CHAPTER XXII

ainIdeterminedtolooknomoretillIcouldlookatmyease.IfHunsdenhadcomeinatthatmoment,Ishouldhavesaidtohim,“Ioweyounothing,Hunsden—notafractionofafarthing:youhavepaidyourselfintaunts!” Tooanxioustoremainanylongerquiescent,Ihadnosoonerbreakfasted,thanIrepairedoncemoretoM.Vandenhuten’s,scarcelyhopingtofindhimathomeforaweekhadbarelyelapsedsincemyfirstcall:butfancyingImightbeabletogleaninformationastothetimewhenhisreturnwasexpected.AbetterresultawaitedmethanIhadanticipated,forthoughthefamilywereyetatOstend,M.VandenhutenhadcomeovertoBrusselsonbusinessfortheday.Hereceivedmewiththequietkindnessofasincerethoughnotexcitableman.Ihadnotsatfiveminutesalonewithhiminhisbureau,beforeIbecameawareofasenseofeaseinhispresence,suchasIrarelyexperiencedwithstrangers.Iwassurprisedatmyowncomposure,for,afterall,Ihadcomeonbusinesstomeexceedinglypainful—thatofsolicitingafavour.Iaskedonwhatbasisthecalmrested—Ifeareditmightbedeceptive.ErelongIcaughtaglimpseoftheground,andatonceIfeltassuredofitssolidityIknewwhereitwas. M.Vandenhutenwasrich,respected,andinfluentialI,poor,despisedandpowerlesssowestoodtotheworldatlargeasmembersoftheworld’ssocietybuttoeachother,asapairofhumanbeings,ourpositionswerereversed.TheDutchman(hewasnotFlamand,butpureHollandais)wasslow,cool,ofratherdenseintelligence,thoughsoundandaccuratejudgmenttheEnglishmanfarmorenervous,active,quickerbothtoplanandtopractise,toconceiveandtorealize.TheDutchmanwasbenevolent,theEnglishmansusceptibleinshortourcharactersdovetailed,butmymindhavingmorefireandactionthanhis,instinctivelyassumedandkeptthepredominance. Thispointsettled,andmypositionwellascertained,Iaddressedhimonthesubjectofmyaffairswiththatgenuinefranknesswhichfullconfidencecanaloneinspire.Itwasapleasuretohimtobesoappealedtohethankedmeforgivinghimthisopportunityofusingalittleexertioninmybehalf.Iwentontoexplaintohimthatmywishwasnotsomuchtobehelped,astobeputintothewayofhelpingmyselfofhimIdidnotwantexertion—thatwastobemypart—butonlyinformationandrecommendation.SoonafterIrosetogo.Heheldouthishandatparting—anactionofgreatersignificancewithforeignersthanwithEnglishmen.AsIexchangedasmilewithhim,Ithoughtthebenevolenceofhistruthfulfacewasbetterthantheintelligenceofmyown.Charactersofmyorderexperienceabalm-likesolaceinthecontactofsuchsoulsasanimatedthehonestbreastofVictorVandenhuten. Thenextfortnightwasaperiodofmanyalternationsmyexistenceduringitslapseresembledaskyofoneofthoseautumnalnightswhicharespeciallyhauntedbymeteorsandfallingstars.Hopesandfears,expectationsanddisappointments,descendedinglancingshowersfromzenithtohorizonbutallweretransient,anddarknessfollowedswifteachvanishingapparition.M.Vandenhutenaidedmefaithfullyhesetmeonthetrackofseveralplaces,andhimselfmadeeffortstosecurethemformebutforalongtimesolicitationandrecommendationwerevain—thedooreithershutinmyfacewhenIwasabouttowalkin,oranothercandidate,enteringbeforeme,renderedmyfurtheradvanceuseless.Feverishandroused,nodisappointmentarrestedmedefeatfollowingfastondefeatservedasstimulantstowill.Iforgotfastidiousness,conqueredreserve,thrustpridefromme:Iasked,Ipersevered,Iremonstrated,Idunned.ItissothatopeningsareforcedintotheguardedcirclewhereFortunesitsdealingfavoursround.Myperseverancemademeknownmyimportunitymademeremarked.Iwasinquiredaboutmyformerpupils’parents,gatheringthereportsoftheirchildren,heardmespokenofastalented,andtheyechoedtheword:thesound,bandiedaboutatrandom,cameatlasttoearswhich,butforitsuniversality,itmightneverhavereachedandattheverycrisiswhenIhadtriedmylasteffortandknewnotwhattodo,Fortunelookedinatmeonemorning,asIsatindrearandalmostdesperatedeliberationonmybedstead,noddedwiththefamiliarityofanoldacquaintance—thoughGodknowsIhadnevermetherbefore—andthrewaprizeintomylap. InthesecondweekofOctober,18—,IgottheappointmentofEnglishprofessortoalltheclassesof——College,Brussels,withasalaryofthreethousandfrancsperannumandthecertaintyofbeingable,bydintofthereputationandpublicityaccompanyingtheposition,tomakeasmuchmorebyprivatemeans.Theofficialnotice,whichcommunicatedthisinformation,mentionedalsothatitwasthestrongrecommendationofM.Vandenhuten,negociant,whichhadturnedthescaleofchoiceinmyfavour. NosoonerhadIreadtheannouncementthanIhurriedtoM.Vandenhuten’sbureau,pushedthedocumentunderhisnose,andwhenhehadperusedit,tookbothhishands,andthankedhimwithunrestrainedvivacity.MyvividwordsandemphaticgesturemovedhisDutchcalmtounwontedsensation.Hesaidhewashappy—gladtohaveservedmebuthehaddonenothingmeritingsuchthanks.Hehadnotlaidoutacentime—onlyscratchedafewwordsonasheetofpaper. AgainIrepeatedtohim— “Youhavemademequitehappy,andinawaythatsuitsmeIdonotfeelanobligationirksome,conferredbyyourkindhandIdonotfeeldisposedtoshunyoubecauseyouhavedonemeafavourfromthisdayyoumustconsenttoadmitmetoyourintimateacquaintance,forIshallhereafterrecuragainandagaintothepleasureofyoursociety.” “Ainsisoit-il,”wasthereply,accompaniedbyasmileofbenignantcontent.Iwentawaywithitssunshineinmyheart.