DAILY,asIcontinuedmyattendanceattheseminaryofMdlle.Reuter,didIfindfreshoccasionstocomparetheidealwiththereal.WhathadIknownoffemalecharacterpreviouslytomyarrivalatBrussels?Preciouslittle.Andwhatwasmynotionofit?Somethingvague,slight,gauzy,glitteringnowwhenIcameincontactwithitIfoundittobeapalpablesubstanceenoughveryhardtoosometimes,andoftenheavytherewasmetalinit,bothleadandiron.
Lettheidealists,thedreamersaboutearthlyangelandhumanflowers,justlookherewhileIopenmyportfolioandshowthemasketchortwo,pencilledafternature.Itookthesesketchesinthesecond-classschoolroomofMdlle.Reuter’sestablishment,whereaboutahundredspecimensofthegenus“jeunefille”collectedtogetherofferedafertilevarietyofsubject.Amiscellaneousassortmenttheywere,differingbothincasteandcountryasIsatonmyestradeandglancedoverthelongrangeofdesks,IhadundermyeyeFrench,English,Belgians,Austrians,andPrussians.Themajoritybelongedtotheclassbourgeoisbutthereweremanycountesses,therewerethedaughtersoftwogeneralsandofseveralcolonels,captains,andgovernmentEMPLOYEStheseladiessatsidebysidewithyoungfemalesdestinedtobedemoisellesdemagasins,andwithsomeFlamandes,genuineaboriginesofthecountry.Indressallwerenearlysimilar,andinmannerstherewassmalldifferenceexceptionsthereweretothegeneralrule,butthemajoritygavethetonetotheestablishment,andthattonewasrough,boisterous,maskedbyapoint-blankdisregardofallforbearancetowardseachotherortheirteachersaneagerpursuitbyeachindividualofherowninterestandconvenienceandacoarseindifferencetotheinterestandconvenienceofeveryoneelse.Mostofthemcouldliewithaudacitywhenitappearedadvantageoustodoso.Allunderstoodtheartofspeakingfairwhenapointwastobegained,andcouldwithconsummateskillandatamoment’snoticeturnthecoldshouldertheinstantcivilityceasedtobeprofitable.Verylittleopenquarrellingevertookplaceamongstthembutbackbitingandtalebearingwereuniversal.Closefriendshipswereforbiddenbytherulesoftheschool,andnoonegirlseemedtocultivatemoreregardforanotherthanwasjustnecessarytosecureacompanionwhensolitudewouldhavebeenirksome.Theywereeachandallsupposedtohavebeenrearedinutterunconsciousnessofvice.Theprecautionsusedtokeepthemignorant,ifnotinnocent,wereinnumerable.Howwasit,then,thatscarcelyoneofthosegirlshavingattainedtheageoffourteencouldlookamaninthefacewithmodestyandpropriety?Anairofbold,impudentflirtation,oraloose,sillyleer,wassuretoanswerthemostordinaryglancefromamasculineeye.IknownothingofthearcanaoftheRomanCatholicreligion,andIamnotabigotinmattersoftheology,butIsuspecttherootofthisprecociousimpurity,soobvious,sogeneralinPopishcountries,istobe