orrow."

"What shall I do until then?" said Cosette. "You are outside, you go,
and come! How happy men are! I shall remain entirely alone! Oh! How sad
I shall be! What is it that you are going to do to-morrow evening? tell
me."

"I am going to try something."

"Then I will pray to God and I will think of you here, so that you may
be successful. I will question you no further, since you do not wish it.
You are my master. I shall pass the evening to-morrow in singing that
music from Euryanthe that you love, and that you came one evening to
listen to, outside my shutters. But day after to-morrow you will come
early. I shall expect you at dusk, at nine o'clock precisely, I warn
you. Mon Dieu! how sad it is that the days are so long! On the stroke of
nine, do you understand, I shall be in the garden."

"And I also."

And without having uttered it, moved by the same thought, impelled by
those electric currents which place lovers in continual communication,
both being intoxicated with delight even in their sorrow, they fell into
each other's arms, without perceiving that their lips met while their
uplifted eyes, overflowing with rapture and full of tears, gazed upon
the stars.

When Marius went forth, the street was deserted. This was the moment
when Eponine was following the ruffians to the boulevard.

While Marius had been dreaming with his head pressed to the tree, an
idea had crossed his mind; an idea, alas! that he himself judged to be
senseless and impossible. He had come to a desperate decision.

CHAPTER VII--THE OLD HEART AND THE YOUNG HEART IN THE PRESENCE OF EACH
OTHER

At that epoch, Father Gillenormand was well past his ninety-first
birthday. He still lived with Mademoiselle Gillenormand in the Rue des
Filles-du-Calvaire, No. 6, in the old house which he owned. He was, as
the reader will remember, one of those antique old men who await death
perfectly erect, whom age bears down without bending, and whom even
sorrow cannot curve.

Still, his daughter had been saying for some time: "My father is
sinking." He no longer boxed the maids' ears; he no longer thumped
the landing-place so vigorously with his cane when Basque was slow in
opening the door. The Revolution of July had exasperated him for the
space of barely six months. He had viewed, almost tranquilly, that
coupling of words, in the Moniteur: M. Humblot-Conte, peer of France.
The fact is, that the old man was deeply dejected. He did not bend,