CHAPTER VI. CORIOLANUS.

MademoiselleMoorehadthatmorningasomewhatabsent-mindedpupil.Carolineforgot,againandagain,theexplanationswhichweregiventoher.However,shestillborewithuncloudedmoodthechidingsherinattentionbroughtuponher.Sittinginthesunshinenearthewindow,sheseemedtoreceivewithitswarmthakindinfluence,whichmadeherbothhappyandgood.Thusdisposed,shelookedherbest,andherbestwasapleasingvision. Toherhadnotbeendeniedthegiftofbeauty.Itwasnotabsolutelynecessarytoknowherinordertolikehershewasfairenoughtoplease,evenatthefirstview.Hershapesuitedherage:itwasgirlish,light,andplianteverycurvewasneat,everylimbproportionateherfacewasexpressiveandgentlehereyeswerehandsome,andgiftedattimeswithawinningbeamthatstoleintotheheart,withalanguagethatspokesoftlytotheaffections.Hermouthwasveryprettyshehadadelicateskin,andafineflowofbrownhair,whichsheknewhowtoarrangewithtastecurlsbecameher,andshepossessedtheminpicturesqueprofusion.Herstyleofdressannouncedtasteinthewearer—veryunobtrusiveinfashion,farfromcostlyinmaterial,butsuitableincolourtothefaircomplexionwithwhichitcontrasted,andinmaketotheslightformwhichitdraped.Herpresentwintergarbwasofmerino—thesamesoftshadeofbrownasherhairthelittlecollarroundhernecklayoverapinkribbon,andwasfastenedwithapinkknot.Sheworenootherdecoration. SomuchforCarolineHelstone'sappearance.Astohercharacterorintellect,ifshehadany,theymustspeakforthemselvesinduetime. Herconnectionsaresoonexplained.Shewasthechildofparentsseparatedsoonafterherbirth,inconsequenceofdisagreementofdisposition.Hermotherwasthehalf-sisterofMr.Moore'sfatherthus,thoughtherewasnomixtureofblood,shewas,inadistantsense,thecousinofRobert,Louis,andHortense.HerfatherwasthebrotherofMr.Helstone—amanofthecharacterfriendsdesirenottorecall,afterdeathhasoncesettledallearthlyaccounts.Hehadrenderedhiswifeunhappy.Thereportswhichwereknowntobetrueconcerninghimhadgivenanairofprobabilitytothosewhichwerefalselycirculatedrespectinghisbetter-principledbrother.Carolinehadneverknownhermother,asshewastakenfromherininfancy,andhadnotsinceseenherherfatherdiedcomparativelyyoung,andheruncle,therector,hadforsomeyearsbeenhersoleguardian.Hewasnot,asweareaware,muchadapted,eitherbynatureorhabits,tohavethechargeofayounggirl.Hehadtakenlittletroubleabouthereducationprobablyhewouldhavetakennoneifshe,findingherselfneglected,hadnotgrownanxiousonherownaccount,andasked,everynowandthen,foralittleattention,andforthemeansofacquiringsuchamountofknowledgeascouldnotbedispensedwith.Still,shehadadepressingfeelingthatshewasinferior,thatherattainmentswerefewerthanwereusuallypossessedbygirlsofherageandstationandverygladwasshetoavailherselfofthekindoffermadebyhercousinHortense,soonafterthearrivalofthelatteratHollow'sMill,toteachherFrenchandfineneedle-work.Mdlle.Moore,forherpart,delightedinthetask,becauseitgaveherimportanceshelikedtolorditalittleoveradocileyetquickpupil.ShetookCarolinepreciselyatherownestimate,asanirregularly-taught,evenignorantgirlandwhenshefoundthatshemaderapidandeagerprogress,itwastonotalent,noapplication,inthescholarsheascribedtheimprovement,butentirelytoherownsuperiormethodofteaching.WhenshefoundthatCaroline,unskilledinroutine,hadaknowledgeofherown,desultorybutvaried,thediscoverycausedhernosurprise,forshestillimaginedthatfromherconversationhadthegirlunawaresgleanedthesetreasures.Shethoughtitevenwhenforcedtofeelthatherpupilknewmuchonsubjectswhereofsheknewlittle.Theideawasnotlogical,butHortensehadperfectfaithinit. Mademoiselle,whopridedherselfonpossessing"unespritpositif,"andonentertainingadecidedpreferencefordrystudies,keptheryoungcousintothesameascloselyasshecould.SheworkedherunrelentinglyatthegrammaroftheFrenchlanguage,assigningher,asthemostimprovingexerciseshecoulddevise,interminable"analyseslogiques."These"analyses"werebynomeansasourceofparticularpleasuretoCarolineshethoughtshecouldhavelearnedFrenchjustaswellwithoutthem,andgrudgedexcessivelythetimespentinponderingover"propositions,principales,etincidents"indecidingthe"incidentedeterminative,"andthe"incidenteapplicative"inexaminingwhetherthepropositionwas"pleine,""elliptique,"or"implicite."Sometimesshelostherselfinthemaze,andwhensolostshewould,nowandthen(whileHortensewasrummagingherdrawersupstairs—anunaccountableoccupationinwhichshespentalargeportionofeachday,arranging,disarranging,rearranging,andcounter-arranging),carryherbooktoRobertinthecounting-house,andgettheroughplacemadesmoothbyhisaid.Mr.Moorepossessedaclear,tranquilbrainofhisown.AlmostassoonashelookedatCaroline'slittledifficultiestheyseemedtodissolvebeneathhiseye.Intwominuteshewouldexplainall,intwowordsgivethekeytothepuzzle.ShethoughtifHortensecouldonlyteachlikehim,howmuchfastershemightlearn!Repayinghimbyanadmiringandgratefulsmile,rathershedathisfeetthanliftedtohisface,shewouldleavethemillreluctantlytogobacktothecottage,andthen,whileshecompletedtheexercise,orworkedoutthesum(forMdlle.Mooretaughtherarithmetictoo),shewouldwishnaturehadmadeheraboyinsteadofagirl,thatshemightaskRoberttoletherbehisclerk,andsitwithhiminthecounting-house,insteadofsittingwithHortenseintheparlour. Occasionally—butthishappenedveryrarely—shespenttheeveningatHollow'sCottage.SometimesduringthesevisitsMoorewasawayattendingamarketsometimeshewasgonetoMr.Yorke'softenhewasengagedwithamalevisitorinanotherroombutsometimes,too,hewasathome,disengaged,freetotalkwithCaroline.Whenthiswasthecase,theeveninghourspassedonwingsoflighttheyweregonebeforetheywerecounted.TherewasnoroominEnglandsopleasantasthatsmallparlourwhenthethreecousinsoccupiedit.Hortense,whenshewasnotteaching,orscolding,orcooking,wasfarfromill-humoureditwashercustomtorelaxtowardsevening,andtobekindtoheryoungEnglishkinswoman.Therewasameans,too,ofrenderingherdelightful,byinducinghertotakeherguitarandsingandplay.Shethenbecamequitegood-natured.Andassheplayedwithskill,andhadawell-tonedvoice,itwasnotdisagreeabletolistentoher.Itwouldhavebeenabsolutelyagreeable,exceptthatherformalandself-importantcharactermodulatedherstrains,asitimpressedhermannersandmouldedhercountenance. Mr.Moore,releasedfromthebusinessyoke,was,ifnotlivelyhimself,awillingspectatorofCaroline'sliveliness,acomplacentlistenertohertalk,areadyrespondenttoherquestions.Hewassomethingagreeabletositnear,tohoverround,toaddressandlookat.Sometimeshewasbetterthanthis—almostanimated,quitegentleandfriendly. Thedrawbackwasthatbythenextmorninghewassuretobefrozenupagainandhowevermuchheseemed,inhisquietway,toenjoythesesocialevenings,herarelycontrivedtheirrecurrence.Thiscircumstancepuzzledtheinexperiencedheadofhiscousin."IfIhadameansofhappinessatmycommand,"shethought,"Iwouldemploythatmeansoften.Iwouldkeepitbrightwithuse,andnotletitlieforweeksaside,tillitgetsrusty." Yetshewascarefulnottoputinpracticeherowntheory.Muchasshelikedaneveningvisittothecottage,sheneverpaidoneunasked.Often,indeed,whenpressedbyHortensetocome,shewouldrefuse,becauseRobertdidnotsecond,orbutslightlysecondedtherequest.Thismorningwasthefirsttimehehadever,ofhisownunpromptedwill,givenheraninvitationandthenhehadspoke