, ▁and ▁then ▁reve als ▁to ▁her ▁Val je an ' s ▁real ▁identity . ▁We ak ened ▁by ▁the ▁sever ity ▁of ▁her ▁ill ness , ▁she ▁falls ▁back ▁in ▁shock ▁and ▁dies . ▁Val je an ▁goes ▁to ▁Fant ine , ▁speak s ▁to ▁her ▁in ▁an ▁in aud ible ▁whisper , ▁kiss es ▁her ▁hand , ▁and ▁then ▁leaves ▁with ▁Ja vert . ▁Later , ▁Fant ine ' s ▁body ▁is ▁un cer emon iously ▁thrown ▁into ▁a ▁public ▁grave . ▁ ▁Volume ▁II : ▁Cos ette ▁ ▁Val je an ▁esc apes , ▁is ▁re capt ured , ▁and ▁is ▁sent enced ▁to ▁death . ▁The ▁king ▁comm utes ▁his ▁sentence ▁to ▁pen al ▁serv itude ▁for ▁life . ▁While ▁imprison ed ▁in ▁the ▁B agne ▁of ▁Toul on , ▁Val je an , ▁at ▁great ▁personal ▁risk , ▁res c ues ▁a ▁sail or ▁caught ▁in ▁the ▁ship ' s ▁rig ging . ▁Spect ators ▁call ▁for ▁his ▁release . ▁Val je an ▁f akes ▁his ▁own ▁death ▁by ▁allowing ▁himself ▁to ▁fall ▁into ▁the ▁ocean . ▁Author ities ▁report ▁him ▁dead ▁and ▁his ▁body ▁lost . ▁ ▁Val je an ▁arriv es ▁at ▁Mont fer me il ▁on ▁Christmas ▁E ve . ▁He ▁finds ▁Cos ette ▁fetch ing ▁water ▁in ▁the ▁woods ▁alone ▁and ▁wal ks ▁with ▁her ▁to ▁the ▁inn . ▁He ▁orders ▁a ▁me al ▁and ▁obser ves ▁how ▁the ▁Th én ard iers ▁ab use ▁her , ▁while ▁pam per ing ▁their ▁own ▁daughters