When Javert left the Gorbeau house with the robbers loaded into three cabs, it was still only nine in the evening. Marius soon slipped out of the house too and went to find Courfeyrac. For political reasons, as he put it, Courfeyrac had moved to the Rue de la Verrerie. When Marius said he would sleep at his place that night, Courfeyrac pulled one of the two mattresses off his bed, laid it on the floor and said: help yourself.
By seven next morning Marius was back at the Gorbeau house, paying his rent and what he owed the old woman. He loaded his books, bed, table, chest of drawers and two chairs onto a handcart and left no new address. When Javert came round later that morning to ask about the night before, all he got from the old woman was one word. Moved!
He had two reasons for leaving in such a hurry. One was that he had come to loathe the place. In that room he had seen poverty wearing its most savage face, and seen it far too close. The other was that he did not want to be called at the coming trial and give evidence against Thénardier.