leincidentsthatarenotofprimaryimportance.”
“YouconsiderMdlle.Henri’sdismission,then,asaveryinsignificantevent?”
“Dismission?Ah!shewasnotdismissedIcansaywithtruth,monsieur,thatsinceIbecametheheadofthisestablishmentnomasterorteacherhaseverbeendismissedfromit.”
“Yetsomehaveleftit,mademoiselle?”
“ManyIhavefounditnecessarytochangefrequently—achangeofinstructorsisoftenbeneficialtotheinterestsofaschoolitgiveslifeandvarietytotheproceedingsitamusesthepupils,andsuggeststotheparentstheideaofexertionandprogress.”
“Yetwhenyouaretiredofaprofessorormaitresse,youscrupletodismissthem?”
“Noneedtohaverecoursetosuchextrememeasures,Iassureyou.Allons,monsieurleprofesseur—asseyons-nousjevaisvousdonnerunepetitelecondansvotreetatd’instituteur.”(IwishImightwriteallshesaidtomeinFrench—itlosessadlybybeingtranslatedintoEnglish.)WehadnowreachedTHEgarden-chairthedirectresssatdown,andsignedtometositbyher,butIonlyrestedmykneeontheseat,andstoodleaningmyheadandarmagainsttheemboweringbranchofahugelaburnum,whosegoldenflowers,blentwiththeduskygreenleavesofalilac-bush,formedamixedarchofshadeandsunshineovertheretreat.Mdlle.Reutersatsilentamomentsomenovelmovementswereevidentlyworkinginhermind,andtheyshowedtheirnatureonherastutebrowshewasmeditatingsomeCHEFD’OEUVREofpolicy.Convincedbyseveralmonths’experiencethattheaffectationofvirtuesshedidnotpossesswasunavailingtoensnareme—awarethatIhadreadherrealnature,andwouldbelievenothingofthecharactershegaveoutasbeinghers—shehaddetermined,atlast,totryanewkey,andseeifthelockofmyheartwouldyieldtothatalittleaudacity,awordoftruth,aglimpseofthereal.“Yes,Iwilltry,”washerinwardresolveandthenherblueeyeglittereduponme—itdidnotflash—nothingofflameeverkindledinitstemperategleam.
“Monsieurfearstositbyme?”sheinquiredplayfully.
“IhavenowishtousurpPelet’splace,”Ianswered,forIhadgotthehabitofspeakingtoherbluntly—ahabitbeguninanger,butcontinuedbecauseIsawthat,insteadofoffending,itfascinatedher.Shecastdownhereyes,anddroopedhereyelidsshesigheduneasilysheturnedwithananxiousgesture,asifsh