snaturalIshouldfeelinterestedaboutthispoorlittlegirl(pauvrepetite)shehasscarcelyanyrelations,herowneffortsareallshehastolookto,heracquirementsmustbehersolefortuneherpresentpositionhasoncebeenmine,ornearlysoitisthenbutnaturalIshouldsympathizewithherandsometimeswhenIseethedifficultyshehasinmanagingpupils,Ifeelquitechagrined.Idoubtnotshedoesherbest,herintentionsareexcellentbut,monsieur,shewantstactandfirmness.Ihavetalkedtoheronthesubject,butIamnotfluent,andprobablydidnotexpressmyselfwithclearnesssheneverappearstocomprehendme.Now,wouldyouoccasionally,whenyouseeanopportunity,slipinawordofadvicetoheronthesubjectmenhavesomuchmoreinfluencethanwomenhave—theyarguesomuchmorelogicallythanwedoandyou,monsieur,inparticular,havesoparamountapowerofmakingyourselfobeyedawordofadvicefromyoucouldnotbutdohergoodevenifsheweresullenandheadstrong(whichIhopesheisnot),shewouldscarcelyrefusetolistentoyouformyownpart,IcantrulysaythatIneverattendoneofyourlessonswithoutderivingbenefitfromwitnessingyourmanagementofthepupils.Theothermastersareaconstantsourceofanxietytometheycannotimpresstheyoungladieswithsentimentsofrespect,norrestrainthelevitynaturaltoyouth:inyou,monsieur,Ifeelthemostabsoluteconfidencetrythentoputthispoorchildintothewayofcontrollingourgiddy,high-spiritedBrabantoises.But,monsieur,Iwouldaddonewordmoredon’talarmherAMOURPROPREbewareofinflictingawoundthere.Ireluctantlyadmitthatinthatparticularsheisblameably—somewouldsayridiculously—susceptible.IfearIhavetouchedthissorepointinadvertently,andshecannotgetoverit.”
DuringthegreaterpartofthisharanguemyhandwasonthelockoftheouterdoorInowturnedit.
“Aurevoir,mademoiselle,”saidI,andIescaped.Isawthedirectress’sstockofwordswasyetfarfromexhausted.Shelookedafterme,shewouldfainhavedetainedmelonger.HermannertowardsmehadbeenalteredeversinceIhadbeguntotreather