CHAPTER XVIII.

readsmostfirmlyonslipperyground,”thoughtIsoIbegan: “MademoiselleHenrihasleftyourestablishment—beendismissed,Ipresume?” “Ah,Iwishedtohavealittleconversationwithyou,monsieur,”repliedthedirectresswiththemostnaturalandaffableairintheworld“butwecannottalkquietlyherewillMonsieurstepintothegardenaminute?”Andsheprecededme,steppingoutthroughtheglass-doorIhavebeforementioned. “There,”saidshe,whenwehadreachedthecentreofthemiddlealley,andwhenthefoliageofshrubsandtrees,nowintheirsummerpride,closingbehindandaroundus,shutouttheviewofthehouse,andthusimpartedasenseofseclusioneventothislittleplotofgroundintheverycoreofacapital. “There,onefeelsquietandfreewhenthereareonlypear-treesandrose-bushesaboutoneIdaresayyou,likeme,monsieur,aresometimestiredofbeingeternallyinthemidstoflifeofhavinghumanfacesalwaysroundyou,humaneyesalwaysuponyou,humanvoicesalwaysinyourear.IamsureIoftenwishintenselyforlibertytospendawholemonthinthecountryatsomelittlefarm-house,biengentille,bienpropre,toutentoureedechampsetdeboisquelleviecharmantequelaviechampetre!N’est-cepas,monsieur?” “Celadepend,mademoiselle.” “Queleventestbonetfrais!”continuedthedirectressandshewasrightthere,foritwasasouthwind,softandsweet.Icarriedmyhatinmyhand,andthisgentlebreeze,passingthroughmyhair,soothedmytempleslikebalm.Itsrefreshingeffect,however,penetratednodeeperthanthemeresurfaceoftheframeforasIwalkedbythesideofMdlle.Reuter,myheartwasstillhotwithinme,andwhileIwasmusingthefireburnedthenspakeIwithmytongue:— “IunderstandMdlle.Henriisgonefromhence,andwillnotreturn?” “Ah,true!Imeanttohavenamedthesubjecttoyousomedaysago,butmytimeissocompletelytakenup,IcannotdohalfthethingsIwish:haveyouneverexperiencedwhatitis,monsieur,tofindthedaytooshortbytwelvehoursforyournumerousduties?” “Notoften.Mdlle.Henri’sdeparturewasnotvoluntary,Ipresume?Ifithadbeen,shewouldcertainlyhavegivenmesomeintimationofit,beingmypupil.” “Oh,didshenottellyou?thatwasstrangeformypart,Ineverthoughtofadvertingtothesubjectwhenonehassomanythingstoattendto,oneisapttoforgetlittleincidentsthatarenotofprimaryimportance.” “YouconsiderMdlle.Henri’sdismission,then,asaveryinsignificantevent?” “Dismission?Ah!shewasnotdismissedIcansaywithtruth,monsieur,thatsinceIbecametheheadofthisestablishmentnomasterorteacherhaseverbeendismissedfromit.” “Yetsomehaveleftit,mademoiselle?” “ManyIhavefounditnecessarytochangefrequently—achangeofinstructorsisoftenbeneficialtotheinterestsofaschoolitgiveslifeandvarietytotheproceedingsitamusesthepupils,andsuggeststotheparentstheideaofexertionandprogress.” “Yetwhenyouaretiredofaprofessorormaitresse,youscrupletodismissthem?” “Noneedtohaverecoursetosuchextrememeasures,Iassureyou.Allons,monsieurleprofesseur—asseyons-nousjevaisvousdonnerunepetitelecondansvotreetatd’instituteur.”(IwishImightwriteallshesaidtomeinFrench—itlosessadlybybeingtranslatedintoEnglish.)WehadnowreachedTHEgarden-chairthedirectresssatdown,andsignedtometositbyher,butIonlyrestedmykneeontheseat,andstoodleaningmyheadandarmagainsttheemboweringbranchofahugelaburnum,whosegoldenflowers,blentwiththeduskygreenleavesofalilac-bush,formedamixedarchofshadeandsunshineovertheretreat.Mdlle.Reutersatsilentamomentsomenovelmovementswereevidentlyworkinginhermind,andtheyshowedtheirnatureonherastutebrowshewasmeditatingsomeCHEFD’OEUVREofpolicy.Convincedbyseveralmonths’experiencethattheaffectationofvirtuesshedidnotpossesswasunavailingtoensnareme—awarethatIhadreadherrealnature,andwouldbelievenothingofthecharactershegaveoutasbeinghers—shehaddetermined,atlast,totryanewkey,andseeifthelockofmyheartwouldyieldtothatalittleaudacity,awordoftruth,aglimpseofthereal.“Yes,Iwilltry,”washerinwardresolveandthenherblueeyeglittereduponme—itdidnotflash—nothingofflameeverkindledinitstemperategleam. “Monsieurfearstositbyme?”sheinquiredplayfully. “IhavenowishtousurpPelet’splace,”Ianswered,forIhadgotthehabitofspeakingtoherbluntly—ahabitbeguninanger,butcontinuedbecauseIsawthat,insteadofoffending,itfascinatedher.Shecastdownhereyes,anddroopedhereyelidsshesigheduneasilysheturnedwithananxiousgesture,asifsh