CHAPTER XXVII. THE FIRST BLUESTOCKING.

rk,tracedoneverypage." Shirleydroppedhercrayonasifitburnedherfingers. "Tellmewhatwerethefaultsofthatdevoir?"sheasked."Weretheygrammaticalerrors,ordidyouobjecttothesubstance?" "IneversaidthatthelinesIdrewwereindicationsoffaultsatall.Youwouldhaveitthatsuchwasthecase,andIrefrainedfromcontradiction." "Whatelsedidtheydenote?" "Nomatternow." "Mr.Moore,"criedHenry,"makeShirleyrepeatsomeofthepiecessheusedtosaysowellbyheart." "IfIaskforany,itwillbe'LeChevalDompté,'"saidMoore,trimmingwithhispenknifethepencilMissKeeldarhadworntoastump. Sheturnedasideherheadtheneck,theclearcheek,forsakenbytheirnaturalveil,wereseentoflushwarm. "Ah!shehasnotforgotten,yousee,sir,"saidHenry,exultant."Sheknowshownaughtyshewas." Asmile,whichShirleywouldnotpermittoexpand,madeherliptrembleshebentherface,andhidithalfwithherarms,halfinhercurls,which,asshestooped,felllooseagain."CertainlyIwasarebel,"sheanswered. "Arebel!"repeatedHenry."Yesyouandpapahadquarrelledterribly,andyousetbothhimandmamma,andMrs.Pryor,andeverybody,atdefiance.Yousaidhehadinsultedyou——" "Hehadinsultedme,"interposedShirley. "AndyouwantedtoleaveSympsonGrovedirectly.Youpackedyourthingsup,andpapathrewthemoutofyourtrunkmammacried,Mrs.Pryorcriedtheybothstoodwringingtheirhandsbeggingyoutobepatientandyoukneltonthefloorwithyourthingsandyourup-turnedboxbeforeyou,looking,Shirley,looking—why,inoneofyourpassions.Yourfeatures,insuchpassions,arenotdistortedtheyarefixed,butquitebeautiful.Youscarcelylookangry,onlyresolute,andinacertainhasteyetonefeelsthatatsuchtimesanobstaclecastacrossyourpathwouldbesplitaswithlightning.Papalostheart,andcalledMr.Moore." "Enough,Henry." "No,itisnotenough.IhardlyknowhowMr.Mooremanaged,exceptthatIrecollecthesuggestedtopapathatagitationwouldbringonhisgoutandthenhespokequietlytotheladies,andgotthemawayandafterwardshesaidtoyou,MissShirley,thatitwasofnousetalkingorlecturingnow,butthatthetea-thingswerejustbroughtintotheschoolroom,andhewasverythirsty,andhewouldbegladifyouwouldleaveyourpackingforthepresentandcomeandmakeacupofteaforhimandme.Youcameyouwouldnottalkatfirst,butsoonyousoftenedandgrewcheerful.Mr.MoorebegantotellusabouttheContinent,thewar,andBonaparte—subjectswewerebothfondoflisteningto.Afterteahesaidweshouldneitherofusleavehimthateveninghewouldnotletusstrayoutofhissight,lestweshouldagaingetintomischief.Wesatoneoneachsideofhim.Weweresohappy.Ineverpassedsopleasantanevening.Thenextdayhegaveyou,missy,alectureofanhour,andwounditupbymarkingyouapiecetolearninBossuetasapunishment-lesson—'LeChevalDompté.'Youlearneditinsteadofpackingup,Shirley.Weheardnomoreofyourrunningaway.Mr.Mooreusedtoteaseyouonthesubjectforayearafterwards." "Sheneversaidalessonwithgreaterspirit,"subjoinedMoore."Shethen,forthefirsttime,gavemethetreatofhearingmynativetonguespokenwithoutaccentbyanEnglishgirl." "Shewasassweetassummercherriesforamonthafterwards,"struckinHenry:"agoodheartyquarrelalwaysleftShirley'stemperbetterthanitfoundit." "YoutalkofmeasifIwerenotpresent,"observedMissKeeldar,whohadnotyetliftedherface. "Areyousureyouarepresent?"askedMoore."TherehavebeenmomentssincemyarrivalherewhenIhavebeentemptedtoinquireoftheladyofFieldheadifsheknewwhathadbecomeofmyformerpupil." "Sheisherenow." "Iseeher,andhumbleenoughbutIwouldneitheradviseHarrynorotherstobelievetooimplicitlyinthehumilitywhichonemomentcanhideitsblushingfacelikeamodestlittlechild,andthenextliftitpaleandloftyasamarbleJuno." "Onemanintimesofold,itissaid,impartedvitalitytothestatuehehadchiselledothersmayhavethecontrarygiftofturninglifetostone." Moorepausedonthisobservationbeforeherepliedtoit.Hislook,atoncestruckandmeditative,said,"Astrangephrasewhatmayitmean?"Heturneditoverinhismind,withthoughtdeepandslow,assomeGermanponderingmetaphysics. "Youmean,"hesaidatlast,"thatsomemeninspirerepugnance,andsochillthekindheart." "Ingenious!"respondedShirley."Iftheinterpretationpleasesyou,youarewelcometoholditvalid.Idon'tcare." Andwiththatsheraisedherhead,loftyinlookandstatue-likeinhue,asLouishaddescribedit. "Beholdthemetamorphosis!"hesaid"scarceimaginedereitisrealized:alowlynymphdevelopstoaninaccessiblegoddess.ButHenrymustnotbedisappointedofhisrecitation,andOlympiawilldeigntoobligehim.Letusbegin." "Ihaveforgottentheveryfirstline." "WhichIhavenot.Mymemory,ifaslow,isaretentiveone.Iacquiredeliberatelybothknowledgeandliking.Theacquisitiongrowsintomybrain,andthesentimentintomybreastanditisnotastherapid-springingproducewhich,havingnorootinitself,flourishesverdurousenoughforatime,buttoosoonfallswitheredaway.Attention,Henry!MissKeeldarconsentstofavouryou.'Voyezcechevalardentetimpétueux,'soitcommences." MissKeeldardidconsenttomaketheeffortbutshesoonstopped. "UnlessIheardthewholerepeatedIcannotcontinueit,"shesaid. "Yetitwasquicklylearned—'soongained,soongone,'"moralizedthetutor.Herecitedthepassagedeliberately,accurately,withslow,impressiveemphasis. Shirley,bydegrees,inclinedherearashewenton.Herface,beforeturnedfromhim,returnedtowardshim.Whenheceased,shetookthewordupasiffromhislipsshetookhisverytonesheseizedhisveryaccentshedeliveredtheperiodsashehaddeliveredthemshereproducedhismanner,hispronunciation,hisexpression. Itwasnowherturntopetition. "Recall'LeSonged'Athalie,'"sheentreated,"andsayit." Hesaiditforher.Shetookitfromhimshefoundlivelyexcitementinthepleasureofmakinghislanguageherown.Sheaskedforfurtherindulgencealltheoldschoolpieceswererevived,andwiththemShirley'soldschooldays. HehadgonethroughsomeofthebestpassagesofRacineandCorneille,andthenhadheardtheechoofhisowndeeptonesinthegirl'svoice,thatmodulateditselffaithfullyonhis."LechêneetleRoseau,"thatmostbeautifulofLaFontaine'sfables,hadbeenrecited,wellrecited,bythetutor,andthepupilhadanimatedlyavailedherselfofthelesson.Perhapsasimultaneousfeelingseizedthemnow,thattheirenthusiasmhadkindledtoaglow,whichtheslightfuelofFrenchpoetrynolongersufficedtofeedperhapstheylongedforatrunkofEnglishoaktobethrownasaYulelogtothedevouringflame.Mooreobserved,"Andtheseareourbestpieces!Andwehavenothingmoredramatic,nervous,natural!" Andthenhesmiledandwassilent.Hiswholenatureseemedserenelyalight.Hestoodonthehearth,leaninghiselbowonthemantelpiece,musingnotunblissfully. Twilightwasclosingonthediminishedautumnday.Theschoolroomwindows—darkenedwithcreepingplants,fromwhichnohighOctoberwindshadasyetswepttheserefoliage—admittedscarceagleamofskybutthefiregavelightenoughtotalkby. AndnowLouisMooreaddressedhispupilinFrench,andsheansweredatfirstwithlaughinghesitationandinbrokenphrase.Mooreencouragedwhilehecorrectedher.Henryjoinedinthelessonthetwoscholarsstoodoppositethemaster,theirarmsroundeachother'swaists.Tartar,wholongsincehadcravedandobtainedadmission,satsagelyinthecentreoftherug,staringattheblazewhichburstfitfulfrommorselsofcoalamongtheredcinders.Thegroupwerehappyenough,but— "Pleasuresarelikepoppiesspread Youseizetheflower—itsbloomisshed." Thedull,rumblingsoundofwheelswasheardonthepavementintheyard. "Itisthecarriagereturned,"saidShirley"anddinnermustbejustready,andIamnotdressed." AservantcameinwithMr.Moore'scandleandteaforthetutorandhispupilusuallydinedatluncheontime. "Mr.Sympsonandtheladiesarereturned,"shesaid,"andSirPhilipNunnelyiswiththem." "Howyoudidstart,andhowyourhandtrembled,Shirley!"saidHenry,whenthemaidhadclosedtheshutterandwasgone."ButIknowwhy—don'tyou,Mr.Moore?Iknowwhatpapaintends.Heisalittleuglyman,thatSirPhilip.Iwishhehadnotcome.IwishsistersandallofthemhadstayedatDeWaldenHalltodine.—Shirleyshouldoncemorehavemadeteaforyouandme,Mr.Moore,andwewouldhavehadahappyeveningofit." MoorewaslockinguphisdeskandputtingawayhisSt.Pierre."Thatwasyourplan,wasit,myboy?" "Don'tyouapproveit,sir?" "Iapprovenothingutopian.LookLifeinitsironfacestareRealityoutofitsbrassycountenance.Makethetea,HenryIshallbebackinaminute." HelefttheroomsodidShirley,byanotherdoor.