CHAPTER XV. THE LONG VACATION.

FollowingMadameBeck’sfête,withitsthreeprecedingweeksofrelaxation,itsbrieftwelvehours’burstofhilarityanddissipation,anditsonesubsequentdayofutterlanguor,cameaperiodofreactiontwomonthsofrealapplication,ofclose,hardstudy.Thesetwomonths,beingthelastofthe“annéescolaire,”wereindeedtheonlygenuineworkingmonthsintheyear.Tothemwasprocrastinated—intothemconcentrated,alikebyprofessors,mistresses,andpupils—themainburdenofpreparationfortheexaminationsprecedingthedistributionofprizes.Candidatesforrewardshadthentoworkingoodearnestmastersandteachershadtosettheirshoulderstothewheel,tourgeonthebackward,anddiligentlyaidandtrainthemorepromising.Ashowydemonstration—atellingexhibition—mustbegotupforpublicview,andallmeanswerefairtothisend. IscarcelynotedhowtheotherteacherswenttoworkIhadmyownbusinesstomindandmytaskwasnottheleastonerous,beingtoimbuesomeninetysetsofbrainswithaduetinctureofwhattheyconsideredamostcomplicatedanddifficultscience,thatoftheEnglishlanguageandtodrillninetytonguesinwhat,forthem,wasanalmostimpossiblepronunciation—thelispingandhissingdentalsoftheIsles. Theexamination-dayarrived.Awfulday!Preparedforwithanxiouscare,dressedforwithsilentdespatch—nothingvaporousorflutteringnow—nowhitegauzeorazurestreamersthegrave,close,compactwastheorderofthetoilette.ItseemedtomethatIwasthisday,especiallydoomed—themainburdenandtrialfallingonmealoneofallthefemaleteachers.Theotherswerenotexpectedtoexamineinthestudiestheytaughttheprofessorofliterature,M.Paul,takinguponhimselfthisduty.He,thisschoolautocrat,gatheredallandsundryreinsintothehollowofhisonehandheirefullyrejectedanycolleaguehewouldnothavehelp.Madameherself,whoevidentlyratherwishedtoundertaketheexaminationingeography—herfavouritestudy,whichshetaughtwell—wasforcedtosuccumb,andbesubordinatetoherdespotickinsman’sdirection.Thewholestaffofinstructors,maleandfemale,hesetaside,andstoodontheexaminer’sestradealone.Itirkedhimthathewasforcedtomakeoneexceptiontothisrule.HecouldnotmanageEnglish:hewasobligedtoleavethatbranchofeducationintheEnglishteacher’shandswhichhedid,notwithoutaflashofna?vejealousy. Aconstantcrusadeagainstthe“amour-propre”ofeveryhumanbeingbuthimself,wasthecrotchetofthisable,butfieryandgraspinglittleman.Hehadastrongrelishforpublicrepresentationinhisownperson,butanextremeabhorrenceofthelikedisplayinanyother.Hequelled,hekeptdownwhenhecouldandwhenhecouldnot,hefumedlikeabottledstorm. Ontheeveningprecedingtheexamination-day,Iwaswalkinginthegarden,asweretheotherteachersandalltheboarders.M.Emanueljoinedmeinthe“alléedéfendue”hiscigarwasathislipshispalet?t—amostcharacteristicgarmentofnoparticularshape—hungdarkandmenacingthetasselofhisbonnetgrecsternlyshadowedhislefttemplehisblackwhiskerscurledlikethoseofawrathfulcathisblueeyehadacloudinitsglitter. “Ainsi,”hebegan,abruptlyfrontingandarrestingme,“vousalleztr?nercommeunereinedemain—tr?neràmesc?tés?Sansdoutevoussavourezd’avancelesdélicesdel’autorité.Jecroisvoirenjenesaisquoiderayonnante,petiteambitieuse!” Nowthefactwas,hehappenedtobeentirelymistaken.Ididnot—couldnot—estimatetheadmirationorthegoodopinionoftomorrow’saudienceatthesameratehedid.Hadthataudiencenumberedasmanypersonalfriendsandacquaintanceformeasforhim,Iknownothowitmighthavebeen:Ispeakofthecaseasitstood.Onmeschool-triumphsshedbutacoldlustre.Ihadwondered—andIwonderednow—howitwasthatforhimtheyseemedtoshineaswithhearth-warmthandhearth-glow.HecaredforthemperhapstoomuchI,probably,toolittle.However,Ihadmyownfanciesaswellashe.Iliked,forinstance,toseeM.Emanueljealousitlituphisnature,andwokehisspirititthrewallsortsofqueerlightsandshadowsoverhisdunface,andintohisviolet-azureeyes(heusedtosaythathisblackhairandblueeyeswere“unedesesbeautés”).Therewasarelishinhisangeritwasartless,earnest,quiteunreasonable,butneverhypocritical.IutterednodisclaimerthenofthecomplacencyheattributedtomeImerelyaskedwheretheEnglishexaminationcamein—whetheratthecommencementorcloseoftheday? “Ihesitate,”saidhe,“whetherattheverybeginning,beforemanypersonsarecome,andwhenyouraspiringnaturewillnotbegratifiedbyalargeaudience,orquiteattheclose,wheneverybodyistired,andonlyajadedandworn-outattentionwillbeatyourservice.” “Quevousêtesdur,Monsieur!”Isaid,affectingdejection. “Oneoughttobe‘dur’withyou.Youareoneofthosebeingswhomustbekeptdown.Iknowyou!Iknowyou!Otherpeopleinthishouseseeyoupass,andthinkthatacolourlessshadowhasgoneby.Asforme,Iscrutinizedyourfaceonce,anditsufficed.” “Youaresatisfiedthatyouunderstand