Join Host Bree Carlile as she reads the fifty-sixth chapter of Les Miserables.

Come with us as we release one bite a day of one of your favorite classic novels, plays & short stories. Bree reads these classics like she reads to her daughter, one chapter a day. If you love books or audiobooks and want something to listen to as you're getting ready, driving to work, or as you're getting ready for bed, check out Bite at a Time Books!

Follow, rate, and review Bite at a Time Books where we read you your favorite classics, one bite at a time. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.

Check out our website, or join our Facebook Group!

Get exclusive Behind the Scenes content on our YouTube!

We are now part of the Bite at a Time Books Productions network!

If you ever wondered what inspired your favorite classic novelist to write their stories, what was happening in their lives or the world at the time, check out Bite at a Time Books Behind the Story wherever you listen to podcasts.

Follow us on all the socials: Instagram - Twitter - Facebook - TikTok

Follow Bree at: Instagram - Twitter - Facebook

>> Speaker A: Take a look, in the book and let's see

what we can find.

Take it chapter by chapter. One

fight M at a time

so many adventures and

mountains we can climb

to give word for word, line by

line, one bite at a time.

>> Brie Carlisle: Welcome to bite at a time books where we read you your

favorite classics one byte at a time. my name is

Bre Carlisle and I love to read and wanted to

share my passion with listeners like you. If you

want to know whats coming next and vote on upcoming

books, sign up for our

newsletter@biteattimebooks.com dot.

Youll also find our new t shirts in the shop,

including podcast shirts and quote shirts from your

favorite classic novels. Be sure to follow my

show on your favorite podcast platform so you get all the new

episodes. You can find most of our links in the

show notes, but also our website,

byteadatimebooks.com includes all of the links for

our show, including to our Patreon to

support the show and YouTube, where we have special

behind the narration of the episodes were part

of the byte at a Time Books productions network. If

youd also like to hear what inspired your favorite classic

authors to write their novels and what was going

on in the world at the time, check out the bite at a

time books behind the story podcast. Wherever

you listen to podcasts, please note,

while we try to keep the text as close to the original as

possible, some words have been changed

to honor the marginalized communities whove identified the

words as harmful and to stay in alignment

with Byte at a time books brand.

>> Brie Carlisle: Values today well be

continuing Les Miserable by Victor

Hugo chapter two

the perspicacity of Master chauffeur

from the town hall he betook himself

to the extremity of the town, to a Fleming named

Master French, who

let out horses and cabriolets as desired.

In order to reach this chauffeilur, the

shortest way was to take the little frequented street

in which was situated the parsonage of the parish in

which Monsieur Madeleine resided. The

curie was, it was said, a

worthy, respectable, and sensible man.

At the moment when Monsieur Madeleine arrived in front of the parsonage,

there was but one passerby in the street, and

this person noticed this after the

mayor had passed the priests house, he halted,

stood motionless, then turned

about and retraced his steps to the door of the

parsonage, which had an iron knocker.

He laid his hand quickly on the knocker and lifted it.

Then he paused again and stopped short, as

though in thought, and after the lapse of a

few seconds. Instead of allowing the knocker to

fall abruptly, he placed it

gently and resumed his way. With a sort of haste

which had not been apparent previously,

Monsieur Madeleine found master chauffeur at home.

Engaged in stitching a harness over Master

chauffalier, he inquired, have you a good

horse, Mister mayor? Said the

Fleming. All my horses are good. What do you

mean by a good horse? I mean a

horse which can travel 20 leagues in a day.

The deuce, said the Fleming. 20

leagues. Yes. Hitched to a

cabriolet. Yes. And how

long can he rest? At the end of his journey, he must be

able to set out again on the next day, if necessary

to traverse the same road.

Yes. The deuce,

the deuce, and it is 20 leagues.

Monsieur Madeleine drew from his pocket the paper on which he had

penciled some figures. He showed it to the

Fleming. The figures were five,

six, eight and a half. You

see? He said, total 19 and

a half as well. Say 20 leagues.

Mister mayor turned to Fleming. I

have just what you want, my little white horse.

You may have seen him pass occasionally. He is a small

beast from Lord Boulonnais. He is full of

fire. They wanted to make a saddle horse of him at

first. Bah. He reared, he

kicked, he laid everybody flat on the ground. He was thought

to be vicious, and no one knew what to do with him. I

bought him. I harnessed him to a carriage. That

is what he wanted, sir. He is as gentle as a girl.

He goes like the wind. Ah. indeed. He must not

be mounted. It does not suit his ideas to be a saddle

horse. Everyone has its ambition.

Draw. Yes. Carry.

No. We must suppose that is what he said to

himself. And he will accomplish the

trip. Youre 20 leagues, all at a full

trot, and in less than 8 hours. But here are

the conditions. State them. in the first place,

you will give him half an hours breathing spell. Midway up the

road, he will eat, and someone must be

by while hes eating to prevent the stable boy of the inn

from stealing his oats. For ive noticed that in

inns the oats are more often drunk by the stable men and

eaten by the horses. Someone will be

by. In the second place is the

cabriolet for Monsieur le Maire. Yes.

Does Monsieur le maire know how to drive?

Yes. Well, Monsieur le Maire will

travel alone and without baggage in order not to overload

the horse. Agreed. But as

Monsieur le Maire will have no one with him, hell be obliged to take

trouble himself of seeing that the oats are not stolen.

