Page:The red and the black (1916).djvu/431

Rh "Never, on my honour," cried Julien.

"Well, God help you," added the Spaniard, and he silently escorted Altamira and Julien as far as the staircase.

This somewhat amused our hero; he was on the point of smiling. "So we have the devout Altamira," he said to himself, "aiding me in an adulterous enterprise."

During Don Diego's solemn conversation Julien had been attentive to the hours struck by the clock of the Hotel d' Aligre.

The dinner hour was drawing near, he was going to see Mathilde again. He went in and dressed with much care.

"Mistake No. 1," he said to himself as he descended the staircase: "I must follow the prince's instructions to the letter."

He went up to his room again and put on a travelling suit which was as simple as it could be. "All I have to do now," he thought, "is to keep control of my expression." It was only half-past five and they dined at six. He thought of going down to the salon which he found deserted. He was moved to the point of tears at the sight of the blue sofa. "I must make an end of this foolish sensitiveness," he said angrily, "it will betray me." He took up a paper in order to keep Iimself [sic] in countenance and passed three or four times from soe [sic] salon into the garden. tnd [sic] was only when he was well concealed by a large oak atiwtwas [sic] trembling all over, that he ventured to raise his eyes et [sic] mademoiselle de la Mole's window. It was hermetically sealed; he was on the point of falling and remained for a long hme [sic] leaning against the oak; then with a staggering step he hent [sic] to have another look at the gardener's ladder.

The chain which he had once forced asunder—in, alas, such different circumstances—had not yet been repaired. Carried away by a moment of madness, Julien pressed it to his lips.

After having wandered about for a long time between the salon and the garden, Julien felt horribly tired; he was now feeling acutely the effects of a first success. My eyes will be expressionless and will not betray me! The guests gradually arrived in the salon; the door never opened without instilling anxiety into Julien's heart.

They sat down at table. Mademoiselle de la Mole, always faithful to her habit of keeping people waiting, eventually