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His room, in which he had locked himself up, seemed tooconfined a space for him
to breathe in. Alas, twenty yearsago, I should have worn uniform like them!
But, if I refuse, I must despise myself ever afterwards.
How worthy this man is
of all my love, she thought.
At five oclock, Julien received a third letter; it
was flung at himfrom the library door.
The letter,which he kept tightly clasped
in his hand, gave him the bearing andpose of a hero.
He entered the
letter-writers booth at thestreet corner; the man was alarmed.
There was
nothing tender inhis sentiments at this first moment. You must throw down the
cord, she went on, withperfect calm. In thosedays of strength and prowess,
Frenchmen were not mere dolls. What were his feelings on finding Mademoisellede
La Mole there? What a difference, great God, from his lastvisit, of twenty-four
hours, to Verrieres! Charcot, who had assumed the name of Maugiron,because the
Maugirons were extinct. He climbed quietly, pistol in hand,astonished not to
find himself attacked.
At five oclock, Julien received a third letter; it was
flung at himfrom the library door. If it were seen running up to the balcony,
it would bedifficult to explain its presence.
And hetranscribed the most
unequivocal sentences from the letter he hadreceived. No, for I am well armed,
and am accustomed, as they know, to firingon flunkeys.
He spent a quarter of an
hour pacing the floor of his room.
He had madeup his mind to go, and not even
to answer the letter.
As she listened to him speaking, Mathilde was shocked by
his air oftriumph.
Mathilde thought she had happiness in sight. Are you aware
that nobody in the world has ever beenso presumptuous?
But the duel is nothing
more now than aformality. It will be theCaylus and Croisenois and de Luz
themselves. But the duel is nothing more now than aformality.
Is it worth her
while to wreck her future for such amoment? Which of the women who came to see
her mother would dare totake her part? How cruel is the interval between the
conception of a great project and its execution!
She thought she had heard a
windowbeing opened. Julien was overjoyed, he had not known what to say to her.
What pity do they showfor the Third Estate when they have us in their power?
When he returned: Into what madness am I rushing!
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