Chapter 24 24. Provincial capital

Finally, he saw the black wall on the distant hill, which was the stronghold guarding Besancon. "If I had been assigned as a second lieutenant in charge of the garrison in this famous city that must be contested by military strategists," he said with a sigh, "how different the situation would be!" Besançon is not only the most beautiful city in France, but also has produced many people with lofty ideals.But Julien was a country man who had no connection with outstanding figures. He found a set of urban costumes from Fu Kai, and walked across the suspension bridge in this outfit.His mind was filled with the historical facts of the siege of the city in 1674, and he really wanted to pay tribute to the city walls and forts here before being imprisoned in the seminary.Two or three times he was nearly caught by the sentries for trespassing the restricted area of ​​the sappers, whose hay fetched thirteen or fourteen francs a year.

The high walls, deep trenches, and black cannons were so impressive that he lingered there for hours.Finally, he stepped into the boulevard and walked past a very stylish cafe. He was taken aback and envied him.Yes, he read: "Cafe", written in bold letters across the two doors, but he couldn't believe his eyes!He cheered up, overcame his timidity, and walked in boldly.It is a hall, about thirty or forty steps long, and the roof can be two feet high.On this day, everything seemed like a dream to him. At the other end, there were two games of billiards.The waiter announced the score loudly, the players circled around the table, and the surrounding area was crowded with spectators.They exhaled smoke, wrapping everyone in a blue mist.Those men, tall and muscular, with broad and round shoulders, with a measured demeanor, bushy whiskers, and coats reaching below the knees, attracted Julien's attention.These noble descendants of the old Bisontium (Latin word for Besançon) spoke in a high voice, with the appearance of a majestic fighter.Julien held his breath and stood there, admiringly, from which he imagined the magnificence and magnificence of the metropolis of Besançon.Seeing those waiters with haughty expressions and shouting their scores loudly, I thought to myself that I really didn't have the guts to ask them for a cup of coffee.

However, the young lady sitting behind the counter had already noticed the lovely appearance of the young countryman; he was standing three feet from the stove, with a small bundle under his arm, looking at a white plaster bust of a king.This lady, a Franche-Comté, was tall, well-proportioned, and dressed enough to grace a café.With a delicate voice that only Julien can hear, she has already called out twice: "Sir! Sir!" Turning around, Julien met a pair of big blue eyes, which were extremely gentle. greet yourself. He hurriedly walked towards the counter, towards the beautiful lady, as if he was going to charge into battle.However, there was no better way to go in a hurry, and the burden fell to the ground.

We, a mainlander, were seen by the middle school students in Paris, and I don't know how to feel sorry for him.By the age of fifteen, a student in Paris already has a lot of style when he goes out to the cafe.However, at the age of fifteen, he was considered decent, but at the age of eighteen, he became mediocre.Mainlanders are often eager and shy, but sometimes, as long as they can overcome this shyness, they will know how to express their wishes.As Julien approached the pretty girl who condescended to speak to him, he thought to himself: "I must tell her the truth." His timidity was gone, but he became courageous:

"Miss, this is the first time in my life that I have come to the expensive city of Besançon. If I want a piece of bread and a cup of coffee, I will pay for it." The girl smiled sweetly, her cheeks flushed.She was worried about this handsome boy, not to be ridiculed and ridiculed by those who played billiards.Once frightened, he will not come again. "Sit here against me." She pointed to a marble table.The table was almost entirely hidden by a large mahogany ledge projecting into the hall. The girl leaned over from the counter and was able to show her graceful figure.Julien looked at him, and all his thoughts changed at once.The beautiful lady put down a cup, some sugar cubes, and a bun in front of him.She hesitated to call the waiter for coffee right away, because she knew that once the waiter came, she couldn't whisper to the visitor.

Julien thought about it and compared the lively and happy blonde beauty in front of him with some past events that often fascinated him.His shyness was almost wiped away at the thought that he had been the object of other people's affections.In an instant the beautiful girl read Julien's thoughts in his eyes. "The smell of the pipe is very pungent, so, if you come to breakfast before eight o'clock tomorrow morning, I will be almost alone then." "May I ask your name?" Julien smiled shyly. "Amenda Bina." "In an hour, I will send you a small package like this, is it okay?"

The beauty Amanda thought for a while. "There are a lot of eyes and ears here. Your request may implicate me. However, I will write you an address, and you can stick it on the package. Don't worry about sending it." "My name is Julien Sorel," said the young man, "and I have neither relatives nor friends in this Besancon." "Ah! I see!" she said cheerfully. "You came to law school?" "Unfortunately, no!" replied Julien, "they want to send me to the seminary." Greatly disappointed, Amanda's face suddenly dimmed.She calls for a waiter: she has the courage now.The waiter poured Julien his coffee without even looking at him.

Amanda collects money from customers at the counter.Julien was quite pleased with himself for daring to speak to him.At this time, there was a dispute at a billiard table.The golfers yelled and yelled, and their words shook the hall, and Julien was greatly surprised by the uproar.Amanda seemed to be in a daze, with her eyes downcast. "If you like, miss," he said suddenly confidently, "you can say that I am your cousin." Amanda likes this majestic tone. "Not a bad guy," she thought.She said the following quickly, without looking at Julien, for her eyes were fixed on whether anyone approached the counter:

"I'm from Shangli, near Dijon; just say you're also from Shangli, and you're my mother's cousin." "I must obey." "In summer, every Thursday at five o'clock in the afternoon, the students of the seminary will parade in front of this cafe." "When I pass by, if you still miss me, take a bouquet of violets as a sign." Amanda glanced at him and was very surprised.It didn't matter, and Julien's courage gave way to rashness; but he was still blushing violently when he said: "I feel that I have fallen in love with you, and with the strongest kind of love."

