He had to touch the stones to convince himself that such was the fact.
Cold, anxiety, uneasiness, the emotions of the night, had given him a genuine fever, and all these ideas were clashing together in his brain.
He stepped up to Cosette.
She was asleep.
BOOK FIFTH.--FOR A BLACK HUNT, A MUTE PACK
CHAPTER VIII
THE ENIGMA BECOMES DOUBLY MYSTERIOUS
The child had laid her head on a stone and fallen asleep.
He sat down beside her and began to think.
Little by little, as he gazed at her, he grew calm and regained possession of his freedom of mind.
He clearly perceived this truth, the foundation of his life henceforth, that so long as she was there, so long as he had her near him, he should need nothing except for her, he should fear nothing except for her.
He was not even conscious that he was very cold, since he had taken off his coat to cover her.
Nevertheless, athwart this revery into which he had fallen he had heard for some time a peculiar noise.
It was like the tinkling of a bell.
This sound proceeded from the garden.
It could be heard distinctly though faintly.
It resembled the faint, vague music produced by the bells of cattle at night in the pastures.
This noise made Valjean turn round.