CHAPTER XVII.
關燈
小
中
大
orefacility?”
“Mamanestmorte,ilyadixans.”
“Andyoudohomagetohermemorybyforgettingherlanguage.HavethegoodnesstoputFrenchoutofyourmindsolongasIconversewithyou—keeptoEnglish.”
“C’estsidifficile,monsieur,quandonn’enaplusl’habitude.”
“Youhadthehabitudeformerly,Isuppose?Nowanswermeinyourmothertongue.”
“Yes,sir,IspoketheEnglishmorethantheFrenchwhenIwasachild.”
“Whydoyounotspeakitnow?”
“BecauseIhavenoEnglishfriends.”
“Youlivewithyourfather,Isuppose?”
“Myfatherisdead.”
“Youhavebrothersandsisters?”
“Notone.”
“Doyoulivealone?”
“No—Ihaveanaunt—matanteJulienne.”
“Yourfather’ssister?”
“Justement,monsieur.”
“IsthatEnglish?”
“No—butIforget—”
“Forwhich,mademoiselle,ifyouwereachildIshouldcertainlydevisesomeslightpunishmentatyourage—youmustbetwoorthreeandtwenty,Ishouldthink?”
“Pasencore,monsieur—enunmoisj’auraidix-neufans.”
“Well,nineteenisamatureage,and,havingattainedit,yououghttobesosolicitousforyourownimprovement,thatitshouldnotbeneedfulforamastertoremindyoutwiceoftheexpediencyofyourspeakingEnglishwheneverpracticable.”
TothiswisespeechIreceivednoanswerand,whenIlookedup,mypupilwassmilingtoherselfamuch-meaning,thoughnotverygaysmileitseemedtosay,“Hetalksofheknowsnotwhat:”itsaidthissoplainly,thatIdeterminedtorequestinformationonthepointconcerningwhichmyignoranceseemedtobethustacitlyaffirmed.
“Areyousolicitousforyourownimprovement?”
“Rather.”
“Howdoyouproveit,mademoiselle?”
Anoddquestion,andbluntlyputitexcitedasecondsmile.
“Why,monsieur,Iamnotinattentive—amI?Ilearnmylessonswell—”
“Oh,achildcandothat!andwhatmoredoyoudo?”
“WhatmorecanIdo?”
“Oh,certainly,notmuchbutyouareateacher,areyounot,aswellasapupil?”
“Yes.”
“Youteachlace-mending?”
“Yes.”
“Adull,stupidoccupationdoyoulikeit?”
“No—itistedious.”
“Whydoyoupursueit?Whydoyounotratherteachhistory,geography,grammar,evenarithmetic?”
“IsmonsieurcertainthatIammyselfthoroughlyacquaintedwiththesestudies?”
“Idon’tknowyououghttobeatyourage.”
“ButIneverwasatschool,monsieur—”
“Indeed!Whatthenwereyourfriends—whatwasyourauntabout?Sheisverymuchtoblame.”
“Nomonsieur,no—myauntisgood—sheisnottoblame—shedoeswhatshecanshelodgesandnourishesme”(IreportMdlle.Henri’sphrasesliterally,anditwasthusshetranslatedfromtheFrench).“Sheisnotrichshehasonlyanannuityoftwelvehundredfrancs,anditwoul