Les Miserables: Volume 4, Book 8 Summary & Analysis

Chapter 1 It was Eponine who had originally pointed the Rue Plumet home out to Marius, enabling him to finally enter Cosette’s garden. Now, he enters every evening that May of 1832. They only hold each other’s hands and profess the kind of inanities common to people in love. Marius attempts to compliment Cosette, and they often laugh easily and familiarly. In general, they idolize each other.

Chapter 2 Marius had told Cosette that he was an orphan and lawyer, and that he was on bad terms with his wealthy grandfather, but Cosette cares little about these worldly attributes. Marius feels the same: it doesn’t even occur to him to tell her about the night at the Thenardiers’ and her father’s strange flight. The lovers tell each other everything but what’s related to reality, and they never ask what their love will lead to.

Chapter 3 With Cosette happy again, Valjean suspects nothing and is content himself. The couple hides in the garden for hours, and Marius usually doesn’t go away until after midnight. Courfeyrac notices his friend’s change of habits and jovially asks what “her” name is, but Marius stays silent.

One day Marius is on his way to the garden when a girl greets him: it is Eponine, whom he hasn’t thought of since the day she led him to Cosette’s. The narrator notes that love can bar someone from enacting evil, but it can also make him too thoughtless to be good. Marius greets Eponine with the formal “you.” She exclaims, “Say—” but then pauses, trying to smile, abruptly says good evening again, and hurries away.

Chapter 4 The next day is June 3rd, 1832. That night, Marius once again catches sight of Eponine on the way to the Rue Plumet, so he ducks out of sight. Eponine follows him, unsuspecting, and watches him slip into the garden. Towards ten o’clock six men enter the Rue Plumet together and begin to talk softly, asking if this is the place, and if there’s a “dog” in the garden—if so, another one says, he has a “ball” that they’ll make him eat. One of the men comes up to the garden entrance, but suddenly Eponine shows herself to the man—it’s her father, Thenardier.

Thenardier asks what Eponine is doing there, and says she shouldn’t hinder them, but she asks sweetly how he managed the escape, and how her mother is doing. She hugs him, and then turns to the five others, including Brujon and Montparnasse. She says she’s made inquiries, and there’s nothing in this house—it’s poor folks who have little money. Eponine entreats Montparnasse not to enter, and finally says firmly that she won’t allow it. She’ll scream, beat the door, and have all six seized. She’s not afraid, even of her father. She’s used to being hungry and cold and couldn’t be bothered if she died the next day.

Montparnasse flashes his knife and tells the others to go in and do the job: he’ll stay and take care of Eponine. Thenardier says nothing. But Brujon, who has the reputation of never turning back, seems thoughtful and suggests that they go away. Eponine watches them retreat into the dark and gloom.

Chapter 5 Then the Rue Plumet becomes calm and sleepy again. The previous scene recalls the forest, where wild nature feeds off gloom, bestiality, and hunger in search of prey.

Chapter 6 Meanwhile, Marius had found Cosette weeping in the garden. Her father has business that may require them to go to England. For six weeks Marius has been living outside life, now he’s forced to return to it. He coldly asks if Cosette will join him, speaking with the formal “you,” and she asks what he expects her to do—she’ll go with her father. Then he’ll go elsewhere, Marius says. Cosette says he can go away with them, but he replies that she’s mad—he’s in debt, has few clothes, and can’t afford a passport. Marius throws himself against a tree, then turns around to see Cosette sobbing. They swear they love each other; Marius says he’ll die if she leaves. He says not to expect him tomorrow: he has a plan. He gives her his address in case something happens, engraving “16 Rue de la Verrerie” on the wall.

Chapter 7 Gillenormand is over 91 years old and still lives with his daughter. He’s been waiting for Marius for four years, confident that the young man would ring the bell at some point, though feeling incapable of taking the first step towards reconciliation. He has a portrait of his other daughter in his room, and one day tells Mademoiselle Gillenormand that the portrait has a likeness to Marius. But when she asks if he’s still angry with Marius, Gillenormand cries that he’s an ingrate, a wicked scoundrel.

Still, Mademoiselle Gillenormand’s attempt to insert Theodule as the new heir hasn’t worked. Theodule is vulgar and gloats too much about his mistresses; finally Gillenormand tells his daughter not to invite him anymore. One June evening, Gillenormand is thinking lovingly but bitterly of Marius, when the butler asks if M. Marius may come in. He stammers yes, and Marius enters. Gillenormand is overwhelmed with happiness. He thinks that Marius seems noble and distinguished despite being clothed in rags.

Gillenormand’s joy is not clear in his harsh words asking why Marius has come—and Marius says it’s not to beg his pardon. With grief and anger, his grandfather asks what he wants. Marius asks him to have pity on him. These words are too late, however. Gillenormand rises up, saying that Marius has all the advantages of youth whereas he himself is wasting away, and he has no right to ask for “pity.” As he’s speaking, he realizes that his harshness will probably drive Marius away. This increases his despair, which only makes him more furious—he cries that Marius has become a dandy and debtor. Finally, Marius says he wants to ask for permission to marry.

Gillenormand rings for his daughter, who looks at Marius, frightened. Sarcastically, Gillenormand remarks that Marius has come merely for a formality. He asks if Marius earns anything by his trade of lawyer, and Marius says he does not. Gillenormand exclaims that he’s 21, has no profession, and lives on only 1,200 livres a year (which, in fact, Marius has never accepted). Marius begs his grandfather to permit him to marry, crying out, “Father!” but he cries, “Never!” Marius loses all hope, and slowly exits the chamber. At the moment when he opens the door, Gillenormand seizes him by the collar and drags him back into the room, ordering him to tell him all about his situation. It was the word “Father” that enacted this change, and suddenly Gillenormand takes on a paternal, though brusque, kindness.

Marius begins to tell Gillenormand about Cosette. Gillenormand responds that it’s right to be in love at his age: Marius must simply come talk to him, and he’ll iron everything out. The old man then starts laughing and tells Marius to make the woman his mistress. Marius turns pale, picks up his hat, and says that Gillenormand has insulted his wife: he can ask nothing more of him. Gillenormand remains stunned and motionless, and then races out the door, but Marius is nowhere to be seen. Gillenormand raises his hands to his head with an anguished expression, and then falls back into an armchair in a faint.