herprofessedmotivewasawishtoaidthedull,thoughwell-meaningMdlle.Henri,herrealonewasnootherthanadesigntoimpressmewithanideaofherownexaltedgoodnessandtenderconsideratenesssohavingagainhastilynoddedassenttoherremarks,Iobviatedtheirrenewalbysuddenlydemandingthecompositions,inasharpaccent,andsteppingfromtheestrade,Iproceededtocollectthem.AsIpassedthegoverness-pupil,Isaidtoher—
“Youhavecomeintoolatetoreceivealessonto-daytrytobemorepunctualnexttime.”
Iwasbehindher,andcouldnotreadinherfacetheeffectofmynotverycivilspeech.ProbablyIshouldnothavetroubledmyselftodoso,hadIbeenfullinfrontbutIobservedthatsheimmediatelybegantoslipherbooksintohercabasagainand,presently,afterIhadreturnedtotheestrade,whileIwasarrangingthemassofcompositions,Iheardthefolding-dooragainopenandcloseand,onlookingup,Iperceivedherplacevacant.Ithoughttomyself,“ShewillconsiderherfirstattemptattakingalessoninEnglishsomethingofafailure”andIwonderedwhethershehaddepartedinthesulks,orwhetherstupidityhadinducedhertotakemywordstooliterally,or,finally,whethermyirritabletonehadwoundedherfeelings.ThelastnotionIdismissedalmostassoonasIhadconceivedit,fornothavingseenanyappearanceofsensitivenessinanyhumanfacesincemyarrivalinBelgium,Ihadbeguntoregarditalmostasafabulousquality.WhetherherphysiognomyannounceditIcouldnottell,forherspeedyexithadallowedmenotimetoascertainthecircumstance.Ihad,indeed,ontwoorthreepreviousoccasions,caughtapassingviewofher(asIbelievehasbeenmentionedbefore)butIhadneverstoppedtoscrutinizeeitherherfaceorperson,andhadbutthemostvagueideaofhergeneralappearance.JustasIhadfinishedrollingupthecompositions,thefouro’clockbellrangwithmyaccustomedalertnessinobeyingthatsignal,Igraspedmyhatandevacuatedthepremises.