CHAPTER VII.

vestudiedfemalecharacterinavarietyofphases,myselfthewhileshelteredfromviewbyamodestmuslincurtain,whereas,owingdoubtlesstotheabsurdscruplesofsomeoldduennaofadirectress,Ihadnowonlytheoptionoflookingatabaregravelledcourt,withanenormous“pasdegeant”inthemiddle,andthemonotonouswallsandwindowsofaboys’school-houseround.Notonlythen,butmanyatimeafter,especiallyinmomentsofwearinessandlowspirits,didIlookwithdissatisfiedeyesonthatmosttantalizingboard,longingtotearitawayandgetaglimpseofthegreenregionwhichIimaginedtoliebeyond.Iknewatreegrewcloseuptothewindow,forthoughtherewereasyetnoleavestorustle,Ioftenheardatnightthetappingofbranchesagainstthepanes.Inthedaytime,whenIlistenedattentively,Icouldhear,eventhroughtheboards,thevoicesofthedemoisellesintheirhoursofrecreation,and,tospeakthehonesttruth,mysentimentalreflectionswereoccasionallyatrifledisarrangedbythenotquitesilvery,infactthetoooftenbrazensounds,which,risingfromtheunseenparadisebelow,penetratedclamorouslyintomysolitude.Nottomincematters,itreallyseemedtomeadoubtfulcasewhetherthelungsofMdlle.Reuter’sgirlsorthoseofM.Pelet’sboyswerethestrongest,andwhenitcametoshriekingthegirlsindisputablybeattheboyshollow.Iforgottosay,by-the-by,thatReuterwasthenameoftheoldladywhohadhadmywindowbeardedup.Isayold,forsuchI,ofcourse,concludedhertobe,judgingfromhercautious,chaperon-likeproceedingsbesides,nobodyeverspokeofherasyoung.IrememberIwasverymuchamusedwhenIfirstheardherChristiannameitwasZoraide—MademoiselleZoraideReuter.Butthecontinentalnationsdoallowthemselvesvagariesinthechoiceofnames,suchaswesoberEnglishneverruninto.Ithink,indeed,wehavetoolimitedalisttochoosefrom. Meantimemypathwasgraduallygrowingsmoothbeforeme.I,inafewweeks,conqueredtheteasingdifficultiesinseparablefromthecommencementofalmosteverycareer.ErelongIhadacquiredasmuchfacilityinspeakingFrenchassetmeatmyeasewithmypupilsandasIhadencounteredthemonarightfootingattheverybeginning,andcontinuedtenaciouslytoretaintheadvantageIhadearlygained,theyneverattemptedmutiny,whichcircumstance,allwhoareinanydegreeacquaintedwiththeongoingsofBelgianschools,andwhoknowtherelationinwhichprofessorsandpupilstoofrequentlystandtowardseachotherinthoseestablishments,willconsideranimportantanduncommonone.BeforeconcludingthischapterIwillsayawordonthesystemIpursuedwithregardtomyclasses:myexperiencemaypossiblybeofusetoothers. ItdidnotrequireverykeenobservationtodetectthecharacteroftheyouthofBrabant,butitneededacertaindegreeoftacttoadoptone’smeasurestotheircapacity.Theirintellectualfacultiesweregenerallyweak,theiranimalpropensitiesstrongthustherewasatonceanimpotenceandakindofinertforceintheirnaturestheyweredull,buttheywerealsosingularlystubborn,heavyasleadand,likelead,mostdifficulttomove.Suchbeingthecase,itwouldhavebeentrulyabsurdtoexactfromthemmuchinthewayofmentalexertionhavingshortmemories,denseintelligence,feeblereflectivepowers,theyrecoiledwithrepugnancefromanyoccupationthatdemandedclosestudyordeepthought.HadtheabhorredeffortbeenextortedfromthembyinjudiciousandarbitrarymeasuresonthepartoftheProfessor,theywouldhaveresistedasobstinately,asclamorously,asdesperateswineandthoughnotbravesingly,theywererelentlessactingENMASSE. IunderstoodthatbeforemyarrivalinM.Pelet’sestablishment,thecombinedinsubordinationofthepupilshadeffectedthedismissalofmorethanoneEnglishmaster.Itwasnecessarythentoexactonlythemostmoderateapplicationfromnaturessolittlequalifiedtoapply—toassist,ineverypracticableway,understandingssoopaqueandcontracted—tobeevergentle,considerate,yieldingeven,toacertainpoint,withdispositionssoirrationallyperversebut,havingreachedthatculminatingpointofindulgence,youmustfixyourfoot,plantit,rootitinrock—becomeimmutableasthetowersofSte.Guduleforastep—buthalfastepfarther,andyouwouldplungeheadlongintothegulfofimbecilitytherelodged,youwouldspeedilyreceiveproofsofFlemishgratitudeandmagnanimityinshowersofBrabantsalivaandhandfulsofLowCountrymud.Youmightsmoothtotheutmostthepathoflearning,removeeverypebblefromthetrackbutthenyoumustfinallyinsistwithdecisiononthepupiltakingyourarmandallowinghimselftobeledquietlyalongthepreparedroad.WhenIhadbroughtdownmylessontothelowestlevelofmydullestpupil’scapacity—whenIhadshownmyselfthemildest,themosttolerantofmasters—awordofimpertinence,amovementofdisobedience,changedmeatonceintoadespot.Iofferedthenbutonealternative—submissionandacknowledgmentoferror,orignominiousexpulsion.Thissystemanswered,andmyinfluence,bydegrees,becameestablishedonafirmbasis.“Theboyisfathertotheman,”itissaidandsoIoftenthoughtwhenlookedatmyboysandrememberedthepoliticalhistoryoftheirancestors.Pelet’sschoolwasmerelyanepitomeoftheBelgiannation.