THE young Anglo-Swiss evidently derived both pleasure and profitfrom the study of her mother-tongue. In teaching her I did not,of course, confine myself to the ordinary school routine; I madeinstruction in English a channel for instruction in literature.I prescribed to her a course of reading; she had a littleselection of English classics, a few of which had been left herby her mother, and the others she had purchased with her ownpenny-fee. I lent her some more modern works; all these she readwith avidity, giving me, in writing, a clear summary of each workwhen she had perused it. Composition, too, she delighted in.Such occupation seemed the very breath of her nostrils, and soonher improved productions wrung from me the avowal that thosequalities in her I had termed taste and fancy ought rather tohave been denominated judgment and imagination. When I intimatedso much, which I did as usual in dry and stinted phrase, I lookedfor the radiant and exulting smile my one word of eulogy hadelicited before; but Frances coloured. If she did smile, it wasvery softly and shyly; and instead of looking up to me with aconquering glance, her eyes rested on my hand, which, stretchedover her shoulder, was writing some directions with a pencil onthe margin of her book.

"Well, are you pleased that I am satisfied with your progress?" Iasked.

"Yes," said she slowly, gently, the blush that had half subsidedreturning.

"But I do not say enough, I suppose?" I continued. "My praisesare too cool?"

She made no answer, and, I thought, looked a little sad. Idivined her thoughts, and should much have liked to haveresponded to them, had it been expedient so to do. She was notnow very ambitious of my admiration--not eagerly desirous ofdazzling me; a little affection--ever so little--pleased herbetter than all the panegyrics in the world. Feeling this, Istood a good while behind her, writing on the margin of her book.I could hardly quit my station or relinquish my occupation;something retained me bending there, my head very near hers, andmy hand near hers too; but the margin of a copy-book is not anillimitable space--so, doubtless, the directress thought; and shetook occasion to walk past in order to ascertain by what art Iprolonged so disproportionately the period necessary for fillingit. I was obliged to go. Distasteful effort--to leave what wemost prefer!

Frances did not become pale or feeble in consequence of hersedentary employment; perhaps the stimulus it communicated to hermind counterbalanced the inaction it imposed on her body. Shechanged, indeed, changed obviously and rapidly; but it was forthe better. When I first saw her, her countenance was sunless,her complexion colourless; she looked like one who had no sourceof enjoyment, no store of bliss anywhere in the world; now thecloud had passed from her mien, leaving space for the dawn ofhope and interest, and those feelings rose like a clear morning,animating what had been depressed, tinting what had been pale.Her eyes, whose colour I had not at first known, so dim were theywith repressed tears, so shadowed with ceaseless dejection, now,lit by a ray of the sunshine that cheered her heart, revealedirids of bright hazel--irids large and full, screened with longlashes; and pupils instinct with fire. That look of wanemaciation which anxiety or low spirits often communicates to athoughtful, thin face, rather long than round, having vanishedfrom hers; a clearness of skin almost bloom, and a plumpnessalmost embonpoint, softened the decided lines of her features.Her figure shared in this beneficial change; it became rounder,and as the harmony of her form was complete and her stature ofthe graceful middle height, one did not regret (or at least I didnot regret) the absence of confirmed fulness, in contours, stillslight, though compact, elegant, flexible--the exquisite turningof waist, wrist, hand, foot, and ankle satisfied completely mynotions of symmetry, and allowed a lightness and freedom ofmovement which corresponded with my ideas of grace.

Thus improved, thus wakened to life, Mdlle. Henri began to take anew footing in the school; her mental power, manifested graduallybut steadily, ere long extorted recognition even from theenvious; and when the young and healthy saw that she could smilebrightly, converse gaily, move with vivacity and alertness, theyacknowledged in her a sisterhood of youth and health, andtolerated her as of their kind accordingly.

To speak truth, I watched this change much as a gardener watchesthe growth of a precious plant, and I contributed to it too, evenas the said gardener contributes to the development of hisfavourite. To me it was not difficult to discover how I couldbest foster my pupil, cherish her starved feelings, and inducethe outward manifestation of that inward vigour which sunlessdrought and blighting blast had hitherto forbidden to expand.Constancy of attention--a kindness as mute as watchful, alwaysstanding by her, cloaked in the rough garb of austerity, andmaking its real nature known only by a rare glance of interest,or a cordial and gentle word; real respect masked with seemingimperiousness, directing, urging her actions, yet helping hertoo, and that with devoted care: these were the means I used,for these means best suited Frances' feelings, as susceptible asdeep vibrating--her nature at once proud and shy.

