"Yes, I tried to make him see reason! Do you know what he was doing? Hiding from my Cosette, out of shame, because of something silly in his past! Refusing to live with her, only paying her short visits, calling her madame and acting like he was never a father to her!" Fantine shakes her head. "All because he worried she wouldn't love him if she knew the truth, or even if she did, she would have no friends."
She bites her lip, pensive. "But I wonder if there was something he didn't tell me. You see, he promised me he was visiting Cosette every day, even if his visits were short. He said he would keep doing it. But then...Cosette says he stopped coming at all, he disappeared entirely. And do you know what else? That Javert, he turned up at the very end, as M. Madeleine--that's how I know him, though I know he has other names--just as he was dying." Fantine might be just a bit paler now, as she says, "He visited Cosette as M. Madeleine was dying. He knew where M. Madeleine was, even though Cosette had no idea. And he told Cosette about M. Madeleine's past, the secrets the poor man would have died rather than told."
She looks up at Bahorel, hoping he'll understand. "Do you see? Javert must have threatened M. Madeleine, somehow. That must be why he stayed away from Cosette. And when he told Cosette of M. Madeleine's secrets...Cosette, the sweet child, she thought it was a kindness! It couldn't have been. Oh, M. Madeleine had no need for secrecy, the poor old man, but Javert could only have told Cosette out of spite. To make her hate him, not that she ever would. Oh, you should have seen Javert's face, in Montreuil-sur-Mer." She shudders. That face had been the last thing she saw before death. "When he arrested M. Madeleine. He looked so happy, so pleased with his cruelty!"
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She bites her lip, pensive. "But I wonder if there was something he didn't tell me. You see, he promised me he was visiting Cosette every day, even if his visits were short. He said he would keep doing it. But then...Cosette says he stopped coming at all, he disappeared entirely. And do you know what else? That Javert, he turned up at the very end, as M. Madeleine--that's how I know him, though I know he has other names--just as he was dying." Fantine might be just a bit paler now, as she says, "He visited Cosette as M. Madeleine was dying. He knew where M. Madeleine was, even though Cosette had no idea. And he told Cosette about M. Madeleine's past, the secrets the poor man would have died rather than told."
She looks up at Bahorel, hoping he'll understand. "Do you see? Javert must have threatened M. Madeleine, somehow. That must be why he stayed away from Cosette. And when he told Cosette of M. Madeleine's secrets...Cosette, the sweet child, she thought it was a kindness! It couldn't have been. Oh, M. Madeleine had no need for secrecy, the poor old man, but Javert could only have told Cosette out of spite. To make her hate him, not that she ever would. Oh, you should have seen Javert's face, in Montreuil-sur-Mer." She shudders. That face had been the last thing she saw before death. "When he arrested M. Madeleine. He looked so happy, so pleased with his cruelty!"