"The first is this: he did not rob M. Madeleine, because Jean Valjean himself is M. Madeleine."
"What nonsense are you talking?"
"And this is the second: he did not assassinate Javert, because the man who killed Javert was Javert."
"What do you mean?"
"That Javert committed suicide."
"Prove it, prove it!" Marius cried wildly.
Thénardier repeated slowly, scanning his sentence after the fashion of an ancient Alexandrian,—
"Police-Agent-Javert-was-found-drowned-un-der-a boat-at-Pont-au-Change."
"But prove it, then."
Thénardier drew from his side-pocket a large gray paper parcel which seemed to contain folded papers of various sizes.