第47章

This affair arranged， the regular lesson followed.During a briefinterval， employed by the pupils in ruling their books， my eye， ranging carelessly over the benches， observed， for the first time， that the farthest seat in the farthest row—a seat usually vacant— was again filled by the new scholar， the Mdlle Henri so ostentatiously recommended to me by the directress.To-day I had on my spectacles； her appearance， therefore， was clear to me at the first glance； I had not to puzzle over it.She looked young； yet，had I been required to name her exact age， I should have been somewhat nonplussed； the slightness of her figure might have suited seventeen； a certain anxious and pre-occupied expression of face seemed the indication of riper years.She was dressed， like all the rest， in a dark stuff gown and a white collar； her features were dissimilar to any there， not so rounded， more defined， yet scarcely regular.The shape of her head too was different， the superior part more developed， the base considerably less.I felt assured， at first sight， that she was not a Belgian； her complexion， her countenance， her lineaments， her figure， were all distinct from theirs， and， evidently， the type of another race—of a race less gifted with fullness of flesh and plenitude of blood； less jocund， material， unthinking.When I first cast my eyes on her， she sat looking fixedly down， her chin resting on her hand， and she did not change her attitude till I commenced the lesson.None of the Belgian girls would have retained one position， and that a reflective one， for the same length of time.Yet， having intimated that her appearance was peculiar， as being unlike that of her Flemish companions， I have little more to say respecting it； I can pronounce no encomiums on her beauty， for she was not beautiful； nor offer condolence on her plainness， for neither was she plain； a careworn character of forehead， and a corresponding moulding of the mouth， struck me with a sentiment resembling surprise， but these traits would probably have passed unnoticed by any less crotchety observer.

Now， reader， though I have spent more than a page in describing Mdlle Henri， I know well enough that I have left on your mind’s eye no distinct picture of her； I have not painted her complexion， nor her eyes， nor her hair， nor even drawn the outlineof her shape.You cannot tell whether her nose was aquiline or retroussé， whether her chin was long or short， her face square or oval； nor could I the first day， and it is not my intention to communicate to you at once a knowledge I myself gained by little and little.

I gave a short exercise： which they all wrote down.I saw the new pupil was puzzled at first with the novelty of the form and language； once or twice she looked at me with a sort of painful solicitude， as not comprehending： at all what I meant； then she was not ready when the others were， she could not write her phrases so fast as they did； I would not help her， I went on relentless.She looked at me； her eye said most plainly， “I cannot follow you.” I disregarded the appeal， and， carelessly leaning back in my chair， glancing from time to time with a nonchalant air out of the window， I dictated a little faster.On looking towards her again， I perceived her face clouded with embarrassment， but she was still writing on most diligently； I paused a few seconds； she employed the interval in hurriedly re-perusing what she had written， and shame and discomfiture were apparent in her countenance； she evidently found she had made great nonsense of it.In ten minutes more the dictation was complete， and， having allowed a brief space in which to correct it， I took their books； it was with a reluctant hand Mdlle Henri gave up hers， but， having once yielded it to my possession， she composed her anxious face， as if， for the present she had resolved to dismiss regret， and had made up her mind to be thought unprecedentedly stupid.Glancing over her exercise， I found that several lines had been omitted， but what was written contained very few faults； I instantly inscribed “Bon” at the bottom of the page， and returned it to her； she smiled， at firstincredulously， then as if reassured， but did not lift her eyes； she could look at me， it seemed， when perplexed and bewildered， but not when gratified； I thought that scarcely fair.