Since the Restoration disputes my right to this title which I purchased with my blood，my son shall take it and bear it.That he will be worthy of it is a matter of course.'
Below，the colonel had added：
'At that same battle of Waterloo，a sergeant saved my life.The man's name was Thenardier.
I think that he has recently been keeping a little inn，in a village in the neighborhood of Paris，at Chelles or Montfermeil.
If my son meets him，he will do all the good he can to Thenardier.'
Marius took this paper and preserved it，not out of duty to his father，but because of that vague respect for death which is always imperious in the heart of man.
Nothing remained of the colonel.
M.Gillenormand had his sword and uniform sold to an old-clothes dealer.
The neighbors devastated the garden and pillaged the rare flowers.
The other plants turned to nettles and weeds，and died.
Marius remained only forty-eight hours at Vernon.
After the interment he returned to Paris，and applied himself again to his law studies，with no more thought of his father than if the latter had never lived.In two days the colonel was buried，and in three forgotten.
Marius wore crape on his hat.
That was all.
BOOK THIRD.——THE GRANDFATHER AND THE GRANDSON
Ⅴ THE UTILITY OF GOING TO MASS，IN ORDER TO BECOME A REVOLUTIONIST
Marius had preserved the religious habits of his childhood.One Sunday，when he went to hear mass at Saint-Sulpice，at that same chapel of the Virgin whither his aunt had led him when a small lad，he placed himself behind a pillar，being more absent-minded and thoughtful than usual on that occasion，and knelt down，without paying any special heed，upon a chair of Utrecht velvet，on the back of which was inscribed this name：
Monsieur Mabeuf，warden.
Mass had hardly begun when an old man presented himself and said to Marius：——
'This is my place，sir.'
Marius stepped aside promptly，and the old man took possession of his chair.
The mass concluded，Marius still stood thoughtfully a few paces distant；the old man approached him again and said：——
'I beg your pardon，sir，for having disturbed you a while ago，and for again disturbing you at this moment；you must have thought me intrusive，and I will explain myself.'
'There is no need of that，Sir，'said Marius.
'Yes！'went on the old man，'I do not wish you to have a bad opinion of me.
You see，I am attached to this place.
It seems to me that the mass is better from here.
Why？
I will tell you.It is from this place，that I have watched a poor，brave father come regularly，every two or three months，for the last ten years，since he had no other opportunity and no other way of seeing his child，because he was prevented by family arrangements.He came at the hour when he knew that his son would be brought to mass.
The little one never suspected that his father was there.Perhaps he did not even know that he had a father，poor innocent！The father kept behind a pillar，so that he might not be seen.He gazed at his child and he wept.
He adored that little fellow，poor man！
I could see that.
This spot has become sanctified in my sight，and I have contracted a habit of coming hither to listen to the mass.
I prefer it to the stall to which I have a right，in my capacity of warden.
I knew that unhappy gentleman a little，too.He had a father-in-law，a wealthy aunt，relatives，I don't know exactly what all，who threatened to disinherit the child if he，the father，saw him.
He sacrificed himself in order that his son might be rich and happy some day.
He was separated from him because of political opinions.
Certainly，I approve of political opinions，but there are people who do not know where to stop.Mon Dieu！a man is not a monster because he was at Waterloo；a father is not separated from his child for such a reason as that.He was one of Bonaparte's colonels.
He is dead，I believe.
He lived at Vernon，where I have a brother who is a cure，and his name was something like Pontmarie or Montpercy.
He had a fine sword-cut，on my honor.'
'Pontmercy，'suggested Marius，turning pale.
'Precisely，Pontmercy.
Did you know him？'
'Sir，'said Marius，'he was my father.'
The old warden clasped his hands and exclaimed：——
'Ah！you are the child！
Yes，that's true，he must be a man by this time.
Well！poor child，you may say that you had a father who loved you dearly！'
Marius offered his arm to the old man and conducted him to his lodgings.
On the following day，he said to M.Gillenormand：——
'I have arranged a hunting-party with some friends.
Will you permit me to be absent for three days？'
'Four！'replied his grandfather.
'Go and amuse yourself.'
And he said to his daughter in a low tone，and with a wink，'Some love affair！'
BOOK THIRD.——THE GRANDFATHER AND THE GRANDSON
Ⅵ THE CONSEQUENCES OF HAVING MET A WARDEN
Where it was that Marius went will be disclosed a little further on.
Marius was absent for three days，then he returned to Paris，went straight to the library of the law-school and asked for the files of the Moniteur.
He read the Moniteur，he read all the histories of the Republic and the Empire，the Memorial de Sainte-Helene，all the memoirs，all the newspapers，the bulletins，the proclamations；he devoured everything.
The first time that he came across his father's name in the bulletins of the grand army，he had a fever for a week.He went to see the generals under whom Georges Pontmercy had served，among others，Comte H.Church-warden Mabeuf，whom he went to see again，told him about the life at Vernon，the colonel's retreat，his flowers，his solitude.
Marius came to a full knowledge of that rare，sweet，and sublime man，that species of lion-lamb who had been his father.
In the meanwhile，occupied as he was with this study which absorbed all his moments as well as his thoughts，he hardly saw the Gillenormands at all.
He made his appearance at meals；then they searched for him，and he was not to be found.
Father Gillenormand smiled.
'Bah！bah！He is just of the age for the girls！'
Sometimes the old man added：'The deuce！