ver, Jean Valjean began vaguely to surmise that he was being shown
the door.

On the following day, he underwent something like a shock on entering
the ground-floor room. The arm-chairs had disappeared. There was not a
single chair of any sort.

"Ah, what's this!" exclaimed Cosette as she entered, "no chairs! Where
are the arm-chairs?"

"They are no longer here," replied Jean Valjean.

"This is too much!"

Jean Valjean stammered:

"It was I who told Basque to remove them."

"And your reason?"

"I have only a few minutes to stay to-day."

"A brief stay is no reason for remaining standing."

"I think that Basque needed the chairs for the drawing-room."

"Why?"

"You have company this evening, no doubt."

"We expect no one."

Jean Valjean had not another word to say.

Cosette shrugged her shoulders.

"To have the chairs carried off! The other day you had the fire put out.
How odd you are!"

"Adieu!" murmured Jean Valjean.

He did not say: "Adieu, Cosette." But he had not the strength to say:
"Adieu, Madame."

He went away utterly overwhelmed.

This time he had understood.

On the following day he did not come. Cosette only observed the fact in
the evening.

"Why," said she, "Monsieur Jean has not been here today."

And she felt a slight twinge at her heart, but she hardly perceived it,
being immediately diverted by a kiss from Marius.

On the following day he did not come.

Cosette paid no heed to this, passed her evening and slept well that
night, as usual, and thought of it only when she woke. She was so happy!
She speedily despatched Nicolette to M. Jean's house to inquire whether
he were ill, and why he had not come on the previous evening. Nicolette
brought back the reply of M. Jean that he was not ill. He was busy. He
would come soon. As soon as he was able. Moreover, he was on the point
of taking a little journey. Madame must remember that it was his custom
to take trips from time to time. They were not to worry about him. They
were not to think of him.

Nicolette on entering M. Jean's had repeated to him her mistress' very
words. That Madame had sent her to inquire why M. Jean bad not come on
the preceding evening."--It is two days since I have been there," said
Jean Valjean gently.

But the remark passed unnoticed by Nicolette, who did not report it to
Cosette.

CHAPTER IV--ATTRACTION AND EXTINCTION

During the last months of spring and the first months of summer in 1