Chapter 8
Eponine walked along the street alone. It had been days since she had been intimate with Montparnasse, yet the things she had felt had not yet left her mind. Several thoughts had crossed her mind. One was that she was far too young to have done what she did at all. She had made the choice on the spur of the moment without thinking. Yet, another thought was that she wanted to be with him again. She didn't think that after that, she could ever know love like Montparnasse had shown her.
As these thoughts wandered aimlessly about her mind, her eyes followed the paper in her hand. It was the paper that the boy from the train station had given her. She didn't deny that she wasn't interested about the boy, but she felt that it was her duty to return what had been stolen from him. She had coxed Babet into giving her the ring that she had seen upon his finger, but was unable to get any money out of him. She stood in front of the building that had the same address as the piece of paper. She waited as many men and boys moved out for their Saturday afternoon about Paris.
Suddenly, she spotted him out of the corner of her eye. She hurried to him as fast as she could without running. She didn't want to make a bad impression upon him.
"Excuse me," she said as she came up behind him. He turned and smiled.
"Oh, good afternoon, Mademoiselle." He smiled shyly to himself. "I am afraid that I have forgotten your name."
"Eponine, Mons-, Marius."
"You remembered my name. I feel so ashamed."
"Please, don't be. I'm sure many other important things have need for place in your mind." She looked at her hand, and noticed the ring that belonged to Marius adjacent to the ring that was her own. She slipped Marius' off her finger and presented it to him. "I believe that you dropped this, that day we first met."
His eyes beamed as he took the ring from her. "Oh, thank you! I had looked everywhere for it. I was sure it was lost for good. I owe you a great debt of gratitude."
"No need for that. I'm always happy to help out."
"Is that the time?" he asked glancing at his watch, which he had taken out. "I am sorry to leave you, Eponine, but I have a previous engagement which I cannot afford to miss."
"Please. Go." And with that, she was alone again.
As she began to walk back to where she had last seen her parents, she ran into Montparnasse. He greeted her with a kiss and took her hand as they began walking.
"What was the scam today?"
"No scam, not today. Your father felt like taking a day to rest. Tell you honest, he ain't much himself lately. Looks sickly."
"I've noticed. It doesn't worry me, though. He'll be just fine when he sees a nice purse with legs walk past him."
They walked in silence for a while. It made Eponine happy when she could just walk without reason and go as she pleased. These thoughts were broken by Montparnasse's voice.
"They ain't home yet. That old couple."
"'Parnasse, I don't know."
"Was it wrong? What we did?"
"I'm not sure. All these different voices inside me are screaming different thoughts, and I can't tell which one is right."
"It was wrong. I know. It was a stupid thing to do."
"But it wasn't! And I don't think it was wrong. We loved each other enough to share ourselves, and even though it may have been a little too soon, it wasn't wrong."
"Then why were you chasing after a certain young man this afternoon?" She dropped his hand.
"Who told you about that?"
"Babet has a big mouth."
"And you have a mean sense of jealousy. You think that I'm out to do you in? Would I be here with you if I wanted something else? No, because I don't want anything else! And until you realize that," she paused. "I can't be near you."
She tore down the street, as Montparnasse stood bewildered. He cursed and kicked the air around him, until he turned and walked away into the night.
**************************************************************************
Marius glanced out the window from his desk. It was just after nightfall and he was in the room he shared with four other students. He had an essay to write on Louis XIV that was due tomorrow, yet all that sat in front of him was a blank piece of parchment, ink, and a dry quill pen. His friends, looked from their papers to observe what Marius was looking at. Enjolras got up and moved to Marius. He knelt beside his friend and glanced at his paper.
"Is this some new study habit, Marius?"
Marius refocused himself. "No, no it isn't. I was just distracted. Again."
"That girl is on his mind. That urchin he was speaking with this afternoon," commented Joly, not looking up from his work.
"Yes, I do believe she gave you something, didn't she, Marius?"
"She came to return my ring, Feuilly."
"How did she get it in the first place?" asked Grantaire.
"I dropped it the day we first..."
