lite,butsoorderly,socommonplace,itspreaddirectlyacool,damptowelovermy“vivesimpressions.”Theservantturnedbackwhenhermistressappeared,andIwalkedslowlyalongthecorridor,sidebysidewithMdlle.Reuter.
“Monsieurwillgivealessoninthefirstclassto-day,”saidshe“dictationorreadingwillperhapsbethebestthingtobeginwith,forthosearetheeasiestformsofcommunicatinginstructioninaforeignlanguageand,atthefirst,amasternaturallyfeelsalittleunsettled.”
Shewasquiteright,asIhadfoundfromexperienceitonlyremainedformetoacquiesce.Weproceedednowinsilence.Thecorridorterminatedinahall,large,lofty,andsquareaglassdoorononesideshowedwithinalongnarrowrefectory,withtables,anarmoire,andtwolampsitwasemptylargeglassdoors,infront,openedontheplaygroundandgardenabroadstaircaseascendedspirallyontheoppositesidetheremainingwallshowedapairofgreatfolding-doors,nowclosed,andadmitting,doubtless,totheclasses.
Mdlle.Reuterturnedhereyelaterallyonme,toascertain,probably,whetherIwascollectedenoughtobeusheredintohersanctumsanctorum.Isupposeshejudgedmetobeinatolerablestateofself-government,forsheopenedthedoor,andIfollowedherthrough.Arustlingsoundofuprisinggreetedourentrancewithoutlookingtotherightorleft,Iwalkedstraightupthelanebetweentwosetsofbenchesanddesks,andtookpossessionoftheemptychairandisolateddeskraisedonanestrade,ofonestephigh,soastocommandonedivisiontheotherdivisionbeingunderthesurveillanceofamaitressesimilarlyelevated.Atthebackoftheestrade,andattachedtoamoveablepartitiondividingthisschoolroomfromanotherbeyond,wasalargetableauofwoodpaintedblackandvarnishedathickcrayonofwhitechalklayonmydeskfortheconvenienceofelucidatinganygrammaticalorverbalobscuritywhichmightoccurinmylessonsbywritingituponthetableauawetspongeappearedbesidethechalk,toenablemetoeffacethemarkswhentheyhadservedthepurposeintended.
Icarefullyanddeliberatelymadetheseobservationsbeforeallowingmyselftotak