CHAPTER X.

esexactlyresemblingherstherewerenoanglesinhershapeorinherface,allwascurveandroundness—neitherthought,sentiment,norpassiondisturbedbylineorflushtheequalityofherpale,clearskinhernoblebustheavedwithherregularbreathing,hereyesmovedalittle—bytheseevidencesoflifealonecouldIhavedistinguishedherfromsomelargehandsomefiguremouldedinwax.Hortensewasofmiddlesizeandstout,herformwasungraceful,herfacestriking,morealiveandbrilliantthanEulalie’s,herhairwasdarkbrown,hercomplexionrichlycolouredtherewerefrolicandmischiefinhereye:consistencyandgoodsenseshemightpossess,butnoneofherfeaturesbetokenedthosequalities. Carolinewaslittle,thoughevidentlyfullgrownraven-blackhair,verydarkeyes,absolutelyregularfeatures,withacolourlessolivecomplexion,clearastothefaceandsallowabouttheneck,formedinherthatassemblageofpointswhoseunionmanypersonsregardastheperfectionofbeauty.How,withthetintlesspallorofherskinandtheclassicstraightnessofherlineaments,shemanagedtolooksensual,Idon’tknow.Ithinkherlipsandeyescontrivedtheaffairbetweenthem,andtheresultleftnouncertaintyonthebeholder’smind.Shewassensualnow,andintenyears’timeshewouldbecoarse—promiseplainwaswritteninherfaceofmuchfuturefolly. IfIlookedatthesegirlswithlittlescruple,theylookedatmewithstillless.Eulalieraisedherunmovedeyetomine,andseemedtoexpect,passivelybutsecurely,animpromptutributetohermajesticcharms.Hortenseregardedmeboldly,andgiggledatthesametime,whileshesaid,withanairofimpudentfreedom— “Dictez-nousquelquechosedefacilepourcommencer,monsieur.” Carolineshookherlooseringletsofabundantbutsomewhatcoarsehairoverherrollingblackeyespartingherlips,asfullasthoseofahot-bloodedMaroon,sheshowedherwell-setteethsparklingbetweenthem,andtreatedmeatthesametimetoasmile“desafacon.”BeautifulasPaulineBorghese,shelookedatthemomentscarcelypurerthanLucrecedeBorgia.Carolinewasofnoblefamily.Iheardherlady-mother’scharacterafterwards,andthenIceasedtowonderattheprecociousaccomplishmentsofthedaughter.Thesethree,Iatoncesaw,deemedthemselvesthequeensoftheschool,andconceivedthatbytheirsplendourtheythrewalltherestintotheshade.Inlessthanfiveminutestheyhadthusrevealedtometheircharacters,andinlessthanfiveminutesIhadbuckledonabreast-plateofsteelyindifference,andletdownavisorofimpassibleausterity. “Takeyourpensandcommencewriting,”saidI,inasdryandtriteavoiceasifIhadbeenaddressingonlyJulesVanderkelkovandCo. Thedicteenowcommenced.Mythreebellesinterruptedmeperpetuallywithlittlesillyquestionsanduncalled-forremarks,tosomeofwhichImadenoanswer,andtoothersrepliedveryquietlyandbriefly.“Commentdit-onpointetvirguleenAnglais,monsieur?” “Semi-colon,mademoiselle.” “Semi-collong?Ah,commec’estdrole!”(giggle.) “J’aiunesimauvaiseplume—impossibled’ecrire!” “Mais,monsieur—jenesaispassuivre—vousallezsivite.” “Jen’airiencompris,moi!” Hereageneralmurmurarose,andtheteacher,openingherlipsforthefirsttime,ejaculated— “Silence,mesdemoiselles!” Nosilencefollowed—onthecontrary,thethreeladiesinfrontbegantotalkmoreloudly. “C’e