Les Miserables

The wedding between Cosette and Marius is a grand spectacle. Cosette's birth out of wedlock is the only thing that could destroy her chances of happiness. However, Valjean is the only person who has any idea of the truth. He has no desire to stand in the young couple's way. Thinking ahead to the formalities of the wedding, Valjean fakes an accident in which he injures his hand. As such, he will not need to use his signature on the marriage certificate, and no one will question his motivations. No one suspects the secret reasoning behind his injury, as Monsieur Gillenormand signs all the official documents. During the wedding, crowds of people watch. Thénardier—in disguise—sees Valjean and begins to plot.

During the wedding speeches, Valjean slips away unnoticed. Alone in his home, he thinks about losing Cosette and breaks down sobbing. Although he is happy for Cosette, he is heartbroken that he has lost her. He debates whether he should tell Marius the truth about his past.

Swept up in rumination and emotion following the loss of Cosette, Valjean decides that he needs to tell the truth. He decides that Marius should know about his past, so he reveals everything to the young man. Marius is stunned and incredulous. The extent of Valjean's criminal past is beyond anything he expected. However, Valjean implores Marius to believe him. Eventually, Marius accepts that Valjean is telling the truth. He plans to petition the authorities for an official pardon for Valjean, but Valjean rejects this idea. Cosette, unaware of the confession that has just taken place, enters the room and happily greets the two men. Marius and Valjean send her away, insisting that they have unfinished business. Once she is gone, the shocked Marius agrees to Valjean's suggestion that Valjean should no longer see Cosette. Although he is the man who suggested this plan, Valjean cannot bear the thought of never seeing Cosette again. He backtracks and asks that he may see her in the evenings, instead. Shocked, Marius agrees. Once Valjean leaves the house, however, Marius wrestles with his new impression of Valjean. He cannot see beyond Valjean's criminal past. He is also certain that Valjean executed Javert, making him all the more certain that Valjean is a ruthless villain. His thoughts eventually make him question the dowry he received when he married Cosette. He wonders how a criminal like Valjean came into such a large sum of money.

Marius secretly arranges for Cosette to see less of Valjean. He does not reveal his plans to his wife. Instead, he subtly hints at this idea to Valjean who understands and blames himself. Cosette is confused by the situation, but she is so in love with Marius that she begins to forget about Valjean. As such, Valjean's visits become increasingly rare. When he does come to the house, he is only permitted to enter the cellar. Valjean becomes convinced that he has lost Cosette. With his mind "burning with speculation" (1012), he worries that he will never see her again. One day, Cosette forgets about their planned meeting. From that day on, Valjean stops visiting but never stops thinking about Cosette.

Marius continues to worry about Valjean and Thénardier, doing what he can to research their pasts. He convinces Cosette that Valjean is away on a trip. Valjean develops a fever and agonizes over losing the only person in his life who matters to him. His housekeeper worries that he is dying of heartache. He tries to write a letter to Cosette explaining everything, but he cannot finish it without breaking down in tears. Monsieur Thénardier disguises himself as a statesman and pays a visit to Marius. He claims to know a secret concerning Valjean and offers to sell these secrets to Marius for a large amount of money. Marius sees through Thénardier's disguise. He tells Thénardier that he knows exactly who Thénardier is, and that he has no interest in his schemes. With contempt, he offers Thénardier 500 francs simply to go away and never bother him again. During the conversation, however, Thénardier reveals that Valjean is not the hardened criminal that Marius believes him to be. The large dowry, for example, was earned through legitimate business actions when Valjean was still using the name Madeline. Thénardier also reveals the truth about Javert's death, dismissing Marius's belief that the inspector was executed on the barricades.

Marius is shocked. He struggles with the idea that Valjean is an honest and decent man, not the criminal he believed him to be. Thénardier interrupts again, assuring Marius that Valjean has a long and checkered criminal past as a thief and a murderer and a thief. Thénardier explains that on the night of the revolution, he met Valjean carrying a corpse out of the sewers. He shows Marius a torn piece of fabric which he claims to have taken from the murder victim. Marius recognizes the fabric. He goes to his closet and compares the torn fabric to a missing piece in his own old black coat. In a state of shock, Marius grabs whatever money he can and hurls it at Thénardier. He tells Thénardier to take the money and leave. Thénardier snatches the money from the ground and rushes out of the house. The narrator claims that Thénardier took the money and travelled to the United States of America, where he established himself as a slave-trader.

Marius is overcome by the revelation that Valjean is the person who saved his life. If not for Valjean, Marius knows, he would have died at the barricades. Marius feels immeasurably guilty. He finds Cosette and tells his wife everything that he has learned. Together, they rush across the city to Valjean's house. Valjean's condition has worsened. He is close to death and confined to his bed. Nevertheless, his eyes fill with joy when he sees Cosette and Marius. He hugs Cosette and they reconcile their relationship, with Valjean finally revealing to Cosette that her mother was named Fantine and that she suffered greatly. After, Valjean is able to die in peace with the bishop's ghostly presence nearby. He is buried in a common grave without a gravestone, as per his request.