CHAPTER XII.

ering,whereIhearmyselfabusedinbadFrench,pronouncedwithanintolerableLowGermanaccent. NotfarfromMdlle.KoslowsitsanotheryoungladybynameAdeleDronsart:thisisaBelgian,ratherlowofstature,informheavy,withbroadwaist,shortneckandlimbs,goodredandwhitecomplexion,featureswellchiselledandregular,well-cuteyesofaclearbrowncolour,lightbrownhair,goodteeth,agenotmuchabovefifteen,butasfull-grownasastoutyoungEnglishwomanoftwenty.Thisportraitgivestheideaofasomewhatdumpybutgood-lookingdamsel,doesitnot?Well,whenIlookedalongtherowofyoungheads,myeyegenerallystoppedatthisofAdele’shergazewaseverwaitingformine,anditfrequentlysucceededinarrestingit.Shewasanunnatural-lookingbeing—soyoung,fresh,blooming,yetsoGorgon-like.Suspicion,sullenill-temperwereonherforehead,viciouspropensitiesinhereye,envyandpanther-likedeceitabouthermouth.Ingeneralshesatverystillhermassiveshapelookedasifitcouldnotbendmuch,nordidherlargehead—sobroadatthebase,sonarrowtowardsthetop—seemmadetoturnreadilyonhershortneck.Shehadbuttwovarietiesofexpressiontheprevalentoneaforbidding,dissatisfiedscowl,variedsometimesbyamostperniciousandperfidioussmile.Shewasshunnedbyherfellow-pupils,for,badasmanyofthemwere,fewwereasbadasshe. AureliaandAdelewereinthefirstdivisionofthesecondclasstheseconddivisionwasheadedbyapensionnairenamedJuannaTrista.ThisgirlwasofmixedBelgianandSpanishoriginherFlemishmotherwasdead,herCatalonianfatherwasamerchantresidinginthe——Isles,whereJuannahadbeenbornandwhenceshewassenttoEuropetobeeducated.Iwonderthatanyone,lookingatthatgirl’sheadandcountenance,wouldhavereceivedherundertheirroof.ShehadpreciselythesameshapeofskullasPopeAlexandertheSixthherorgansofbenevolence,veneration,conscientiousness,adhesiveness,weresingularlysmall,thoseofself-esteem,firmness,destructiveness,combativeness,preposterouslylargeherheadslopedupinthepenthouseshape,wascontractedabouttheforehead,andprominentbehindshehadrathergood,thoughlargeandmarkedfeatureshertemperamentwasfibrousandbilious,hercomplexionpaleanddark,hairandeyesblack,formangularandrigidbutproportionate,agefifteen. Juannawasnotverythin,butshehadagauntvisage,andher“regard”wasfierceandhungrynarrowaswasherbrow,itpresentedspaceenoughforthelegiblegravingoftwowords,MutinyandHateinsomeoneofherotherlineamentsIthinktheeye—cowardicehadalsoitsdistinctcipher.Mdlle.Tristathoughtfittotroublemyfirstlessonswithacoarsework-daysortofturbulenceshemadenoiseswithhermouthlikeahorse,sheejectedhersaliva,sheutteredbrutalexpressionsbehindandbelowherwereseatedabandofveryvulgar,inferior-lookingFlamandes,includingtwoorthreeexamplesofthatdeformityofpersonandimbecilityofintellectwhosefrequencyintheLowCountrieswouldseemtofurnishproofthattheclimateissuchastoinducedegeneracyofthehumanmindandbodythese,Isoonfound,werecompletelyunderherinfluence,andwiththeiraidshegotupandsustainedaswinishtumult,whichIwasconstrainedatlasttoquellbyorderingherandtwoofhertoolstorisefromtheirseats,and,havingkeptthemstandingfiveminutes,turningthembodilyoutoftheschoolroom:theaccomplicesintoalargeplaceadjoiningcalledthegrandssalletheprincipalintoacabinet,ofwhichIclosedthedoorandpocketedthekey.ThisjudgmentIexecutedinthepresenceofMdlle.Reuter,wholookedmuchaghastatbeholdingsodecidedaproceeding—themostseverethathadeverbeenventuredoninherestablishment.HerlookofaffrightIansweredwithoneofcomposure,andfinallywithasmile,whichperhapsflattered,andcertainlysoothedher.JuannaTristaremainedinEuropelongenoughtorepay,bymalevolenceandingratitude,allwhohadeverdoneheragoodturnandshethenwenttojoinherfatherinthe——Isles,exultinginthethoughtthatsheshouldtherehaveslaves,whom,asshesaid,shecouldkickandstrikeatwill. Thesethreepicturesarefromthelife.Ipossessothers,asmarkedandaslittleagreeable,butIwillsparemyreadertheexhibitionofthem. DoubtlessitwillbethoughtthatIoughtnow,bywayofcontrast,toshowsomethingcharmingsomegentlevirginhead,circledwithahalo,somesweetpersonificationofinnocence,claspingthedoveofpeacetoherbosom.No:Isawnothingofthesort,andthereforecannotportrayit.Thepupilintheschoolpossessingthehappiestdispositionwasayounggirlfromthecountry,LouisePathshewassufficientlybenevolentandobliging,butnotwelltaughtnorwellmanneredmoreover,theplague-spotofdissimulationwasinheralsohonourandprinciplewereunknowntoher,shehadscarcelyheardtheirnames.TheleastexceptionablepupilwasthepoorlittleSylvieIhavementionedoncebefore.Sylviewasgentleinmanners,intelligentinmindshewasevensincere,asfarasherreligionwouldpermithertobeso,butherphysicalorganizationwasdefectiveweakhealthstuntedhergrowthandchilledherspirits,andthen,destinedasshewasforthecloister,herwholesoulwaswarpedtoaconventualbias,andinthetame,trainedsubjectionofhermanner,onereadthatshehadalreadypreparedherselfforherfuturecourseoflife,bygivingupherindependenceofthoughtandactionintothehandsofsomedespoticconfessor.Shepermittedherselfnooriginalopinion,nopreferenceofcompanionoremploymentineverythingshewasguidedbyanother.Withapale,passive,automatonair,shewentaboutalldaylongdoingwhatshewasbidneverwhatsheliked,orwhat,frominnateconviction,shethoughtitrighttodo.Thepoorlittlefuturereligieusehadbeenearlytaughttomakethedictatesofherownreasonandco