's pov
When I woke up the next morning, I knew what I had to do. I had to find Marius. Even if I had to walk to London, I would find him. I didn't know where to look, though. I decided with his estranged grandfather. I knew Marius' last name was Pontmercy. I began to ask around, though not to just anyone because I knew that the police wanted to find him.
Where would a rich bourgeois do things? Aside from his house, nowhere I knew. Rich men had seldom come into our inn, when we had one. The only rich person I knew who was even remotely nice to me was Monsieur Fauchelevent. I decided to go there. The only problem was…Cosette. I had no idea how she would perceive me. Would she pity me, or remember the awful things I had done to her as a child and send me away with nothing? That was the risk. My pride, or possibly Marius.
I decided on possibly Marius. Life without him would be nothing; I would have no one to live for.
I hurried down the street to the Rue de Plument. As I neared the house, I found myself walking slower and slower. I looked down at the street. It was shining and wet, as it had been on the night of the barricade. That fateful night.
It seemed like hours but was probably only minutes later when I got there. I looked at myself in the reflection of a puddle. The more wretched I looked, I decided, the better. I did not look good. My clothes were in disarray, tattered and bloody where the bullet had hit. My face was dirty and tearstained, and my hair was matted and full of…stuff. Dirt and blood, most likely. I hardly recognized myself. Sighing, I walked up to the door and knocked.
A maid opened the door and wrinkled her nose when she saw me.
"I would like to see Mademoiselle Cosette, please," I said. My voice was hoarse and rough. I sounded ten years older than eighteen.
The maid stiffened. "Sh-she is n-n-not here," the maid said with a stutter.
I looked imploringly at the maid. "Please," I said, "it is very important! It is about Monsieur Marius. Please, tell her when she gets back that…"
"Yes?" asked the maid impatiently.
"Tell her…tell her that Éponine needs to speak to her." I barely whispered the last part, and my eyes stung with tears of humiliation.
The maid looked at me significantly, and then shut the door.
I sighed and walked away. I had no money to buy food, but I had endured much longer than one day without. I confined myself to roaming Paris until the evening began to set in. Then, I returned to the house of Fauchelevent.
I knocked on the door again. As soon as the maid opened it, she looked at me and closed the door. I stood, stunned. Cosette must have told her to as soon as she saw me. I was a fool to think even for a minute that cosette could have forgiven me. I was just about to walk away when the door opened again. Cosette stood there.
She looked at me with surprise, distaste, and pity. I looked right back at her.
"Do you remember me, Alouette?" I asked jealously.
She looked agape at my bloody, torn clothing and silently nodded. "How-How did you get all bloody?" she asked.
"I threw myself in front of a gun for your Marius," I said bitterly, "saved his life, and was thrown in jail for my trouble. Surprised to see me in tatters? While you've been pampered and loved, I have slept on the streets. I loved Marius first, and you had to go and be noticed by him. I need to see him. Please."
Cosette still looked shocked, like she had never seen a person like me before.
"I…I guess," she said.