She no longer cried；she no longer wept；she had the appearance of no longer daring to breathe.
The Thenardier，Eponine，and Azelma were like statues also；the very drinkers had paused；a solemn silence reigned through the whole room.
Madame Thenardier，petrified and mute，recommenced her conjectures：'Who is that old fellow？
Is he a poor man？
Is he a millionaire？Perhaps he is both；that is to say，a thief.'
The face of the male Thenardier presented that expressive fold which accentuates the human countenance whenever the dominant instinct appears there in all its bestial force.
The tavern-keeper stared alternately at the doll and at the traveller；he seemed to be scenting out the man，as he would have scented out a bag of money.This did not last longer than the space of a flash of lightning.He stepped up to his wife and said to her in a low voice：——
'That machine costs at least thirty francs.
No nonsense.Down on your belly before that man！'
Gross natures have this in common with naive natures，that they possess no transition state.
'Well，Cosette，'said the Thenardier，in a voice that strove to be sweet，and which was composed of the bitter honey of malicious women，'aren't you going to take your doll？'
Cosette ventured to emerge from her hole.
'The gentleman has given you a doll，my little Cosette，'said Thenardier，with a caressing air.
'Take it；it is yours.'
Cosette gazed at the marvellous doll in a sort of terror.Her face was still flooded with tears，but her eyes began to fill，like the sky at daybreak，with strange beams of joy.
What she felt at that moment was a little like what she would have felt if she had been abruptly told，'Little one，you are the Queen of France.'
It seemed to her that if she touched that doll，lightning would dart from it.
This was true，up to a certain point，for she said to herself that the Thenardier would scold and beat her.
Nevertheless，the attraction carried the day.
She ended by drawing near and murmuring timidly as she turned towards Madame Thenardier：——
'May I，Madame？'
No words can render that air，at once despairing，terrified，and ecstatic.
'Pardi！'cried the Thenardier，'it is yours.
The gentleman has given it to you.'
'Truly，sir？'said Cosette.
'Is it true？
Is thelady'mine？'
The stranger's eyes seemed to be full of tears.
He appeared to have reached that point of emotion where a man does not speak for fear lest he should weep.
He nodded to Cosette，and placed the'lady's'hand in her tiny hand.
Cosette hastily withdrew her hand，as though that of the'lady'scorched her，and began to stare at the floor.
We are forced to add that at that moment she stuck out her tongue immoderately.All at once she wheeled round and seized the doll in a transport.
'I shall call her Catherine，'she said.
It was an odd moment when Cosette's rags met and clasped the ribbons and fresh pink muslins of the doll.
'Madame，'she resumed，'may I put her on a chair？'
'Yes，my child，'replied the Thenardier.
It was now the turn of Eponine and Azelma to gaze at Cosette with envy.
Cosette placed Catherine on a chair，then seated herself on the floor in front of her，and remained motionless，without uttering a word，in an attitude of contemplation.
'Play，Cosette，'said the stranger.
'Oh！
I am playing，'returned the child.
This stranger，this unknown individual，who had the air of a visit which Providence was making on Cosette，was the person whom the Thenardier hated worse than any one in the world at that moment.
However，it was necessary to control herself.Habituated as she was to dissimulation through endeavoring to copy her husband in all his actions，these emotions were more than she could endure.
She made haste to send her daughters to bed，then she asked the man's permission to send Cosette off also；'for she has worked hard all day，'she added with a maternal air.Cosette went off to bed，carrying Catherine in her arms.
From time to time the Thenardier went to the other end of the room where her husband was，to relieve her soul，as she said.She exchanged with her husband words which were all the more furious because she dared not utter them aloud.
'Old beast！
What has he got in his belly，to come and upset us in this manner！
To want that little monster to play！to give away forty-franc dolls to a jade that I would sell for forty sous，so I would！
A little more and he will be saying Your Majesty to her，as though to the Duchess de Berry！
Is there any sense in it？Is he mad，then，that mysterious old fellow？'
'Why！it is perfectly simple，'replied Thenardier，'if that amuses him！It amuses you to have the little one work；it amuses him to have her play.
He's all right.
A traveller can do what he pleases when he pays for it.
If the old fellow is a philanthropist，what is that to you？
If he is an imbecile，it does not concern you.What are you worrying for，so long as he has money？'
The language of a master，and the reasoning of an innkeeper，neither of which admitted of any reply.
The man had placed his elbows on the table，and resumed his thoughtful attitude.
All the other travellers，both pedlers and carters，had withdrawn a little，and had ceased singing.They were staring at him from a distance，with a sort of respectful awe.This poorly dressed man，who drew'hind-wheels'from his pocket with so much ease，and who lavished gigantic dolls on dirty little brats in wooden shoes，was certainly a magnificent fellow，and one to be feared.
Many hours passed.
The midnight mass was over，the chimes had ceased，the drinkers had taken their departure，the drinking-shop was closed，the public room was deserted，the fire extinct，the stranger still remained in the same place and the same attitude.
From time to time he changed the elbow on which he leaned.
That was all；but he had not said a word since Cosette had left the room.
The Thenardiers alone，out of politeness and curiosity，had remained in the room.
