“Oh,achildcandothat!andwhatmoredoyoudo?”
“WhatmorecanIdo?”
“Oh,certainly,notmuchbutyouareateacher,areyounot,aswellasapupil?”
“Yes.”
“Youteachlace-mending?”
“Yes.”
“Adull,stupidoccupationdoyoulikeit?”
“No—itistedious.”
“Whydoyoupursueit?Whydoyounotratherteachhistory,geography,grammar,evenarithmetic?”
“IsmonsieurcertainthatIammyselfthoroughlyacquaintedwiththesestudies?”
“Idon’tknowyououghttobeatyourage.”
“ButIneverwasatschool,monsieur—”
“Indeed!Whatthenwereyourfriends—whatwasyourauntabout?Sheisverymuchtoblame.”
“Nomonsieur,no—myauntisgood—sheisnottoblame—shedoeswhatshecanshelodgesandnourishesme”(IreportMdlle.Henri’sphrasesliterally,anditwasthusshetranslatedfromtheFrench).“Sheisnotrichshehasonlyanannuityoftwelvehundredfrancs,anditwouldbeimpossibleforhertosendmetoschool.”
“Rather,”thoughtItomyselfonhearingthis,butIcontinued,inthedogmaticaltoneIhadadopted:—
“Itissad,however,thatyoushouldbebroughtupinignoranceofthemostordinarybranchesofeducationhadyouknownsomethingofhistoryandgrammaryoumight,bydegrees,haverelinquishedyourlace-mendingdrudgery,andrisenintheworld.”
“ItiswhatImeantodo.”
“How?ByaknowledgeofEnglishalone?Thatwillnotsufficenorespectablefamilywillreceiveagovernesswhosewholestockofknowledgeconsistsinafamiliaritywithoneforeignlanguage.”
“Monsieur,Iknowotherthings.”
“Yes,yes,youcanworkwithBerlinwools,andembroiderhandkerchiefsandcollars—thatwilldolittleforyou.”
Mdlle.Henri’slipswereunclosedtoanswer,butshecheckedherself,asthinkingthediscussionhadbeensufficientlypursued,andremainedsilent.
“Speak,”Icontinued,impatiently“Ineverliketheappearanceofacquiescencewhentherealityisnotthereandyouhadacontradictionatyourtongue’send.”
“Monsieur,Ihavehadmanylessonsbothingrammar,history,geography,andarithmetic.Ihavegonethroughacourseofeachstudy.”
“Bravo!buthowdidyoumanageit,sinceyourauntcouldnotaffordtosendyoutoschool?”
“Bylace-mendingbythethingmonsieurdespisessomuch