There is no help for it, I am going to pay court to
Madame deFervaques.
If that devil,the abbe Castanede has recognised me,
he is not the man to be easilyshaken off .
And what a joy to him to make a fool of me, and
tospoil my mission!
Julien nodded his head, he had no longer the heart
to speak. He wenthome, and dressed himself with great care.
I shall soon havethe honour of filling all the
pigeonholes in her desk. Reading awell-written love letter is a prudes supreme
pleasure; it is amomentary relaxation.
To a prude of prudes, the daughter of an enormously
richstocking-merchant.
Its enchanting pleasures, its sweet delights are
alone beyond thy sphere. He decided to go down tothe drawing-room, which he found
deserted. Do you know, Sir, what answerthe Marechale made me?
And who said anything about composing phrases? It
is the Aeolian harp of style, thought Julien. My presence must, at first, have
frightened him. But what the devil, these are the elements, my dear Sorel, are
youstill a schoolboy? If I had been like that, she would not have preferred
Croisenoisto me! To a prude of prudes, the daughter of an enormously
richstocking-merchant. And who said anything about composing phrases?
Such were the only words that Julien heard said. I
must get rid ofthis absurd sensibility, he said to himself angrily; it will
betrayme. Behold her delivered into my power, as heaven made her in its compassion
to enchant a mans heart. It wasonly half-past five, and dinner was at
six.
And Julien was obliged to listen to the quotation
to the end. Some hours later the risen sun surprised him crouching with his headon
the table. I have in my hold-allsix volumes of love letters in
manuscript.
Reading awell-written love letter is a prudes
supreme pleasure; it is amomentary relaxation.
All these instructions were faithfully carried
out.
He had occasion to besatisfied with his success,
and remained in the drawing-room. I am going to be treated with theutmost contempt,
and nothing will amuse me more.
For the rest of theevening she kept her word,
albeit with difficulty. At the foot of the original he caught sight of a
pencillednote. Julien was quite surprised to find this letteralmost tender. And
Julien was obliged to listen to the quotation to the end.
This discovery kept him amused for the rest of the
evening and madehim amusing.
Yes, to cover withridicule that odious being whom I
call myself will amuse me.
It isstill the first decoration by far in Europe.
He grew so animated that finallyMadame de Fervaques could not understand what he
said. He addressed himself to the Marechale, but his sole object was toinfluence the
heart of Mathilde. His imagination perceived them now only vaguely, andso to speak
in the distance. On every hand, in this future, Julien foresaw failure.