"Are you sure you dropped it?" questioned Feuilly.
"Yes, the thieves of Paris can make it seem that way," Grantaire added.
"This girl is different. I know she isn't a thief! Why would she go out of her way to return my ring if she had indeed stolen it?"
"Maybe because the girl was trying to win your good graces. Maybe figured if she returned it saying you had dropped it, she could win you over."
"I expected this from them, but not you, Enjolras."
"You can't trust anyone, not here in Paris."
"I trust this girl. She has something about her that sets her a cut above the rest."
"Who are the rest, Marius? Are we the rest? We are the top students of France here to study, and you put a girl you met twice briefly above us?"
"The rest of the beggars, thieves, and prostitutes of Paris!"
"Do you know anything about this girl?"
"No more than you do, Grantaire, when you take a girl out back after a few drinks at the cafe."
Grantaire shook his head and mumbled and went back to his paper as the others snickered.
"Maybe Marius is right. Perhaps this girl is different; sincere and caring and all of that."
"Listen to him," Joly said to Feuilly. "Playing the Devil's Advocate, he is."
"Bring her around next time you see her. Let us make a judgment on her."
"I don't think she would want to be sized up. I know I wouldn't."
"If this girl is as courteous as you make her sound, she wouldn't dare refuse an invitation out for a drink with five strapping young men such as ourselves," Grantaire said, rejoining the conversation.
"Right! A drink is what we'll have!" laughed Feuilly and Joly.
"Ask her to meet us at the ABC Cafe next Saturday afternoon. I'm sure she'll oblige," Enjolras said looking at Marius. "Just for an hour or so. She doesn't need to stay all day."
"I'll ask her."
"Right," smiled Enjolras. "Now, back to work. Louis XIV must be turning in his grave right now." He got up and went back to his desk.
"No doubt that he is," laughed Joly.
Marius stared out the window a minute longer before picking up his quill and dipping it in ink.
**************************************************************************
"What for?"
"What do you mean by that? Just a friendly gathering. A drink with a few of my friends. They heard so much about you that they would like to spend an afternoon with you."
Marius and Eponine were walking through the market on a sunny Thursday afternoon. The air was crisp and fresh and the sky overhead was blue, without a cloud in the sky.
"I suppose I could meet them. But, oh God, Marius! They would never associate with me!"
"Is that what you thought when you met me?" She nodded to the ground. "Look here, is that the case? The same will happen with my friends. They'll love you."
"Will they?" Eponine looked into his crystal clear eyes.
"They will. Only, before I let you go until Saturday, I wish to ask you some questions."
"Marius, you can ask me whatever you wish."
"How old are you?"
"I'm 16 years old."
"Where were you born?"
"In Montfermeil."
"Who are your parents?"
Eponine stopped. She didn't want to tell Marius that her father was in charge of a gang. So, she lied. "My parents died two years ago. I'm forced to live off what I can, with my father's old acquaintances."
"I am sorry. I didn't know."
"Please, don't be. We can't choose our parents, but we can choose our friends."
"And my friends shall be your friends, Eponine."
"I would enjoy that very much. Now, my turn to ask you questions. How old are you?"
"I am 19 years old."
"Why did you come to Paris?"
"To be a student and hopefully find a woman to share my life with."
"Have you found her?"
"Not yet."
Eponine opened her mouth to speak again, when she heard her name called behind her. Both Marius and her turned to see Montparnasse run up to them. Montparnasse was about to ask about Marius, when Eponine beat him to it.
"Marius, this is one of the men I spoke to you about. Montparnasse, this is Marius Pontmercy." Both men bowed to one another and exchanged greetings. "Did you need something, 'Parnasse?" Eponine asked as Marius moved away to look at a stand in the square.
"What are you doing with him? Why haven't you tried to find me?"
"I'm not doing anything except talking. And I haven't tried to find you because I didn't know if you were ready or not to admit to me that you were jealous."
