Will suchdelicious moments, he was wondering, last
for ever? This gown was in his eyes theadvance guard of Paris.
Have Ifailed in one of the duties I owe to
myself?
Juliens happiness was, that day, on the point of
becoming permanent.
She loved him a thousandtimes more than life
itself, and money to her meant nothing.
A smooth block of stone served as his
table.
Anxiety stood revealed in her eyes, fastened on
those of theyoung tutor.
She wasworking at a little tapestry frame on a tall
stand.
Julien forgot his futile plans and returned tohis
own natural character.
He seems to me to be always thinking and to actonly
from motives of policy. To have to reckon with a wretched workman who puts on
airs,thats what weve come to! Julien was extremely disconcerted by the almost
desperate situationinto which he had been led.
This action completely nonplussed the poor woman;
shesaw in it an indication of her fate.
Pallor took the place of the most vividblushes. The
following morning, in the drawing-room, Madame de Renal was alonewith him for a
moment.
She saw herself as happy in ten years time as she
was at that moment.
Madame de Renals cold manner persisted forsome
time, and seemed to Julien to be marked. No melancholytruth came to freeze her
heart, not even the spectre of the future. For a long timehe debated within himself
whether he ought to take offence at thewords: I order you. Prudence obliged her
finally toreturn to her own room.
Hisabsence had caused his clumsiness to be
forgotten. But all at once Julien became happy, he had a reason for
refusing.
This confidence raised to its climax the passion
that heinspired. He was obliged to pass over the high range tothe north of
Vergy.
One day, Madame de Renal had given an order to her
husbands valet,Juliens enemy.
He could not tire of the pleasure of inhalingtheir
perfume. Despite the uncertainty andpassion that were devouring her, she did not
dare enter. No purpose was apparent in all this behaviour. It has grown usedto
desiring, finds nothing left to desire, and has not yet acquiredany memories. As she
spoke to him with extreme harshness, he burst intotears. A good opportunity to repay
her all the contemptshe has shown for me. Stay with me, Fouque said to him; I see
that you know M. Even the thought of virtue and of the fidelity she had vowed to
M.
She could have seen in it nothing else than
apainful consequence of their disparity of age.
This actionseemed to her the last word in lowness,
for it serves as text to acountry maxim. Julien had every right to praise his own
courage, never had he sethimself a more painful task.
Stay with me, Fouque said to him; I see that you
know M.
Here, he said, his eyessparkling with joy, men can
do me no harm.