Cosette was the difficulty，for she did not know how to climb a wall.Should he abandon her？
Jean Valjean did not once think of that.It was impossible to carry her.
A man's whole strength is required to successfully carry out these singular ascents.
The least burden would disturb his centre of gravity and pull him downwards.
A rope would have been required；Jean Valjean had none.
Where was he to get a rope at midnight，in the Rue Polonceau？
Certainly，if Jean Valjean had had a kingdom，he would have given it for a rope at that moment.
All extreme situations have their lightning flashes which sometimes dazzle，sometimes illuminate us.
Jean Valjean's despairing glance fell on the street lantern-post of the blind alley Genrot.
At that epoch there were no gas-jets in the streets of Paris.At nightfall lanterns placed at regular distances were lighted；they were ascended and descended by means of a rope，which traversed the street from side to side，and was adjusted in a groove of the post.The pulley over which this rope ran was fastened underneath the lantern in a little iron box，the key to which was kept by the lamp-lighter，and the rope itself was protected by a metal case.
Jean Valjean，with the energy of a supreme struggle，crossed the street at one bound，entered the blind alley，broke the latch of the little box with the point of his knife，and an instant later he was beside Cosette once more.
He had a rope.
These gloomy inventors of expedients work rapidly when they are fighting against fatality.
We have already explained that the lanterns had not been lighted that night.
The lantern in the Cul-de-Sac Genrot was thus naturally extinct，like the rest；and one could pass directly under it without even noticing that it was no longer in its place.
Nevertheless，the hour，the place，the darkness，Jean Valjean's absorption，his singular gestures，his goings and comings，all had begun to render Cosette uneasy.
Any other child than she would have given vent to loud shrieks long before.
She contented herself with plucking Jean Valjean by the skirt of his coat.
They could hear the sound of the patrol's approach ever more and more distinctly.
'Father，'said she，in a very low voice，'I am afraid.
Who is coming yonder？'
'Hush！'replied the unhappy man；'it is Madame Thenardier.'
Cosette shuddered.
He added：——
'Say nothing.
Don't interfere with me.
If you cry out，if you weep，the Thenardier is lying in wait for you.
She is coming to take you back.'
Then，without haste，but without making a useless movement，with firm and curt precision，the more remarkable at a moment when the patrol and Javert might come upon him at any moment，he undid his cravat，passed it round Cosette's body under the armpits，taking care that it should not hurt the child，fastened this cravat to one end of the rope，by means of that knot which seafaring men call a'swallow knot，'took the other end of the rope in his teeth，pulled off his shoes and stockings，which he threw over the wall，stepped upon the mass of masonry，and began to raise himself in the angle of the wall and the gable with as much solidity and certainty as though he had the rounds of a ladder under his feet and elbows.Half a minute had not elapsed when he was resting on his knees on the wall.
Cosette gazed at him in stupid amazement，without uttering a word.Jean Valjean's injunction，and the name of Madame Thenardier，had chilled her blood.
All at once she heard Jean Valjean's voice crying to her，though in a very low tone：——
'Put your back against the wall.'
She obeyed.
'Don't say a word，and don't be alarmed，'went on Jean Valjean.
And she felt herself lifted from the ground.
Before she had time to recover herself，she was on the top of the wall.
Jean Valjean grasped her，put her on his back，took her two tiny hands in his large left hand，lay down flat on his stomach and crawled along on top of the wall as far as the cant.
As he had guessed，there stood a building whose roof started from the top of the wooden barricade and descended to within a very short distance of the ground，with a gentle slope which grazed the linden-tree.A lucky circumstance，
for the wall was much higher on this side than on the street side.Jean Valjean could only see the ground at a great depth below him.
He had just reached the slope of the roof，and had not yet left the crest of the wall，when a violent uproar announced the arrival of the patrol.
The thundering voice of Javert was audible：——
'Search the blind alley！
The Rue Droit-Mur is guarded！so is the Rue Petit-Picpus.I'll answer for it that he is in the blind alley.'
The soldiers rushed into the Genrot alley.
Jean Valjean allowed himself to slide down the roof，still holding fast to Cosette，reached the linden-tree，and leaped to the ground.Whether from terror or courage，Cosette had not breathed a sound，though her hands were a little abraded.
BOOK FIFTH.——FOR A BLACK HUNT，A MUTE PACK
Ⅵ THE BEGINNING OF AN ENIGMA
Jean Valjean found himself in a sort of garden which was very vast and of singular aspect；one of those melancholy gardens which seem made to be looked at in winter and at night.
This garden was oblong in shape，with an alley of large poplars at the further end，tolerably tall forest trees in the corners，and an unshaded space in the centre，where could be seen a very large，solitary tree，then several fruit-trees，gnarled and bristling like bushes，beds of vegetables，a melon patch，whose glass frames sparkled in the moonlight，and an old well.Here and there stood stone benches which seemed black with moss.The alleys were bordered with gloomy and very erect little shrubs.The grass had half taken possession of them，and a green mould covered the rest.
Jean Valjean had beside him the building whose roof had served him as a means of descent，a pile of fagots，and，behind the fagots，directly against the wall，a stone statue，whose mutilated face was no longer anything more than a shapeless mask which loomed vaguely through the gloom.