"I was jealous, and I still am. I can't help it, 'Ponine. You're a young, beautiful girl in Paris! And you hang about men like him." He pointed to Marius. "I'm sorry I am what I am and I do what I do. But I only do it because I have fallen in love with you. And that's why I want to share myself with you."
"Eponine," Marius interjected. "Would you excuse us, Monsieur?" Montparnasse moved away as Marius drew Eponine aside. "I must return, but you will come on Saturday?"
"Yes. I will go to meet your friends, Marius."
"And you know where the ABC Cafe is?"
"I know exactly where it is."
"Right then. I shall see you there." He glanced at Montparnasse. "You alone."
"Yes, Marius. Adieu."
"Adieu." And with that he was gone.
"Too much a gentleman for me."
"Maybe, but he's not trying to be your friend," smirked Eponine.
"So, will you please forgive me?"
"Yes, I will forgive you."
He pulled her towards him. "There's just one problem."
"What's that?"
"They came home. I saw them arrive in a coach the other day." He saw Eponine's confused glance. "The old couple. They returned home."
"Oh, they did, did they? We'll have to find somewhere else, then."
"Do you know what you're saying?"
"I know exactly what I'm saying," said Eponine as she kissed his forehead. "We better start looking," she exclaimed she pulled him down the street.
**************************************************************************
"Is she coming?" As Marius returned to his room he was greeted with Feuilly's question.
"Yes, yes. She's coming!"
"What did we get out of her?"
"We didn't get anything out of her, Joly. I got things out of her, and I don't like that phrase, to be perfectly honest." He saw all four men hanging on his every word. "Alright, from now on, her name is Eponine. That's what you call her. Not "she", or "her", or "urchin". Eponine Thenardier is her name. She's 16 and has no parents. I met one of her guardians though. She's a great girl. I know you'll like her."
"She better be as eager to meet us, as we are to meet her," commented Grantaire.
"Believe me. She is."
"Does she fancy you, then?"
"Enjolras..."
"Does she?"
"I highly doubt it. She and I are friends, nothing more."
"To you. You might be her God."
"Enough with these games. They grow tiring."
"Very well. We shall see then how she fares in two short days."
Eponine walked along the street alone. It had been days since she had been intimate with Montparnasse, yet the things she had felt had not yet left her mind. Several thoughts had crossed her mind. One was that she was far too young to have done what she did at all. She had made the choice on the spur of the moment without thinking. Yet, another thought was that she wanted to be with him again. She didn't think that after that, she could ever know love like Montparnasse had shown her.
As these thoughts wandered aimlessly about her mind, her eyes followed the paper in her hand. It was the paper that the boy from the train station had given her. She didn't deny that she wasn't interested about the boy, but she felt that it was her duty to return what had been stolen from him. She had coxed Babet into giving her the ring that she had seen upon his finger, but was unable to get any money out of him. She stood in front of the building that had the same address as the piece of paper. She waited as many men and boys moved out for their Saturday afternoon about Paris.
Suddenly, she spotted him out of the corner of her eye. She hurried to him as fast as she could without running. She didn't want to make a bad impression upon him.
"Excuse me," she said as she came up behind him. He turned and smiled.
"Oh, good afternoon, Mademoiselle." He smiled shyly to himself. "I am afraid that I have forgotten your name."
"Eponine, Mons-, Marius."
"You remembered my name. I feel so ashamed."
"Please, don't be. I'm sure many other important things have need for place in your mind." She looked at her hand, and noticed the ring that belonged to Marius adjacent to the ring that was her own. She slipped Marius' off her finger and presented it to him. "I believe that you dropped this, that day we first met."
His eyes beamed as he took the ring from her. "Oh, thank you! I had looked everywhere for it. I was sure it was lost for good. I owe you a great debt of gratitude."
"No need for that. I'm always happy to help out."
"Is that the time?" he asked glancing at his watch, which he had taken out. "I am sorry to leave you, Eponine, but I have a previous engagement which I cannot afford to miss."
"Please. Go." And with that, she was alone again.
As she began to walk back to where she had last seen her parents, she ran into Montparnasse. He greeted her with a kiss and took her hand as they began walking.
