CHAPTER XVII.

dbeimpossibleforhertosendmetoschool.” “Rather,”thoughtItomyselfonhearingthis,butIcontinued,inthedogmaticaltoneIhadadopted:— “Itissad,however,thatyoushouldbebroughtupinignoranceofthemostordinarybranchesofeducationhadyouknownsomethingofhistoryandgrammaryoumight,bydegrees,haverelinquishedyourlace-mendingdrudgery,andrisenintheworld.” “ItiswhatImeantodo.” “How?ByaknowledgeofEnglishalone?Thatwillnotsufficenorespectablefamilywillreceiveagovernesswhosewholestockofknowledgeconsistsinafamiliaritywithoneforeignlanguage.” “Monsieur,Iknowotherthings.” “Yes,yes,youcanworkwithBerlinwools,andembroiderhandkerchiefsandcollars—thatwilldolittleforyou.” Mdlle.Henri’slipswereunclosedtoanswer,butshecheckedherself,asthinkingthediscussionhadbeensufficientlypursued,andremainedsilent. “Speak,”Icontinued,impatiently“Ineverliketheappearanceofacquiescencewhentherealityisnotthereandyouhadacontradictionatyourtongue’send.” “Monsieur,Ihavehadmanylessonsbothingrammar,history,geography,andarithmetic.Ihavegonethroughacourseofeachstudy.” “Bravo!buthowdidyoumanageit,sinceyourauntcouldnotaffordtosendyoutoschool?” “Bylace-mendingbythethingmonsieurdespisessomuch.” “Truly!Andnow,mademoiselle,itwillbeagoodexerciseforyoutoexplaintomeinEnglishhowsucharesultwasproducedbysuchmeans.” “Monsieur,Ibeggedmyaunttohavemetaughtlace-mendingsoonafterwecametoBrussels,becauseIknewitwasaMETIER,atradewhichwaseasilylearnt,andbywhichIcouldearnsomemoneyverysoon.Ilearntitinafewdays,andIquicklygotwork,foralltheBrusselsladieshaveoldlace—veryprecious—whichmustbemendedallthetimesitiswashed.Iearnedmoneyalittle,andthismoneyIgaveforlessonsinthestudiesIhavementionedsomeofitIspentinbuyingbooks,EnglishbooksespeciallysoonIshalltrytofindaplaceofgoverness,orschool-teacher,whenIcanwriteandspeakEnglishwellbutitwillbedifficult,becausethosewhoknowIhavebeenalace-menderwilldespiseme,asthepupilsheredespiseme.Pourtantj’aimonprojet,”sheaddedinalowertone. “Whatisit?” “IwillgoandliveinEnglandIwillteachFrenchthere.” Thewordswerepronouncedemphatically.Shesaid“England”asyoumightsupposeanIsraeliteofMoses’dayswouldhavesaidCanaan. “HaveyouawishtoseeEngland?” “Yes,andanintention.” Andhereavoice,thevoiceofthedirectress,interposed: “MademoiselleHenri,jecroisqu’ilvapleuvoirvousferiezbien,mabonneamie,deretournerchezvoustoutdesuite.” Insilen