CHAPTER NINETEEN

The Discussion

A servant entered and said, "The Duke of ... "

"Be quiet, you fool," the duke said.

Marquis de la Mole said, "Everyone, this is Father Julien Sorel. He has an astonishing memory. In one hour he learned the first page of the newspaper."

The host asked Julien to show his skill. After twenty lines the host stopped him. Everyone was satisfied.

"It's this gentleman's turn to speak," the host said, pointing to the man with many vests. Julien thought he looked like a bishop. No names were used.

The man with the vests spoke for a long time. Finally he said, "England gave lots of money to defeat the Jacobins. They don't have any money left for our cause. Without England's money, Austria, Russia, and Prussia cannot fight for a long time."

The marquis stood and said, "England's nobles hate Jacobinism as much as we do. Without English gold, Austria, Russia, and Prussia can only fight two or three battles. Will that be enough to take France? I don't think so.

"We must have our own strong armies."

"Every province must have five hundred faithful men, including our own sons. If we cannot provide an army, the foreign kings will not help us. If the Jacobins win, there will be no more kings, no more gentlemen, and no more priests. There will only be democracy and people. We must act now to stop this. There's a duke who can help us."

(end of section)