"It's worse that, the beating, I think. I would rather a knife." It's Eponine's turn to look away. She eyes one of the men with the ribbons: he's good looking. but Nancy mentioning Cooper makes her glance again and then quickly away.

"I don't know. I don't care if a man does hit me. What difference does it make? It will not kill me, and if it does, the better for it shan't happen again." She raises her bottle to her lips before she remembers it's empty. She puts it down again.

"But there is hope you have found someone nice." Every time Eponine found a nice man, Montparnasse either killed him, or made her watch him kill them.