CHAPTER XVI.

ltsureshecouldspeakEnglish. “Yes,”sheanswereddistinctlyandasIunrolleditandlaiditoutflatonthedeskbeforeherwithmyhanduponit,andapencilinthathand,Isawhermoved,and,asitwere,kindledherdepressionbeamedasacloudmightbehindwhichthesunisburning. “Thisdevoirhasnumerousfaults,”saidI.“ItwilltakeyousomeyearsofcarefulstudybeforeyouareinaconditiontowriteEnglishwithabsolutecorrectness.Attend:Iwillpointoutsomeprincipaldefects.”AndIwentthroughitcarefully,notingeveryerror,anddemonstratingwhytheywereerrors,andhowthewordsorphrasesoughttohavebeenwritten.Inthecourseofthissoberingprocessshebecamecalm.Inowwenton: “Astothesubstanceofyourdevoir,Mdlle.Henri,ithassurprisedmeIperuseditwithpleasure,becauseIsawinitsomeproofsoftasteandfancy.Tasteandfancyarenotthehighestgiftsofthehumanmind,butsuchastheyareyoupossessthem—notprobablyinaparamountdegree,butinadegreebeyondwhatthemajoritycanboast.YoumaythentakecouragecultivatethefacultiesthatGodandnaturehavebestowedonyou,anddonotfearinanycrisisofsuffering,underanypressureofinjustice,toderivefreeandfullconsolationfromtheconsciousnessoftheirstrengthandrarity.” “Strengthandrarity!”Irepeatedtomyself“ay,thewordsareprobablytrue,”foronlookingup,Isawthesunhaddissevereditsscreeningcloud,hercountenancewastransfigured,asmileshoneinhereyes—asmilealmosttriumphantitseemedtosay— “Iamgladyouhavebeenforcedtodiscoversomuchofmynatureyouneednotsocarefullymoderateyourlanguage.DoyouthinkIammyselfastrangertomyself?Whatyoutellmeintermssoqualified,Ihaveknownfullyfromachild.” Shedidsaythisasplainlyasafrankandflashingglancecould,butinamomenttheglowofhercomplexion,theradianceofheraspect,hadsubsidedifstronglyconsciousofhertalents,shewasequallyconsciousofherharassingdefects,andtheremembranceoftheseobliteratedforasinglesecond,nowrevivingwithsuddenforce,atoncesubduedthetoovividcharactersinwhichhersenseofherpowershadbeenexpressed.Soquickwastherevulsionoffeeling,IhadnottimetocheckhertriumphbyreproofereIcouldcontractmybrowstoafrownshehadbecomeseriousandalmostmournful-looking. “Thankyou,sir,”saidshe,rising.Therewasgratitudebothinhervoiceandinthelookwithwhichsheaccompaniedit.Itwastime,indeed,forourconferencetoterminatefor,whenIglancedaround,beholdalltheboarders(theday-scholarshaddeparted)werecongregatedwithinayardortwoofmydesk,andstoodstaringwitheyesandmouthswideopenthethreemaitressesformedawhisperingknotinonecorner,and,closeatmyelbow,wasthedirectress,sittingonalowchair,calmlyclippingthetasselsofherfinishedpurse.