CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Behavior in 1830

Many rich liberals had offered Father Chélan a home when he had to leave the church, but the priest refused. His two rented rooms were full of books. To help his friend, Julien built him a bookcase. "I thought you had turned bad," the priest said happily. "I was wrong."

Three days later the district leader Mr de Maugiron came to visit Julien. Mr de Maugiron talked for more than an hour about nothing. Finally he asked Julien to work for a town official and teach his children. The official would give him more money than Mr de Rênal.

Julien's reply was perfect. He spoke for a long time and gave respect to Mr de Rênal, devotion to the town of Verrières, and thanks to the district leader. Mr de Maugiron tried to get a real answer, but Julien was enjoying his practice. Not even a minister has used more words to say less. Mr de Maugiron left and Julien burst into laughter. He wrote a nine-page letter to Mr de Rênal telling him everything except who made the offer. Mr de Rênal, of course, thought it was Mr Valenod.

The next day Mr Valenod invited Julien to dinner. Mr Valenod was a big man and he wore lots of gold jewelry. Julien met Mrs Valenod, who had a face like a man and wore lots of make-up. He saw the house, and Mr Valenod told him the price of everything. Julien hated everything and everyone he saw.

At dinner a factory owner asked him if he really knew the entire Bible in Latin. A Bible was brought to him and he performed perfectly. By the end of dinner many of the wealthy liberals liked him, and he had four more invitations to dinner.

Dinner made Julien realize that life with Mr de Rênal was not so bad. Mr de Rênal did not make money from the poor-house, and Mr de Rênal would never tell his guests the price of the wine they drank.

Mrs de Rênal and the children came to town a few days later. The children missed Julien terribly. They wanted him to come back to the house. While they were talking, Mr de Rênal walked in. He was vain, and he was angry to see his family so happy without him.

Mr Valenod, though, was busy with politics. He had a lot of trouble at the poor house since Mr Appert came and Father Chélan was fired. He got support from the vicar-general, Mr de Frilair, but now Mr de Frilair sent him strange instructions. Now his wife, who owned the house, wanted Julien to teach her children. He knew he would have trouble soon with his old protector, Mr de Rênal.

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