In this chapter we have another Jean Valjean story, and in this one we are left with a situation where to those present at the event it appears to them that Jean Valjean has died, while for us the reader it is obvious we are supposed to conclude that he has once again escaped.
The context for the story is a war ship called the Orion that had taken a beating and was docked in Toulon for repairs. While docked a ship hand slipped up on the mast and ended up dangling high above the water, in danger of dropping and potentially drowning.
Hugo tells us that none of the other ship workers wanted to risk there lives to help him, but a work creew from the prison was present and our boy Jean Valjean asked if he could try and make a rescue.
Predictably, Valjean is allowed to take this risk and he rapidly climbs the mast, secures the man in danger with a rope and lowers him down to safety.
While preparing to come down himself Valjean falls to the water below, in the thin space between the Orion and another ship, and some feared he would be trapped beneath the hull of one or another.
Valjean does not surface, and repeated attempts to dive for him turned up nothing. He was presumed dead and lauded for his brave sacrificial act, but I have to assume it was an escape.
Was it the plan all along? Did he contrive the rescue as a way to make it happen, or did the inspiration come after the rescue? I guess we have to wait and see.