CHAPTER NINE

The Power of a Young Lady

If Julien had watched Mathilde in the salon instead of thinking about her beauty, he would understand her power in the salon. She was clever, and if someone made her unhappy she could tell a joke that would hurt the person greatly. She didn't want the same things the others wanted, so they could not understand her. Some of the men had sent her letters, and she had replied. Once Marquis de Croisenois returned to her a very personal letter. He thought he was being polite, but she thought him rude. There was no happiness for her without danger.

She had everything—she was smart, she had money, and she was beautiful. What more could she want?

She began to enjoy her conversations with Julien more and more. One day she realized the truth. I'm in love, she thought. Of course! For a woman my age, I must be in love.

This made Mathilde happy, because she knew how boring her life would be with Marquis de Croisenois. This man was half liberal, half conservative, and never great. He could never do something extreme, but every great action was extreme when begun.

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