Forced by his daughter's letter, M. de La Mole saw the necessity of making up his mind: 'Well, here is the great question: has Julien's audacity gone the length of setting him to make love to my daughter, because he knows that I love her more than anything in the world, and that I have an income of a hundred thousand crowns?
Pressé par la lettre de sa fille, M. de La Mole vit la nécessité de se décider : – Enfin, voici la grande question : l’audace de Julien est-elle allée jusqu’à entreprendre de faire la cour à ma fille, parce qu’il sait que je l’aime avant tout, et que j’ai cent mille écus de rente?