Moral LoveThere also was of course in Adeline That calm patrician polish inthe address, Which ne'er can pass the equinoctial line Of anythingwhich nature would express; Just as a mandarin finds nothingfine, At least his manner suffers not to guess That anything heviews can greatly please.

　　Don Juan, XIII. 34'There is a trace of madness in the way the whole of this family have oflooking at things,' thought the Marechale; 'they are infatuated with theirlittle abbe, who can do nothing but sit and stare at one; it is true, his eyesare not bad-looking.'

　　Julien, for his part, found in the Marechale's manner an almost perfectexample of that patrician calm which betokens a scrupulous politenessand still more the impossibility of any keen emotion. Any sudden outburst, a want of self-control, would have shocked Madame de Fervaquesalmost as much as a want of dignity towards one's inferiors. The leastsign of sensibility would have been in her eyes like a sort of moral intoxication for which one ought to blush, and which was highly damaging towhat a person of exalted rank owed to herself. Her great happiness wasto speak of the King's latest hunt, her favourite book the Memoires du ducde Saint-Simon, especially the genealogical part.

　　Julien knew the place in the drawing-room which, as the lights werearranged, suited the style of beauty of Madame de Fervaques. He wouldbe there waiting for her, but took great care to turn his chair so that heshould not be able to see Mathilde. Astonished by this persistence in hiding from her, one evening she left the blue sofa and came to work at alittle table that stood by the Marquise's armchair. Julien could see her atquite a close range from beneath the brim of Madame de Fervaques's hat.

　　Those eyes, which governed his destiny, frightened him at first, seen at such close range, then jerked him violently out of his habitual apathy; hetalked, and talked very well.

　　He addressed himself to the Marechale, but his sole object was to influence the heart of Mathilde. He grew so animated that finally Madamede Fervaques could not understand what he said.

　　This was so much to the good. Had it occurred to Julien to follow it upwith a few expressions of German mysticism, religious fervour and Jesuitry, the Marechale would have numbered him straightway among thesuperior persons called to regenerate the age.

　　'Since he shows such bad taste,' Mademoiselle de La Mole said to herself, 'as to talk for so long and with such fervour to Madame de Fervaques, I shall not listen to him any more.' For the rest of the evening shekept her word, albeit with difficulty.

　　At midnight, when she took up her mother's candlestick, to escort herto her room, Madame de La Mole stopped on the stairs to utter a perfectpanegyric of Julien. This completed Mathilde's ill humour; she could notsend herself to sleep. A thought came to her which soothed her: 'Thethings that I despise may even be great distinctions in the Marechale'seyes.'

　　As for Julien, he had now taken action, he was less wretched; his eyeshappened to fall on the Russia-leather portfolio in which Prince Korasoffhad placed the fifty-three love letters of which he had made him apresent. Julien saw a note at the foot of the first letter: 'Send No. 1 a weekafter the first meeting.'

　　'I am late!' exclaimed Julien, 'for it is ever so long now since I first metMadame de Fervaques.' He set to work at once to copy out this first loveletter; it was a homily stuffed with phrases about virtue, and of a deadlydullness; Julien was fortunate in falling asleep over the second page.

　　Some hours later the risen sun surprised him crouch............