Les Misérables Volume II Book 8 Chapter 2 - Fauchelevent in the Presence of a Difficulty

In which the humble gardener Fauchelevent, a man of shrewd observation and taciturn reserve, presents a delicate request to the prioress of a convent, revealing his earnest hopes for assistance in tending the vast garden. The quiet solemnity of the cloister is briefly stirred as the prioress contemplates his proposal and a simple tool is sought to aid in a forthcoming, unseen task.