Chapter 24 Letter Twenty-Two from Julie

The first step has finally been taken, and it's all up to you.My father was astonished at your disapproval of my principles.He had no shortage of compliments on my progress in music and painting.To the great astonishment of my mother, who was affected by your slander, he was very pleased with every aspect of my talent except heraldry, which he felt neglected.However, these talents are not self-taught.My teacher's name must be named, so I exaggerate and enumerate all the subjects that my teacher intends to teach me well, except one.He remembered seeing you several times before he went out last time, and he didn't seem to have a bad impression of you.

Then, he asked about your family background and family status, and learned that your family is poor but you are a child of a good family. The word "good family" sounded extremely ambiguous to the ears of a nobleman, which aroused his suspicion, but after explaining it, he understood.When he heard that you were not a nobleman, he asked how much he paid you every month.Mother then interjected that the salary was not very high, and she also said that she tried her best to give you small gifts that were not worth much, but you always refused.However, this arrogant attitude aroused his father's pride instead.Could he accept the idea of ​​being indebted to a commoner?Therefore, he decided to increase your salary. If you refuse, I'm sorry, even if you are talented, you will have to resign from the teaching post.This, my friend, is a summary of our conversation about my very esteemed teacher, in which your humble pupil was most restless.I don't think I can give you advice too hastily, so as to give you time to think it over.Once you have made a decision, please let me know in time.You are capable of handling this matter, and I am helpless.

I am distressed to learn that you went to climb the mountain, not because I think you will not get good entertainment from climbing, nor because what you see and hear will not make me happy, but because I am worried that you are too tired to bear it .Besides, winter has arrived ahead of time, maybe one day there will be heavy snow to cover the mountains, I'm afraid you will not only be very tired but also very cold.If you fall ill in a foreign country, I will always blame myself.Come back, my friend, to a place near me.It is not time to come back to Vevey yet, but I hope you live in a place where the weather is less harsh and we can learn about each other more easily.Regarding the place, I leave it to you to make your own choice.But do your best not to let the people here know where you are, be discreet but not secretive.At this point I have no further words to say to you, and I trust that you know that prudence is to your advantage, and that it is to my advantage that you are.

Goodbye, my friend, I cannot talk to you any longer.You know how carefully I have to write to you.Besides, my father brought back with him a respectable foreigner, an old friend of his, who had once saved his life in battle.You can imagine how we went out of our way to entertain him.He is leaving tomorrow, and on this last day, we are trying our best to make him happy and express our gratitude to such a lifesaver.They are calling me, I have to stop writing.Say it again: goodbye.