February 25, 1832
Chapter 25: Only the Devil has Eternal Cunning
Éponine decided that today she would visit her brothers in Gavroche's elephant.
It had been a rocky time in the Gorbeau tenement for the Thenardiers that week. Without Papa's iron fist to keep them in line, Maman had been screeching at Éponine for hours about how she'd betrayed her own father and was no better than Judas, and Azelma, in a rare show of courage, did her best defending her older sister from their mother's wrath, but to no avail. Now, one week after the disastrous events at Rue Plumet, Maman still refused to speak with Éponine at all, and 'Zelma could only give her sympathetic glances.
That was why she decided to go see Gavroche and the momes. Although 'Vroche had never really loved or been loved by Thenardier, he was still his son, and deserved to know that his father was now imprisoned, with a very small chance of getting out.
She walked to the Place la Bastille and up through the elephant's legs. The last time she'd done this, she'd been suffering badly from the latest blows Papa had given her. It gave her an extra dose of stamina to think how unlikely it was that he'd ever hit her again.
Finally, she found Gavroche's space and found him hosting Navet as well. All four gamins were laughing and drinking out of small wooden cups as Gavroche led them in a song of the typical gamin style:
Those old Bourbons think they're something,
But it's me who runs this show!
I'm the king of Versailles Palace, and Pantin down below.
Trust Gavroche! Have no fear!
Don't you worry, Papa dear!
You can still find old 'Vroche here!
I'm singing here with me brothers,
Nathan, Samuel and Navet.
I trust me-self with no others,
Now here us sing and say:
"Trust Gavroche! Have no fear!
Don't you worry, Papa dear!
You can still find old 'Vroche here!"
Éponine smiled. "What are you lot singing about now?"
Gavroche turned to her, and broke into a smile. "'Ponine! How perfect! Now we have one more to celebrate with!"
"Here, here!" Said Navet. "It is for only the most special occasions that you drink good, clean water out of cups like this!" He showed her his roughly-hewed cup.
"What's the occasion?" Éponine asked.
Gavroche raised his cup in a toast. "The downfall of Le Chacal, and Les Frères Souriant as well!" He crowed.
It took Éponine a moment to realize who her brother was referring to. "You mean... Papa?" She asked, concerned. "What's wrong with him? And what do Chapard and Cambriol have to do with it?"
"You know about Papa's attempt to rob that house on Rue Plumet, where he was arrested?" Asked Gavroche.
Éponine snorted. "Of course."
"Do you also know how he planned on dividing up the profits?"
She nodded enthusiastically. "The fool planned on stealing 200,000 francs from Fauchelevent. He promised his gang an equal share-25,000 francs for each man-when he really schemed to hand out only 500."
"Fool indeed." Gavroche said in agreement. "Well, last week, the night after they were arrested, Patron-Minette-or should I say, the rest of Patron-Minette, since Montparnasse is dead-they found out exactly how much they would have been given. The cops had made Papa drunk to make him spill the beans, and once they left he just kept on yammering." The gamin chuckled. "I always thought our father capable of talking his way out of the grave; I just never though he could talk himself into one!"
Navet guffawed as the truth sunk into Éponine. "You mean...Papa is dead?" She asked incredulously.
Gavroche nodded. "Claquesous had a knife on him. One that the cops didn't find. He pulled it out, and gave Le Chacal the red smile he's been asking for for five years."
Éponine stared at her brother in wide-eyed disbelief. "And what proof do you have of this?"
"Proof from friends in high places, dear sister. There's this one copper, Beauvais, that's an old mate of mine; he comes round here sometimes on his inspections and whatnot. Anyway, Beauvais saw it himself. By God, he helped carry Thenardier and the other to the dead room!"
"What other?"
"'Vroche!" Scolded Navet. "You haven't finished the story yet! Another criminal died that night, didn't he?"
"Right you are, Navet!" Gavroche said. "You see, 'Ponine, once Papa was lying in the floor of the prison, choking on his own blood, La Force was one big mad-house. Babet and Gueulemer were yelling at Claquesous, Claquesous and Chapard were arguing with Cambriol, and Brujon looked as though he'd been hit on the head with a saucepan." He smirked. "Course, he usually looks like that. Anyway, Claquesous found another score to settle, only this time with Cambriol." Gavroche imitated plunging a knife into his chest. "So Cambriol went stiff too, right along-side Papa in the dead room."
Éponine suddenly found it very hard to breath. "Alexandre is dead as well?" She said, her voice very low.
"Deader than a Christmas goose." Gavroche affirmed. "You can guess what happened when he died. Two prisoners dead, several others rioting; I can still see Beauvais' face now, he wasn't at all stoked. Gueulemer ripped the lock off the cell-block, and the remaining five took off into the night, slipping right through the law's fingers." Then he looked curiously at Éponine. "Are you alright, 'Ponine? You look awfully pale."
Éponine balanced herself against a beam of rotting wood, trying to keep her head clear. "I'm fine, 'Vroche. Umm...did Cambriol say anything before he died?"
Her brother thought about it. "Beauvais did mention his last words...from what he told me, Cambriol was lying on a cot in the dead room, and right before he breathed his last, he said something like, "I am ready, Fantine"."
"And then he died?" She asked breathlessly.
He nodded. "And then he died."
Éponine sat down on the bed beside Gavroche, trying to make sense of what he was saying. Alexandre was dead. And he died because Patron-Minette found out that he'd spared her. Even if they'd let him live for that, they must have known, or least guessed, that she was responsible for Montparnasse's murder, which wasn't exactly a lie. In their minds, their comrade was dead because Éponine was alive, and she was only alive because of Cambriol.
It was very odd to learn this when she was told of her father's death as well, and yet this was the one that affected her more. Not her own father, but the man she hadn't even known for an entire month of her life. And yet in that time, he'd become one of her greatest friends. Her best friend, even, if she didn't include Marius. Éponine remembered when she'd first met him, when he'd entered the Jondrette garret with his cake and wine. He'd sung that song about himself and Fantine, she reminisced. Then suddenly, she found herself singing:
"Il y a un homme brisé frêle qui n'a trimé sa vie loin
Avec un cœur usée dont les jours sur la terre sont plus.
Bien que sa voix serait joyeux, il soupira pour tous ses jours
Et il savait que les temps difficiles ne revenez plus jamais.
Il a chanté la chanson, le soupir de la fatigue,
Oh, temps difficiles reviendront pas plus."*
Gavroche looked at her. "I've never heard that song before. Who'd you hear it from, 'Ponine?"
She sighed. "From an old friend that I'm afraid I won't be seeing anymore."
*There's a frail broken man who has toiled his life away
With a worn heart whose days on earth are over.
Though his voice would be merry, he sighed for all his days
And he knew that hard times come again no more.
He sang the song, the sigh of the weary,
Oh, hard times come again no more.