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Literary passages · Question 162 of 305

Why does the Bishop say he gave Valjean the candlesticks too?

Question 162

HardOriginal question

The door opened. Three men were holding a fourth man by the collar. The three men were ; the other was Jean Valjean.

A brigadier of gendarmes, who seemed to be in command of the group, was standing near the door. He entered and advanced to the Bishop, making a military salute.

“Monseigneur—” said he.

In the meantime, Monseigneur Bienvenu had advanced as quickly as his great age permitted.

“Ah! here you are!” he exclaimed, looking at Jean Valjean. “I am glad to see you. Well, but how is this? I gave you the candlesticks too, which are of silver like the rest, and for which you can certainly get two hundred francs. Why did you not carry them away with your forks and spoons?”

Jean Valjean opened his eyes wide, and stared at the Bishop with an expression which no human tongue can render any account of.

“Monseigneur,” said the brigadier of gendarmes, “so what this man said is true, then? We came across him. He was walking like a man who is running away. We stopped him to look into the matter. He had this silver—”

“And he told you,” the Bishop with a smile, “that it had been given to him by a kind old fellow of a priest with whom he had passed the night? I see how the matter stands. And you have brought him back here? It is a mistake.”

“In that case,” replied the brigadier, “we can let him go?”

“Certainly,” replied the Bishop.

The gendarmes Jean Valjean, who .

“My friend,” resumed the Bishop, “before you go, here are your candlesticks. Take them.”

He stepped to the chimney-piece, took the two silver candlesticks, and brought them to Jean Valjean.

Why does the Bishop say he gave Valjean the candlesticks too?

Options for question 162

Show the answer and explanation
CorrectNot quiteAnswer B

Correct answer: B

Explanation

  1. If the silver was a gift, there was no theft, and the police have no reason to hold him. They ask at once, "we can let him go?"

  2. Handing over the candlesticks as well makes the gift complete and real.

Worth noting

The Bishop understands exactly what happened: "I see how the matter stands."

Concept
Inferring a character's purpose
Typical time
55 s
Your time
—
The rule this testsWhat the passage suggests
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Ten questions from Literary passages, at your own pace.

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Ten questions from Literary passages, at your own pace.