Jean Valjean read by the light of the grating these lines, and remained
for a time as it were absorbed in himself, and repeating in a low
voice, M. Gillenormand, No. 6, Rue des Filles du Calvaire. He returned
the portfolio to Marius's pocket; he had eaten, and his strength had
come back to him. He raised Marius again, carefully laid his head on
his right shoulder, and began descending the sewer. The Great Sewer,
running along the roadway of the valley of Menilmontant, is nearly
two leagues in length, and is paved for a considerable portion of the
distance. This torch of names of Paris streets, with which we enlighten
for the reader Jean Valjean's subterranean march, he did not possess.
Nothing informed him what zone of the city he was traversing, nor
what distance he had gone; still, the growing paleness of the flakes
of light which he met from time to time indicated to him that the sun
was retiring from the pavement, and that day would be soon ended, and
the rolling of vehicles over his head, which had become intermittent
instead of continuous, and then almost ceased, proved to him that he
was no longer under central Paris, and was approaching some solitary
region, near the external boulevards or most distant quays, where there
are fewer houses and streets, and the drain has fewer gratings. The
obscurity thickened around Jean Valjean; still he continued to advance,
groping his way in the shadow.
This shadow suddenly became terrible.
CHAPTER V.
SAND, LIKE WOMAN, AS A FINENESS THAT IS PERFIDIOUS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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