CHAPTER XXVII. THE H?TEL CRéCY.

Themorrowturnedoutamorelivelyandbusydaythanwe—orthanI,atleast—hadanticipated.ItseemsitwasthebirthdayofoneoftheyoungprincesofLabassecour—theeldest,Ithink,theDucdeDindonneau,andageneralholidaywasgiveninhishonourattheschools,andespeciallyattheprincipal“Athénée,”orcollege.Theyouthofthatinstitutionhadalsoconcocted,andweretopresentaloyaladdressforwhichpurposetheyweretobeassembledinthepublicbuildingwheretheyearlyexaminationswereconducted,andtheprizesdistributed.Aftertheceremonyofpresentation,anoration,or“discours,”wastofollowfromoneoftheprofessors. SeveralofM.deBassompierre’sfriends—thesavants—beingmoreorlessconnectedwiththeAthénée,theywereexpectedtoattendonthisoccasiontogetherwiththeworshipfulmunicipalityofVillette,M.leChevalierStaas,theburgomaster,andtheparentsandkinsfolkoftheAtheniansingeneral.M.deBassompierrewasengagedbyhisfriendstoaccompanythemhisfairdaughterwould,ofcourse,beoftheparty,andshewrotealittlenotetoGinevraandmyself,biddinguscomeearlythatwemightjoinher. AsMissFanshaweandIweredressinginthedormitoryoftheRueFossette,she(MissF.)suddenlyburstintoalaugh. “Whatnow?”Iaskedforshehadsuspendedtheoperationofarrangingherattire,andwasgazingatme. “Itseemssoodd,”shereplied,withherusualhalf-honesthalf-insolentunreserve,“thatyouandIshouldnowbesomuchonalevel,visitinginthesamespherehavingthesameconnections.” “Why,yes,”saidI“Ihadnotmuchrespectfortheconnectionsyouchieflyfrequentedawhileago:Mrs.CholmondeleyandCo.wouldneverhavesuitedmeatall.” “Whoareyou,MissSnowe?”sheinquired,inatoneofsuchundisguisedandunsophisticatedcuriosity,asmademelaughinmyturn. “Youusedtocallyourselfanurserygovernesswhenyoufirstcamehereyoureallyhadthecareofthechildreninthishouse:IhaveseenyoucarrylittleGeorgetteinyourarms,likeabonne—fewgovernesseswouldhavecondescendedsofar—andnowMadameBecktreatsyouwithmorecourtesythanshetreatstheParisienne,St.Pierreandthatproudchit,mycousin,makesyouherbosomfriend!” “Wonderful!”Iagreed,muchamusedathermystification.“WhoamIindeed?Perhapsapersonageindisguise.PityIdon’tlookthecharacter.” “Iwonderyouarenotmoreflatteredbyallthis,”shewenton“youtakeitwithstrangecomposure.IfyoureallyarethenobodyIoncethoughtyou,youmustbeacoolhand.” “Thenobodyyouoncethoughtme!”Irepeated,andmyfacegrewalittlehotbutIwouldnotbeangry:ofwhatimportancewasaschool-girl’scrudeuseofthetermsnobodyandsomebody?Iconfinedmyself,therefore,totheremarkthatIhadmerelymetwithcivilityandasked“whatshesawincivilitytothrowtherecipientintoafeverofconfusion?” “Onecan’thelpwonderingatsomethings,”shepersisted. “Wonderingatmarvelsofyourownmanufacture.Areyoureadyatlast?” “Yesletmetakeyourarm.” “Iwouldrathernot:wewillwalksidebyside.” Whenshetookmyarm,shealwaysleaneduponmeherwholeweightand,asIwasnotagentleman,orherlover,Ididnotlikeit. “There,again!”shecried.“Ithought,byofferingtotakeyourarm,tointimateapprobationofyourdressandgeneralappearance:Imeantitasacompliment.” “Youdid?Youmeant,inshort,toexpressthatyouarenotashamedtobeseeninthestreetwithme?ThatifMrs.Cholmondeleyshouldbefondlingherlapdogatsomewindow,orColoneldeHamalpickinghisteethinabalcony,andshouldcatchaglimpseofus,youwouldnotquiteblushforyourcompanion?” “Yes,”saidshe,withthatdirectnesswhichwasherbestpoint—whichgaveanhonestplainnesstoherveryfibswhenshetoldthem—whichwas,inshort,thesalt,thesolepreservativeingredientofacharacterotherwisenotformedtokeep. Idelegatedthetroubleofcommentingonthis“yes”tomycountenanceorrather,myunder-lipvoluntarilyanticipatedmytongueofcourse,reverenceandsolemnitywerenotthefeelingsexpressedinthelookIgaveher. “Scornful,sneeringcreature!”shewenton,aswecrossedagreatsquare,andenteredthequiet,pleasantpark,ournearestwaytotheRueCrécy.“NobodyinthisworldwaseversuchaTurktomeasyouare!” “Youbringitonyourself:letmealone:havethesensetobequiet:Iwillletyoualone.” “Asifonecouldletyoualone,whenyouaresopeculiarandsomysterious!” “Themysteryandpeculiaritybeingentirelytheconceptionofyourownbrain—maggots—neithermorenorless,besogoodastokeepthemoutofmysight.” “Butareyouanybody?”perseveredshe,pushingherhand,inspiteofme,undermyarmandthatarmpresseditselfwithinhospitableclosenessagainstmyside,bywayofkeepingouttheintruder. “Yes,”Isaid,“Iamarisingcharacter:onceanoldlady’scompanion,thenanursery-governess,nowaschool-teacher.” “Do—dotellmewhoyouare?I’llnotrepeatit,”sheurged,adheringwithludicroustenacitytothewisenotionofanincognitoshehadgotholdofandshesqueezedthearmofwhichshehadnowobtainedfullpossession,andcoaxedandconjuredtillIwasobligedtopauseintheparktolaugh.Throughoutourwalksherangthemostfancifulchangesonthisthemeproving,byherobstinatecredulity,orincredulity,herincapacitytoconceivehowanypersonnotbolsteredupbybirthorwealth,notsupportedbysomeconsciousnessofnameorconnection,couldmaintainanattitudeofreasonableintegrity.Asforme,itquitesufficedtomymentaltranquillitythatIwasknownwhereitimportedthatknownIshouldbetherestsatonmeeasily:pedigree,socialposition,andreconditeintellectualacquisition,occupiedaboutthesamespaceandplaceinmyinterestsandthoughtstheyweremythird-classlodgers—towhomcouldbeassignedonlythesmallsitting-roomandthelittlebackbedroom:evenifthedininganddrawing-roomsstoodempty,Ineverconfessedittothem,asthinkingminoraccommodationsbettersuitedtotheircircumstances.Theworld,Isoonlearned,heldadifferentestimate:andImakenodoubt,theworldisveryrightinitsview,yetbelievealsothatIamnotquitewronginmine. Therearepeoplewhomaloweredpositiondegradesmorally,towhomlossofconnectioncostslossofself-respect:arenotthesejustifiedinplacingthehighestvalueonthatstationandassociationwhichistheirsafeguardfromdebasement?Ifamanfeelsthathewouldbecomecontemptibleinhisowneyeswereitgenerallyknownthathisancestryweresimpleandnotgentle,poorandnotrich,workersandnotcapitalists,woulditberightseverelytoblamehimforkeepingthesefatalfactsoutofsight—forstarting,trembling,quailingatthechancewhichthreatensexposure?Thelongerwelive,themoreourexperiencewidensthelessp