▁Mar ius ▁tells ▁Cos ette ▁that ▁Val je an ▁saved ▁his ▁life ▁at ▁the ▁bar rica de . ▁They ▁arrive ▁to ▁find ▁Val je an ▁near ▁death ▁and ▁recon cile ▁with ▁him . ▁Val je an ▁tells ▁Cos ette ▁her ▁mother ' s ▁story ▁and ▁name . ▁He ▁dies ▁content ▁and ▁is ▁buried ▁beneath ▁a ▁blank ▁sl ab ▁in ▁P ère ▁L ach a ise ▁C emetery . ▁ ▁Char acters ▁ ▁Major ▁ ▁Jean ▁Val je an ▁( also ▁known ▁as ▁Monsieur ▁Made le ine , ▁Ult ime ▁F au che le vent , ▁Monsieur ▁Leb l anc , ▁and ▁U rb ain ▁Fab re ) ▁– ▁The ▁protagon ist ▁of ▁the ▁novel . ▁Con v icted ▁for ▁ste aling ▁a ▁lo af ▁of ▁bread ▁to ▁feed ▁his ▁sister ' s ▁seven ▁star ving ▁children ▁and ▁sent ▁to ▁prison ▁for ▁five ▁years , ▁he ▁is ▁par o led ▁from ▁prison ▁nin ete en ▁years ▁later ▁( after ▁four ▁un success ful ▁escape ▁attempts ▁added ▁twelve ▁years ▁and ▁fighting ▁back ▁during ▁the ▁second ▁escape ▁attempt ▁added ▁two ▁extra ▁years ). ▁Re ject ed ▁by ▁society ▁for ▁being ▁a ▁former ▁conv ict , ▁he ▁enc oun ters ▁Bishop ▁My riel , ▁who ▁turns ▁his ▁life ▁around ▁by ▁showing ▁him ▁mer cy ▁and ▁encourag ing ▁him ▁to ▁become ▁a ▁new ▁man . ▁While ▁sitting ▁and ▁p onder ing ▁what ▁Bishop ▁My riel ▁had ▁said , ▁he ▁puts ▁his ▁sh oe ▁on ▁a ▁forty - s ou ▁piece ▁dropped ▁by ▁a ▁young ▁w ander er .