CHAPTER XII.

DAILY,asIcontinuedmyattendanceattheseminaryofMdlle.Reuter,didIfindfreshoccasionstocomparetheidealwiththereal.WhathadIknownoffemalecharacterpreviouslytomyarrivalatBrussels?Preciouslittle.Andwhatwasmynotionofit?Somethingvague,slight,gauzy,glitteringnowwhenIcameincontactwithitIfoundittobeapalpablesubstanceenoughveryhardtoosometimes,andoftenheavytherewasmetalinit,bothleadandiron. Lettheidealists,thedreamersaboutearthlyangelandhumanflowers,justlookherewhileIopenmyportfolioandshowthemasketchortwo,pencilledafternature.Itookthesesketchesinthesecond-classschoolroomofMdlle.Reuter’sestablishment,whereaboutahundredspecimensofthegenus“jeunefille”collectedtogetherofferedafertilevarietyofsubject.Amiscellaneousassortmenttheywere,differingbothincasteandcountryasIsatonmyestradeandglancedoverthelongrangeofdesks,IhadundermyeyeFrench,English,Belgians,Austrians,andPrussians.Themajoritybelongedtotheclassbourgeoisbutthereweremanycountesses,therewerethedaughtersoftwogeneralsandofseveralcolonels,captains,andgovernmentEMPLOYEStheseladiessatsidebysidewithyoungfemalesdestinedtobedemoisellesdemagasins,andwithsomeFlamandes,genuineaboriginesofthecountry.Indressallwerenearlysimilar,andinmannerstherewassmalldifferenceexceptionsthereweretothegeneralrule,butthemajoritygavethetonetotheestablishment,andthattonewasrough,boisterous,maskedbyapoint-blankdisregardofallforbearancetowardseachotherortheirteachersaneagerpursuitbyeachindividualofherowninterestandconvenienceandacoarseindifferencetotheinterestandconvenienceofeveryoneelse.Mostofthemcouldliewithaudacitywhenitappearedadvantageoustodoso.Allunderstoodtheartofspeakingfairwhenapointwastobegained,andcouldwithconsummateskillandatamoment’snoticeturnthecoldshouldertheinstantcivilityceasedtobeprofitable.Verylittleopenquarrellingevertookplaceamongstthembutbackbitingandtalebearingwereuniversal.Closefriendshipswereforbiddenbytherulesoftheschool,andnoonegirlseemedtocultivatemoreregardforanotherthanwasjustnecessarytosecureacompanionwhensolitudewouldhavebeenirksome.Theywereeachandallsupposedtohavebeenrearedinutterunconsciousnessofvice.Theprecautionsusedtokeepthemignorant,ifnotinnocent,wereinnumerable.Howwasit,then,thatscarcelyoneofthosegirlshavingattainedtheageoffourteencouldlookamaninthefacewithmodestyandpropriety?Anairofbold,impudentflirtation,oraloose,sillyleer,wassuretoanswerthemostordinaryglancefromamasculineeye.IknownothingofthearcanaoftheRomanCatholicreligion,andIamnotabigotinmattersoftheology,butIsuspecttherootofthisprecociousimpurity,soobvious,sogeneralinPopishcountries,istobefoundinthediscipline,ifnotthedoctrinesoftheChurchofRome.IrecordwhatIhaveseen:thesegirlsbelongedtowhatarecalledtherespectableranksofsocietytheyhadallbeencarefullybroughtup,yetwasthemassofthemmentallydepraved.Somuchforthegeneralview:nowforoneortwoselectedspecimens. ThefirstpictureisafulllengthofAureliaKoslow,aGermanfraulein,orratherahalf-breedbetweenGermanandRussian.Sheiseighteenyearsofage,andhasbeensenttoBrusselstofinishhereducationsheisofmiddlesize,stifflymade,bodylong,legsshort,bustmuchdevelopedbutnotcompactlymoulded,waistdisproportionatelycompressedbyaninhumanlybracedcorset,dresscarefullyarranged,largefeettorturedintosmallbottines,headsmall,hairsmoothed,braided,oiled,andgummedtoperfectionverylowforehead,verydiminutiveandvindictivegreyeyes,somewhatTartarfeatures,ratherflatnose,ratherhigh-cheekbones,yettheensemblenotpositivelyuglytolerablygoodcomplexion.Somuchforperson.Astomind,deplorablyignorantandill-informed:incapableofwritingorspeakingcorrectlyevenGerman,hernativetongue,adunceinFrench,andherattemptsatlearningEnglishamerefarce,yetshehasbeenatschooltwelveyearsbutassheinvariablygetsherexercises,ofeverydescription,donebyafellowpupil,andreadsherlessonsoffabookconcealedinherlap,itisnotwonderfulthatherprogresshasbeensosnail-like.IdonotknowwhatAurelia’sdailyhabitsoflifeare,becauseIhavenottheopportunityofobservingheratalltimesbutfromwhatIseeofthestateofherdesk,books,andpapers,Ishouldsaysheisslovenlyandevendirtyheroutwarddress,asIhavesaid,iswellattendedto,butinpassingbehindherbench,Ihaveremarkedthatherneckisgrayforwantofwashing,andherhair,soglossywithgumandgrease,isnotsuchasonefeelstemptedtopassthehandover,muchlesstorunthefingersthrough.Aurelia’sconductinclass,atleastwhenIampresent,issomethingextraordinary,consideredasanindexofgirlishinnocence.ThemomentIentertheroom,shenudgeshernextneighbourandindulgesinahalf-suppressedlaugh.AsItakemyseatontheestrade,shefixeshereyeonmesheseemsresolvedtoattract,and,ifpossible,monopolizemynotice:tothisendshelaunchesatmeallsortsoflooks,languishing,provoking,leering,laughing.AsIamfoundquiteproofagainstthissortofartillery—forwescornwhat,unasked,islavishlyoffered—shehasrecoursetotheexpedientofmakingnoisessometimesshesighs,sometimesgroans,sometimesuttersinarticulatesounds,forwhichlanguagehasnoname.If,inwalkinguptheschoolroom,Ipassnearher,sheputsoutherfootthatitmaytouchmineifIdonothappentoobservethemanoeuvre,andmybootcomesincontactwithherbrodequin,sheaffectstofallintoconvulsionsofsuppressedlaughterifInoticethesnareandavoidit,sheexpresseshermortificationinsullenmutt