The benefits of my system became apparent also in her altereddemeanour as a teacher; she now took her place amongst her pupilswith an air of spirit and firmness which assured them at oncethat she meant to be obeyed--and obeyed she was. They felt theyhad lost their power over her. If any girl had rebelled, shewould no longer have taken her rebellion to heart; she possesseda source of comfort they could not drain, a pillar of supportthey could not overthrow: formerly, when insulted, she wept;now, she smiled.

The public reading of one of her devoirs achieved the revelationof her talents to all and sundry; I remember the subject--it wasan emigrant's letter to his friends at home. It opened withsimplicity; some natural and graphic touches disclosed to thereader the scene of virgin forest and great, New-World river--barren of sail and flag--amidst which the epistle was supposedto be indited. The difficulties and dangers that attend asettler's life, were hinted at; and in the few words said on thatsubject, Mdlle. Henri failed not to render audible the voice ofresolve, patience, endeavour. The disasters which had driven himfrom his native country were alluded to; stainless honour,inflexible independence, indestructible self-respect there tookthe word. Past days were spoken of; the grief of parting, theregrets of absence, were touched upon; feeling, forcible andfine, breathed eloquent in every period. At the close,consolation was suggested; religious faith became there thespeaker, and she spoke well.

The devoir was powerfully written in language at once chaste andchoice, in a style nerved with vigour and graced with harmony.

Mdlle. Reuter was quite sufficiently acquainted with English tounderstand it when read or spoken in her presence, though shecould neither speak nor write it herself. During the perusal ofthis devoir, she sat placidly busy, her eyes and fingers occupiedwith the formation of a "riviere" or open-work hem round acambric handkerchief; she said nothing, and her face andforehead, clothed with a mask of purely negative expression, wereas blank of comment as her lips. As neither surprise, pleasure,approbation, nor interest were evinced in her countenance, so nomore were disdain, envy, annoyance, weariness; if thatinscrutable mien said anything, it was simply this--

"The matter is too trite to excite an emotion, or call forth anopinion."

As soon as I had done, a hum rose; several of the pupils,pressing round Mdlle. Henri, began to beset her with compliments;the composed voice of the directress was now heard:--

"Young ladies, such of you as have cloaks and umbrellas willhasten to return home before the shower becomes heavier" (it wasraining a little), "the remainder will wait till their respectiveservants arrive to fetch them." And the school dispersed, for itwas four o'clock.

"Monsieur, a word," said Mdlle. Reuter, stepping on to theestrade, and signifying, by a movement of the hand, that shewished me to relinquish, for an instant, the castor I hadclutched.

"Mademoiselle, I am at your service."

"Monsieur, it is of course an excellent plan to encourage effortin young people by making conspicuous the progress of anyparticularly industrious pupil; but do you not think that in thepresent instance, Mdlle. Henri can hardly be considered as aconcurrent with the other pupils? She is older than most of them,and has had advantages of an exclusive nature for acquiring aknowledge of English; on the other hand, her sphere of life issomewhat beneath theirs; under these circumstances, a publicdistinction, conferred upon Mdlle. Henri, may be the means ofsuggesting comparisons, and exciting feelings such as would befar from advantageous to the individual forming their object.The interest I take in Mdlle. Henri's real welfare makes medesirous of screening her from annoyances of this sort; besides,monsieur, as I have before hinted to you, the sentiment ofAMOUR-PROPRE has a somewhat marked preponderance in hercharacter; celebrity has a tendency to foster this sentiment, andin her it should be rather repressed--she rather needs keepingdown than bringing forward; and then I think, monsieur--itappears to me that ambition, LITERARY ambition especially, is nota feeling to be cherished in the mind of a woman: would notMdlle. Henri be much safer and happier if taught to believe thatin the quiet discharge of social duties consists her realvocation, than if stimulated to aspire after applause andpublicity? She may never marry; scanty as are her resources,obscure as are her connections, uncertain as is her health (for Ithink her consumptive, her mother died of that complaint), it ismore than probable she never will. I do not see how she can riseto a position, whence such a step would be possible; but even incelibacy it would be better for her to retain the character andhabits of a respectable decorous female."

