He refused, and even tried to make the good peasant understand that he would do better to keep his money.
Seeing that it was impossible to be clear without being indiscreet, he advised him to give that sum as alms for the use of the poor prisoners, who, in point of fact, were destitute of everything.
"This Julien is a singular person, his action is unintelligible," thought M. de Frilair, "and I ought to find nothing unintelligible.
Perhaps it will be possible to make a martyr of him.... In any case, I shall get to the bottom of the matter, and shall perhaps find an opportunity of putting fear into the heart of that madame de Renal who has no respect for us, and at the bottom detests me....
Perhaps I might be able to utilise all this as a means of a brilliant reconciliation with M. de la Mole, who has a weakness for the little seminarist."
The settlement of the lawsuit had been signed some weeks previously, and the abbe Pirard had left Besancon after having duly mentioned Julien's mysterious birth, on the very day when the unhappy man tried to assassinate madame de Renal in the church of Verrieres.
There was only one disagreeable event between himself and his death which Julien anticipated.
He consulted Fouque concerning his idea of writing to M. the Procureur-General asking to be exempt from all visits.
This horror at the sight of a father, above all at a moment like this, deeply shocked the honest middle-class heart of the wood merchant.
He thought he understood why so many people had a passionate hatred for his friend.
He concealed his feelings out of respect for misfortune.
"In any case," he answered coldly, "such an order for privacy would not be applied to your father." _____
CHAPTER LXVIII
A POWERFUL MAN _____
But her proceedings are so mysterious and her figure is so elegant!
Who can she be?—Schiller. _____
The doors of the turret opened very early on the following day.
"Oh! good God," he thought, "here's my father!
What an unpleasant scene!"
At the same time a woman dressed like a peasant rushed into his arms.
He had difficulty in recognising her.
It was mademoiselle de la Mole.
"You wicked man!
Your letter only told me where you were.
As for what you call your crime, but which is really nothing more or less than a noble vengeance, which shews me all the loftiness of the heart which beats within your bosom, I only got to know of it at Verrieres."
In spite of all his prejudices against mademoiselle de la Mole, prejudices moreover which he had not owned to himself quite frankly, Julien found her extremely pretty.
It was impossible not to recognise both in what she had done and what she had said, a noble disinterested feeling far above the level of anything that a petty vulgar soul would have dared to do?
He thought that he still loved a queen, and after a few moments said to her with a remarkable nobility both of thought and of elocution,
"I sketched out the future very clearly.
After my death I intended to remarry you to M. de Croisenois, who will officially of course then marry a widow.
The noble but slightly romantic soul of this charming widow, who will have been brought back to the cult of vulgar prudence by an astonishing and singular event which played in her life a part as great as it was tragic, will deign to appreciate the very real merit of the young marquis.
You will resign yourself to be happy with ordinary worldly happiness, prestige, riches, high rank.
But, dear Mathilde, if your arrival at Besancon is suspected, it will be a mortal blow for M. de la Mole, and that is what I shall never forgive myself.
I have already caused him so much sorrow.
The academician will say that he has nursed a serpent in his bosom.
"I must confess that I little expected so much cold reason and so much solicitude for the future," said mademoiselle de la Mole, slightly annoyed.
"My maid who is almost as prudent as you are, took a passport for herself, and I posted here under the name of madam Michelet."
"And did madame Michelet find it so easy to get to see me?"
"Ah! you are still the same superior man whom I chose to favour.
I started by offering a hundred francs to one of the judge's secretaries, who alleged at first that my admission into this turret was impossible.
But once he had got the money the worthy man kept me waiting, raised objections, and I thought that he meant to rob me—" She stopped.
"Well?" said Julien.
"Do not be angry, my little Julien," she said, kissing him.
"I was obliged to tell my name to the secretary, who took me for a young working girl from Paris in love with handsome Julien. As a matter of fact those are his actual expressions.
I swore to him, my dear, that I was your wife, and I shall have a permit to see you every day."
"Nothing could be madder," thought Julien, "but I could not help it.
After all, M. de la Mole is so great a nobleman that public opinion will manage to find an excuse for the young colonel who will marry such a charming widow.
My death will atone for everything;" and he abandoned himself with delight to Mathilde's love. It was madness, it was greatness of soul, it was the most remarkable thing possible.
She seriously suggested that she should kill herself with him.
After these first transports, when she had had her fill of the happiness of seeing Julien, a keen curiosity suddenly invaded her soul.