|
THE OLD MAN
Let us recount what had taken place.
Enjolras and his friends had been on the Boulevard Bourdon,
near the public storehouses, at the moment when the dragoons had
made their charge.
Enjolras, Courfeyrac, and Combeferre were among those who
had taken to the Rue Bassompierre, shouting:
"To the barricades!" In the Rue Lesdiguieres they
had met an old man walking along. What had attracted their attention
was that the goodman was walking in a zig-zag, as though he were
intoxicated.
Moreover, he had his hat in his hand, although it had been
raining all the morning, and was raining pretty briskly at the
very time.
Courfeyrac had recognized Father Mabeuf.
He knew him through having many times accompanied Marius as
far as his door.
As he was acquainted with the peaceful and more than timid
habits of the old beadle-book-collector, and was amazed at the
sight of him in the midst of that uproar, a couple of paces from
the cavalry charges, almost in the midst of a fusillade, hatless
in the rain, and strolling about among the bullets, he had accosted
him, and the following dialogue had been exchanged between the
rioter of fire and the octogenarian:--
"M. Mabeuf, go to your home."
"Why?"
"There's going to be a row."
"That's well."
"Thrusts with the sword and firing, M. Mabeuf."
"That is well."
"Firing from cannon."
"That is good.
Where are the rest of you going?"
"We are going to fling the government to the earth."
"That is good."
And he had set out to follow them.
From that moment forth he had not uttered a word.
His step had suddenly become firm; artisans had offered him
their arms; he had refused with a sign of the head.
He advanced nearly to the front rank of the column, with the
movement of a man who is marching and the countenance of a man
who is sleeping.
"What a fierce old fellow!" muttered the students.
The rumor spread through the troop that he was a former member
of the Convention,-- an old regicide.
The mob had turned in through the Rue de la Verrerie.
Little Gavroche marched in front with that deafening song
which made of him a sort of trumpet.
He sang:
"Voici la lune qui paratt,
Quand irons-nous dans la foret?
Demandait Charlot a Charlotte.
Tou tou tou
Pour Chatou.
Je n'ai qu'un Dieu, qu'un roi, qu'un liard, et qu'une
botte.
"Pour avoir bu de grand matin
La rosee a meme le thym,
Deux moineaux etaient en ribotte.
Zi zi zi
Pour Passy.
Je n'ai qu'un Dieu, qu'un roi, qu'un liard, et qu'une
botte.
"Et ces deux pauvres petits loups,
Comme deux grives estaient souls;
Une tigre en riait dans sa grotte.
Don don don
Pour Meudon.
Je n'ai qu'un Dieu, qu'un roi, qu'un liard, et qu'une
botte.
"L'un jurait et l'autre sacrait.
Quand irons nous dans la foret?
Demandait Charlot a Charlotte.
Tin tin tin
Pour Pantin.
Je n'ai qu'un Dieu, qu'un roi, qu'un liard, et qu'une
botte."[46]
They directed their course towards Saint-Merry.
[46] Here is the morn appearing.
When shall we go to the forest, Charlot asked Charlotte.
Tou, tou, tou, for Chatou, I have but one God, one King, one
half-farthing, and one boot.
And these two poor little wolves were as tipsy as sparrows
from having drunk dew and thyme very early in the morning.
And these two poor little things were as drunk as thrushes
in a vineyard; a tiger laughed at them in his cave. The one cursed,
the other swore.
When shall we go to the forest? Charlot asked Charlotte.
|
