Never one to stand on ceremony, Adele did not bother to knock when she entered the apartment, she simply set down her basket and began to fuss about the debris of papers, crockery and other debris that was scattered about
"Men! Really, this room is shameful!"
she said picking up a cravat that had been absent-mindedly dumped atop a dirty plate The Inspector hardly seemed entirely unaware of her presence for several minutes. Finally he looked up from his desk and, as if his had only just seen her, asked:
"How did you get in?"
"Madame Manette gave me the key. I've brought you supper."
The Inspector returned his eyes to the desk. Adele shrugged and brusquely unpacked the basket and then continued tidying as if to show that his rudeness didn't bother her. She made a point of pretending that he wasn't there, singing and talking to herself as she would at home. Every so often she would steal a glance at her, and she noticed that he would also make the occasional furtive glance at her. 'Doubtless he's wondering when I'm going to go away', she thought.
Finally, when she could find nothing left to tidy, she sat herself down on a wicker based chair and stared at Javert intently. Eventually he returned her gaze
"Yes? Can I help you?"
"Are you alright, Monsieur Javert?" said Adele, getting straight to the point.
Javert leant forward, took her by the hand and looked at her reproachfully
"Adele Jacquemin, you should know me well enough by now to realise that I want no-one's pity, least of all yours. You're really being very irritating at the moment."
"And you're being very unhygienic - that cravat!" She began to scold, but then thought better of it and continued in a more level voice, "Just so long as you're sure. Is there really nothing I can do for you?"
"Well, no, funnily enough!" he laughed mirthlessly. "Unless you can turn time back four years and make me back into a simple man, which I very much doubt. Or give me back my child."
"She's not your child Monsieur" said Adele as kindly as she could, but with finality, "In the end you have to remember that"
Although tenderly meant, her remark caused the Inspector to start.
"Good God! I take her in, save her from a life of penury, feed her, cloth her, teach her to read, sit up at night when she is sick, treat her as my own flesh and blood - and yet she is not my child! God above woman tell me what else I am mean to do, for I find myself at a loss. Devil take it! I have no words! It seems she must be the child of that, that - drolesse! Pah!"
"I'm sure the judge will see sense", offered Adele. She felt that their roles had been abruptly switched about. Normally it was she who was given to over-emotional soliloquies and Javert who was the dispenser of calm and sensible advice.
"Ah yes, one would like to hope that the courts will decide in favour of common-sense and righteousness, but with Madeleine in the case I somehow doubt it," he said with more bitterness than she had heard in anyone's voice before
There was a moment of silence and then Javert said matter of factly:
"If I lose her, I lose everything you know Adele."
"Come now, Monsieur - I've lost three - "
"No, no - you don't understand. I'll wager you were just about to remind me that I'll still have my work. But how could I serve a law that does something so ridiculous as to support the lower against the higher, the woman of the town against the officer of the law, a law that takes a child from affluence and returns her to destitution. I'm not sure if you know, Adele, but my own mother ended up as one of - of those women. It's an awful life being a tart's child - not what I want for Cosette. And yet the decision of the judge is, of course, final and far more correct than the petty objections of a police inspector."
Having made this speech, he withdrew into himself again, resting his head in his hands and running his finger through his side whiskers. Suddenly he made a noise midway between a sob and a groan, a horrible, ugly sound that Adele had never heard before.
"Javert?" she ventured timidly
Again he looked at her as if only seeing her for the first time, but this time the was anger in his face. Anger and shame. He jumped up from his chair and moved to the window, as if to put as much space as possible between the, shouting at the top of his voice
"Look, just get out! Get out! Piss off and leave me alone you interfering bloody woman!"
Without a word, Adele left. Out in the corridor she began to reflect. He had been like this for over a week now. Ever since that night at the police post he had been practically catatonic - barring the occasional outburst of the kind she had just witnessed. She - and others - had began to fear for his sanity. Two days after the incident M Madeleine had announced that he intended to support Fantine's claim in the court then he had come to Adele, taken Cosette and placed her under the care of the nuns. She had not seen her father since. Despite what she had said, Adele believed firmly that Javert had more right to the child than Fantine - what kind of mother abandons her child to the whims of fortune anyway? She could not believe that the mayor was to support the woman's claims. Yet she had faith that good sense would prevail. Being a firm believer in the proverb 'Fortune helps those who help themselves' she decided to give things a push in the right direction. Adele made up her mind to see Madeleine herself.