Adele duly returned Cosette to the nuns and went away not knowing what to think, much less what to do. She had gone to Madeleine confident of her ability to make him see reason, and was now uncertain of whether she had either the ability or the desire to do so. Unaccountably, she had found herself moved by the plight of the girl in the hospital and this made her wish she had not agreed to see her. Before she had met Fantine consideration for the girl's feeling had simply not arose. Now Adele had the distinct suspicion that there was no course of action that did not involve hurting someone. As a result of this impasse shedecided to try andavoid Javert, fearing that he would take her indecision as betrayal,
For a full two and a half days Adele managed this rather well, ducking into shop doorways and becoming studiously interested in paving stones at necessary intervals. On the afternoon of the third day she came home to find the inspector sitting in her kitchen, rendering all her stratagems ineffective. He had not called to see her, as it happened. Rather he had come looking for Lieutenant Daviot and, finding him out, had sat down to wait. However,now they were alone together, the subject of Cosette seemed unavoidable. Working on the principal of 'better out than in', Adele had been in the process of determining the best method of broaching the subject when the inspector asked, with deliberate neutrality: "And how is Cosette?"
"Well, well. I saw her on Saturday when I went to see M'sieur le Maire - "
"Yes, I know," said Javert in that same light, studied voice.
Adele opened her mouth to ask how he knew when Javert shot her a look that plainly said: "Detective, my dear", the effect of which was so comical that she laughed in despite of herself.
"But of course!" she said, glad that the atmosphere had lightened somewhat.
"I know all and I see all," Javert quipped, flashing his teeth. The effect of that smile was as if a shaft of winter's light had crossed his face, illuminating it all too briefly before passing on and leaving the inspector his old, sombre self:
"So, she's well." he continued.
"Yes, Inspector, she's fine - which is more than I can say for the mother - I had a nice long talk with her - Cosette, not the other one. And, and - oh, Javert, I would have brought her to see you on our way back to the convent but M'sieur - "
"Madeleine.? Ah, dear Monsieur Madeleine! Yes, I quite understand. Perhaps I should go and speak to him myself - "
"You could . . . " said Adele doubtfully. Suddenly an idea began to take shape in her mind: "Or . . "
"After all, it's just too, too stupid - "
"Or, you could go see the girl!"
"The girl . . . ?" repeated Javert with a look of surmise.
Just then Daviot entered the room.
"You were looking for me, inspector?"
"Yes," said Javert curtly, picked up his hat and heading to the door, indicating to Daviot that he should do the same Adele, very suddenly, was struck by another idea and, as Javert slipped out the door, she called to him: "You might like to go in the afternoon, inspector - between about one and three."
Javert had realised that Mme Jacquemin had been trying to give him a hint, and had taken it, although he had somewhat misinterpreted what the hint had been about. Consequently, when the portress asked him if he was looking for the mayor he had answered yes, since that was, in part, the truth. The woman conducted him to Fantine's room without a murmur and with no particular misgivings.
Inside the room, Javert was not to be received so warmly. Fantine regarded him with a look of frank terror and made a petrified little gasp in her throat, shrinking back against the headboard as she did so. This reaction irritated Javert considerably, causing him to lose the composed and gentle manner he had been determined to assume for the visit. Instead her barked: "Oh, calm down you silly tart! I'm not going to clap you in irons!" He mustered just enough self restraint to stop himself from adding, "More's the pity."
Sister Simplice eyed him coldly and enquired, "Does Monsieur l'inspecteur have any business to attend to here?" with an eyebrow raised.
"As a matter of fact, ma soeur, I do," he said in a voice of profound respect. Then he added, "Alone with the girl" with somewhat less deference, plainly implying 'You don't tread on my toes, sister, and I won't tread on yours'.
Sister Simplice sniffed and left the room.
Javert seated himself on the chair next to the sickbed. It took Fantine a good two minutes of concentrated thought, staring somewhere to the left of Javert's ear, before she mustered the courage to ask: "What do you want?"
"Well, said Javert, slipping into a comfortable, official tone, "One assumes that you are going to be giving up your former career and, if so, there's some paperwork that needs to be done, forms and the like. Now - " he went on, reaching into the pocket of his greatcoat.
"Forms?" mouthed Fantine stupidly.
"But of course - there are always forms. Now, you'll need to sign here and here - if you can write? Shall I fetch a pen?"
"But I don't understand - forms for what?"
"If," Javert said slowly, "you are intending to cease plying your trade as a prostitute there are certain formalities that need to be attended to. This forms have to be signed as part of your declaration to the police, so that your name can be removed from the register - "
"And that's it?" She said, her eyes shining, "Then it will be really behind me?"
"You will be kept under surveillance for two years." the inspector said tersely, as if he was tired of having to remind people about that part.
Fantine looked at him searchingly for a moment, an uncharacteristically shrewd expression on her face:" Why are you doing this?"
"Because it is my duty as an inspector of the municipal police"
"Yes, but - ?"
Javert sighed: "I also wish to speak about Cosette."
Something flickered across Fantine's faced which moved the inspector to say: "Don't worry, you still get your papers signed, even if you have the sisters throw me out now."
Fantine gave a nervous, shuddering laugh that ended in a cough. Well, the inspector had said talk about Cosette and, ever eager to do exactly that, she began at speed, the words running ahead of her breath, causing a second bout of coughing, more violent than the first. Javert averted his eyes, feeling helpless and disgusted in equal measure as she hacked away noisily, leaning over to spit something unspeakable in a bowl set by the side of the bed, presumably for that express purpose. She wiped her mouth and then, to Javert's astonishment, continued talking from where she had left off as if nothing had happened "- And then Monsieur le Maire has said we shall live together, I won't have to work or worry and we shall be as happy as it's possible to be - "
Javert leant forward and looked at her closely. "Oh you pathetic creature," he remarked at length in a voice that contained neither contempt nor pity. He was simply stating the truth as he saw it.