"What was the scam today?"
"No scam, not today. Your father felt like taking a day to rest. Tell you honest, he ain't much himself lately. Looks sickly."
"I've noticed. It doesn't worry me, though. He'll be just fine when he sees a nice purse with legs walk past him."
They walked in silence for a while. It made Eponine happy when she could just walk without reason and go as she pleased. These thoughts were broken by Montparnasse's voice.
"They ain't home yet. That old couple."
"'Parnasse, I don't know."
"Was it wrong? What we did?"
"I'm not sure. All these different voices inside me are screaming different thoughts, and I can't tell which one is right."
"It was wrong. I know. It was a stupid thing to do."
"But it wasn't! And I don't think it was wrong. We loved each other enough to share ourselves, and even though it may have been a little too soon, it wasn't wrong."
"Then why were you chasing after a certain young man this afternoon?" She dropped his hand.
"Who told you about that?"
"Babet has a big mouth."
"And you have a mean sense of jealousy. You think that I'm out to do you in? Would I be here with you if I wanted something else? No, because I don't want anything else! And until you realize that," she paused. "I can't be near you."
She tore down the street, as Montparnasse stood bewildered. He cursed and kicked the air around him, until he turned and walked away into the night.
**************************************************************************
Marius glanced out the window from his desk. It was just after nightfall and he was in the room he shared with four other students. He had an essay to write on Louis XIV that was due tomorrow, yet all that sat in front of him was a blank piece of parchment, ink, and a dry quill pen. His friends, looked from their papers to observe what Marius was looking at. Enjolras got up and moved to Marius. He knelt beside his friend and glanced at his paper.
"Is this some new study habit, Marius?"
Marius refocused himself. "No, no it isn't. I was just distracted. Again."
"That girl is on his mind. That urchin he was speaking with this afternoon," commented Joly, not looking up from his work.
"Yes, I do believe she gave you something, didn't she, Marius?"
"She came to return my ring, Feuilly."
"How did she get it in the first place?" asked Grantaire.
"I dropped it the day we first..."
"Are you sure you dropped it?" questioned Feuilly.
"Yes, the thieves of Paris can make it seem that way," Grantaire added.
"This girl is different. I know she isn't a thief! Why would she go out of her way to return my ring if she had indeed stolen it?"
"Maybe because the girl was trying to win your good graces. Maybe figured if she returned it saying you had dropped it, she could win you over."
"I expected this from them, but not you, Enjolras."
"You can't trust anyone, not here in Paris."
"I trust this girl. She has something about her that sets her a cut above the rest."
"Who are the rest, Marius? Are we the rest? We are the top students of France here to study, and you put a girl you met twice briefly above us?"
"The rest of the beggars, thieves, and prostitutes of Paris!"
"Do you know anything about this girl?"
"No more than you do, Grantaire, when you take a girl out back after a few drinks at the cafe."
Grantaire shook his head and mumbled and went back to his paper as the others snickered.
"Maybe Marius is right. Perhaps this girl is different; sincere and caring and all of that."
"Listen to him," Joly said to Feuilly. "Playing the Devil's Advocate, he is."
"Bring her around next time you see her. Let us make a judgment on her."
"I don't think she would want to be sized up. I know I wouldn't."
"If this girl is as courteous as you make her sound, she wouldn't dare refuse an invitation out for a drink with five strapping young men such as ourselves," Grantaire said, rejoining the conversation.
"Right! A drink is what we'll have!" laughed Feuilly and Joly.
"Ask her to meet us at the ABC Cafe next Saturday afternoon. I'm sure she'll oblige," Enjolras said looking at Marius. "Just for an hour or so. She doesn't need to stay all day."
"I'll ask her."
"Right," smiled Enjolras. "Now, back to work. Louis XIV must be turning in his grave right now." He got up and went back to his desk.
"No doubt that he is," laughed Joly.
Marius stared out the window a minute longer before picking up his quill and dipping it in ink.
**************************************************************************
"What for?"
"What do you mean by that? Just a friendly gathering. A drink with a few of my friends. They heard so much about you that they would like to spend an afternoon with you."
