CHAPTER IX.

herewasasortoflawn,aparterreofrose-trees,someflower-borders,and,onthefarside,athicklyplantedcopseoflilacs,laburnums,andacacias.Itlookedpleasant,tome—verypleasant,solongatimehadelapsedsinceIhadseenagardenofanysort.ButitwasnotonlyonMdlle.Reuter’sgardenthatmyeyesdweltwhenIhadtakenaviewofherwell-trimmedbedsandbuddingshrubberies,Iallowedmyglancetocomebacktoherself,nordidIhastilywithdrawit. Ihadthoughttoseeatall,meagre,yellow,conventualimageinblack,withaclosewhitecap,bandagedunderthechinlikeanun’shead-gearwhereas,therestoodbymealittleandroundlyformedwoman,whomightindeedbeolderthanI,butwasstillyoungshecouldnot,Ithought,bemorethansixorsevenandtwentyshewasasfairasafairEnglishwomanshehadnocapherhairwasnut-brown,andsheworeitincurlsprettyherfeatureswerenot,norverysoft,norveryregular,butneitherweretheyinanydegreeplain,andIalreadysawcausetodeemthemexpressive.Whatwastheirpredominantcast?Wasitsagacity?—sense?Yes,IthoughtsobutIcouldscarcelyasyetbesure.Idiscovered,however,thattherewasacertainserenityofeye,andfreshnessofcomplexion,mostpleasingtobehold.Thecolouronhercheekwaslikethebloomonagoodapple,whichisassoundatthecoreasitisredontherind. Mdlle.ReuterandIentereduponbusiness.Shesaidshewasnotabsolutelycertainofthewisdomofthestepshewasabouttotake,becauseIwassoyoung,andparentsmightpossiblyobjecttoaprofessorlikemefortheirdaughters:“Butitisoftenwelltoactonone’sownjudgment,”saidshe,“andtoleadparents,ratherthanbeledbythem.Thefitnessofaprofessorisnotamatterofageand,fromwhatIhaveheard,andfromwhatIobservemyself,IwouldmuchrathertrustyouthanM.Ledru,themusic-master,whoisamarriedmanofnearfifty.” IremarkedthatIhopedshewouldfindmeworthyofhergoodopinionthatifIknewmyself,Iwasincapableofbetrayinganyconfidencereposedinme.“Dureste,”saidshe,“thesurveillancewillbestrictlyattendedto.”Andthensheproceededtodisc