A Negotiation
- Mr. Sorel tells Julien the details of his new job with the de Rênals. Julien says he doesn't want to be a servant though, and if he lives in the de Rênals' house, he must eat supper at their table with them.
- When Sorel goes to discuss things with Julien's older brothers, Julien thinks about running away.
- We learn that Julien has an incredible memory, and that he has memorized the entire New Testament of the Bible by heart.
- Monsieur Sorel goes back to the mayor and makes all kinds of new demands for his son, not because he wants what's best for Julien, but because he likes to make the mayor pay as much as possible.
- All of these demands just confirm the mayor's belief that other rich men in town have offered Julien a position. He's determined not to be outbid.
- When he gets home, Mr. Sorel can't find Julien. Julien has gone to visit a friend named Fouqé in order to leave his books with him for safekeeping.
- When he gets back, his father orders him to go to the mayor's house immediately.
- Julien thinks that he should stop at the Verrières church on his way to the mayor's house. This isn't because he's religious, but because he likes to keep up appearances.
- You see, Julien is a really ambitious young man. He used to have dreams of becoming a great soldier, but then he realizes just how much power and influence that priests and bishops actually had in France.
- So he decided to put himself on the road to becoming a priest. That's how he first started hanging out with Father Chélan, learning theology, and memorizing the Bible.
- When he kneels inside the church, Julien realizes that he might be taking the coward's way out by giving up on his life as a soldier. Then again, he's too scared to take all the risks involved.
- Meanwhile, Madame de Rênal worries herself sick about her children's new tutor.
- She can only imagine an ugly, cruel man who will beat her kids for messing up their grammar.