Little by little the opposition subsides. Blackening becomes ill-nature, then malicious remarks, then nothing. Respect becomes complete, unanimous, cordial. Toward 1821 the word Monsieur le Maire is pronounced with almost the same accent as Monseigneur the Bishop in 1815. People come ten leagues to consult him. He ends differences, prevents lawsuits, reconciles enemies. It seems as though he had for a soul the book of the natural law. It is like an epidemic of veneration.
One single man in the town absolutely escapes this contagion. A bestial instinct, pure and upright, warns the man-dog of the presence of the man-cat. When Madeleine passes, calm, surrounded by blessings, a man of lofty stature, iron-gray frock-coat, heavy cane, battered hat, turns round abruptly and follows him with his eyes, upper lip raised: What is that man, after all? I certainly have seen him somewhere. In any case, I am not his dupe. His name is Javert. He belongs to the police. He arrived after the fortune was made. He has that police physiognomy minus the baseness. If souls were visible, each person would correspond to an animal. The peasants of Asturias believe that in every litter of wolves there is one dog, which the mother kills, or he would devour the other little ones. Give to this dog-son of a wolf a human face, and the result will be Javert.
He was born in prison, of a fortune-teller whose husband was in the galleys. Society unpardoningly excludes two classes: those who attack it and those who guard it. He had no choice. He entered the police; at forty he is an inspector. Flat nose, two forests of whiskers, two caverns of nostrils; serious, a watchdog; when he laughs, a tiger. Two sentiments, exaggerated until almost bad: respect for authority, hatred of rebellion. Every crime is only a form of rebellion. The functionary can make no mistake. These men are irremediably lost. He is a spy as other men are priests. He would have arrested his own father. His connection with humanity is a pinch of snuff. Javert is like an eye constantly fixed on Madeleine. Madeleine treats him with ease and courtesy. Javert investigates anterior traces; once, talking to himself, he says he thinks he has him. Then he remains pensive for three days. The thread breaks. Instinct can become confused. One day, nevertheless, his strange manner appears to produce an impression on Madeleine. It is on the following occasion.
