第二十一章 逮捕被害人即应首先行动
夜幕降临时，沙威已布置好他的人马，自己则埋伏在歌布兰城门街的树林间，正对着戈尔博老屋，在林荫大道的另一侧。他首先采取的行动是"打开他的口袋"，将那两个负责监视匪巢入口的年轻姑娘装了进去。但他只"捕获"了阿兹玛。至于爱波妮，她不在岗位上，已经失踪，他未能抓住她。于是沙威决定按兵不动，侧耳等待约定的信号。几辆马车的来来去去使他极为不安。最后他等得不耐烦了，确信"里面有窝"，确信自己"运气好"，认出了许多进屋的歹徒，终于决定不再等待枪声，直接上楼。
别忘了，他手里有马吕斯的钥匙。
他来得正是时候。
惊慌失措的歹徒们纷纷扑向逃跑时丢弃在各处的武器。不到一秒钟，这七个人——模样狰狞可怖——便已聚集成防御姿态：一个手持砍肉斧，一个握着钥匙，一个挥着木棍，其余人拿着剪刀、钳子和锤子。德纳第手里攥着刀。德纳第大娘抓起一块巨大的铺路石——那石块原本放在窗角，给女儿们当坐垫用。
沙威重新戴上帽子，双臂交叉，手杖夹在腋下，剑插在鞘中，向前迈了两步走进房间。
"站住，"他说，"你们别想从窗户出去，得走门。这样没那么危险。你们有七个人，我们有十五个。咱们别像奥弗涅人那样互相揪着领子干架。"
勃勒纳耶从衬衫下掏出一把一直藏着的 pistol，塞进德纳第手里，附在他耳边低语：
"是沙威。我不敢朝那人开枪。你敢吗？"
"当然！"德纳第回答。
"那好，开枪吧。"
德纳第拿起手枪，瞄准沙威。
沙威离他只有三步远，紧紧盯着他，只说了句：
"喂，别开枪。你会打不响的。"
德纳第扣动扳机。手枪没打响。
"我不是早告诉你了！"沙威喊道。
勃勒纳耶把木棍扔到沙威脚下。
"你是魔鬼中的皇帝！我投降。"
"你呢？"沙威问其余歹徒。
他们回答：
"我们也投降。"
沙威平静地继续说道：
"这就对了，很好，我说过，你们都是好伙计。"
"我只要求一件事，"勃勒纳耶说，"就是关押期间别不给我烟草。"
"准了。"沙威说。
然后他转身朝身后喊道：
"现在进来吧！"
一队警察手持利剑，探员们挥舞着棍棒和短棒，应沙威的召唤冲了进来。他们将歹徒们捆绑起来。
这一群人，被唯一的一支蜡烛照得昏暗，挤满了这个窝棚，投下重重阴影。
"给他们全部戴上手铐！"沙威喊道。
"上前来！"一个声音喊道——那不是人的声音，却没人会说那是女人的声音。
德纳第大娘躲在窗角里，刚才那声吼叫正是她发出的。
警察和探员们后退了。
她已甩掉披肩，但还戴着帽子；她丈夫蹲在她身后，几乎被扔掉的披肩遮住，她用身体掩护着他，同时高举着那块铺路石，摆出女巨人即将投掷巨石的姿势。
"小心！"她喊道。
所有人都挤向走廊。阁楼中央空出了一大片地方。
德纳第大娘扫了一眼那些乖乖被绑的歹徒，用嘶哑粗厉的声音咕哝道：
"懦夫！"
沙威笑了，穿过德纳第大娘虎视眈眈的空地前进。
"别靠近我，"她喊道，"不然我砸碎你。"
"好一个掷弹兵！"沙威喊道，"大娘，你长了男人的胡子，但我有女人的爪子。"
他继续前进。
德纳第大娘披头散发，面目狰狞，两腿叉开，身体后仰，将铺路石朝沙威的头部砸去。沙威一低头，石头从他头顶飞过，砸中身后的墙壁，打落一大块灰泥，然后从墙角弹来弹去，穿过这间如今幸好几乎空无一人的破屋，最后落在沙威脚边。
与此同时，沙威已走到德纳第夫妇面前。他一只大手抓住女人的肩膀，另一只手按住丈夫的头。
"戴手铐！"他喊道。
警察们蜂拥而入，几秒钟内沙威的命令便被执行了。
德纳第大娘被制住，瞪着自己被铐住的双手，又看了看瘫倒在地的丈夫的双手，哭着喊道：
"我的女儿们！"
"她们在拘留所里。"沙威说。
这时，探员们发现了门后熟睡的那个醉汉，于是摇醒他。
他醒来，结结巴巴地说：
"完事了吗，容德雷特？"
"是的。"沙威回答。
六个被铐住的歹徒站着，仍保持着一副鬼魅般的神情；三个涂得满脸黑，三个戴着面具。
"面具别摘。"沙威说。
然后他像弗里德里希二世检阅波茨坦阅兵式那样扫视了一遍，对那三个"扫烟囱的"说：
"你好，勃勒纳耶！你好，布吕荣！你好，二百万！"
接着转向三个戴面具的人，对那个拿砍肉斧的说：
"你好，格勒梅尔！"
对拿木棍的说：
"你好，巴伯！"
对那个腹语者说：
"你好，克拉克苏斯，祝你健康！"
这时他看见了被歹徒们抓住的那个人——自从警察进来后，那人没说过一句话，一直低着头。
"给这位先生松绑！"沙威说，"谁也不许出去！"
说完，他以至高无上的威严坐在桌前，蜡烛和文具还在那里，他从口袋里掏出一张印花公文纸，开始写报告。
刚写了几行——这些固定格式的开头从来不变——他抬起眼睛：
"请那位被这些先生们绑住的先生上前来。"
警察们四下张望。
"喂，"沙威说，"他在哪儿？"
歹徒们的俘虏——勒布朗先生，于尔班·法布尔先生，于絮尔或云雀的父亲——已经不见了。
门有人把守，但窗户没有。他一挣脱束缚，趁沙威写报告时，趁着混乱、人群、黑暗，以及大家注意力分散的当口，从窗户跳了出去。
一名探员冲到窗口张望。外面空无一人。
绳梯还在晃动。
"见鬼！"沙威咬牙切齿地说，"这家伙恐怕是最有价值的了。"
At nightfall, Javert had posted his men and had gone into ambush
himself between the trees of the Rue de la Barrière-des-Gobelins which
faced the Gorbeau house, on the other side of the boulevard. He had
begun operations by opening “his pockets,” and dropping into it the two
young girls who were charged with keeping a watch on the approaches to
