CHAPTER NINE

An Evening in the Country

The next day when he saw Mrs de Rênal he looked at her as if she were an enemy he was going to have to fight. This very different look alarmed Mrs de Rênal greatly. When he saw her later he thought of glory and decided he must hold her hand that evening.

That night was dark, which would make his job easier. When they sat in the garden, he was full of fear. Every minute was like an hour, until the clock struck ten o'clock. At last he grasped her hand. She pulled back immediately, and surprising himself, he reached and held onto it. She tried to pull back once again, but he held tightly. Her hand stayed in his.

Happiness filled him—not that he was in love, but that his fear was over! His voice was loud and even. Mrs de Rênal's voice, however, showed so much feeling that her friend Mrs Derville thought she was ill. Mrs Derville said that they should go inside. Julien sensed the danger; "if she goes inside now I will be back in the same terrible situation", he thought. "I've held this hand for too short a time for this to be a victory."

When Mrs Derville repeated her suggestion, Julien squeezed the hand he held firmly. Mrs de Rênal had started to get up, but sat down again. She said, "I do feel a little ill, but the fresh air is helping." These words settled Julien's worries.

When he woke the next day, he had no thoughts of Mrs de Rênal. He only thought that he had done his duty, his heroic duty. He decided to spend the morning reading about the deeds of his hero, Napoleon. He did not even see the children.

Julien came downstairs, but instead of a romantic look from Mrs de Rênal, he found the angry face of Mr de Rênal. Mr de Rênal yelled for some time. He did not fire Julien right then only because he feared Mr Valenod would hire him right away. Julien's anger was so great that even Mrs Derville tried to calm him. He replied with the coldest look. This was a look that desired revenge upon the higher class; such moments inspire people like Robespierre and his Jacobins, who led the French Revolution.

Mrs de Rênal and Mrs Derville tried to cheer him up when they went for a walk. "My husband won't join us," Mrs de Rênal said. "He and his servants will be filling the beds with new hay."

Julien changed color and brought Mrs de Rênal away. "Please save my life," he said. "In my bed I have a picture hidden. Only you can go right now and take a little box out from inside my bed. I beg you; please don't look at this picture!"

She left immediately and went to his room. Her husband was just next door! She quickly searched his bed and found the box. Her heart dropped, because she believed that inside was a picture of another woman. "Julien's in love, and I've got the picture of the woman right here!" she thought. She returned, and Julien took the box without a word. He ran to his room where he immediately burned the box. But Mrs de Rênal was mistaken.

"A picture of Napoleon! If discovered this would end my reputation, and that is all I have," he thought.

When he returned he kissed Mrs de Rênal's hand with more honesty than he had ever shown, but she pushed him away with jealous anger. All Julien saw at that point was a rich woman, nothing else.

(end of section)