You will leave immediately afterwards. You must post about like a young man travelling on pleasure.
Your aim will be to avoid attracting attention.
You will arrive at the house of a great personage.
You will there need more skill.
Your business will then be to take in all his entourage, for among his secretaries and his servants are some people who have sold themselves to our enemies, and who spy on our travelling agents in order to intercept them.
"You will have an insignificant letter of introduction.
At the moment his Excellency looks at you, you will take out this watch of mine, which I will lend you for the journey.
Wear it now, it will be so much done; at any rate give me yours.
"The duke himself will be good enough to write at your dictation the four pages you have learnt by heart.
"Having done this, but not earlier, mind you, you can, if his Excellency questions you, tell him about the meeting at which you are now going to be present.
"You will be prevented from boring yourself on the journey between Paris and the minister's residence by the thought that there are people who would like nothing better than to fire a shot at M. the abbe Sorel.
In that case that gentleman's mission will be finished, and I see a great delay, for how are we to know of your death, my dear friend?
Even your zeal cannot go to the length of informing us of it.
"Run straight away and buy a complete suit," went on the marquis seriously.
"Dress in the fashion of two years ago.
To-night you must look somewhat badly groomed.
When you travel, on the other hand, you will be as usual.
Does this surprise you?
Does your suspiciousness guess the secret?
Yes, my friend, one of the venerable personages you are going to hear deliver his opinion, is perfectly capable of giving information as the result of which you stand a very good chance of being given at least opium some fine evening in some good inn where you will have asked for supper."
"It is better," said Julien, "to do an extra thirty leagues and not take the direct road.
It is a case of Rome, I suppose...."
The marquis assumed an expression of extreme haughtiness and dissatisfaction which Julien had never seen him wear since Bray-le-Haut.
"That is what you will know, monsieur, when I think it proper to tell you.
I do not like questions."
"That was not one," answered Julien eagerly.
"I swear, monsieur, I was thinking quite aloud. My mind was trying to find out the safest route."
"Yes, it seems your mind was a very long way off.
Remember that an emissary, and particularly one of your age should not appear to be a man who forces confidences."
Julien was very mortified; he was in the wrong.
His vanity tried to find an excuse and did not find one.
"You understand," added monsieur de la Mole, "that one always falls back on one's heart when one has committed some mistake."
An hour afterwards Julien was in the marquis's ante-chamber. He looked quite like a servant with his old clothes, a tie of a dubious white, and a certain touch of the usher in his whole appearance.
The marquis burst out laughing as he saw him, and it was only then that Julien's justification was complete.
"If this young man betrays me," said M. de la Mole to himself, "whom is one to trust?
And yet, when one acts, one must trust someone.
My son and his brilliant friends of the same calibre have as much courage and loyalty as a hundred thousand men. If it were necessary to fight, they would die on the steps of the throne. They know everything—except what one needs in emergency.
Devil take me if I can find a single one among them who can learn four pages by heart and do a hundred leagues without being tracked down.
Norbert would know how to sell his life as dearly as his grandfathers did. But any conscript could do as much."
The marquis fell into a profound reverie.
"As for selling one's life too," he said with a sigh, "perhaps this Sorel would manage it quite as well as he could.
"Let us get into the carriage," said the marquis as though to chase away an unwanted idea.
"Monsieur," said Julien, "while they were getting this suit ready for me, I learnt the first page of to-days Quotidienne by heart."
The marquis took the paper. Julien recited it without making a single mistake.
"Good," said the marquis, who this night felt very diplomatic.
"During the time he takes over this our young man will not notice the streets through which we are passing."
They arrived in a big salon that looked melancholy enough and was partly upholstered in green velvet.
In the middle of the room a scowling lackey had just placed a big dining-table which he subsequently changed into a writing-table by means of an immense green inkstained tablecloth which had been plundered from some minister.
The master of the house was an enormous man whose name was not pronounced. Julien thought he had the appearance and eloquence of a man who ruminated.
At a sign from the marquis, Julien had remained at the lower end of the table.