Shesteppedontotheestrade,andstoodclosebymysideshehadnothingtosay.Iwouldnotrelieveherembarrassment,andnegligentlyturnedovertheleavesofabook.
“Ihopeyoufeelquiterecoveredto-day,”atlastshesaid,inalowtone.
“AndI,mademoiselle,hopethatyoutooknocoldlastnightinconsequenceofyourlatewalkinthegarden.”
Quickenoughofcomprehension,sheunderstoodmedirectlyherfacebecamealittleblanched—averylittle—butnomuscleinherrathermarkedfeaturesmovedand,calmandself-possessed,sheretiredfromtheestrade,takingherseatquietlyatalittledistance,andoccupyingherselfwithnettingapurse.Iproceededtogivemylessonitwasa“Composition,”i.e.,Idictatedcertaingeneralquestions,ofwhichthepupilsweretocomposetheanswersfrommemory,accesstobooksbeingforbidden.WhileMdlle.Eulalie,Hortense,Caroline,&c.,wereponderingoverthestringofratherabstrusegrammaticalinterrogatoriesIhadpropounded,Iwasatlibertytoemploythevacanthalfhourinfurtherobservingthedirectressherself.Thegreensilkpursewasprogressingfastinherhandshereyeswerebentuponitherattitude,asshesatnettingwithintwoyardsofme,wasstillyetguardedinherwholepersonwereexpressedatonce,andwithequalclearness,vigilanceandrepose—arareunion!Lookingather,Iwasforced,asIhadoftenbeenbefore,toofferhergoodsense,herwondrousself-control,thetributeofinvoluntaryadmiration.ShehadfeltthatIhadwithdrawnfromhermyesteemshehadseencontemptandcoldnessinmyeye,andtoher,whocovetedtheapprobationofallaroundher,whothirstedafteruniversalgoodopinion,suchdiscoverymusthavebeenanacutewound.Ihadwitnesseditseffectinthemomentarypallorofhercheek--cheekunusedtovaryyethowquickly,bydintofself-control,hadsherecoveredhercomposure!Withwhatquietdignityshenowsat,almostatmyside,sustainedbyhersoundandvigoroussensenotremblinginhersom