CHAPTER XXVIII. THE WATCHGUARD.

arthatIwasquarrellingwithM.Paulagainbeforenightyetsoitwas,andIcouldnothelpit. Itwashisoccasionalcustom—andaverylaudable,acceptablecustom,too—toarriveofanevening,alwaysàl’improviste,unannounced,burstinonthesilenthourofstudy,establishasuddendespotismoverusandouroccupations,causebookstobeputaway,work-bagstobebroughtout,and,drawingforthasinglethickvolume,orahandfulofpamphlets,substituteforthebesotted“lecturepieuse,”drawledbyasleepypupil,sometragedymadegrandbygrandreading,ardentbyfieryaction—somedrama,whereof,formypart,IrarelystudiedtheintrinsicmeritforM.Emanuelmadeitavesselforanoutpouring,andfilleditwithhisnativeverveandpassionlikeacupwithavitalbrewage.Orelsehewouldflashthroughourconventualdarknessareflexofabrighterworld,showusaglimpseofthecurrentliteratureoftheday,readuspassagesfromsomeenchantingtale,orthelastwittyfeuilletonwhichhadawakenedlaughterinthesaloonsofParistakingcarealwaystoexpunge,withtheseveresthand,whetherfromtragedy,melodrama,tale,oressay,whateverpassage,phrase,orword,couldbedeemedunsuitedtoanaudienceof“jeunesfilles.”Inoticedmorethanonce,thatwhereretrenchmentwithoutsubstitutewouldhaveleftunmeaningvacancy,orintroducedweakness,hecould,anddid,improvisewholeparagraphs,nolessvigorousthanirreproachablethedialogue—thedescription—heengraftedwasoftenfarbetterthanthatheprunedaway. Well,ontheeveninginquestion,weweresittingsilentasnunsina“retreat,”thepupilsstudying,theteachersworking.Iremembermyworkitwasaslightmatteroffancy,anditratherinterestedmeithadapurposeIwasnotdoingitmerelytokilltimeImeantitwhenfinishedasagiftandtheoccasionofpresentationbeingnear,hastewasrequisite,andmyfingerswerebusy. Weheardthesharpbell-pealwhichweallknewthentherapidstepfamiliartoeachear:thewords“VoilàMonsieur!”hadscarcelybrokensimultaneouslyfromeverylip,whenthetwo-leaveddoorsplit(assplititalwaysdidforhisadmission—suchaslowwordas“open”isinefficienttodescribehismovements),andhestoodinthemidstofus. Thereweretwostudytables,bothlongandflankedwithbenchesoverthecentreofeachhungalampbeneaththislamp,oneithersidethetable,satateacherthegirlswerearrangedtotherighthandandthelefttheeldestandmoststudiousnearestthelampsortropicstheidlersandlittleonestowardsthenorthandsouthpoles.Monsieur’shabitwaspolitelytohandachairtosometeacher,generallyZélieSt.Pierre,theseniormistressthentotakehervacatedseatandthusavailhimselfofthefullbeamofCancerorCapricorn,which,owingtohisnearsight,heneeded. Asusual,Zélierosewithalacrity,smilingtothewholeextentofhermouth,andthefulldisplayofherupperandunderrowsofteeth—thatstrangesmilewhichpassesfromeartoear,andismarkedonlybyasharpthincurve,whichfailstospreadoverthecountenance,andneitherdimplesthecheeknorlightstheeye.IsupposeMonsieurdidnotseeher,orhehadtakenawhimthathewouldnotnoticeher,forhewasascapriciousaswomenaresaidtobethenhis“lunettes”(hehadgotanotherpair)servedhimasanexcuseforallsortsoflittleoversightsandshortcomings.Whatevermightbehisreason,hepassedbyZélie,cametotheothersideofthetable,andbeforeIcouldstartuptocleartheway,whispered,“Nebougezpas,”andestablishedhimselfbetweenmeandMissFanshawe,whoalwayswouldbemyneighbour,andhaveherelbowinmyside,howeveroftenIdeclaredtoher,“Ginevra,IwishyouwereatJericho.” Itwaseasytosay,“Nebougezpas”buthowcouldIhelpit?Imustmakehimroom,andImustrequestthepupilstorecedethatImightrecede.ItwasverywellforGinevratobegummedtome,“keepingherselfwarm,”asshesaid,onthewinterevenings,andharassingmyveryheartwithherfidgetingsandpokings,obligingme,indeed,sometimestoputanartfulpininmygirdlebywayofprotectionagainstherelbowbutIsupposeM.Emanuelwasnottobesubjectedtothesamekindoftreatment,soIsweptawaymyworkingmaterials,toclearspaceforhisbook,andwithdrewmyselftomakeroomforhispersonnot,however,leavingmorethanayardofinterval,justwhatanyreasonablemanwouldhaveregardedasaconvenient,respectfulallowanceofbench.ButM.Emanuelneverwasreasonableflintandtinderthathewas!hestruckandtookfiredirectly. “Vousnevoulezpasdemoipourvoisin,”hegrowled:“vousvousdonnezdesairsdecastevousmetraitezenparia”hescowled.“Soit!jevaisarrangerlachose!”Andhesettowork. “Levezvoustoutes,Mesdemoiselles!”criedhe. Thegirlsrose.Hemadethemallfileofftotheothertable.Hethenplacedmeatoneextremityofthelongbench,andhavingdulyandcarefullybroughtmemywork-basket,silk,scissors,allmyimplements,hefixedhimselfquiteattheotherend. Atthisarrangement,highlyabsurdasitwas,notasoulintheroomdaredtola