Victor Hugo - The Man Who Laughs - Cosmopolitan University 2

Court appointments are the drop of oil in the widow's cruse, they ever
increase. Thus it is that the porter has become chancellor, and the
groom, constable. The special officer charged with the appointment
desired and obtained by Barkilphedro was invariably a confidential man.
Elizabeth had wished that it should be so. At court, to speak of
confidence is to speak of intrigue, and to speak of intrigue is to speak
of advancement. This functionary had come to be a personage of some
consideration. He was a clerk, and ranked directly after the two grooms
of the almonry. He had the right of entrance into the palace, but we
must add, what was called the humble entrance--_humilis introïtus_--and
even into the bed-chamber. For it was the custom that he should inform
the monarch, on occasions of sufficient importance, of the objects
found, which were often very curious: the wills of men in despair,
farewells cast to fatherland, revelations of falsified logs, bills of
lading, and crimes committed at sea, legacies to the crown, etc., that
he should maintain his records in communication with the court, and
should account, from time to time, to the king or queen, concerning the
opening of these ill-omened bottles. It was the black cabinet of the
ocean.
Elizabeth, who was always glad of an opportunity of speaking Latin, used
to ask Tonfield, of Coley in Berkshire, jetsam officer of her day, when
he brought her one of these papers cast up by the sea, "Quid mihi
scribit Neptunus?" (What does Neptune write me?)
The way had been eaten, the insect had succeeded. Barkilphedro
approached the queen.
This was all he wanted.
To make his fortune?
No.
To unmake that of others?
A greater happiness.
To hurt is to enjoy.
To have within one the desire of injuring, vague but implacable, and
never to lose sight of it, is not given to all.
Barkilphedro possessed that fixity of intention.
As the bulldog holds on with his jaws, so did his thought.
To feel himself inexorable gave him a depth of gloomy satisfaction. As
long as he had a prey under his teeth, or in his soul, a certainty of
evil-doing, he wanted nothing.
He was happy, shivering in the cold which his neighbour was suffering.
To be malignant is an opulence. Such a man is believed to be poor, and,
in truth, is so; but he has all his riches in malice, and prefers having
them so. Everything is in what contents one. To do a bad turn, which is
the same as a good turn, is better than money. Bad for him who endures,