"Indisputably, mademoiselle," was my answer. "Your opinionadmits of no doubt;" and, fearful of the harangue being renewed,I retreated under cover of that cordial sentence of assent.

At the date of a fortnight after the little incident noted above,I find it recorded in my diary that a hiatus occurred in Mdlle.Henri's usually regular attendance in class. The first day ortwo I wondered at her absence, but did not like to ask anexplanation of it; I thought indeed some chance word might bedropped which would afford me the information I wished to obtain,without my running the risk of exciting silly smiles andgossiping whispers by demanding it. But when a week passed andthe seat at the desk near the door still remained vacant, andwhen no allusion was made to the circumstance by any individualof the class--when, on the contrary, I found that all observed amarked silence on the point--I determined, COUTE QUI COUTE, tobreak the ice of this silly reserve. I selected Sylvie as myinformant, because from her I knew that I should at least get asensible answer, unaccompanied by wriggle, titter, or otherflourish of folly.

"Ou donc est Mdlle. Henri?" I said one day as I returned anexercise-book I had been examining.

"Elle est partie, monsieur."

"Partie? et pour combien de temps? Quand reviendra-t-elle?"

"Elle est partie pour toujours, monsieur; elle ne reviendraplus."

"Ah!" was my involuntary exclamation; then after a pause:--

"En etes-vous bien sure, Sylvie?"

"Oui, oui, monsieur, mademoiselle la directrice nous l'a ditelle-meme il y a deux ou trois jours."

And I could pursue my inquiries no further; time, place, andcircumstances forbade my adding another word. I could neithercomment on what had been said, nor demand further particulars. Aquestion as to the reason of the teacher's departure, as towhether it had been voluntary or otherwise, was indeed on mylips, but I suppressed it--there were listeners all round. Anhour after, in passing Sylvie in the corridor as she was puttingon her bonnet, I stopped short and asked:--

"Sylvie, do you know Mdlle. Henri's address? I have some booksof hers," I added carelessly, "and I should wish to send them toher."

"No, monsieur," replied Sylvie; "but perhaps Rosalie, theportress, will be able to give it you."

Rosalie's cabinet was just at hand; I stepped in and repeated theinquiry. Rosalie--a smart French grisette--looked up from herwork with a knowing smile, precisely the sort of smile I had beenso desirous to avoid exciting. Her answer was prepared; she knewnothing whatever of Mdlle. Henri's address--had never known it.Turning from her with impatience--for I believed she lied and washired to lie--I almost knocked down some one who had beenstanding at my back; it was the directress. My abrupt movementmade her recoil two or three steps. I was obliged to apologize,which I did more concisely than politely. No man likes to bedogged, and in the very irritable mood in which I then was thesight of Mdlle. Reuter thoroughly incensed me. At the moment Iturned her countenance looked hard, dark, and inquisitive; hereyes were bent upon me with an expression of almost hungrycuriosity. I had scarcely caught this phase of physiognomy ereit had vanished; a bland smile played on her features; my harshapology was received with good-humoured facility.

"Oh, don't mention it, monsieur; you only touched my hair withyour elbow; it is no worse, only a little dishevelled." Sheshook it back, and passing her fingers through her curls,loosened them into more numerous and flowing ringlets. Then shewent on with vivacity :-

Rosalie, I was coming to tell you to go instantly and close thewindows of the salon; the wind is rising, and the muslin curtainswill be covered with dust."

Rosalie departed. "Now," thought I, "this will not do; Mdlle.Reuter thinks her meanness in eaves-dropping is screened by herart in devising a pretext, whereas the muslin curtains she speaksof are not more transparent than this same pretext." An impulsecame over me to thrust the flimsy screen aside, and confront hercraft boldly with a word or two of plain truth. "The rough-shodfoot treads most firmly on slippery ground," thought I; so Ibegan:-

"Mademoiselle Henri has left your establishment--been dismissed,I presume?"

