In order to keep himself in countenance, he began to cut quills.
He counted out of the corner of his eye seven visitors, but Julien could only see their backs.
Two seemed to him to be speaking to M. de la Mole on a footing of equality, the others seemed more or less respectful.
A new person entered without being announced.
"This is strange," thought Julien.
"People are not announced in this salon.
Is this precaution taken in my honour?"
Everybody got up to welcome the new arrival.
He wore the same extremely distinguished decoration as three of the other persons who were in the salon.
They talked fairly low.
In endeavouring to form an opinion of the new comer, Julien was reduced to seeing what he could learn from his features and his appearance.
He was short and thick-set. He had a high colour and a brilliant eye and an expression that looked like a malignant boar, and nothing else.
Julien's attention was partly distracted by the almost immediate arrival of a very different kind of person.
It was a tall very thin man who wore three or four waistcoats.
His eye was caressing, his demeanour polite.
"He looks exactly like the old bishop of Besancon," thought Julien.
This man evidently belonged to the church, was apparently not more than fifty to fifty-five years of age, and no one could have looked more paternal than he did.
The young bishop of Agde appeared. He looked very astonished when, in making a scrutiny of those present, his gaze fell upon Julien.
He had not spoken to him since the ceremony of Bray-le-Haut.
His look of surprise embarrassed and irritated Julien.
"What!" he said to himself, "will knowing a man always turn out unfortunate for me?
I don't feel the least bit intimidated by all those great lords whom I have never seen, but the look of that young bishop freezes me.
I must admit that I am a very strange and very unhappy person."
An extremely swarthy little man entered noisily soon afterwards and started talking as soon as he reached the door. He had a yellow complexion and looked a little mad.
As soon as this ruthless talker arrived, the others formed themselves into knots with the apparent object of avoiding the bother of listening to him.
As they went away from the mantelpiece they came near the lower end of the table where Julien was placed.
His countenance became more and more embarrassed, for whatever efforts he made, he could not avoid hearing, and in spite of all his lack of experience he appreciated all the moment of the things which they were discussing with such complete frankness, and the importance which the high personages whom he apparently had under his observation must attach to their being kept secret.
Julien had already cut twenty quills as slowly as possible; this distraction would shortly be no longer available.
He looked in vain at M. de la Mole's eyes for an order; the marquis had forgotten him.
"What I am doing is ridiculous," he said to himself as he cut his quills, "but persons with so mediocre an appearance and who are handling such great interests either for themselves or for others must be extremely liable to take offence.
My unfortunate look has a certain questioning and scarcely respectful expression, which will doubtless irritate them.
But if I palpably lower my eyes I shall look as if I were picking up every word they said."
His embarrassment was extreme, he was listening to strange things. _____
CHAPTER LII
THE DISCUSSION _____
The republic:—For one man to day who will sacrifice everything for the public welfare, there are thousands and millions who think of nothing except their enjoyments and their vanity.
One is requested in Paris by reason of the qualities not of one's self but of one's carriage.
—NAPOLEON, Memorial. _____
The footman rushed in saying
"Monsieur the duke de ——"
"Hold your tongue, you are just a fool," said the duke as he entered.
He spoke these words so well, and with so much majesty, that Julien could not help thinking this great person's accomplishments were limited to the science of snubbing a lackey.
Julien raised his eyes and immediately lowered them.
He had so fully appreciated the significance of the new arrival that he feared that his look might be an indiscretion.
The duke was a man of fifty dressed like a dandy and with a jerky walk.
He had a narrow head with a large nose and a face that jutted forward; it would have been difficult to have looked at the same time more insignificant.
His arrival was the signal for the opening of the meeting.
Julien was sharply interrupted in his physiognomical observations by de la Mole's voice.
"I present to you M. the abbe Sorel," said the Marquis.
"He is gifted with an astonishing memory; it is scarcely an hour ago since I spoke to him of the mission by which he might be honoured, and he has learned the first page of the Quotidienne by heart in order to give proof of his memory."