Les Misérables Volume I Book 5 Chapter 5 - Vague Flashes on the Horizon

In which the gradual transformation of a man's reputation from suspicion to universal respect is observed amidst the quiet workings of a provincial town, while a solitary figure of unyielding vigilance and austere duty, the inspector Javert, keeps a relentless watch upon him. This stern sentinel, born of harsh origins and imbued with an inflexible faith in law and order, embodies the merciless and piercing eye of the state, stirring unease beneath a veneer of calm civility.