Thénardier. Marius knew that name. It was written in his father’s note. In that battle of Waterloo my life was saved by a sergeant, a man named Thénardier; should my son come across him, let him do Thénardier every kindness in his power. For four years he had searched for this man. He had sworn that when he found him he would throw himself at his feet.
Now he had found him. The man who had saved his father’s life was a robber, and Marius was about to hand him to the police. If he fired, Monsieur Leblanc would live and Thénardier would be finished. If he did not, Monsieur Leblanc would be sacrificed and Thénardier might get away. Ursule seemed to plead with him for her father’s life, while the colonel seemed to plead for Thénardier.
There was no time even to think, the scene next door was spinning on like a whirlpool, and he felt close to losing his senses.