A New Life

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As in the two previous films this story, though complete in itself, is really another incident in the life of Victor Hugo's hero, Jean Valjean. It begins with his heroic rescue of an unfortunate sailor who has fallen and hangs suspended between sea and sky from the yardarm of a man-of-war. Jean Valjean, the convict, gets permission from the officer and, climbing the rigging, rescues the man. His feet having been set free to perform this office, he takes advantage of the fact and pretends to accidentally fall from the yardarm into the sea. Once there, he disappears from view, and the careful search of the officers and sailors results in the decision that the man has drowned. But we see him reappear in the forest where he has before his arrest secreted clothing and funds, and we see him find the unfortunate Fantine's little daughter, Cosette. She has been sent by the brutal Thenardiers to bring water from the spring, and when the giant convict reaches down and takes the heavy pail from her hands a new chapter is opened in both her life and his own Jean returns with her to the inn, and, after saving her from a whipping at the hands of Madam Thenardier, he offers to take the child from them. They drive a hard bargain, making him pay expenses far in advance of what has been actually incurred for the child, but he takes her with him. Regretting that they have not driven a still more advantageous bargain, the Thenardiers decide to attempt to secure more money for her release, and Thenardier himself pursues Jean and Cosette, overtaking them in the woods. Jean refuses to take back the money and relinquish the child, and, when Thenardier grows insistent, he produces the deathbed order from her mother, proving his right to the child. He does this with full knowledge of the risk he runs of being traced by the authorities, but sees no other way out of it. The result is that Thenardier and his wife make the case known to Inspector Javert, the inexorable officer who has pursued our hero throughout the story. Javert follows him to Paris, where he and Cosette have taken humble lodgings, and, after satisfying himself that Jean is really the convict he is searching for, he secures gendarmes and follows him. In attempting to escape, Jean and Cosette find themselves in a close alleyway almost surrounded by high walls, the only entrance being that through which the soldiers are coming. Jean takes advantage of the dexterity learned as a convict and succeeds in climbing an angle of the stone wall, and pulling Cosette up after him, drops over into the convent yard just in time to baffle his pursuers. Javert and the soldiers linger in this part of the town and the danger is by no means past. Jean finds, in the gardener of the convict, an old employee, whose devotion prompts him to secrete Jean from the nuns until an opportunity occurs to get him safely away. This opportunity comes through the desire of the nuns to bury one of their number beneath the altar, which is in direct disobedience of a city ordinance. To seem to comply with the ordinance they must send a coffin supposed to contain the nun to the cemetery. The faithful old employee is entrusted with this task and as a reward for its successful carrying out, is promised a position in the convent employ for his brother and his brother's little daughter. Jean Valjean is thus secure of a future for himself and Cosette. In the coffin Jean Valjean travels safely past Javert and his soldiers to the graveyard, where Cosette, who has been carried out in the old employee's basket, meets him. But the grave-digger at the cemetery insists on carrying out the duties of his office and burying the casket, and it is only through a clever ruse on the part of the faithful old servitor that the grave-digger is gotten out of the way and Jean finally released. This film contains more dramatic incidents than either of its predecessors, and the touching story of the young child's loving influence in the life of the great-hearted Jean Valjean will make a direct and moving appeal to everyone.