AFTERallIhadprofitedbutimperfectlybytheopportunityIhadsoboldlyachievedofspeakingtoMdlle.HenriitwasmyintentiontoaskherhowshecametobepossessedoftwoEnglishbaptismalnames,FrancesandEvans,inadditiontoherFrenchsurname,alsowhenceshederivedhergoodaccent.Ihadforgottenbothpoints,or,rather,ourcolloquyhadbeensobriefthatIhadnothadtimetobringthemforwardmoreover,IhadnothalftestedherpowersofspeakingEnglishallIhaddrawnfromherinthatlanguagewerethewords“Yes,”and“Thankyou,sir.”“Nomatter,”Ireflected.“Whathasbeenleftincompletenow,shallbefinishedanotherday.”NordidIfailtokeepthepromisethusmadetomyself.Itwasdifficulttogetevenafewwordsofparticularconversationwithonepupilamongsomanybut,accordingtotheoldproverb,“Wherethereisawill,thereisaway”andagainandagainImanagedtofindanopportunityforexchangingafewwordswithMdlle.Henri,regardlessthatenvystaredanddetractionwhisperedwheneverIapproachedher.
“Yourbookaninstant.”SuchwasthemodeinwhichIoftenbeganthesebriefdialoguesthetimewasalwaysjustattheconclusionofthelessonandmotioningtohertorise,Iinstalledmyselfinherplace,allowinghertostanddeferentiallyatmysideforIesteemeditwiseandrightinhercasetoenforcestrictlyallformsordinarilyinusebetweenmasterandpupiltheratherbecauseIperceivedthatinproportionasmymannergrewaustereandmagisterial,hersbecameeasyandself-possessed—anoddcontradiction,doubtless,totheordinaryeffectinsuchcasesbutsoitwas.
“Apencil,”saidI,holdingoutmyhandwithoutlookingather.(Iamnowabouttosketchabriefreportofthefirstoftheseconferences.)Shegavemeone,andwhileIunderlinedsomeerrorsinagrammaticalexerciseshehadwritten,Iobserved—
“YouarenotanativeofBelgium?”
“No.”
“NorofFrance?”
“No.”
“Where,then,isyourbirthplace?”
“IwasbornatGeneva.”
“Youdon’tcallFrancesandEvansSwissnames,Ipresume?”
“No,sirtheyareEnglishnames.”
“JustsoandisitthecustomoftheGenevesetogivetheirchildrenEnglishappellatives?”
“Non,Monsieurmais—”
“SpeakEnglish,ifyouplease.”
“Mais—”
“English—”
“But”(slowlya