"Oh, speak softly," she said with a look of alarm. Julien thought that he could copy the sentences from the book here; he was reading the book in an incomplete copy, which he found in Weierxi.His memory helped a lot; he recited it for ten minutes at a stretch, and Miss Amunda was astonished.Just as Julien was proud of his fearlessness, the beautiful Franche-Comté girl suddenly assumed a cold expression.It turned out that one of her friends appeared at the door of the cafe. The man came up to the counter whistling and shaking his shoulders, and he gave Julien a look.Julien went to extremes, and at the moment his mind was full of thoughts of a duel.His face turned pale suddenly, he pushed the cup forward, showing a determined expression, and took a closer look at his rival in love.Just as the rival in love was bowing his head and skillfully pouring wine for himself on the counter, Amunda motioned with her eyes to ask Julien to bow his head.Julien complied; and for a couple of minutes he sat motionless in his seat, his face ashen, making up his mind, planning what was going to happen.At this moment, he is really good.The rival in love was amazed at Julien's gaze; he drank a glass of schnapps in one gulp, said something to Amanda, put his hands in the side pockets of his baggy coat, whistled, and glanced at Julien. , walked towards the pool table.Julien stood up in a rage, but he did not know how to express his arrogance.Put the small burden aside: trying to pretend to be foolish, swaggeringly, also walked towards the pool table.

Advice to be cautious in words and deeds is of no avail: "As soon as you arrive in Besançon, you fight a duel, and the career of a priest is over." "What does it matter, so as not to fall into the ground and say that I let go of an unsuccessful person." Amanda saw his bravery.His brute force and childish demeanor formed a wonderful contrast.In an instant, she liked him far more than the burly man in the suit.She stood up, her eyes seemed to be fixed on the passers-by in the street, and she walked quickly, placing herself between Julien and the billiard table. "You are not allowed to squint at that gentleman like this. He is my brother-in-law." "What has it to do with me? He saw me that way, too." "Do you want to make me feel bad? Yes, he has seen you, and may come to talk to you. I told him that you are a relative of my natal family, from Shangli. He is Franche. - from Comté, who never left Dole, and that was the first stop on the way to Burgundy. So say what you like, don't worry." Julien still hesitated.She quickly added fuel and vinegar, but fortunately, the female shopkeeper was smart enough to tell lies: "Yes, he saw you, and he was asking me about you. He was rough with everyone, and didn't mean to insult you." Julien kept his eyes on the fake brother-in-law, watching him buy a chip and walk towards a pool table in the distance, and heard him shout aggressively in a rough voice: "Let me come first!" Julien quickly walked around Ah Monda, walk towards the pool table.Amunda grabbed Julien's arm: "Come on, pay the money first." "That's right," Julien thought, "I'm afraid I will leave without paying the bill." Amunda was as flustered as he was, her face flushed, and she gave him the change slowly, lowered her voice, and repeatedly urged: "Leave the cafe immediately, or I won't like you. You know, I like you very much." Julien did go out, but deliberately slowly.He thought over and over: "Should I also whistle and give that rough one a look?" Confused, he walked back and forth on the road in front of the cafe and waited for an hour.The man never appeared, and Julien had to open the way. He had only been in Besançon for a few hours, and already he had this hatred.In the past, regardless of his gout, the old military doctor taught him a few sword skills; this was all he used to vent his hatred.If he had known other ways of expressing his displeasure besides slapping, the embarrassment would have been avoided.However, if he really drew his fists at each other, the opponent was such a big man, he would definitely be beaten to the ground. "A poor wretch like me, who has neither support nor money," thought Julien, "goes to the seminary and goes to prison. It doesn't make much difference. I should put on a black coat and leave my civilian clothes in some inn. If I can sneak out of the seminary for a few hours, I can dress like a townsman and meet Miss Amunda." The idea is brilliant, but I dare not go in after passing through every inn. At the end of the day, he walked back and passed the VIP Hotel again. His dazed eyes met those of a big fat woman;He walked over and told her about his affairs. "Of course, pretty little priest," said the lady proprietress of the VIP Hotel. "I'll keep your casual clothes for you, and I'll dust you off from time to time. Woolen clothes can't be left alone in this weather." She took a key, led him into a room herself, and asked him to make a list of what he had left behind. "Oh, dear! how handsome you look, my abbé Sorel," cried the fat woman, seeing Julien approaching the kitchen, "I'll get you something delicious, and "She lowered her voice, "I only charge you twenty zi, while others have to pay fifty. In this way, your purse will not be squeezed." "I have ten louis d'or," replied Julien, not without a little satisfaction. "Ah! God!" said the kind lady proprietress, with a look of horror on her face, "don't shout too loudly. Besançon is full of villains. In the blink of an eye, your money will be stolen. Especially don't go into cafes, there are all kinds of bad guys." It's badass." "Really!" Julien said exactly what he was thinking. "Don't go anywhere but here, and I'll fix your coffee. Remember, you'll always find a good friend here, and a good meal for twenty bucks. That's how it is, I hope. It's a deal. You go and sit at the table, and I'll come and serve you myself." "I can't take it," said Julien. "I'm so irritated, because I'm going to the seminary when I leave this shop." The kind woman didn't let him go until she filled his pockets with food.At last, Julien set out on his way to the dreadful place, while the landlady stood on the threshold to show him the way.