Grand Sewer. From the man he had
easily reached the name. He knew that Madame la Baronne Pontmercy was
Cosette. But he meant to be discreet in that quarter.

Who was Cosette? He did not know exactly himself. He did, indeed, catch
an inkling of illegitimacy, the history of Fantine had always seemed to
him equivocal; but what was the use of talking about that? in order to
cause himself to be paid for his silence? He had, or thought he had,
better wares than that for sale. And, according to all appearances, if
he were to come and make to the Baron Pontmercy this revelation--and
without proof: "Your wife is a bastard," the only result would be to
attract the boot of the husband towards the loins of the revealer.

From Thenardier's point of view, the conversation with Marius had not
yet begun. He ought to have drawn back, to have modified his strategy,
to have abandoned his position, to have changed his front; but nothing
essential had been compromised as yet, and he had five hundred francs
in his pocket. Moreover, he had something decisive to say, and, even
against this very well-informed and well-armed Baron Pontmercy, he felt
himself strong. For men of Thenardier's nature, every dialogue is
a combat. In the one in which he was about to engage, what was his
situation? He did not know to whom he was speaking, but he did know of
what he was speaking, he made this rapid review of his inner forces, and
after having said: "I am Thenardier," he waited.

Marius had become thoughtful. So he had hold of Thenardier at last.
That man whom he had so greatly desired to find was before him. He could
honor Colonel Pontmercy's recommendation.

He felt humiliated that that hero should have owned anything to this
villain, and that the letter of change drawn from the depths of the tomb
by his father upon him, Marius, had been protested up to that day. It
also seemed to him, in the complex state of his mind towards Thenardier,
that there was occasion to avenge the Colonel for the misfortune of
having been saved by such a rascal. In any case, he was content. He
was about to deliver the Colonel's shade from this unworthy creditor
at last, and it seemed to him that he was on the point of rescuing his
father's memory from the debtors' prison. By the side of this duty there
was another--to elucidate, if possible, the source of Cosette's fortune.
The opportunity appeared to present itself. Perhaps Thenardier knew
something. It might prove usefu