CHAPTER XIV.

urelikeswhathecalls“afinewoman”—shesuitshimthefashionableyounggentlemanadmiresthefashionableyounglady—sheisofhiskindthetoil-worn,fagged,probablyirritabletutor,blindalmosttobeauty,insensibletoairsandgraces,glorieschieflyincertainmentalqualities:application,loveofknowledge,naturalcapacity,docility,truthfulness,gratefulness,arethecharmsthatattracthisnoticeandwinhisregard.Theseheseeks,butseldommeetsthese,ifbychancehefinds,hewouldfainretainforever,andwhenseparationdepriveshimofthemhefeelsasifsomeruthlesshandhadsnatchedfromhimhisonlyewe-lamb.Suchbeingthecase,andthecaseitis,myreaderswillagreewithmethattherewasnothingeitherverymeritoriousorverymarvellousintheintegrityandmoderationofmyconductatMdlle.Reuter’spensionnatdedemoiselles. Myfirstbusinessthisafternoonconsistedinreadingthelistofplacesforthemonth,determinedbytherelativecorrectnessofthecompositionsgiventheprecedingday.Thelistwasheaded,asusual,bythenameofSylvie,thatplain,quietlittlegirlIhavedescribedbeforeasbeingatoncethebestandugliestpupilintheestablishmentthesecondplacehadfallentothelotofacertainLeonieLedru,adiminutive,sharp-featured,andparchment-skinnedcreatureofquickwits,frailconscience,andinduratedfeelingsalawyer-likething,ofwhomIusedtosaythat,hadshebeenaboy,shewouldhavemadeamodelofanunprincipled,cleverattorney.ThencameEulalie,theproudbeauty,theJunooftheschool,whomsixlongyearsofdrillinginthesimplegrammaroftheEnglishlanguagehadcompelled,despitethestiffphlegmofherintellect,toacquireamechanicalacquaintancewithmostofitsrules.Nosmile,notraceofpleasureorsatisfactionappearedinSylvie’snun-likeandpassivefaceassheheardhernamereadfirst.Ialwaysfeltsaddenedbythesightofthatpoorgirl’sabsolutequiescenceonalloccasions,anditwasmycustomtolookather,toaddressher,asseldomaspossibleherextremedocility,herassiduousperseverance,wouldhaverecommendedherwarmlytomygoodopinionhermodesty,herintelligence,wouldhaveinducedmetofeelmostkindly—mostaffectionatelytowardsher,notwithstandingthealmostghastlyplainnessofherfeatures,thedisproportionofherform,thecorpse-likelackofanimationinhercountenance,hadInotbeenawarethateveryfriendlyword,everykindlyaction,wouldbereport