Cosette is immediately staunch -- not because an inability to read is anything so uncommon in her day, nor anything to be ashamed of. But it says something about her mother's likely origins. A daughter of the bourgeois would know her letters, even if she didn't have much education. She doesn't want either of the men here to think the slightest ill of her mother. Not at all, not ever, and most of all not today.
"But... But yes, perhaps it would be best if I went to her? Then I could answer any questions she might have, too."
She says this with an uncertain glance at Marius -- does he think so? Will he be all right with this? (Will he consider a rat sufficient chaperone? She should be delighted to have her husband meet her mother, and soon she will be, but right now all she wants is privacy with one or the other of them, to weep and be held and to let go for a little while, and if she has to introduce one loved one to the other, and explain matters, she won't be able to relax in the least.)
no subject
Cosette is immediately staunch -- not because an inability to read is anything so uncommon in her day, nor anything to be ashamed of. But it says something about her mother's likely origins. A daughter of the bourgeois would know her letters, even if she didn't have much education. She doesn't want either of the men here to think the slightest ill of her mother. Not at all, not ever, and most of all not today.
"But... But yes, perhaps it would be best if I went to her? Then I could answer any questions she might have, too."
She says this with an uncertain glance at Marius -- does he think so? Will he be all right with this? (Will he consider a rat sufficient chaperone? She should be delighted to have her husband meet her mother, and soon she will be, but right now all she wants is privacy with one or the other of them, to weep and be held and to let go for a little while, and if she has to introduce one loved one to the other, and explain matters, she won't be able to relax in the least.)