The Red and the Black

The following day, Mathilde adopts a cold attitude toward Julien. She is angry that he seemingly has power over her after their brief romance. This coldness perplexes him, prompting him to finally speak to her, only for Mathilde to treat him with disdain. They are motivated by feelings of “the most dire hatred for each other” (358), yet Julien finds himself more in love with Mathilde than ever before. His previous doubts about his feelings for her have vanished. He speaks to her in the library, asking whether she still loves him. Mathilde is disgusted with herself for ever having loved Julien. In a pique of anger and frustration, Julien draws an ornamental sword from the wall. He stops himself, however, and places the sword back on the hook. Mathilde is shocked that her actions could elicit such a passionate, “heroic” response.

The marquis refuses to allow Julien to depart Paris on business. Confined to the house, Julien is stuck inside with his “most violent despair” (362). Mathilde, comparing Julien’s moment of passion with the sword to her romantic ancestors, now wonders whether he might be worthy of being her master. For a week, they resume their flirtation. Constantly, however, she talks of past romantic interests. This discussion of aristocrats who have tried to court Mathilde is like torture for Julien, who feels an intense mix of unhappiness and jealousy. He is still not sure whether his love for Mathilde is being returned. When he unexpectedly voices his affection, however, he immediately makes Mathilde’s attitude “change in a flash” (365) so she dislikes him once again.

Mathilde is “preoccupied” (368) with whether she truly loves Julien. She veers suddenly back and forth between passion and hatred. When she visits the opera, one of the songs assures her that she no longer needs his affection. At the same time, Julien blames himself and his social position for being unworthy of Mathilde’s affections. Desperate, he climbs the ladder to her window once again. Though he is uninvited, Mathilde allows him to stay with her. She feels overcome by her feelings and allows him to be her master, declaring herself to be his “slave.” They spend the night making love and, the next day, Julien descends the ladder. Mathilde cuts off a lock of her hair and casts it down to Julien as evidence of her love for him.

Mathilde’s affections change drastically once again. She regrets pledging herself to Julien and cutting her hair. Mathilde tells Julien that she does not love him and treats him with such disdain that he begins to loathe himself. He cannot imagine a time when he did not love her. He tries to physically exhaust himself to avoid thinking about his emotional suffering. Feeling himself out of favor in the salon, he accidently breaks a vase made of “antique Japanese porcelain” (382) belonging to Mme. de la Mole. Julien tells Mathilde that, like the vase, his love is now shattered. He asks her to forgive him for the foolish actions which were motivated by his love for her.

The marquis approaches Julien with a special task: Due to Julien’s incredible memory, he will attend a meeting at which the conservative Ultras will discuss controversial political issues. Julien will take notes, then the Marquis will condense these notes into a memo that Julien will memorize and deliver to an unnamed Duke. The journey must be taken in the utmost secrecy.

Julien is not told where the meeting will take place. He and the Marquis arrive early; Julien prepares to take notes as he watches the conspirators arrive. Feeling in “the thick of a conspiracy” (390), Julien is occasionally sent from the room when the debate becomes too heated or too intense. He recognizes several of the conspirators and diligently takes notes as the meeting heads into the early hours of the morning. The conspirators are meeting to discuss the threat of a liberal (or Jacobin) rebellion in France. They want to enlist foreign powers to help them quell any such rebellion and maintain the status quo. As well as seeking help from abroad, the marquis wants to set up French regiments around the country to maintain order. This is the only way in which a foreign power like England will be able to help France, he believes.

A cardinal makes a speech. He discusses what the Church and the clergy might need from the royalist Ultras in exchange for support. The clergy will want the woodlands which were lost to them during the French Revolution, he suggests. The clergy is made up of 50,000 priests; the people trust the priests to guide them, so the clergy’s support is invaluable. The cabinet minister, M. de Narval, is also present. The conspirators discuss whether he may need to resign in order to further the cause. When certain conspirators begin to leave, the remaining conspirators discuss whether they can be trusted. Julien and the marquis depart. They condense Julien’s notes into a “secret memorandum” (401), which Julien memorizes. The marquis warns that spies will attempt to stop the spread of the memo. Julien departs, and when he spends the night in an inn near Metz, the innkeeper warns that there are no more horses. Julien is surprised to be reunited with Géronimo, the Italian singer, who is also travelling in the same direction. Géronimo warns him that the innkeeper is lying. Julien suspects that he is being watched. That night, he avoids drinking whatever concoction is given to him. While Géronimo is drugged with laudanum, Julien is awake to hear Abbé Castanède search his trunk. Nothing is found, as the memo exists only in Julien’s memory. Abbé Castanède believes that Géronimo must be the spy, so Julien is allowed to continue on his journey. Julien reaches London. There, he delivers his memo to the duke in a secret location. The duke tells Julien to go to Strasburg for 12 days before returning. Julien does as he is instructed.

