Chapter 9: The Streets

Late on the next afternoon, Valjean announced that he was going to take the girls into town this evening.

This gave Eponine a weird feeling; she's never been to town with Valjean or Cosette. Valjean didn't know she'd gone often and now knew most streets of Paris-she was going to have to act like she hadn't been there before.

Cosette was excited, and insisted that they should dress up for the streets of Paris. This was understandable, as she wanted to make a good impression on anyone they saw on the streets. She also wanted Eponine to do the same, so had her say on how Eponine got ready. Eponine already took care on what she wore into Paris; Cosette wasn't aware why.

Both girls sat on the plush sofa of their sitting room while they waited for their papa to be ready. Cosette sat in a white dress that was covered in intricate lace flower designs. She also wore her pale pink coat, which had bronze buttons carved like roses. Eponine's dress was a dark sapphire blue. The fabric was plain except for black lace trimmings at the hem, sleeves and around the top. She wore a black coat instead of the cloak, as she didn't feel the need to hide behind the hood of the cloak so much tonight.

When their father appeared dressed smartly, they rose as he put the key in the door.

"Just act like I do. I'll make comments on how I find things-you act the same." Whispered Cosette, as both girls went through the door that their father held open for them.

Azelma didn't reply to her father, but obeyed him. She stuck out her hand. He pulled a knife across it. "Makes people take more pity." He leered. She winced at the pain, feeling dizzy at the sight of her bleeding hand.
"For goodness sake, we don't want her to bleed to death!" Madame Thenardier's tiny heart still felt a few emotions for her daughter Azelma. She tore a strip of her dress and bound it over Azelma's hand.
"The things we do for you." Thenardier sneered, displaying his teeth: some yellowed, some black and some missing. The stench of his breath made Azelma shiver again.

"Here come some of the rich people on their evening walks." Thenardier looked up at the people passing, waiting for a victim.
"Rich people and students." He corrected.

"These bloody students on our streets, here they come slumming once again." Grumbled Madame Thenardier.

"'Parnasse, watch out for the law." Monsieur Thenardier whispered hurriedly. "The rest of you, disappear. Wait in the shadows. Except you, Madame-" he said this mockingly to his wife. "-and you, stupid child. Turn on the tears, no mistakes, my dears." He began to advance towards a gentleman who was with two young ladies, willingly giving to the poor.

Marius could taste the wine he'd just had at the Cafe as he stepped onto the streets. The speech he'd done earlier had taken a lot out of him. He'd had just enough wine to make him relaxed and maybe a little tipsy, but not so he couldn't walk straight. His thinking straight was another thing.

As they'd done earlier that day, the students walked the streets checking on the poor people, offering assistance where they could.

While he walked, offering what little charity he could to some people along with notices about the ABC society to everyone, he bumped into someone. He turned to apologise, when his eyes locked with a pair of bright blue eyes.

His cheeks flushed even more than they already were by the wine. The girl who was stood there also blushed. They stood gazing into eachother's eyes a moment, spell bound.

Eponine heard the bump and looked up from the orphaned brother and sister she'd spoken to.

Despair flooded through her, and she froze.

Marius, stood by Cosette. They were gazing into eachother's eyes.

"No." She whispered to herself.

"I did not see you there, forgive me." Marius bowed his head to Cosette, who still gazed at him.

Eponine's arm was gripped. She looked up, relieved to see her father.

Please separate them, she hoped.

"Farewell." She handed an extra coin to the orphans, before her father steered her around the people of the street.

Cosette had seen her father. "I beg your pardon, Monsieur. I must go."

She moved around him, both of their eyes still locked, before her arm slipped through her father's.

He hadn't seen her. She breathed a sigh of relief.

But why was Eponine suddenly glaring at her like she hadn't for years?

A voice disturbed her from her thoughts. Valjean let go of the girls, but they both stayed by his side. A scrawny man appeared in front of them. He coughed into a dirty handkerchief.

"Please, Monsieur, come this way." His grip was firm on Valjean's arm, as he was pulled away. Cosette and Eponine followed, Eponine putting a distance between herself and Cosette.

"Here's a child that ain't eaten today." Eponine looked at the girl, who clutched her mother. Both mother and child's faces were tear-covered. The girl's hand was cut, bandaged by a dirty strip of cloth.

"Save a life, spare a sou-" Thenardier eyed the golden cross that Valjean wore. "God rewards all the goods that you do." Eponine hardly heard this.

When Eponine's eyes met the child's, a small gasp escaped both their lips. Those clouded hazel eyes were as familiar as they'd been when they were younger and brighter, when the face they were staring out of had been pretty instead of dirty and hollow by starvation, when the hair surrounding that face has been lustrous and not tangled.

Azelma.

Azelma's gasp had caused Madame Thenardier to look up. Eponine also looked away from Azelma, studying the mother and father.

The Thenardier's.