"Ah, I wished to have a little conversation with you, monsieur,"replied the directress with the most natural and affable air inthe world; "but we cannot talk quietly here; will Monsieur stepinto the garden a minute?" And she preceded me, stepping outthrough the glass-door I have before mentioned.

"There," said she, when we had reached the centre of the middlealley, and when the foliage of shrubs and trees, now in theirsummer pride, closing behind end around us, shut out the view ofthe house, and thus imparted a sense of seclusion even to thislittle plot of ground in the very core of a capital.

"There, one feels quiet and free when there are only pear-treesand rose-bushes about one; I dare say you, like me, monsieur, aresometimes tired of being eternally in the midst of life; ofhaving human faces always round you, human eyes always upon you,human voices always in your ear. I am sure I often wishintensely for liberty to spend a whole month in the country atsome little farm-house, bien gentille, bien propre, tout entoureede champs et de bois; quelle vie charmante que la vie champetre!N'est-ce pas, monsieur?"

"Cela depend, mademoiselle."

"Que le vent est bon et frais!" continued the directress; andshe was right there, for it was a south wind, soft and sweet. Icarried my hat in my hand, and this gentle breeze, passingthrough my hair, soothed my temples like balm. Its refreshingeffect, however, penetrated no deeper than the mere surface ofthe frame; for as I walked by the side of Mdlle. Reuter, my heartwas still hot within me, and while I was musing the fire burned;then spake I with my tongue:--

"I understand Mdlle. Henri is gone from hence, and will notreturn?"

"Ah, true! I meant to have named the subject to you some daysago, but my time is so completely taken up, I cannot do half thethings I wish: have you never experienced what it is, monsieur,to find the day too short by twelve hours for your numerousduties?"

"Not often. Mdlle. Henri's departure was not voluntary, Ipresume? If it had been, she would certainly have given me someintimation of it, being my pupil."

"Oh, did she not tell you? that was strange; for my part, Inever thought of adverting to the subject; when one has so manythings to attend to, one is apt to forget little incidents thatare not of primary importance."

"You consider Mdlle. Henri's dismission, then, as a veryinsignificant event?"

"Dismission? Ah! she was not dismissed; I can say with truth,monsieur, that since I became the head of this establishment nomaster or teacher has ever been dismissed from it."

"Yet some have left it, mademoiselle?"

"Many; I have found it necessary to change frequently--a changeof instructors is often beneficial to the interests of a school;it gives life and variety to the proceedings; it amuses thepupils, and suggests to the parents the idea of exertion andprogress."

"Yet when you are tired of a professor or maitresse, you scrupleto dismiss them?"

"No need to have recourse to such extreme measures, I assure you.Allons, monsieur le professeur--asseyons-nous; je vais vousdonner une petite lecon dans votre etat d'instituteur." (I wish Imight write all she said to me in French--it loses sadly by beingtranslated into English.) We had now reached THE garden-chair;the directress sat down, and signed to me to sit by her, but Ionly rested my knee on the seat, and stood leaning my head andarm against the embowering branch of a huge laburnum, whosegolden flowers, blent with the dusky green leaves of alilac-bush, formed a mixed arch of shade and sunshine over theretreat. Mdlle. Reuter sat silent a moment; some novel movementswere evidently working in her mind, and they showed their natureon her astute brow; she was meditating some CHEF D'OEUVRE ofpolicy. Convinced by several months' experience that theaffectation of virtues she did not possess was unavailing toensnare me--aware that I had read her real nature, and wouldbelieve nothing of the character she gave out as being hers--shehad determined, at last, to try a new key, and see if the lock ofmy heart would yield to that; a little audacity, a word of truth,a glimpse of the real. "Yes, I will try," was her inwardresolve; and then her blue eye glittered upon me--it did notflash--nothing of flame ever kindled in its temperate gleam.

"Monsieur fears to sit by me?" she inquired playfully.

"I have no wish to usurp Pelet's place," I answered, for I hadgot the habit of speaking to her bluntly--a habit begun in anger,but continued because I saw that, instead of offending, itfascinated her. She cast down her eyes, and drooped her eyelids;she sighed uneasily; she turned with an anxious gesture, as ifshe would give me the idea of a bird that flutters in its cage,and would fain fly from its jail and jailer, and seek its naturalmate and pleasant nest.

