CHAPTER XXV. THE LITTLE COUNTESS.

all.” “Itisenormous,papaitcanneverbegotoveritisaslargeasyouinyourgreatcoat,andthesnowdriftonthetop.” “And,likethatsnowdrift,capableofmelting?” “No!itisoftoo—toosolidflesh:itisjustyourownself.MissLucy,warnMadameBecknottolistentoanyoverturesabouttakingme,because,intheend,itwouldturnoutthatshewouldhavetotakepapatoo:asheissoteasing,Iwilljusttelltalesabouthim.Mrs.Brettonandallofyoulisten:Aboutfiveyearsago,whenIwastwelveyearsold,hetookitintohisheadthathewasspoilingmethatIwasgrowingunfittedfortheworld,andIdon’tknowwhat,andnothingwouldserveorsatisfyhim,butImustgotoschool.Icried,andsoonbutM.deBassompierreprovedhard-hearted,quitefirmandflinty,andtoschoolIwent.Whatwastheresult?Inthemostadmirablemanner,papacametoschoollikewise:everyotherdayhecalledtoseeme.MadameAigredouxgrumbled,butitwasofnouseandso,atlast,papaandIwereboth,inamanner,expelled.LucycanjusttellMadameBeckthislittletrait:itisonlyfairtoletherknowwhatshehastoexpect.” Mrs.BrettonaskedMr.Homewhathehadtosayinanswertothisstatement.Ashemadenodefence,judgmentwasgivenagainsthim,andPaulinatriumphed. Butshehadothermoodsbesidesthearchandna?ve.Afterbreakfastwhenthetwoelderswithdrew—IsupposetotalkovercertainofMrs.Bretton’sbusinessmatters—andtheCountess,Dr.Bretton,andI,wereforashorttimealonetogether—allthechildleftherwithus,morenearlyhercompanionsinage,sheroseatoncetothelittlelady:herveryfaceseemedtoalterthatplayoffeature,andcandouroflook,which,whenshespoketoherfather,madeitquitedimpledandround,yieldedtoanaspectmorethoughtful,andlinesdistincterandlessmobile. NodoubtGrahamnotedthechangeaswellasI.Hestoodforsomeminutesnearthewindow,lookingoutatthesnowpresentlyhe,approachedthehearth,andenteredintoconversation,butnotquitewithhisusualease:fittopicsdidnotseemtorisetohislipshechosethemfastidiously,hesitatingly,andconsequentlyinfelicitously:hespokevaguelyofVillette—itsinhabitants,itsnotablesightsandbuildings.HewasansweredbyMissdeBassompierreinquitewomanlysortwithintelligence,withamannernotindeedwhollydisindividualized:atone,aglance,agesture,hereandthere,ratheranimatedandquickthanmeasuredandstately,stillrecalledlittlePollybutyettherewassofineandevenapolish,socalmandcourteousagrace,gildingandsustainingthesepeculiarities,thatalesssensitivemanthanGrahamwouldnothaveventuredtoseizeuponthemasvantagepoints,leadingtofrankerintimacy. YetwhileDr.Brettoncontinuedsubdued,and,forhim,sedate,hewasstillobservant.Notoneofthosepettyimpulsesandnaturalbreaksescapedhim.Hedidnotmissonecharacteristicmovement,onehesitationinlanguage,oronelispinutterance.Attimes,inspeakingfast,shestilllispedbutcolouredwheneversuchlapseoccurred,andinapainstaking,conscientiousmanner,quiteasamusingastheslighterror,repeatedthewordmoredistinctly. Whenevershedidthis,Dr.Brettonsmiled.Gradually,astheyconversed,therestraintoneachsideslackened:mighttheconferencehavebutbeenprolonged,Ibelieveitwouldsoonhavebecomegenial:alreadytoPaulina’slipandcheekreturnedthewreathing,dimplingsmileshelispedonce,andforgottocorrectherself.AndDr.John,Iknownothowhechanged,butchangehedid.Hedidnotgrowgayer—noraillery,nolevitysparkledacrosshisaspect—buthispositionseemedtobecomeoneofmorepleasuretohimself,andhespokehisaugmentedcomfortinreadierlanguage,intonesmoresuave.Tenyearsagothispairhadalwaysfoundabundancetosaytoeachothertheinterveningdecadehadnotnarrowedtheexperienceorimpoverishedtheintelligenceofeither:besides,therearecertainnaturesofwhichthemutualinfluenceissuch,thatthemoretheysay,themoretheyhavetosay.Fortheseoutofassociationgrowsadhesion,andoutofadhesion,amalgamation. Graham,however,mustgo:hiswasaprofessionwhoseclaimsareneithertobeignorednordeferred.Helefttheroombutbeforehecouldleavethehousetherewasareturn.Iamsurehecameback—notforthepaper,orcardinhisdesk,whichformedhisostensibleerrand—buttoassurehimself,byonemoreglance,thatPaulina’saspectwasreallysuchasmemorywasbearingaway:thathehadnotbeenviewinghersomehowbyapartial,artificiallight,andmakingafondmistake.No!hefoundtheimpressiontrue—rather,indeed,hegainedthanlostbythisreturn:hetookawaywithhimapartinglook—shy,butverysoft—asbeautiful,asinnocent,asanylittlefawncouldliftoutofitscoveroffern,oranylambfromitsmeadow-bed. Beingleftalone,PaulinaandIkeptsilenceforsometime:webothtookoutsomework,andpliedamuteanddiligenttask.Thewhite-woodworkboxofolddayswasnowreplacedbyoneinlaidwithpreciousmosaic,andfurnishedwithimplementsofgoldthetinyandtremblingfingersthatcouldscarceguidetheneedle,thoughtinystill,werenowswiftandskilful:buttherewasthesamebusyknittingofthebrow,thesamelittledaintymannerisms,thesamequickturnsandmovements—nowtoreplaceastraytress,andanontoshakefromthesilkenskirtsomeimaginaryatomofdust—someclingingfibreofthread. ThatmorningIwasdisposedforsilence:theausterefuryofthewinter-dayhadonmeanawing,hushinginfluence.ThatpassionofJanuary,sowhiteandsobloodless,wasnotyetspent:thestormhadraveditself