CHAPTER XXVIII. THE WATCHGUARD.

ughlucklessforthegigglerwouldhavebeenthegiggle.Asforme,Itookitwithentirecoolness.ThereIsat,isolatedandcutofffromhumanintercourseIsatandmindedmywork,andwasquiet,andnotatallunhappy. “Estceassezdedistance?”hedemanded. “Monsieurenestl’arbitre,”saidI. “Voussavezbienquenon.C’estvousquiavezcréecevideimmense:moijen’yaipasmislamain.” Andwiththisassertionhecommencedthereading. ForhismisfortunehehadchosenaFrenchtranslationofwhathecalled“undramedeWilliamsShackspirelefauxdieu,”hefurtherannounced,“decessotspa?ens,lesAnglais.”Howfarotherwisehewouldhavecharacterizedhimhadhistempernotbeenupset,Iscarcelyneedintimate. Ofcourse,thetranslationbeingFrench,wasveryinefficientnordidImakeanyparticularefforttoconcealthecontemptwhichsomeofitsforlornlapseswerecalculatedtoexcite.Notthatitbehovedorbeseemedmetosayanything:butonecanoccasionallylooktheopinionitisforbiddentoembodyinwords.Monsieur’slunettesbeingonthealert,hegleanedupeverystraylookIdon’tthinkhelostone:theconsequencewas,hiseyessoondiscardedascreen,thattheirblazemightsparklefree,andhewaxedhotteratthenorthpoletowhichhehadvoluntarilyexiledhimself,than,consideringthegeneraltemperatureoftheroom,itwouldhavebeenreasonabletobecomeundertheverticalrayofCanceritself. Thereadingover,itappearedproblematicwhetherhewoulddepartwithhisangerunexpressed,orwhetherhewouldgiveitvent.Suppressionwasnotmuchinhishabitsbutstill,whathadbeendonetohimdefiniteenoughtoaffordmatterforovertreproof?Ihadnotutteredasound,andcouldnotjustlybedeemedamenabletoreprimandorpenaltyforhavingpermittedaslightlyfreeractionthanusualtothemusclesaboutmyeyesandmouth. Thesupper,consistingofbread,andmilkdilutedwithtepidwater,wasbroughtin.InrespectfulconsiderationoftheProfessor’spresence,therollsandglasseswereallowedtostandinsteadofbeingimmediatelyhandedround. “Takeyoursupper,ladies,”saidhe,seemingtobeoccupiedinmakingmarginalnotestohis“WilliamsShackspire.”Theytookit.Ialsoacceptedarollandglass,butbeingnowmorethaneverinterestedinmywork,Ikeptmyseatofpunishment,andwroughtwhileImunchedmybreadandsippedmybeverage,thewholewitheasysang-froidwithacertainsnugnessofcomposure,indeed,scarcelyinmyhabits,andpleasantlynoveltomyfeelings.Itseemedasifthepresenceofanaturesorestless,chafing,thornyasthatofM.Paulabsorbedallfeverishandunsettlinginfluenceslikeamagnet,andleftmenonebutsuchaswereplacidandharmonious. Herose.“Willhegoawaywithoutsayinganotherword?”Yesheturnedtothedoor. No:here-turnedonhisstepsbutonly,perhaps,totakehispencil-case,whichhadbeenleftonthetable. Hetookit—shutthepencilinandout,brokeitspointagainstthewood,re-cutandpocketedit,and...walkedpromptlyuptome. Thegirlsandteachers,gatheredroundtheothertable,weretalkingprettyfreely:theyalwaystalkedatmealsand,fromtheconstanthabitofspeakingfastandloudatsuchtimes,didnotnowsubduetheirvoicesmuch. M.Paulcameandstoodbehindme.HeaskedatwhatIwasworkingandIsaidIwasmakingawatchguard. Heasked,“Forwhom?”AndIanswered,“Foragentleman—oneofmyfriends.” M.Paulstoopeddownandproceeded—asnovel-writerssay,and,aswasliterallytrueinhiscase—to“hiss”intomyearsomepoignantwords. Hesaidthat,ofallthewomenheknew,Iwastheonewhocouldmakeherselfthemostconsummatelyunpleasant:Iwasshewithwhomitwasleastpossibletoliveonfriendlyterms.Ihada“caractèreintraitable,”andperversetoamiracle.HowImanagedit,orwhatpossessedme,he,forhispart,didnotknowbutwithwhateverpacificandamicableintentionsapersonaccostedme—crac!Iturnedconcordtodiscord,good-willtoenmity.Hewassure,he—M.Paul—wishedmewellenoughhehadneverdonemeanyharmthatheknewofhemight,atleast,hesupposed,claimarighttoberegardedasaneutralacquaintance,guiltlessofhostilesentiments:yet,howIbehavedtohim!Withwhatpungentvivacities—whatanimpetusofmutiny—whata“fougue”ofinjustice! HereIcouldnotavoidopeningmyeyessomewhatwide,andevenslippinginaslightinterjectionalobservation:“Vivacities?Impetus?Fougue?Ididn’tknow….” “Chut!àl’instant!There!thereIwent—vivecommelapoudre!”Hewassorry—hewasverysorry:formysakehegrievedoverthehaplesspeculiarity.This“emportement,”this“chaleur”—generous,perhaps,butexcessive—wouldyet,hefeared,domeamischief.Itwasapity:Iwasnot—hebelieved,inhissoul—whollywithoutgoodqualities:andwouldIbuthearreason,andbemoresedate,moresober,less“enl’air,”less“coquette,”lesstakenbyshow,lesspronetosetanunduevalueonoutsideexcellence—tomakemuchoftheattentionsofpeopleremarkablechieflyforsomanyfeetofs