The letter that Eponine had delivered was addressed to Marius at 16 Rue de la Verrerie. He broke the seal and read it: My beloved, Alas, my father wishes us to leave immediately. Tonight we will stay at 7 Rue de l’Homme Armé. In a week we will be in England. Cosette
Marius was unaware of how Eponine had come to have this letter. She had been as much in love with Marius as he was with Cosette. Determined to keep Marius and Cosette apart, Eponine had borrowed clothes from a young man and warned Valjean to move out.
After receiving the mysterious warning, Valjean had immediately announced to Cosette and Toussaint that they were leaving. Cosette needed to write to Marius, but she couldn’t take the letter herself. Fortunately she noticed the young man in velvet trousers loitering outside the garden gate. Cosette gave the letter to "him," but Eponine did not deliver it.
Now Marius covered Cosette’s letter with kisses. She still loved him! For a moment it seemed that he did not have to die. But then he remembered.
"Her father is taking her to England, and my grandfather refuses to consent to our marriage," said Marius to himself. "Nothing has changed."
So he had only two duties left. The first was to write to Cosette one last time and inform her of his certain death. The second duty was to save Eponine’s brother, Gavroche, by getting him away from the barricade.
Marius took a pencil and paper from his pocket.
My dear Cosette:
We cannot be married. I have asked my grandfather for permission, and he has refused me as you and I are both poor.
I ran to your house in the Rue Plumet, but did not find you there. Do you remember my promise that I would die if you went away? I will keep it, and I will die. I love you. When you read this, my soul will be near you and will smile upon you.
Marius
He did not have an envelope, so he merely folded the letter and wrote Cosette’s address upon it. Marius stood lost in thought for a moment. Then he took out another piece of paper and wrote: My name is Marius Pontmercy. Carry my corpse to my grandfather’s house: Monsieur Gillenormand, 6 Rue des Filles du Calvaire.
He put this note in his pocket, and then he called Eponine’s brother, Gavroche.
"Will you do something for me?" asked Marius.
"Of course I will. You saved my life."
"Leave the barricade immediately. Then take this letter first thing tomorrow morning to Mademoiselle Cosette at 7 Rue de l’Homme Armé."
"But I want to be here when the soldiers attack the barricade again. Can’t I leave tomorrow morning?"
"No, it’ll be too late. The streets will be blockaded and you won’t be able to get out. Go right away!"
Gavroche was still puzzled, but he took the letter and scampered away.
"That street is not far away," said Gavroche to himself. "I can deliver the letter and return in time for the action."
Meanwhile Jean Valjean had calmed down as soon as he reached the Rue de l’Homme Armé. Cosette had not left the Rue Plumet without resistance. It was the first time that her will had clashed with his. They arrived at their new home without speaking. Valjean was so anxious that he didn’t notice Cosette’s sadness, and she was so sad that she didn’t perceive his anxiety.
In their flight from the Rue Plumet, Valjean had taken only a small bundle of clothes and the small suitcase he carried everywhere. A trunk would have required the help of another man, and another man might talk. Toussaint and Cosette took a few clothes and toilet articles. Cosette also took her portable writing desk and its blotter.
The next morning Cosette said that she had a headache and spent the day in bed. Toward evening she came downstairs, but soon returned to her room. While Valjean ate a small supper, he became aware that Toussaint was agitated.
"What’s wrong?" he finally asked the old servant.
"I’m not sure what’s going on," she said. "But there seems to be a battle taking place in the city."
"Oh, really?" he said absently, more concerned with his own affairs.
After supper he felt better and walked around the dining room, still filled with the bundles that Toussaint had packed for them. Suddenly he spotted something strange. Cosette had left her writing desk and blotter on the sideboard when she arrived. The blotter was reflected in the sideboard’s mirror; he could now read the last letter that she had blotted. It was the letter to Marius.
Valjean was stunned. Cosette was in love with a man, and she had told him about their move to England.
"She plans to leave me!" Valjean whispered.
But who could this young man be? It did not take Valjean long to realize that it must be the one from the Luxembourg Gardens. There was no other man with whom Cosette had been in contact. Valjean was so upset that he did not know what he was doing. He went outside and sat on the steps.
That is what he was doing when Gavroche approached him and asked, "Can you tell me where number seven is?"
"What do you want with that house?" asked Valjean.
Gavroche hesitated, but Valjean suddenly had an idea of why the boy might be there.
"Have you brought the letter I’m waiting for?"
"It’s not for you. It’s for a woman."
"The letter is for Mademoiselle Cosette, isn’t it? She told me to wait here for it."
"Yes." Gavroche handed over the letter. "Tell her it came from the barricade at the Rue de la Chanvrerie."
Valjean’s heart was filled with malice toward Marius; he wanted to kill his daughter’s suitor! The old man waited until he was inside the house to read the letter.
As he read it, his anger turned to joy. There was no need to commit murder because Marius was probably already dead. Cosette would not leave Valjean after all!
And yet Valjean was also filled with gloom. Cosette would never know what had happened to Marius. Valjean must try to save him if only for her sake.
For many years Valjean had served as a member of the National Guard. Before dawn he went out, armed and in his uniform. Meanwhile Marius had given his role as leader of the rebels to Enjolras, who ordered that the dead be removed. Four National Guards had been killed; Enjolras had their uniforms laid aside in a pile. There were 37 rebels still alive.
Enjolras went out on a scouting mission. When he returned, he had grim news.
"A third of the army is advancing toward us. As for the people, they have abandoned us. We have four National Guard uniforms here, so four of you can escape. There’s no need for everyone to die."
No one wanted to leave the barricade. It was finally decided that those with families should go. But that meant five men now wanted to leave.
Marius looked up and saw Cosette’s father entering the barricade, dressed in his National Guard uniform.