ring,whereIhearmyselfabusedinbadFrench,pronouncedwithanintolerableLowGermanaccent.
NotfarfromMdlle.KoslowsitsanotheryoungladybynameAdeleDronsart:thisisaBelgian,ratherlowofstature,informheavy,withbroadwaist,shortneckandlimbs,goodredandwhitecomplexion,featureswellchiselledandregular,well-cuteyesofaclearbrowncolour,lightbrownhair,goodteeth,agenotmuchabovefifteen,butasfull-grownasastoutyoungEnglishwomanoftwenty.Thisportraitgivestheideaofasomewhatdumpybutgood-lookingdamsel,doesitnot?Well,whenIlookedalongtherowofyoungheads,myeyegenerallystoppedatthisofAdele’shergazewaseverwaitingformine,anditfrequentlysucceededinarrestingit.Shewasanunnatural-lookingbeing—soyoung,fresh,blooming,yetsoGorgon-like.Suspicion,sullenill-temperwereonherforehead,viciouspropensitiesinhereye,envyandpanther-likedeceitabouthermouth.Ingeneralshesatverystillhermassiveshapelookedasifitcouldnotbendmuch,nordidherlargehead—sobroadatthebase,sonarrowtowardsthetop—seemmadetoturnreadilyonhershortneck.Shehadbuttwovarietiesofexpressiontheprevalentoneaforbidding,dissatisfiedscowl,variedsometimesbyamostperniciousandperfidioussmile.Shewasshunnedbyherfellow-pupils,for,badasmanyofthemwere,fewwereasbadasshe.
AureliaandAdelewereinthefirstdivisionofthesecondclasstheseconddivisionwasheadedbyapensionnairenamedJuannaTrista.ThisgirlwasofmixedBelgianandSpanishoriginherFlemishmotherwasdead,herCatalonianfatherwasamerchantresidinginthe——Isles,whereJuannahadbeenbornandwhenceshewassenttoEuropetobeeducated.Iwonderthatanyone,lookingatthatgirl’sheadandcountenance,wouldhavereceivedherundertheirroof.ShehadpreciselythesameshapeofskullasPopeAlexandertheSixthherorgansofbenevolence,veneration,conscientiousness,adhesiveness,weresingularlysmall,thoseofself-esteem,firmness,destructiveness,combativeness,preposterouslylargeherheadslopedupinthepenthouseshape,wascontractedabouttheforehead,andprominentbehindshehadrathergood,thoughlargeandmarkedfeatureshertemperamentwasfibrousandbilious,hercomplexionpaleanddark,hairandeyesblack,formangularandrigidbutproportionate,agefifteen.
Juannawasnotverythin,butshehadagauntvisage,andher“regard”wasfierceandhungrynarrowaswasherbrow,itpresentedspaceenoughforthelegiblegravingoftwowords,MutinyandHateinsomeoneofherotherlineamentsIthinktheeye—cowardicehadalsoitsdistinctcipher.Mdlle.Tristathoughtfittotroublemyfirstlessonswithacoarsework-daysortofturbulenceshemadenoiseswithhermouthlikeahorse,sheejectedhersaliva,sheutteredbrutalexpressionsbehindandbelowherwereseatedabandofveryvulgar,inferior-lookingFlamandes,includingtwoorthreeexample