udiedfemalecharacterinavarietyofphases,myselfthewhileshelteredfromviewbyamodestmuslincurtain,whereas,owingdoubtlesstotheabsurdscruplesofsomeoldduennaofadirectress,Ihadnowonlytheoptionoflookingatabaregravelledcourt,withanenormous“pasdegeant”inthemiddle,andthemonotonouswallsandwindowsofaboys’school-houseround.Notonlythen,butmanyatimeafter,especiallyinmomentsofwearinessandlowspirits,didIlookwithdissatisfiedeyesonthatmosttantalizingboard,longingtotearitawayandgetaglimpseofthegreenregionwhichIimaginedtoliebeyond.Iknewatreegrewcloseuptothewindow,forthoughtherewereasyetnoleavestorustle,Ioftenheardatnightthetappingofbranchesagainstthepanes.Inthedaytime,whenIlistenedattentively,Icouldhear,eventhroughtheboards,thevoicesofthedemoisellesintheirhoursofrecreation,and,tospeakthehonesttruth,mysentimentalreflectionswereoccasionallyatrifledisarrangedbythenotquitesilvery,infactthetoooftenbrazensounds,which,risingfromtheunseenparadisebelow,penetratedclamorouslyintomysolitude.Nottomincematters,itreallyseemedtomeadoubtfulcasewhetherthelungsofMdlle.Reuter’sgirlsorthoseofM.Pelet’sboyswerethestrongest,andwhenitcametoshriekingthegirlsindisputablybeattheboyshollow.Iforgottosay,by-the-by,thatReuterwasthenameoftheoldladywhohadhadmywindowbeardedup.Isayold,forsuchI,ofcourse,concludedhertobe,judgingfromhercautious,chaperon-likeproceedingsbesides,nobodyeverspokeofherasyoung.IrememberIwasverymuchamusedwhenIfirstheardherChristiannameitwasZoraide—MademoiselleZoraideReuter.Butthecontinentalnationsdoallowthemselvesvagariesinthechoiceofnames,suchaswesoberEnglishneverruninto.Ithink,indeed,wehavetoolimitedalisttochoosefrom.
Meantimemypathwasgraduallygrowingsmoothbeforeme.I,inafewweeks,conqueredtheteasingdifficultiesinseparablefromthecommencementofalmosteverycareer.ErelongIhadacquiredasmuchfacilityinspeakingFrenchassetmeatmyeasewithmypupilsandasIhadencounteredthemonarightfootingattheverybeginning,andcontinuedtenaciouslytoretaintheadvantageIhadearlygained,theyneverattemptedmutiny,whichcircumstance,allwhoareinanydegreeacquaintedwiththeongoingsofBelgianschools,andwhoknowtherelationinwhichprofessorsandpupilstoofrequentlystandtowardseachotherinthoseestablishments,willconsideranimportantanduncommonone.BeforeconcludingthischapterIwillsayawordonthesystemIpursuedwithregardtomyclasses:myexperiencema