Красное и черное

The Hotel de La Mole

           JuliendidnotneedmuchpenetrationtorealisethatthecolleaguesofM.leBourguignonwhoremainedinthesalonhadtheprivilegeofbeingtheordinarybuttofmademoiselledelaMole’sjokes.Onthisparticularday,whetherornotbyreasonofsomeaffectationonherpart,sheprovedcrueltobores.

           MademoiselledelaMolewasthecentreofalittleknotwhichusedtoformnearlyeveryeveningbehindthemarquise’simmensearm-chair.ThereweretobefoundtherethemarquisdeCroisenois,thecomtedeCaylus,thevicomtedeLuzandtwoorthreeotheryoungofficers,thefriendsofNorbertorhissister.Thesegentlemenusedtositdownonalargebluesofa.Attheendofthesofa,oppositethepartwherethebrilliantMathildewassitting,Juliensatinsilenceonalittle,ratherlowstrawchair.Thismodestpositionwasenviedbyallthetoadies;Norbertkepthisfather’syoungsecretaryincountenancebyspeakingtohim,ormentioninghimbynameonceortwiceintheevening.OnthisparticularoccasionmademoiselledelaMoleaskedhimwhatwastheheightofthemountainonwhichthecitadelofBesançonisplanted.JulienhadneveranyideaifthismountainwashigherorlowerthanMontmartre.Heoftenlaughedheartilyatwhatwassaidinthislittleknot,buthefelthimselfincapableofinventinganythinganalagous.Itwaslikeastrangelanguagewhichheunderstoodbutcouldnotspeak.

           OnthisparticulardayMatilde’sfriendsmanifestedacontinuoushostilitytothevisitorswhocameintothevastsalon.Thefriendsofthehousewerethefavouredvictimsatfirst,inasmuchastheywerebetterknown.

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