115. I Actually Have No Idea What is Going On Anymore

Part II, Book 5, Chapter 7

The Mystery Continues

Valjean and Cosette may have just narrowly escaped Javert’s clutches, but they still have problems. It’s between 1 and 2 in the morning, and is super cold. Cosette is on the ground resting her head against Valjean, and when he checks, she’s wide awake and shivering.

Despite her main issue being that she is outside in the cold in the dead of night, Cosette is most concerned about Madame Thénardier and asks if she’s still there. This kid is so traumatized!

Valjean assures her that Madame is gone and Cosette is relieved; he wraps her in his coat and goes off to look for shelter.

The doors of the big glum building are all locked and there are bars on all the windows. Valjean goes round the corner and sees some arched windows all lit up, so he goes to look…

…and sees, in a large arched hall, a human figure lying flat on the ground with its arms outstretched, a rope around its neck, not moving.

So far in this book, when unexplained stuff happens, I the reader have been generally able to figure out what is actually going on (the mysterious unnamed man is always Jean Valjean, for example). Between the midnight choir and whatever this creepy-ass dead-not-dead? person on the floor situation is, I am going WHAT THE F IS HAPPENING I HAVE NO IDEA PLEASE SOMEONE HELP.

Valjean is rightfully freaked the f out, and says later that it was the most chilling thing he had ever seen in his life. The figure on the floor doesn’t move at all the entire time he’s staring at it in horror, and he finally flees in terror, which is 1000% understandable.

“Where was he? Who could ever have imagined anything of this kind in the middle of Paris! What was this strange sepulchral house? A building full of nocturnal mysteries, summoning souls in the darkness with the voices of angels, and when they came, springing on them that dreadful vision, promising to open the radiant gates of heaven and then opening the horrific entrance to the tomb!”

That pretty much sums it up. This single hour or so in the night has been a real goddamn roller coaster for poor Jean Valjean. Please, let this man catch a break!