Les Misérables Volume II Book 2 Chapter 3 - The Ankle-Chain...

In which the battered warship Orion returns to the port of Toulon amidst the grand yet hollow ceremonials of a controversial and dispiriting conflict, drawing curious crowds who contemplate the immense yet fragile marvel of naval engineering. Amidst this sombre scene, a desperate topman is saved from a fatal fall by a courageous convict whose selfless act briefly brightens the sombre environment before his own tragic disappearance beneath the waves.