sehadbeenofthemostfriendlytendency,forIheardtheclosingwords—
“C’estassez,mabonneamieapresentjeneveuxpasvousretenirdavantage.”
Withoutreply,Mdlle.Henriturnedawaydissatisfactionwasplainlyevincedinherface,andasmile,slightandbrief,butbitter,distrustful,and,Ithought,scornful,curledherlipasshetookherplaceintheclassitwasasecret,involuntarysmile,whichlastedbutasecondanairofdepressionsucceeded,chasedawaypresentlybyoneofattentionandinterest,whenIgavethewordforallthepupilstotaketheirreading-books.IngeneralIhatedthereading-lesson,itwassuchatorturetotheeartolistentotheiruncouthmouthingofmynativetongue,andnoeffortofexampleorpreceptonmyparteverseemedtoeffecttheslightestimprovementintheiraccent.To-day,eachinherappropriatekey,lisped,stuttered,mumbled,andjabberedasusualaboutfifteenhadrackedmeinturn,andmyauricularnervewasexpectingwithresignationthediscordsofthesixteenth,whenafull,thoughlowvoice,readout,inclearcorrectEnglish.
“OnhiswaytoPerth,thekingwasmetbyaHighlandwoman,callingherselfaprophetessshestoodatthesideoftheferrybywhichhewasabouttotraveltothenorth,andcriedwithaloudvoice,‘Mylordtheking,ifyoupassthiswateryouwillneverreturnagainalive!’”—(VIDEtheHISTORYOFSCOTLAND).
IlookedupinamazementthevoicewasavoiceofAlbiontheaccentwaspureandsilveryitonlywantedfirmness,andassurance,tobethecounterpartofwhatanywell-educatedladyinEssexorMiddlesexmighthaveenounced,yetthespeakerorreaderwasnootherthanMdlle.Henri,inwhosegrave,joylessfaceIsawnomarkofconsciousnessthatshehadperformedanyextraordinaryfeat.Nooneelseevincedsurpriseeither.Mdlle.ReuterknittedawayassiduouslyIwasaware,however,thatattheconclusionoftheparagraph,shehadliftedhereyelidandhonouredmewithaglancesidewaysshedidnotknowthefullexcellencyoftheteacher’sstyleofreading,butsheperceivedthatheraccentwasnotthatoftheothers,andwantedtodiscoverwhatIt