CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

The World, or What the Rich Man Lacks

Julien was already late. An assistant master scolded him. Instead of becoming angry with the assistant, Julien said in Latin, "I have sinned. I confess the error of my ways."

This was a success, and many students admired Julien. People were interested in him, but he did not talk to them. He had decided that the other students were his enemies. The most dangerous enemy was Father Pirard.

A few days later Julien had to choose a confessor. A confessor was someone the students talked to about their sins. He thought he was smart to choose Father Pirard, the master of the school. Another student told him he was wrong; Julien should have chosen Father Castanède, a Jesuit. "Some people don't trust Father Pirard, and Father Castanède is Father Pirard's enemy."

The other students were poor, simple peasants. Julien thought he was better than all of them. These people just wanted an easy job and a good meal. Being a town priest was easier than working on a farm.

Julien didn't believe the things he learned in class, but he had nothing else to do so he studied very hard. He thought everyone had forgotten him, but Father Pirard had secretly read some letters sent to Julien from a woman. Even though the language was proper, he knew the woman loved Julien. Father Pirard burnt every letter.

Fouqué came to visit Julien. The friends talked for a long time. After a while, Fouqué told his friend that Mrs de Rênal had become very religious. "She travels to churches, too," Fouqué said. "She often goes to Dijon and Besançon."

"She comes to Besançon?" Julien asked, turning red.

Fouqué looked at his friend strangely.

Julien soon realized that the other students disliked him, and he discovered the reason. Julien always tried to be the best student in his class, and he often was. This made him many enemies. Julien found that the content of the classes was not the most important thing. The real learning was only to catch people like him. "How foolish I was!" he said.

Every movement and every choice either made him enemies or friends. Father Pirard was no help to him, either. Father Pirard only spoke to Julien in confession.

One day Julien was called to Father Pirard's office. Father Pirard was very angry, and he showed Julien a playing card. On the card was written:

Amanda Binet, at the Café de la Girafe, before eight o'clock. Say you are my cousin.

"What does this mean?" yelled Father Pirard.

Julien was very calm. "When I came here, Father Chélan warned me that many people were not honest. This woman offered to help me if people tried to hurt me here."

"I will check if this is true!" Father Pirard replied.

Julien was angry with himself. I had been very stupid, he thought. If I had gone to see Amanda, they would have known and used it against me.

Later he was called again.

(end of section)