Cosette loved ships, except when she got seasick, which was, well, all the time. But other than that she loved them. iShe loves everything,/i Valjean thought with a contented smile, which was immediately followed by a frown. iEven that boy./i He disliked Marius intensely. Not only was he a fool, he was a rebellious fool, who had left the safety of his grandfather's wallet and set out on his own to make his own living. Marius and Cosette would be a horrific match, with Cosette so sweet and Marius so abrupt. But perhaps she saw a side of the lad that Valjean himself didn't see.
Now, Marius' friend, Eponine, there was another unsavory character. But Cosette even managed to find some good in her. "She's such fun to be around," his daughter had stated just the other night. "And she's really quite sweet. She's even promised to keep Marius company while I'm gone." Then one of those lovely embarrassed blushes crossed her face and she looked down at her sewing.
iKeep him company? Ah! She'll steal him from behind my Cosette's back!/i
But wait . . . that's what he wanted. Ah, it was so difficult to keep track of what he really wanted. He reassured himself that he /i Eponine to steal Marius, so that Cosette's heart would be broken, but quickly mended, and she could find some nice, sensible man and marry him so that when he, himself, was dead and gone, she would have someone to turn to.
He noticed she was standing near the rail of the ship, and hurried to her. "My Cosette, what on earth are you doing?" he cried out. "You know sailing always makes you dizzy."
"But it's so beautiful up here, Father," she said sweetly, looking him in the eye. "And I couldn't bear to stay cooped up in that cabin, sick and miserable. At least here I can be sick and happy."
He couldn't quite follow her logic, but he shrugged his consent. "I suppose you can stay out here. But be careful -- if you should fall overboard -- "
"Oh, I shall take care, Father," she assured him. "Why, how lightheaded I am -- Oh!"
And with that, she toppled over the side, and into the water.
"Oh! My daughter! My daughter!" he cried out, frantically pointing at Cosette, sinking down fast. "Someone, please save my daughter!"
"I shall save her!" came a young man's voice, and in a flash someone had dived over the edge. In fact, several someones had dived over the edge. Or, no, only several some/i. Several life rafts and life savers had been thrown over the edge, and people called down for Cosette to grab on to one of them. She did so, and was hoisted up quickly. Sobbing and sopping, she threw herself into the arms of her father.
"I shall never disobey you again, Father!" she cried out. "Why, I nearly died because of my disobedience this time!"
He patted her back lovingly and said, "There, there, all is forgiven. Just be more careful next time. And don't forget your medication."
"I won't."
He nodded. After a moment, he looked around. "Where is the young man that dove in to save you?"
Cosette looked concerned. "I did not see him, but everything happened so fast . . ." She looked down into the water and screamed. "He is still down there!"
iHe is?/i Valjean peered over and, sure enough, there was the brave young man, floundering around in the water, calling, "Where are you? I will save you!" iWell, he may not have much in the way of brains, but he's certainly chivalrous. And persistent./i He tossed a life raft over the side, and loudly instructed the boy to hold on to it.
"But I am to save a woman's life!" the boy called up.
"She is safe and up here; now save your own life before the ship leaves you behind!"
The boy stopped his wild thrashing and looked up at the older man. "She is? Well, then, gabubble ambagubba, lubbagubble!"
"Grab onto the life raft!" Valjean called over to the side to the boy, who, now that his legs and arms were no longer working to keep him afloat, had silently sunken down below the waters. "Quickly!"
Now, Marius' friend, Eponine, there was another unsavory character. But Cosette even managed to find some good in her. "She's such fun to be around," his daughter had stated just the other night. "And she's really quite sweet. She's even promised to keep Marius company while I'm gone." Then one of those lovely embarrassed blushes crossed her face and she looked down at her sewing.
iKeep him company? Ah! She'll steal him from behind my Cosette's back!/i
But wait . . . that's what he wanted. Ah, it was so difficult to keep track of what he really wanted. He reassured himself that he /i Eponine to steal Marius, so that Cosette's heart would be broken, but quickly mended, and she could find some nice, sensible man and marry him so that when he, himself, was dead and gone, she would have someone to turn to.
He noticed she was standing near the rail of the ship, and hurried to her. "My Cosette, what on earth are you doing?" he cried out. "You know sailing always makes you dizzy."
"But it's so beautiful up here, Father," she said sweetly, looking him in the eye. "And I couldn't bear to stay cooped up in that cabin, sick and miserable. At least here I can be sick and happy."
He couldn't quite follow her logic, but he shrugged his consent. "I suppose you can stay out here. But be careful -- if you should fall overboard -- "
"Oh, I shall take care, Father," she assured him. "Why, how lightheaded I am -- Oh!"
And with that, she toppled over the side, and into the water.
"Oh! My daughter! My daughter!" he cried out, frantically pointing at Cosette, sinking down fast. "Someone, please save my daughter!"
"I shall save her!" came a young man's voice, and in a flash someone had dived over the edge. In fact, several someones had dived over the edge. Or, no, only several some/i. Several life rafts and life savers had been thrown over the edge, and people called down for Cosette to grab on to one of them. She did so, and was hoisted up quickly. Sobbing and sopping, she threw herself into the arms of her father.
"I shall never disobey you again, Father!" she cried out. "Why, I nearly died because of my disobedience this time!"
He patted her back lovingly and said, "There, there, all is forgiven. Just be more careful next time. And don't forget your medication."
"I won't."
He nodded. After a moment, he looked around. "Where is the young man that dove in to save you?"
Cosette looked concerned. "I did not see him, but everything happened so fast . . ." She looked down into the water and screamed. "He is still down there!"
iHe is?/i Valjean peered over and, sure enough, there was the brave young man, floundering around in the water, calling, "Where are you? I will save you!" iWell, he may not have much in the way of brains, but he's certainly chivalrous. And persistent./i He tossed a life raft over the side, and loudly instructed the boy to hold on to it.
"But I am to save a woman's life!" the boy called up.
"She is safe and up here; now save your own life before the ship leaves you behind!"
The boy stopped his wild thrashing and looked up at the older man. "She is? Well, then, gabubble ambagubba, lubbagubble!"
"Grab onto the life raft!" Valjean called over to the side to the boy, who, now that his legs and arms were no longer working to keep him afloat, had silently sunken down below the waters. "Quickly!"
