Bahorel's too busy listening to the poem to pay attention to Javert's scribblings at first. But it ends, as all poems have to, and between coming back to himself and considering what to comment on first, he does see the courtroom scene. He crows and claps his hands together. "Hah! Look at this! Your first review, a truly glowing commentary! I was going to tell you, I thought it had a real heart to it, but here, forget my little audience, the voice of authority has spoke, you've offended the constabulary and made yourself a threat to public order. A grand accomplishment! The Figaro couldn't give a better opinion, and wouldn't anyway."

If he's laughing at the spy, his pride for his friend's work is genuine. To unsettle the settled and sure is one of the great powers of art.