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Updated: June 28, 2025
This human creature had entered life in just this way. At the age of ten, Fantine quitted the town and went to service with some farmers in the neighborhood. At fifteen she came to Paris "to seek her fortune." Fantine was beautiful, and remained pure as long as she could. She was a lovely blonde, with fine teeth.
"Quite the contrary. My child will not die of that frightful malady, for lack of succor. I am content." So saying, she pointed out to the spinster two napoleons which were glittering on the table. "Ah! Jesus God!" cried Marguerite. "Why, it is a fortune! Where did you get those louis d'or?" "I got them," replied Fantine. At the same time she smiled. The candle illuminated her countenance.
The doctor sounded Fantine's chest and shook his head. M. Madeleine said to the doctor: "Well?" "Has she not a child which she desires to see?" said the doctor. "Yes." "Well! Make haste and get it here!" M. Madeleine shuddered. Fantine inquired: "What did the doctor say?" M. Madeleine forced himself to smile. "He said that your child was to be brought speedily.
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 then, all of a sudden, he thought of Fantine. "Hold!" said he, "and what about that poor woman?" Here a fresh crisis declared itself. Fantine, by appearing thus abruptly in his revery, produced the effect of an unexpected ray of light; it seemed to him as though everything about him were undergoing a change of aspect: he exclaimed:
Such was the condition of the country when Fantine returned thither. No one remembered her. Fortunately, the door of M. Madeleine's factory was like the face of a friend. She presented herself there, and was admitted to the women's workroom.
As he spoke thus, he did not advance a single step; he hurled at Jean Valjean a glance which he threw out like a grappling-hook, and with which he was accustomed to draw wretches violently to him. It was this glance which Fantine had felt penetrating to the very marrow of her bones two months previously. At Javert's exclamation, Fantine opened her eyes once more.
In the bend of his elbow the leaden head of his enormous cane, which was hidden behind him, could be seen. Thus he remained for nearly a minute, without his presence being perceived. All at once Fantine raised her eyes, saw him, and made M. Madeleine turn round.
She no longer spoke, she no longer breathed; she had raised herself to a sitting posture, her thin shoulder emerged from her chemise; her face, which had been radiant but a moment before, was ghastly, and she seemed to have fixed her eyes, rendered large with terror, on something alarming at the other extremity of the room. "Good God!" he exclaimed; "what ails you, Fantine?"
But when he beheld that mayor, that magistrate, calmly wipe his face and say, "Set this woman at liberty," he underwent a sort of intoxication of amazement; thought and word failed him equally; the sum total of possible astonishment had been exceeded in his case. He remained mute. The words had produced no less strange an effect on Fantine.
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