Marius and Eponine were walking through the market on a sunny Thursday afternoon. The air was crisp and fresh and the sky overhead was blue, without a cloud in the sky.
"I suppose I could meet them. But, oh God, Marius! They would never associate with me!"
"Is that what you thought when you met me?" She nodded to the ground. "Look here, is that the case? The same will happen with my friends. They'll love you."
"Will they?" Eponine looked into his crystal clear eyes.
"They will. Only, before I let you go until Saturday, I wish to ask you some questions."
"Marius, you can ask me whatever you wish."
"How old are you?"
"I'm 16 years old."
"Where were you born?"
"In Montfermeil."
"Who are your parents?"
Eponine stopped. She didn't want to tell Marius that her father was in charge of a gang. So, she lied. "My parents died two years ago. I'm forced to live off what I can, with my father's old acquaintances."
"I am sorry. I didn't know."
"Please, don't be. We can't choose our parents, but we can choose our friends."
"And my friends shall be your friends, Eponine."
"I would enjoy that very much. Now, my turn to ask you questions. How old are you?"
"I am 19 years old."
"Why did you come to Paris?"
"To be a student and hopefully find a woman to share my life with."
"Have you found her?"
"Not yet."
Eponine opened her mouth to speak again, when she heard her name called behind her. Both Marius and her turned to see Montparnasse run up to them. Montparnasse was about to ask about Marius, when Eponine beat him to it.
"Marius, this is one of the men I spoke to you about. Montparnasse, this is Marius Pontmercy." Both men bowed to one another and exchanged greetings. "Did you need something, 'Parnasse?" Eponine asked as Marius moved away to look at a stand in the square.
"What are you doing with him? Why haven't you tried to find me?"
"I'm not doing anything except talking. And I haven't tried to find you because I didn't know if you were ready or not to admit to me that you were jealous."
"I was jealous, and I still am. I can't help it, 'Ponine. You're a young, beautiful girl in Paris! And you hang about men like him." He pointed to Marius. "I'm sorry I am what I am and I do what I do. But I only do it because I have fallen in love with you. And that's why I want to share myself with you."
"Eponine," Marius interjected. "Would you excuse us, Monsieur?" Montparnasse moved away as Marius drew Eponine aside. "I must return, but you will come on Saturday?"
"Yes. I will go to meet your friends, Marius."
"And you know where the ABC Cafe is?"
"I know exactly where it is."
"Right then. I shall see you there." He glanced at Montparnasse. "You alone."
"Yes, Marius. Adieu."
"Adieu." And with that he was gone.
"Too much a gentleman for me."
"Maybe, but he's not trying to be your friend," smirked Eponine.
"So, will you please forgive me?"
"Yes, I will forgive you."
He pulled her towards him. "There's just one problem."
"What's that?"
"They came home. I saw them arrive in a coach the other day." He saw Eponine's confused glance. "The old couple. They returned home."
"Oh, they did, did they? We'll have to find somewhere else, then."
"Do you know what you're saying?"
"I know exactly what I'm saying," said Eponine as she kissed his forehead. "We better start looking," she exclaimed she pulled him down the street.
**************************************************************************
"Is she coming?" As Marius returned to his room he was greeted with Feuilly's question.
"Yes, yes. She's coming!"
"What did we get out of her?"
"We didn't get anything out of her, Joly. I got things out of her, and I don't like that phrase, to be perfectly honest." He saw all four men hanging on his every word. "Alright, from now on, her name is Eponine. That's what you call her. Not "she", or "her", or "urchin". Eponine Thenardier is her name. She's 16 and has no parents. I met one of her guardians though. She's a great girl. I know you'll like her."
"She better be as eager to meet us, as we are to meet her," commented Grantaire.
"Believe me. She is."
"Does she fancy you, then?"
"Enjolras..."
"Does she?"
"I highly doubt it. She and I are friends, nothing more."
"To you. You might be her God."
"Enough with these games. They grow tiring."
"Very well. We shall see then how she fares in two short days."