That is understood. I am to have 30 francs

a day, a days of rest to be paid for also

not a farthing less. And the beasts food to be at Monsieur

le Maires expense. Monsieur Madeleine

drew three napoleons from his purse and laid them on the

table. Here is the pay for two days in

advance. Fourthly, for such a journey a

cabriolet would be too heavy and would fatigue the

horse. Monsieur le Maire must consent to travel in a little

Tilbury that I own. I consent to

that. It is light, but it has no

cover. That makes no difference to me.

As Monsieur Lemaire reflected that we are in the middle of

winter, Monsieur Madeleine did not

reply. The Fleming resumed

that it is very cold.

Monsieur Madeleine preserved silence.

Master chauffeur continued that it

may rain. Monsieur Madeleine raised

his head and said, the Tilbury and the horse

will be in front of my door tomorrow morning at 04:30

oclock. Of course, Monsieur le Maire, replied

chauffeilur. Then, scratching a speck in the

wood of the table with his thumbnail, he resumed with

that careless air which the Flemings understand so

well how to mingle with their shrewdness.

But this is what I am thinking of now.

Monsieur le Maire has not told me where he is going.

Where is Monsieur le Maire going? He

had been thinking of nothing else since the beginning of the conversation,

but he did not know why. He had not dared to put the question,

are your horses forelegs? Good? Said

Monsieur Madeleine. Yes, Monsieur le Maire.

You must hold him in a little. When going downhill.

Are there many descends between here and the place whither

you are going? Do not forget to be at my door at

30 oclock tomorrow morning, replied

Monsieur Madeleine, and he took his departure.

The Fleming remained utterly stupid,

as he himself said. Sometime afterwards.

The mayor had been gone two or three minutes. When the door opened

again, it was the mayor once more.

He still wore the same impassive and preoccupied

air. Monsieur Chauffeur, said

he at ah. What sum? do you estimate the value of the

horse and Tilbury which you are to let me

the one bearing the other, the one

dragging the other. Monsieur le Maire, said the Fleming

with a broad smile. So be it.

Well, does Monsieur le Maire wish

to purchase them or me? No, but

I wish to guarantee you. In any case, you shall give me

back the sum at my return. At what value do you

estimate your horse and cabriolet?

500 francs, Monsieur le Maire. Here it

is. Monsieur Madeleine laid a bank bill

on the table then left the room, and this

time he did not return. Master

Chauvelinur experienced a frightful regret that he had not said

a thousand francs. Besides, the horse and Tilbury

together were worth but 100 crowns. The

Fleming called his wife and related the affair to her.

Where the devil could Monsieur le Maire be going?

They held council together. He is going to

Paris, said the wife. I dont believe

it, said the husband. Monsieur Madeleine

had forgotten the paper with the figures on it, and it lay on the

chimneypiece. The Fleming picked it up and

studied it. Five, six,

eight and a half. That must designate the posting

relays. He turned to his wife.

I have found out what it

is. Five leagues from here to Hesden. Six

from Hesden to St. Pole. Eight and a half from St.

Paul to Arras. Hes going to Arras.

Meanwhile, Monsieur Madeleine had returned home.

He had taken the longest way to return from master

Chauffeur's, as though the parsonage door had been a

temptation for him and he had wished to avoid

it. He ascended to his room,

and there he shut himself up, which was

a very simple act, since he liked to go to bed early.

Nevertheless, the portress of the factory, who

was at the same time Monsieur Madeleines only

servant, noticed that the latters light was

extinguished at 08:30 and she mentioned it

to the cashier when he came home, adding, is

Monsieur le maire ill? I thought he had a rather singular

air. This cashier occupied

a room situated directly under Monsieur Madeleines

Chamber. He paid no heed to the

portress words, but M. Went to bed and

to sleep. Towards midnight he woke

up with a start. In his sleep he had heard a noise

above his head. He listened.

It was a footstep, pacing back and

forth as though someone were walking in the room above

him. He listened more attentively

and recognized Monsieur Madeleines step.

This struck him as strange.

Usually there was no noise in monster Madeleines chamber

until he rose in the morning. A moment later, the

cashier heard a noise which resembled that of a cupboard being

opened and then shut again.

Then a piece of furniture was disarranged.

Then a pause ensued. Then

the step began again. The cashier sat

up in bed, quite awake now and staring.

And through his windowpanes he saw the reddish gleam of a

lighted window reflected on the opposite wall. From the

direction of the rays, it could only come from the

window of Monsieur Madeleines chamber. The

reflection wavered, as though it came rather from a fire

which had been lighted than from a candle.

The shadow of the window frame was not shown,

which indicated that the window was wide open.

The fact that this window was open in such cold weather

was surprising. The cashier fell asleep

again. An hour or two later, he waked

again. The same step was still passing

slowly and regularly back and forth overhead.

The reflection was still visible on the wall, but now it was

pale and peaceful, like the reflection of a lamp or of

a candle. The window was still open.

This is what had taken place in monster Madelines

room. Thank you for joining bite at a

time books today while we read a bite of one of your

favorite classics. Again, my name is

Brie carlisle, and I hope you come back

tomorrow for the next bite of le

Miserable.

>> Brie Carlisle: dont forget to sign up for our

newsletter@biteoutimebooks.com and check

out the shop. You can check out the show notes or

our website, byteadatimebooks.com, for

the rest of the links for our show. wed love to hear from you on

social media as well.

>> Speaker A: line by line, one bite at a time.