rtainLeonieLedru,adiminutive,sharp-featured,andparchment-skinnedcreatureofquickwits,frailconscience,andinduratedfeelingsalawyer-likething,ofwhomIusedtosaythat,hadshebeenaboy,shewouldhavemadeamodelofanunprincipled,cleverattorney.ThencameEulalie,theproudbeauty,theJunooftheschool,whomsixlongyearsofdrillinginthesimplegrammaroftheEnglishlanguagehadcompelled,despitethestiffphlegmofherintellect,toacquireamechanicalacquaintancewithmostofitsrules.Nosmile,notraceofpleasureorsatisfactionappearedinSylvie’snun-likeandpassivefaceassheheardhernamereadfirst.Ialwaysfeltsaddenedbythesightofthatpoorgirl’sabsolutequiescenceonalloccasions,anditwasmycustomtolookather,toaddressher,asseldomaspossibleherextremedocility,herassiduousperseverance,wouldhaverecommendedherwarmlytomygoodopinionhermodesty,herintelligence,wouldhaveinducedmetofeelmostkindly—mostaffectionatelytowardsher,notwithstandingthealmostghastlyplainnessofherfeatures,thedisproportionofherform,thecorpse-likelackofanimationinhercountenance,hadInotbeenawarethateveryfriendlyword,everykindlyaction,wouldbereportedbyhertoherconfessor,andbyhimmisinterpretedandpoisoned.OnceIlaidmyhandonherhead,intokenofapprobationIthoughtSylviewasgoingtosmile,herdimeyealmostkindledbut,presently,sheshrankfrommeIwasamanandahereticshe,poorchild!adestinednunanddevotedCatholic:thusafour-foldwallofseparationdividedhermindfrommine.Apertsmirk,andahardglanceoftriumph,wasLeonie’smethodoftestifyinghergratificationEulalielookedsullenandenvious—shehadhopedtobefirst.HortenseandCarolineexchangedarecklessgrimaceonhearingtheirnamesreadoutsomewherenearthebottomofthelistthebrandofmentalinferioritywasconsideredbythemasnodisgrace,theirhopesforthefuturebeingbasedsolelyontheirpersonalattractions.
Thisaffairarranged,theregularlessonfollowed.Du