"Well--and your lesson?" I demanded briefly.

"Ah!" she exclaimed, recovering herself, "you are so young, sofrank and fearless, so talented, so impatient of imbecility, sodisdainful of vulgarity, you need a lesson; here it is then: farmore is to be done in this world by dexterity than by strength;but, perhaps, you knew that before, for there is delicacy as wellas power in your character--policy, as well as pride?"

"Go on." said I; and I could hardly help smiling, the flatterywas so piquant, so finely seasoned. She caught the prohibitedsmile, though I passed my hand over my month to conceal it; andagain she made room for me to sit beside her. I shook my head,though temptation penetrated to my senses at the moment, and oncemore I told her to go on.

"Well, then, if ever you are at the head of a largeestablishment, dismiss nobody. To speak truth, monsieur (and toyou I will speak truth), I despise people who are always makingrows, blustering, sending off one to the right, and another tothe left, urging and hurrying circumstances. I'll tell you whatI like best to do, monsieur, shall I?" She looked up again; shehad compounded her glance well this time--much archness, moredeference, a spicy dash of coquetry, an unveiled consciousness ofcapacity. I nodded; she treated me like the great Mogul; so Ibecame the great Mogul as far as she was concerned.

"I like, monsieur, to take my knitting in my hands, and to sitquietly down in my chair; circumstances defile past me; I watchtheir march; so long as they follow the course I wish, I saynothing, and do nothing; I don't clap my hands, and cry out'Bravo! How lucky I am!' to attract the attention and envy of myneighbours--I am merely passive; but when events fall out ill--when circumstances become adverse--I watch very vigilantly; Iknit on still, and still I hold my tongue; but every now andthen, monsieur, I just put my toe out--so--and give therebellious circumstance a little secret push, without noise,which sends it the way I wish, and I am successful after all, andnobody has seen my expedient. So, when teachers or mastersbecome troublesome and inefficient--when, in short, the interestsof the school would suffer from their retaining their places--Imind my knitting, events progress, circumstances glide past; Isee one which, if pushed ever so little awry, will renderuntenable the post I wish to have vacated--the deed is done--thestumbling-block removed--and no one saw me: I have not made anenemy, I am rid of an incumbrance."

A moment since, and I thought her alluring; this speechconcluded, I looked on her with distaste. "Just like you," wasmy cold answer. "And in this way you have ousted Mdlle. Henri?You wanted her office, therefore you rendered it intolerable toher?"

"Not at all, monsieur, I was merely anxious about Mdlle. Henri'shealth; no, your moral sight is clear and piercing, but there youhave failed to discover the truth. I took--I have always taken areal interest in Mdlle. Henri's welfare; I did not like her goingout in all weathers; I thought it would be more advantageous forher to obtain a permanent situation; besides, I considered hernow qualified to do something more than teach sewing. I reasonedwith her; left the decision to herself; she saw the correctnessof my views, and adopted them."

"Excellent! and now, mademoiselle, you will have the goodness togive me her address."

"Her address!" and a sombre and stony change came over the mienof the directress. "Her address? Ah?--well--I wish I couldoblige you, monsieur, but I cannot, and I will tell you why;whenever I myself asked her for her address, she always evadedthe inquiry. I thought--I may be wrong--but I THOUGHT her motivefor doing so, was a natural, though mistaken reluctance tointroduce me to some, probably, very poor abode; her means werenarrow, her origin obscure; she lives somewhere, doubtless, inthe 'basse ville.'"

"I'll not lose sight of my best pupil yet," said I, "though shewere born of beggars and lodged in a cellar; for the rest, it isabsurd to make a bugbear of her origin to me--I happen to knowthat she was a Swiss pastor's daughter, neither more nor less;and, as to her narrow means, I care nothing for the poverty ofher purse so long as her heart overflows with affluence."

"Your sentiments are perfectly noble, monsieur," said thedirectress, affecting to suppress a yawn; her sprightliness wasnow extinct, her temporary candour shut up; the little,red-coloured, piratical-looking pennon of audacity she hadallowed to float a minute in the air, was furled, and the broad,sober-hued flag of dissimulation again hung low over the citadel.I did not like her thus, so I cut short the TETE-A-TETE anddeparted.