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!"
马吕斯一直保持着幼年时养成的那些宗教习气。在一个星期日，他到圣稣尔比斯去望弥撒，那是一座圣母堂，是他从小由他姨母带去做礼拜的地方。那天，他的心情比平时来得散乱沉重些，无意中走去跪在一根石柱后面的一张乌德勒支①丝绒椅上，在那椅背上有这样几个字：“本堂理财神甫马白夫先生。”弥撒刚开始，便有一个老人过来对马吕斯说：
①乌德勒支（Utrecht），荷兰城市，以纺织品著名于世。
“先生，这是我的位子。”
马吕斯连忙闪开，让老人就座。
弥撒结束后，马吕斯站在相隔几步的地方，若有所思，那老人又走过来对他说：
“我来向您道歉，先生，我刚才打搅了您，现在又来打搅您，您一定觉得我这人有些不近人情吧，我得向您解释一下。”
“先生，”马吕斯说，“不用了。”
“一定得解释一下，”老人接着说，“我不愿在您心里留下一个不好的印象。您看得出，我很重视这个位子。我觉得在这位子上望弥撒来得好些。为什么？让我向您说清楚。就是在这位子上，一连好多年间，每隔两三个月，我总看见一个可怜的好父亲走来望他的孩子，这是他唯一可以看见他孩子的机会和办法，因为，由于家庭达成的协议，不许他接近他的孩子。他知道人家在什么时候把他那孩子带来望弥撒，他便趁那时赶来。那小的并不知道他父亲在这里。他也许还不知道他有一个父亲呢，那天真的娃儿！他父亲，惟恐人家看见他，便待在这柱子后面。他望着他的孩子，只淌眼泪。他心疼着他的孩子呢，可怜的汉子！我见了那种情形，这里便成了我心上的圣地，我来望弥撒总爱待在这地方，这已成了习惯了。我是本堂的理财神甫，我原有我的功德板凳可以坐，但是我就爱待在这地方。那位先生的不幸我也多少知道一些。他有一个岳丈，一个有钱的大姨子，还有一些亲戚，我就不太知道了。那一伙子都威吓他，不许他这做父亲的来看他孩子，否则，便不让他的孩子继承遗产。他为了儿子将来有一天能有钱，幸福，只好牺牲他自己。人家要拆散他们父子是为了政治上的见解不同。政治上的见解我当然全都赞同，但有些人确也太没止境了。我的天主！一个人决不会因为到过滑铁卢便成了魔鬼。我们总不该为这一点事便硬把父亲撇开，不让他碰他的孩子。那人是波拿巴的一个上校。他已经去世了，我想是的。他当年住在韦尔农，我的兄弟便在那城里当神甫，他好象是叫朋玛丽或是孟培西什么的。我的天，他脸上有一道好大的刀伤。”
“彭眉胥吧？”马吕斯面无人色，问了一声。
“一点不错。正是彭眉胥。您认识他吗？”
“先生，”马吕斯说，“那是我的父亲。”
那年老的理财神甫两手相握，大声说道：
“啊！您就是那孩子！对，没错，到现在那应当是个大人了。好！可怜的孩子，真可以说您有过一位着实爱您的父亲！”
马吕斯伸出手臂搀着那老人，送他回家。第二天，他对吉诺曼先生说：
“我和几个朋友约好要去打一次猎。您肯让我去玩一趟，三天不回家吗？”
“四天也成！”他外公回答说，“去吧，去开开心。”
同时，他挤眉弄眼，对他的女儿低声说：
“找到小娘们了！”
