|
Jean Valjean is released from the Toulon prisson after 18 years. He was condemned for having stolen some bread for his widow sister's children. He is given a yellow passport which labels him as an ex-convict. After walking for many hours he arrives at the small village of Digne. He is very tired and terribly hungry. Because of his terrible aspect he is obliged to show his yellow passport everywhere so nobody recieves him. Completely exahusted he knowcks on a small door, where some charitable soul told him to go. It is the house of the Bishop of Digne, Mosignor Bienvenu Myriel, who receives him with open arms, invites him to dinner at his table and offers him a confortable bed. But that night, Jean Valjean steals some silver forks from the Bishop, and leaves the house of the one who gave him food and bed. He has not walked so far when he is caught by teh police. He says that the Bishop gave him the silver forks, so he is brought back to the priest's house. Monsignor Myriel confirms the police that what the convict says is true and thtat besides he had given him two silver candelaires that he had forgotten to take. Jean Valjean is then released. The Bishop tells him that with that silver he had bought his soul.
Atonished, Jean Valjean walks trough the woods. Nobody, never, had been so good to him as the Bishop has. Suddenly a little boy appears; he is s chimney sweeper and he is called Petit Gervais. He come singing and playing with a coin. The coin falls from his hand and rolls near Jean Valjean who puts his foot over it. Petit Gervais begs him to return his coin, but Valjean seems not to hear. The boy runs away telling everybody that the terrible man has stolen his coin. When Jean Valjean takes notice what he have done, he begans to look for the boy to return him his coin, but Petit Gervais has dissapeared, |
|
