Les Amis de l'ABC

Chapter 2

Courfeyrac had lied. There was a meeting on Thursday, but it was not the next meeting. He was actually on his way to one by a quite circuitous route in an obvious effort to waste time. He considered asking Joly for a loan, but decided that it would be more worthwhile to demand money of his father. Then his thoughts turned to Mlle Feuilly.

What had possessed him to ask her to a meeting of Les Amis de l’ABC? He knew full well that Enjolras was afraid of women, and the rest would see her as an opportunity for sex. Was this his way of asking her out? She was quite good looking, with an intelligent, almost noble, air. Her bearing was of the upper class, her speech was an odd mix of middle class French and argot, but her clothes placed her as a factory worker. Perhaps she was one of those odd products of self education, who carry themselves higher and speak better than their peers, yet cannot manage to rise above their station in society. This made sense with her revolutionary attitude. She wanted to be a bourgeoise, but she could not if the present class system was still in place, or if socialism took over. Mlle Feuilly was quite a conundrum to Courfeyrac, and he wanted to find out more. However, only her eyes truly spoke, while the rest of her remained closed. For the few minutes they had spoken, he could see in her eyes that she wanted to tell him everything she had ever thought, but she would not let herself free.

Of course, it could be that he thought he saw the same emotions in her that he himself was feeling. He was not in love, that much was certain, but Courfeyrac did feel a certain attraction, and it was under the spell of this attraction that he had invited her to Thursday’s meeting. He realized now that it was not the best idea, because Enjolras would go insane. The relationship between the eight of them was tenuous at best; friends of friends were little better than acquaintances, although they became better known day by day. A woman could break everything up. Of course, she could prove necessary, being a worker and all. She could be a good means of getting support, and finding a platform, now that he thought about it.

Courfeyrac was fast approaching Corinth, and he decided to pose the Feuilly question to the rest of the group. They were a brotherhood, of sorts, and they should make decisions about members together.


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