d the day when I came to you on the
boulevard near the washerwomen? How the birds sang! That was a long time
ago. You gave me a hundred sous, and I said to you: 'I don't want your
money.' I hope you picked up your coin? You are not rich. I did not
think to tell you to pick it up. The sun was shining bright, and it was
not cold. Do you remember, Monsieur Marius? Oh! How happy I am! Every
one is going to die."

She had a mad, grave, and heart-breaking air. Her torn blouse disclosed
her bare throat.

As she talked, she pressed her pierced hand to her breast, where there
was another hole, and whence there spurted from moment to moment a
stream of blood, like a jet of wine from an open bung-hole.

Marius gazed at this unfortunate creature with profound compassion.

"Oh!" she resumed, "it is coming again, I am stifling!"

She caught up her blouse and bit it, and her limbs stiffened on the
pavement.

At that moment the young cock's crow executed by little Gavroche
resounded through the barricade.

The child had mounted a table to load his gun, and was singing gayly the
song then so popular:--

"En voyant Lafayette, "On beholding Lafayette,
Le gendarme repete:-- The gendarme repeats:--
Sauvons nous! sauvons nous! Let us flee! let us flee!
sauvons nous!" let us flee!

Eponine raised herself and listened; then she murmured:--

"It is he."

And turning to Marius:--

"My brother is here. He must not see me. He would scold me."

"Your brother?" inquired Marius, who was meditating in the most bitter
and sorrowful depths of his heart on the duties to the Thenardiers which
his father had bequeathed to him; "who is your brother?"

"That little fellow."

"The one who is singing?"

"Yes."

Marius made a movement.

"Oh! don't go away," said she, "it will not be long now."

She was sitting almost upright, but her voice was very low and broken by
hiccoughs.

At intervals, the death rattle interrupted her. She put her face as near
that of Marius as possible. She added with a strange expression:--

"Listen, I do not wish to play you a trick. I have a letter in my pocket
for you. I was told to put it in the post. I kept it. I did not want to
have it reach you. But perhaps you will be angry with me for it when we
meet again presently? Take your letter."

She grasped Marius' hand convulsively with her pierced hand, but she no
longer seemed to