of the Jondrettes or on that of Marius; the
coarse construction was visible in its nakedness. Marius examined the
partition, almost unconsciously; sometimes revery examines, observes,
and scrutinizes as thought would. All at once he sprang up; he had just
perceived, near the top, close to the ceiling, a triangular hole, which
resulted from the space between three lathes. The plaster which should
have filled this cavity was missing, and by mounting on the commode,
a view could be had through this aperture into the Jondrettes' attic.
Commiseration has, and should have, its curiosity. This aperture formed
a sort of peep-hole. It is permissible to gaze at misfortune like a
traitor in order to succor it.[27]

"Let us get some little idea of what these people are like," thought
Marius, "and in what condition they are."

He climbed upon the commode, put his eye to the crevice, and looked.

CHAPTER VI--THE WILD MAN IN HIS LAIR

Cities, like forests, have their caverns in which all the most wicked
and formidable creatures which they contain conceal themselves. Only,
in cities, that which thus conceals itself is ferocious, unclean, and
petty, that is to say, ugly; in forests, that which conceals itself is
ferocious, savage, and grand, that is to say, beautiful. Taking one lair
with another, the beast's is preferable to the man's. Caverns are better
than hovels.

What Marius now beheld was a hovel.

Marius was poor, and his chamber was poverty-stricken, but as his
poverty was noble, his garret was neat. The den upon which his eye now
rested was abject, dirty, fetid, pestiferous, mean, sordid. The only
furniture consisted of a straw chair, an infirm table, some old bits of
crockery, and in two of the corners, two indescribable pallets; all
the light was furnished by a dormer window of four panes, draped with
spiders' webs. Through this aperture there penetrated just enough light
to make the face of a man appear like the face of a phantom. The walls
had a leprous aspect, and were covered with seams and scars, like a
visage disfigured by some horrible malady; a repulsive moisture exuded
from them. Obscene sketches roughly sketched with charcoal could be
distinguished upon them.

The chamber which Marius occupied had a dilapidated brick pavement; this
one was neither tiled nor planked; its inhabitants stepped directly
on the antique plaster of the hovel, which had grown black under the
long-continued pressure of feet. U