eroverher,inasmuchasbyresistingherpainfulattemptstoconvince,persuade,control—byforcinghertotheemploymentofcoercivemeasures—theycouldinflictuponherexquisitesuffering.Humanbeings—humanchildrenespecially—seldomdenythemselvesthepleasureofexercisingapowerwhichtheyareconsciousofpossessing,eventhoughthatpowerconsistonlyinacapacitytomakeotherswretchedapupilwhosesensationsaredullerthanthoseofhisinstructor,whilehisnervesaretougherandhisbodilystrengthperhapsgreater,hasanimmenseadvantageoverthatinstructor,andhewillgenerallyuseitrelentlessly,becausetheveryyoung,veryhealthy,verythoughtless,knowneitherhowtosympathizenorhowtospare.Frances,Ifear,sufferedmuchacontinualweightseemedtooppressherspiritsIhavesaidshedidnotliveinthehouse,andwhetherinherownabode,whereverthatmightbe,sheworethesamepreoccupied,unsmiling,sorrowfullyresolvedairthatalwaysshadedherfeaturesundertheroofofMdlle.Reuter,Icouldnottell.
OnedayIgave,asadevoir,thetritelittleanecdoteofAlfredtendingcakesintheherdsman’shut,toberelatedwithamplifications.AsingularaffairmostofthepupilsmadeofitbrevitywaswhattheyhadchieflystudiedthemajorityofthenarrativeswereperfectlyunintelligiblethoseofSylvieandLeonieLedrualonepretendedtoanythinglikesenseandconnection.Eulalie,indeed,hadhit,uponacleverexpedientforatonceensuringaccuracyandsavingtroubleshehadobtainedaccesssomehowtoanabridgedhistoryofEngland,andhadcopiedtheanecdoteoutfair.Iwroteonthemarginofherproduction“Stupidanddeceitful,”andthentoreitdownthemiddle.
Lastinthepileofsingle-leaveddevoirs,Ifoundoneofseveralsheets,neatlywrittenoutandstitchedtogetherIknewthehand,andscarcelyneededtheevidenceofthesignature“FrancesEvansHenri”toconfirmmyconjectureastothewriter’sidentity.
Nightwasmyusualtimeforcorrectingdevoirs,andmyownroomtheusualsceneofsuchta