Julien arrives in Strasburg but feels overwhelmed by his unrequited love for Mathilde. He is surprised to meet his old friend, Prince Korasov, whom he knew in London. The Russian prince wonders why Julien seems downcast, and Julien explains that he is “very much in love” (408) but disguises Mathilde’s true identity with a false name. Prince Korasov suggests that Julien should set about making Mathilde jealous of him. He should publicly show his interest in another woman. Julien is reluctant, so the prince gifts him a collection of “carefully numbered love letters” (411). Julien should copy out the letters in the exact same order, the prince says, sending them at the prescribed times and in the prescribed manner. Julien decides that the object of his false affections should be Mme. de Fervaques, a wealthy widow who lacks an aristocratic lineage and who is often considered prudish. He rejects an offer to marry Prince Korasov’s wealthy cousin, electing instead to try the series of love letters which were originally intended to woo a devout Quaker in Richmond.

Julien returns to Paris and calls on Count Altamira, a friend of Mme. de Fervaques. Count Altamira takes Julien to another friend, his countryman Don Diego Bustos, who has unsuccessfully tried to court Mme. de Fervaques in the past. Bustos advises Julien on how to approach the widow and offers to show him love letters from their failed courtship. Julien forces himself to stick to Prince Korasov’s advice; he tries to ignore Mathilde as much as possible, so long as he is able to remain civil. He directs his admiration at Mme. de Fervaques. Through his work with the marquis, he knows that Mathilde’s arranged marriage to the Marquis de Croisenois is closer than ever. Mathilde is shocked that Julien can ignore her. His coldness toward her rekindles the love she felt for him.

Julien goes about his seduction in the prescribed manner. He approaches Mme. de Fervaques and begins to send her letters, following Prince Korasov’s instructions exactly. He copies the letters and hand delivers them to her staff with an expression of “deep melancholy” (422) on his face, exactly as he has been told. The contents of the love letters are so dull that Julien barely registers what he is saying. Mathilde, however, notices that he is paying attention to Mme. de Fervaques rather than her. At the same time, her parents are lavishly praising Julien for his recent work.

Julien’s steady stream of letters and conversations have an effect: He is invited to dine with Mme. de Fervaques. He attends diligently, but the “exasperating” (426) conversation at the dinner table bores him. Mme. de Fervaques has many Jesuit friends, and rumors suggest that she could use her influence to improve Julien’s standing in the Church. When he hears about Julien’s association with Jesuit-leaning people, Abbé Pirard feels a “sectarian jealousy” (427).

Julien attends the opera and sits in Mme. de Fervaques’s box. When he praises the performance, however, she makes a pointed allusion to his “enthusiasm for Napoleon” (428). Julien’s rival, Tanbeau, has been spreading malicious rumors about Julien’s political leanings. Yet Mme. de Fervaques’s comments suggest that he must choose between her and Napoleon; she does not shun him immediately. Julien realizes that, in his carelessness, he has failed to correctly alter one of Prince Kurasov’s love letters, leaving in the original details about Richmond. This has prompted Mme. de Fervaques to doubt whether he is sincere in his affections. He manages to assure her that this was merely a mistake. At the same time, his devotion to Mme. de Fervaques is causing Mathilde to be increasingly jealous. She overhears the couple’s conversation and knows that Julien is being insincere, but this Machiavellian approach only makes her love him more. Julien appreciates the success of his plan, but he is miserable, craving Mathilde’s love so much that he thinks about ending his life.

Mme. de Fervaques replies to Julien’s letters. Eventually, she begins to write him a letter every day. Julien throws these letters into a drawer without opening them. He diligently sticks to the program and continues to copy Prince Kurasov’s letters. Mathilde is overcome by jealousy. She confronts Julien in the library and accuses him of neglecting her. When she breaks down in tears, Julien feels a desperate urge to console her, but he reminds himself that he must maintain his coldness. Mathilde discovers his pile of unopened letters from Mme. de Fervaques; she knows that his affection for the widow is insincere. She turns to Julien, begging him to return her love since she is his “bride.” She collapses in a faint.

Recovering from her faint, Mathilde returns to pleading for Julien to love her. He forces himself to remain reserved and distant, though it feels “mortally painful” (437). Maintaining his pretense, he insists that he loves Mme. de Fervaques but suggests that his love may not be requited. Since Mathilde insists that she loves him, he says, how can he be sure that her love is sincere. She may change her mind once again, since she can offer no guarantee of her love. He exits the room, respectfully asking for time to think about what she has said to him. That night, Julien accepts an invitation to attend the opera with Mme. de Fervaques. He feels overwhelmed with emotion; Mme. de Fervaques mistakes his tears for affection for her. He also sees that Mathilde has convinced her mother to attend the opera; they are seated in a less prestigious box than normal, and Julien sees that Mathilde seems to be crying as well.