A CapitalSo much noise, so many busy people! So many ideas in the headof a man of twenty! So many distractions for love!

　　BARNAVEAt length he made out, on a distant mountain, a line of dark walls; itwas the citadel of Besancon. 'How different for me,' he said with a sigh,'if I were arriving in this noble fortress to be a sublieutenant in one of theregiments entrusted with its defence!'

　　Besancon is not merely one of the most charming towns in France, itabounds in men and women of feeling and spirit. But Julien was only ayoung peasant and had no way of approaching the distinguished people.

　　He had borrowed from Fouque a layman's coat, and it was in this attire that he crossed the drawbridges. His mind full of the history of thesiege of 1674, he was determined to visit, before shutting himself up inthe Seminary, the ramparts and the citadel. More than once, he was onthe point of being arrested by the sentries for making his way into placesfrom which the engineers of the garrison excluded the public, in order tomake a profit of twelve or fifteen francs every year by the sale of the haygrown there.

　　The height of the walls, the depth of the moats, the awe-inspiring appearance of the guns had occupied him for some hours, when hehappened to pass by the principal cafe, on the boulevard. He stoodspeechless with admiration; albeit he could read the word Cafe inscribedin huge letters over the two vast doors, he could not believe his eyes. Hemade an effort to master his timidity; he ventured to enter, and foundhimself in a hall thirty or forty feet long, the ceiling of which rose to aheight of at least twenty feet. On this day of days everything wore an airof enchantment for him.

　　 Two games of billiards were in progress. The waiters were calling outthe scores; the players hurried round the tables through a crowd of onlookers. Streams of tobacco smoke, pouring from every mouth, enveloped them in a blue haze. The tall stature of these men, their roundedshoulders, their heavy gait, their bushy whiskers, the long frock coatsthat coveted their bodies, all attracted Julien's attention. These noble sonsof ancient Bisontium conversed only in shouts; they gave themselves theair of tremendous warriors. Julien stood spellbound in admiration; hewas thinking of the vastness and splendour of a great capital like Besancon. He felt that he could not possibly summon up courage to ask for acup of coffee from one of those gentlemen with the proud gaze whowere marking the score at billiards.

　　But the young lady behind the counter had remarked the charming appearance of this young country cousin, who, brought to a standstill threepaces from the stove, hugging his little bundle under his arm, was studying the bust of the King, in gleaming white plaster. This young lady, astrapping Franc-Comtoise, extremely well made, and dressed in the stylecalculated to give tone to a cafe, had already said twice, in a low voice somodulated that only Julien should hear her: 'Sir! Sir!' Julien's gaze metthat of a pair of the most tender blue eyes, and saw that it was himselfwho was being addressed.

　　He stepped briskly up to the counter and the pretty girl, as he mighthave advanced in the face of the enemy. As he executed this great movement, his bundle fell to the ground.

　　What pity will not our provincial inspire in the young scholars of Paris, who at fifteen, have already learned how to enter a cafe with so distinguished an air! But these children, so stylish at fifteen, at eighteen beginto turn common. The passionate shyness which one meets in theprovinces now and then overcomes itself, and then teaches its victim todesire. As he approached this beautiful girl who had deigned to speak tohim, 'I must tell her the truth,' thought Julien, who was growing courageous by dint of his conquered shyness.

　　'Madame, I have come for the first time in my life to Besancon; Ishould like to have, and to pay for, a roll of bread and a cup of coffee.'

　　The girl smiled a little and then blushed; she feared, for this good-looking young man, the satirical attention and witticisms of the billiardplayers. He would be frightened and would never show his face thereagain.

　　 'Sit down here, near me,' she said, and pointed to a marble table, almost entirely hidden by the enormous mahogany counter which protruded into the room.

　　The young woman leaned over this counter, which gave her an opportunity to display a superb figure. Julien observed this; all his ideasaltered. The pretty girl had just set before him a cup, some sugar and aroll of bread. She hesitated before calling to a waiter for coffee, realisingthat on the arrival of the said waiter her private conversation with Julienwould be at an end.

　　Julien, lost in thought, was comparing this fair and sprightly beautywith certain memories which often stirred him. The thought of the passion of which he had been the object took from him almost all his timidity. The pretty girl had only a moment; she read the expression in Julien'seyes.

　　'This pipe smoke makes you cough, come to breakfast tomorrow before eight o'clock; at that time, I am almost alone.'

　　'What is your name?' said Julien, with the caressing smile of happytimidity.

　　'Amanda Binet.'

　　'Will you permit me to send you, in an hour's time, a little parcel nobigger than this?'

　　The fair Amanda reflected for a while.

　　'I am watched: what you ask may compromise me; however, I am nowgoing to write down my address upon a card, which you can attach toyour parcel. Send it to me without fear.'

　　'My name is Julien Sorel,' said the young man. 'I have neither familynor friends in Besancon.'

　　'Ah! Now I understand,' she exclaimed joyfully, 'you have come forthe law school?'

　　'Alas, no!' replied Julien; 'they are sending me to the Seminary.'

　　The most complete discouragement extinguished the light inAmanda's features; she called a waiter: she had the necessary couragenow. The waiter poured out Julien's coffee, without looking at him.

　　Amanda was taking money at the counter; Julien prided himself onhaving ventured to speak to her: there was a dispute in progress at oneof the billiard tables. The shouts and contradictions of the players, echoing through that vast hall, made a din which astonished Julien.

　　Amanda was pensive and did not raise her eyes.

　　'If you like, Mademoiselle,' he said to her suddenly with assurance, 'Ican say that I am your cousin.'

　　This little air of authority delighted Amanda. This is no good-for-nothing young fellow,' she thought. She said to him very quickly, withoutlooking at him, for her eye was occupied in watching whether anyonewere approaching the counter:

　　'I come from Genlis, near Dijon; say that you are from Genlis too, andmy mother's cousin.'

　　'I shall not forget.'

　　'On Thursdays, at five o'clock, in summer, the young gentlemen fromthe Seminary come past the cafe here.'

　　'If you are thinking of me, when I pass, have a bunch of vio............