“A B C”.’
It’s a joke that they’re playing on you, isn’t it.
He gave me ten sous.”
“Joly, lend me ten sous,” said Laigle; and, turning to Grantaire:
“Grantaire, lend me ten sous.”
This made twenty sous, which Laigle handed to the lad.
“Thank you, sir,” said the urchin.
“What is your name?” inquired Laigle.
“Navet, Gavroche’s friend.”
“Stay with us,” said Laigle.
“Breakfast with us,” said Grantaire.
The child replied:— “I can’t, I belong in the procession, I’m the one to shout
‘Down with Polignac!’”
And executing a prolonged scrape of his foot behind him, which is the most respectful of all possible salutes, he took his departure.
The child gone, Grantaire took the word:—
“That is the pure-bred gamin.
There are a great many varieties of the gamin species.
The notary’s gamin is called Skip-the-Gutter, the cook’s gamin is called a scullion, the baker’s gamin is called a mitron, the lackey’s gamin is called a groom, the marine gamin is called the cabin-boy, the soldier’s gamin is called the drummer-boy, the painter’s gamin is called paint-grinder, the tradesman’s gamin is called an errand-boy, the courtesan gamin is called the minion, the kingly gamin is called the dauphin, the god gamin is called the bambino.”
In the meantime, Laigle was engaged in reflection; he said half aloud:—
“A B C, that is to say: the burial of Lamarque.”
“The tall blonde,” remarked Grantaire, “is Enjolras, who is sending you a warning.”
“Shall we go?” ejaculated Bossuet.
“It’s raiding,” said Joly.
“I have sworn to go through fire, but not through water.
I don’t wand to ged a gold.”
“I shall stay here,” said Grantaire. “I prefer a breakfast to a hearse.”
“Conclusion: we remain,” said Laigle.
“Well, then, let us drink.
Besides, we might miss the funeral without missing the riot.”
“Ah! the riot, I am with you!” cried Joly.
Laigle rubbed his hands.
“Now we’re going to touch up the revolution of 1830.
As a matter of fact, it does hurt the people along the seams.”
“I don’t think much of your revolution,” said Grantaire.
“I don’t execrate this Government.
It is the crown tempered by the cotton night-cap.
It is a sceptre ending in an umbrella.
In fact, I think that to-day, with the present weather, Louis Philippe might utilize his royalty in two directions, he might extend the tip of the sceptre end against the people, and open the umbrella end against heaven.”
The room was dark, large clouds had just finished the extinction of daylight.
There was no one in the wine-shop, or in the street, every one having gone off “to watch events.”
“Is it midday or midnight?” cried Bossuet.
“You can’t see your hand before your face.
Gibelotte, fetch a light.”
Grantaire was drinking in a melancholy way.
“Enjolras disdains me,” he muttered.
“Enjolras said:
‘Joly is ill, Grantaire is drunk.’
It was to Bossuet that he sent Navet.
If he had come for me, I would have followed him.
So much the worse for Enjolras!