"Do you want to know the truth? As far as I can tell, you're dying. What does the doctor have to say about it?"
"Nothing"
"That, " he said grimly, "is always the worst sign."
Both parties looked away, Fantine at the counterpane and Javert at his highly polished boots. At that point there came a brisk knock at the door, which opened before either of them could even think about saying 'come in' In the door stood Sister Perpetua. An awkward moment ensued and then a jumble of half finished sentences:
"I didn't know - "
"Sister - "
"I've brought - "
"Should I go?"
The dilemma was solved when Cosette, aware that things were not running according to plan and curious, put her head around the door and caught sight of Javert. Manners forgotten she pushed past the nun and flung her arms about his neck
"Papa! Papa!"
Javert sat perfectly still for a moment, as if in shock. His whole posture was strangely reminiscent of the first time Cosette had shown any affection for him, when he had said she would not be returning to the Thenardiers, back in 1820.
Cosette was almost beside herself with excitement, letting go of Javert and climbing up onto the bed to kiss her mother.
"Papa! You've come to see me finally! Have you missed me then?"
Javert gave an exaggerated shrug of his shoulders and pulled his most comically laconic of faces: "Bof! No, no really, can't say I have. It's been very peaceful without you, very tidy - I can honestly say I've not missed you a bit "
Fantine smiled at this display, although she noticed a gravely texture to the inspector's voice which Cosette did not.
"Liar! Liar!" the child said "I'm sure you have!" She turned to her mother for support: "Don't you bet he has, Mother?"
Fantine lowered her gaze, not wishing to venture an opinion in even this seemly light hearted discussion.
Cosette, becoming suddenly serious, hopped down from the bed and smoothed out her skirts. Turning to Javert she said, with a slightly precocious air: "Papa, this is my mother, and Mama, this is M'sieur Javert, my papa."
Fantine looked at Javert and, before she had properly thought about what she was doing, smiled and raised an eyebrow. To her astonishment, he raised one thick black brow in return.
Cosette prattled on about nothing in particular - the weather, school, sister Agnes who looked just like a white mouse. Then she paused, looked at her parents, hand on hips, pushed her bottom lip against her top one and said solemnly: "Are you two going to get married now?"
She was met with two of the most incredulous expressions that it is possible to imagine and a prolonged silence. Finally Javert gave an uncomfortable cough and stated that he really ought to be going. Turning to Cosette, he said: "You, mind that you're good!" and, catching her hand very briefly in his own, he strode to the door, clicking it shut behind him.
Javert's luck was out that afternoon. No sooner had he taken his hand off the door handle when he was presented by the sight of Monsieur Madeleine striding down the corridor towards him. There was no point in trying to pretend that he wasn't there, or that he hadn't seen the mayor. Instead he strode up to him, bowed deeply and said: "Monsieur Madeleine. I've wanted to speak to you for some time - if Monsieur le Maire does not mind - "
"What is it?" the mayor said coldly, making it plain that he would really rather be talking to anyone else.
"Firstly, if Monsieur would care to check and sign these - " said Javert, proffering Fantine's papers
Madeleine took them, squinted at them and frowned: "Just what are you playing at, inspector?" he growled.
"Monsieur - " Javert began to protest.
Madeleine cut him short: "What do you want, Javert?"
"To speak of my child, Monsieur le Maire."
"Now, listen to me, Inspector Javert," the mayor said in cold, commanding tone, "Listen carefully because I really have no wish to repeat myself on this matter. I had hoped that after our dispute in the police post that you would conduct yourself a little more circumspectly, but it seems I was wrong. You have come to display, inspector, a stubbornness and a streak of wilfulness that is most unbecoming in a man of your stature. I wish to see no more of it! It impresses nobody - what were you doing here today? Trying to frighten the poor unfortunate with being kept on the register, hein? Now, I am going to speak very plainly - perhaps more so than etiquette dictates - You will not see Euphrasie, I will not discuss this matter further, this case will be judged at the assizes and - if I am not greatly mistake - Euphrasie will be sent to live with her mother. Dismissed!"
Madeleine strode off down the corridor and had shut the door of Fantine's room behind him before Javert had even had time to recover himself sufficiently to open his mouth.
Inside the sickroom Madeleine asked Fantine gently: "Are you alright? He won't trouble you again."
He then began to prattle of nothing - of the weather, of Cosette and Lord know what else. Fantine could hardly bring herself to listen. She was utterly lost in contemplation of her own foolishness, her own woeful inability to judge a character. The mayor's kindly chatter only served as a reminder of this. Had she not reviled him as a monster, cursed his name every night, spat in his face? And all the time he had been the best of men - he had saved her from prison, taken care of her, found her little girl. And she had done it again. She had hated Javert, hated and feared him, her heart had painted him in the blackest of colours until he had seemed nothing short of the Fiend's representative on earth. And yet the way he had come to her today . . . Well versed in humiliation, Fantine realised what that must have cost. Yet it was only seeing him with Cosette that she realised just how much she had thought wrongly of him. Not only had he cared for her child but he had loved her too - that was apparent to anybody. And Cosette loved him too, and she was sure that that would not be the case without good reason. She looked up from the counterpane. Monsieur Madeleine was talking to Cosette. Silently Fantine began to weep at the thought of how stupid it was possible to be.