Eponine turned and ran.

"Wait a bit. Know that face-" A light appeared in Madame Thenardier's eyes. "-Aint the world a remarkable place!"

Cosette and Valjean had wanted to follow Eponine, but on Thenardier's call they were both seized by his gang. Cosette let out a muffled scream from under the meaty hand of one of the gang, while Valjean struggled.

"Men like me, don't forget. You're the bastard who borrowed Colette!" His eyes fell upon Cosette.

"It's Cosette." Madame Thenardier corrected.

"What is this? Are you mad? No, Monsieur, you don't know what you do." Valjean looked panicked.

"You know me, I know you, I'm a con just like you!" The thief snapped back.

Valjean and Cosette were surrounded by the gang. They couldn't escape these foul-scented theives.

And where was Eponine?

S

She was running with her skirts lifted. She couldn't run fast like this, all the ridiculous petticoats weighing her down and the corset she could barely breathe in. She wasn't surprised when somebody seized her.

She studied his face, instantly recognising him.

"Montparnasse." She whispered. He smirked. "And if it isn't Eponine, the slut herself."

He looked past her and pushed her against the wall behind him. "Javert." He cursed.
"Not a peep from you." He said to Eponine.

However, once he'd let her go she tried to run out of the shadows. Montparnasse was able to catch her, but he'd fallen into her trap of being seen as she screamed. In frustration, he knocked her to the ground.

Javert turned. He was flanked by some other officers.

"Arrest that Man!" He ordered them. Two came forwards and grabbed Montparnasse.

Inspector Javert stepped forwards and helped Eponine up.

"Merci, Monsieur." She coughed. He was about to ask what happened, when she gasped: "Over there, there's a robbery. I'll be okay."

Javert nodded at her, and headed over to where both her families were. ...

"Another brawl in the square, another stink in the air. There was a witness to this-she spoke to Javert." The gang scattered and Valjean clutched a shocked Cosette, pulling his hat down over his eyes. "We'll see that justice is done." He said to Valjean and Cosette.

As Javert continued to intervene with the robbery, Valjean led Cosette away. She was happy to run.

Marius, who'd watched it all but had too many paupers in the way to be able to help, watched as Cosette left.

Azelma was left alone after her parents had been arrested. She crouched in a corner of a wall behind a shop.

Cosette...now I remember. She shook her head. 'Ponine. How can it be?

Both girls looked so beautiful in their fancy frocks. Azelma glanced down at her rags.

"Look what's become of me." She sighed, then glanced up, as she saw a young man talking to a young lady who was none other than Eponine.

"Eponine, who was that girl?" His eyes burned with intensity.
"Some bourgeois two-a-penny thing." Eponine avoided his eyes, and her eyes met Azelma's.

Azelma was surprised to see her sister's eyes full of sadness.

"Eponine, find her for me?" The young man asked.

Eponine looked up at him. "What will you give me?" She laughed.

"Anything." He didn't notice anything. Azelma could see now that Eponine was in love with him. She wanted to take pleasure in Eponine's pain, but all the jealousy faded. Eponine didn't care so much for all the fancy stuff. She could have all the riches in the world but it wouldn't be what she wanted.

"Got you all excited now." Eponine was still laughing, but then she seemed to falter and turn away. "But...God knows what you see in her."

A tear appeared in her eye. She tried to walk away. Azelma rose in her corner, ready to run to her sister and comfort her, to apologise for her past.

"Aren't you all delighted now." A smile flashed across Eponine's face at the man, although she avoided looking in his eyes. When she turned her back on him and stepped away, a tear was streaming.

Azelma watched as the man grabbed Eponine's wrist, slid his arm around her waist and turned her around to face him.

"Eponine-do this for me, discover where she lives." Azelma suddenly understood. The man was asking about Cosette. "But careful how you go, don't let her father know." Eponine gazed at him. "'Ponine-I'm lost until she's found!" He let go and turned away. This time, Eponine stepped towards him, gracefully picking up her dark skirts.

"You see, I told you so." She smiled a little. He looked back, smirked, then walked away. Eponine took another few steps after him.

"There's lots of things I know." Her smile faded. He was no longer listening.

"'Ponine." She shook her head a little. "She knows her way...around."

Eponine walked away gracefully, although her head was bowed to hide tears. Azelma felt guilty, though she was unsure why. This hadn't been her fault.

She forgot about comforting and apologising to Eponine. Approaching her wouldn't work, wouldn't do anything to make her feel better.

She picked up two ABC flyers on the ground. They'd fallen out of the man's pocket.

So he's part of the revolution. She thought. She smiled briefly. Why not?

She ran so she was near Eponine, on the other side of the street. The wind blew her hair in that direction. An idea came to her.

She ran ahead and released a flyer Eponine's way, praying for it to end up with Eponine.

Maybe if the man saw Eponine properly, it would make up for how mean Azelma had been in the past.