"

"What is it?" demanded Javert roughly.

"Let me go home for one instant. Then you shall do whatever you like
with me."

Javert remained silent for a few moments, with his chin drawn back into
the collar of his great-coat, then he lowered the glass and front:

"Driver," said he, "Rue de l'Homme Arme, No. 7."

CHAPTER XI--CONCUSSION IN THE ABSOLUTE

They did not open their lips again during the whole space of their ride.

What did Jean Valjean want? To finish what he had begun; to warn
Cosette, to tell her where Marius was, to give her, possibly, some other
useful information, to take, if he could, certain final measures. As
for himself, so far as he was personally concerned, all was over; he had
been seized by Javert and had not resisted; any other man than himself
in like situation would, perhaps, have had some vague thoughts connected
with the rope which Thenardier had given him, and of the bars of the
first cell that he should enter; but, let us impress it upon the
reader, after the Bishop, there had existed in Jean Valjean a profound
hesitation in the presence of any violence, even when directed against
himself.

Suicide, that mysterious act of violence against the unknown which may
contain, in a measure, the death of the soul, was impossible to Jean
Valjean.

At the entrance to the Rue de l'Homme Arme, the carriage halted, the way
being too narrow to admit of the entrance of vehicles. Javert and Jean
Valjean alighted.

The coachman humbly represented to "monsieur l'Inspecteur," that the
Utrecht velvet of his carriage was all spotted with the blood of the
assassinated man, and with mire from the assassin. That is the way he
understood it. He added that an indemnity was due him. At the same time,
drawing his certificate book from his pocket, he begged the inspector to
have the goodness to write him "a bit of an attestation."

Javert thrust aside the book which the coachman held out to him, and
said:

"How much do you want, including your time of waiting and the drive?"

"It comes to seven hours and a quarter," replied the man, "and my velvet
was perfectly new. Eighty francs, Mr. Inspector."

Javert drew four napoleons from his pocket and dismissed the carriage.

Jean Valjean fancied that it was Javert's intention to conduct him on
foot to the post of the Blancs-Manteaux or to the post of the Archives,
both of which are close at hand.

They entered the street. It was deserted as usual. Jave