the den. But he had only “caged” Azelma. As for Éponine, she was not at
her post, she had disappeared, and he had not been able to seize her.
Then Javert had made a point and had bent his ear to waiting for the
signal agreed upon. The comings and goings of the fiacres had greatly
agitated him. At last, he had grown impatient, and, _sure that there
was a nest there_, sure of being in “luck,” having recognized many of
the ruffians who had entered, he had finally decided to go upstairs
without waiting for the pistol-shot.
It will be remembered that he had Marius’ pass-key.
He had arrived just in the nick of time.
The terrified ruffians flung themselves on the arms which they had
abandoned in all the corners at the moment of flight. In less than a
second, these seven men, horrible to behold, had grouped themselves in
an attitude of defence, one with his meat-axe, another with his key,
another with his bludgeon, the rest with shears, pincers, and hammers.
Thénardier had his knife in his fist. The Thénardier woman snatched up
an enormous paving-stone which lay in the angle of the window and
served her daughters as an ottoman.
Javert put on his hat again, and advanced a couple of paces into the
room, with arms folded, his cane under one arm, his sword in its
sheath.
“Halt there,” said he. “You shall not go out by the window, you shall
go through the door. It’s less unhealthy. There are seven of you, there
are fifteen of us. Don’t let’s fall to collaring each other like men of
Auvergne.”
Bigrenaille drew out a pistol which he had kept concealed under his
blouse, and put it in Thénardier’s hand, whispering in the latter’s
ear:—
“It’s Javert. I don’t dare fire at that man. Do you dare?”
“Parbleu!” replied Thénardier.
“Well, then, fire.”
Thénardier took the pistol and aimed at Javert.
Javert, who was only three paces from him, stared intently at him and
contented himself with saying:—
“Come now, don’t fire. You’ll miss fire.”
Thénardier pulled the trigger. The pistol missed fire.
“Didn’t I tell you so!” ejaculated Javert.
Bigrenaille flung his bludgeon at Javert’s feet.
“You’re the emperor of the fiends! I surrender.”
“And you?” Javert asked the rest of the ruffians.
They replied:—
“So do we.”
Javert began again calmly:—
“That’s right, that’s good, I said so, you are nice fellows.”
“I only ask one thing,” said Bigrenaille, “and that is, that I may not
be denied tobacco while I am in confinement.”
