CHAPTER XIII.

te,inavacantseatatthedesknearestthedoor.Beingseated,sheproceeded,stillwithanairofhurryandembarrassment,toopenhercabas,totakeoutherbooksand,whileIwaswaitingforhertolookup,inordertomakeoutheridentity—for,shortsightedasIwas,Ihadnotrecognizedheratherentrance—Mdlle.Reuter,leavingherchair,approachedtheestrade. “MonsieurCreemsvort,”saidshe,inawhisper:forwhentheschoolroomsweresilent,thedirectressalwaysmovedwithvelvettread,andspokeinthemostsubduedkey,enforcingorderandstillnessfullyasmuchbyexampleasprecept:“MonsieurCreemsvort,thatyoungperson,whohasjustentered,wishestohavetheadvantageoftakinglessonswithyouinEnglishsheisnotapupilofthehousesheis,indeed,inonesense,ateacher,forshegivesinstructioninlace-mending,andinlittlevarietiesofornamentalneedle-work.Sheveryproperlyproposestoqualifyherselfforahigherdepartmentofeducation,andhasaskedpermissiontoattendyourlessons,inordertoperfectherknowledgeofEnglish,inwhichlanguageshehas,Ibelieve,alreadymadesomeprogressofcourseitismywishtoaidherinaneffortsopraiseworthyyouwillpermitherthentobenefitbyyourinstruction—n’estcepas,monsieur?”AndMdlle.Reuter’seyeswereraisedtominewithalookatoncenaive,benign,andbeseeching. Ireplied,“Ofcourse,”verylaconically,almostabruptly. “Anotherword,”shesaid,withsoftness:“Mdlle.Henrihasnotreceivedaregulareducationperhapshernaturaltalentsarenotofthehighestorder:butIcanassureyouoftheexcellenceofherintentions,andevenoftheamiabilityofherdisposition.Monsieurwillthen,Iamsure,havethegoodnesstobeconsideratewithheratfirst,andnotexposeherbackwardness,herinevitabledeficiencies,beforetheyoungladies,who,inasense,areherpupils.WillMonsieurCreemsvortfavourmebyattendingtothishint?”Inodded.Shecontinuedwithsubduedearnestness— “Pardonme,monsieur,ifIventuretoaddthatwhatIhavejustsaidisofimportancetothepoorgirlshealreadyexperiencesgreatdifficultyinimpressingthesegiddyyoungthingswithaduedegreeofdeferenceforherauthority,andshouldthatdifficultybeincreasedbynewdiscoveriesofherincapacity,shemightfindherpositioninmyestablishmenttoopainfultoberetainedacircumstanceIshouldmuch