Les Misérables

19 years for a loaf of bread.

Aaargh!

My guess, you'll be back in here before another year's gone by.

And next time it'll be for life.

You can never win.

Do you promise you'll be good to me, Felix?

On my life.

Three galloping horses

will be carrying us home to our mamas and papas.

We are leaving. We have left.

Oh, Cosette, whatever are we going to do now?

Rich pickings here. Aargh!

Ooh! You saved my life. Who are you?

Thenardier, sir.

Jean Valjean, my brother,

I have bought your soul with that silverware and these candlesticks.

You belong to good.

Did you see my 40 sous, monsieur?

Get lost! Go on!

You've got my money. You're a dirty thief!

Petit Gervais!

Maman, I'm tired.

Two, three...

Oh, there's a good girl.

All right.

Maman loves you.

Very much.

You have two lovely children there, madame. They are.

They are, though I says so, I shouldn't.

Eponine and Azelma. My pride and joy, ain't you, girls?

But you've got a lovely little one too.

And such fine clothes.

Do you want to come and sit down, take the weight off your feet?

Thank you, madame. Look, your little girl can play with mine.

What's her name? Cosette.

Have you come a long way? You look ever so tired. From Paris.

I'm on my way to Montreuil.

I've heard there's some good work to be had there.

Where's hubby?

Erm...

He's... He's dead.

Oh, dear.

So you've had a hard time of it, I dare say.

Yes, I have.

But once I get into a steady job, I'll soon be on my feet again.

Yeah, of course you will.

Still, it's not easy holding down a job with a little one in tow, is it?

No.

Do you keep the inn here?

Yeah, that's right, dear. Thenardier's the name.

See that sign there? That's my husband.

He was the hero of Waterloo. He saved a colonel's life.

Carried him on his back through a hail of bullets.

Was your hubby a military man at all?

No.

A poet. Oh!

Very nice.

Not a lot of money in that though, I shouldn't wonder.

Oh, look at that!

Children make friends in no time, don't they?

Maman!

If you walked past that, you'd swear they were three sisters.

Could you look after my child for a while, madame?

Oh... You see, you were right.

It's hard to get work, especially when you have a child with you.

Yeah, especially when you're on your own.

When I saw your little ones looking so pretty and well cared for,

I knew that the good Lord had guided me here.

Will you?

I could pay.

Six francs a month.

Seven.

Good morning, mademoiselle. Monsieur.

It'll have to be seven. You wouldn't want us to skimp on her meals,

so that's seven francs, six months in advance.

I'll be back before then to get her, I'm sure, monsieur.

In that case we'd refund you, but those are the terms, regrettably.

We can't make any exceptions or where would we be?

Six sevens, that's 42 francs.

Yeah.

And we'll have to think about initial expenses too, of course.

Shall we say a nominal sum of 15 francs?

15 and 42, that's 57 francs.

57?

I'll pay it.

You will look after her and love her like your own?

Oh, we love her already, don't we, Thenardier?

Of course we do. How could we not?

Come here. Come on.

Believe me, mademoiselle,

your little darling will want for nothing in our loving care,

yeah.

Thank you.

Come here. Come here, little ones. Come and play with Daddy.

Oh, look! That's a lovely cup of tea you've got there, eh.

Cosette, now you're to be a good girl,

and this kind lady and gentleman

will look after you for a while.

No.And Maman will be back for you very soon.

No, Maman.

It's all right, my darling.

Maman! Maman!

Maman, please!

Maman.

Maman. I'll be back, darling.

It's all for the best, you'll see. Please, no!

Can't let them have all their own way, can we? Maman!

All right, bye, Maman. Maman!

Maman, please! Please!

Come on.

Maman!

Monsieur Madeleine.

Pere Madeleine, as he is known by many of you,

came to Montreuil three years ago.

On the very day he arrived,

he rushed into a burning house

and brought out two children, saving their lives.

He has brought new industry to the area

and his factory has turned the fortunes of our town around.

We are all better off because of Pere Madeleine.

He has been a wise and generous employer.

Ever reluctant to put himself forward,

he has at last been persuaded by the grateful citizens

to accept the office of Mayor of Montreuil.

Mesdames et Messieurs, Monsieur Madeleine.

Monsieur Madeleine!

Citizens of Montreuil, my friends...

...I thank you for the, erm, trust that you've, you've...

you've shown in me.

Good day.

Monsieur Madeleine!

Excuse me. I'm looking for some work.

Come.

Come. Nothing to be frightened of.

Sit here.

Your name?

Fantine, monsieur,

Fantine Thibault.

And you are new in the town?

Yes.

I was living in Paris. What work were you doing there?

I was a seamstress at a dressmaker's.

Well, the work here needs nimble fingers too,

so, you think you can learn it? Yes.

And if you take me, I'll work very hard.

You won't regret it.

Good.

So what are your, erm, family circumstances?

I am alone in the world, sir.

No husband? No.

No lover?

No children?

As I said, sir, I'm...

I'm alone in the world.

It's very important to me and to you, Fantine,

that you're completely honest with me.

You don't believe me?

Why should you care about my life anyway? I care about all my workers.

So...

...all alone in the world?

Yes, monsieur.

I'll take you on a month's probation.

And if you work well, you can prosper here.

Thank you, monsieur. Thank you.

Madame Victurnien, will you show her to a table?

Are you are able to begin right away?

Yes, of course, Monsieur Madeleine. Good.

Well, go now. Thank you again, monsieur.

Thank you.

His bedhead's supposed to be solid gold.

Carved angels, wings - everything.

I wouldn't mind spreading my wings in his bed.

What?!

Be a bit gentler, Fantine. You don't want to snag it.

That's good, Fantine.

You're getting the hang of it.

Monsieur le Maire!

All right, boys?

There you are.

All right?

Here, take that. Good boy.

And I hope this finds you well, Monsieur and Madame Thenardier...

...and that my Cosette has been a good girl for you.

Tell her Maman loves her

and sends her a thousand kisses,

and hopes to be able to fetch her very soon. Collect her.

Collect her.

Thank you.

And she sends you a thousand kisses. Mwah!

And hopes to be able to collect her very soon.

"I remain your very humble..." Oooh!

Et cetera, et cetera.

Very fancy language! She sent the money, eh?

Sent a bit extra to buy the dear little thing some treats.

That won't be happening. If she's got enough to send a bit extra,

it's time to raise the rates. What do you reckon? 12 francs?

No, 15. I'll write to her today. I could do with a treat, Thenardier.

And you shall get one, my little pigeon.

All in good time, when things look up a bit.

Any spare cash has got to go towards the bills.