the professor(教授)-第40节
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“Justement； monsieur。”
“Is that English？”
“No—but I forget—”
“For which； mademoiselle； if you were a child I should certainly
devise some slight punishment； at your age—you must be two or
three and twenty； I should think？”
“Pas encore； monsieur—en un mois j’aurai dix…neuf ans。”
“Well； nineteen is a mature age； and； having attained it； you
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ought to be so solicitous for your own improvement； that it should
not be needful for a master to remind you twice of the expediency
of your speaking English whenever practicable。”
To this wise speech I received no answer； and； when I looked
up； my pupil was smiling to herself a much…meaning； though not
very gay smile； it seemed to say； “He talks of he knows not what：”
it said this so plainly； that I determined to request information on
the point concerning which my ignorance seemed to be thus
tacitly affirmed。
“Are you solicitous for your own improvement？”
“Rather。”
“How do you prove it； mademoiselle？”
An odd question； and bluntly put； it excited a second smile。
“Why； monsieur； I am not inattentive—am I？ I learn my lessons
well—”
“Oh； a child can do that！ and what more do you do？”
“What more can I do？”
“Oh； certainly； not much； but you are a teacher； are you not； as
well as a pupil？”
“Yes。”
“You teach lace…mending？”
“Yes。”
“A dull； stupid occupation； do you like it？”
“No—it is tedious。”
“Why do you pursue it？ Why do you not rather teach history；
geography； grammar； even arithmetic？”
“Is monsieur certain that I am myself thoroughly acquainted
with these studies？”
“I don’t know； you ought to be at your age。”
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“But I never was at school； monsieur—”
“Indeed！ What then were your friends—what was your aunt
about？ She is very much to blame。”
“No monsieur； no—my aunt is good—she is not to blame—she
does what she can； she lodges and nourishes me” （I report Mdlle
Henri’s phrases literally； and it was thus she translated from the
French）。 “She is not rich； she has only an annuity of twelve
hundred francs； and it would be impossible for her to send me to
school。”
“Rather；” thought I to myself on hearing this； but I continued；
in the dogmatical tone I had adopted：—
“It is sad； however； that you should be brought up in ignorance
of the most ordinary branches of education； had you known
something of history and grammar you might； by degrees； have
relinquished your lace…mending drudgery； and risen in the world。”
“It is what I mean to do。”
“How？ By a knowledge of English alone？ That will not suffice；
no respectable family will receive a governess whose whole stock
of knowledge consists in a familiarity with one foreign language。”
“Monsieur； I know other things。”
“Yes； yes； you can work with Berlin wools； and embroider
handkerchiefs and collars—that will do little for you。”
Mdlle Henri’s lips were unclosed to answer； but she checked
herself； as thinking the discussion had been sufficiently pursued；
and remained silent。
“Speak；” I continued； impatiently； “I never like the appearance
of acquiescence when the reality is not there； and you had a
contradiction at your tongue’s end。”
“Monsieur； I have had many lessons both in grammar； history；
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geography； and arithmetic。 I have gone through a course of each
study。”
“Bravo！ but how did you manage it； since your aunt could not
afford lo send you to school？”
“By lace…mending； by the thing monsieur despises so much。”
“Truly！ And now； mademoiselle； it will be a good exercise for
you to explain to me in English how such a result was produced by
such means。”
“Monsieur； I begged my aunt to have me taught lace…mending
soon after we came to Brussels； because I knew it was a métier； a
trade which was easily learnt； and by which I could earn some
money very soon。 I learnt it in a few days； and I quickly got work；
for all the Brussels ladies have old lace—very precious —which
must be mended all the times it is washed。 I earned money a little；
and this money I grave for lessons in the studies I have mentioned；
some of it I spent in buying books； English books especially； soon I
shall try to find a place of governess； or school…teacher； when I can
write and speak English well； but it will be difficult； because those
who know I have been a lace…mender will despise me； as the pupils
here despise me。 Pourtant j’ai mon projet；” she added in a lower
tone。
“What is it？”
“I will go and live in England； I will teach French there。”
The words were pronounced emphatically。 She said “England”
as you might suppose an Israelite of Moses’ days would have said
Canaan。
“Have you a wish to see England？”
“Yes； and an intention。”
And here a voice； the voice of the directress； interposed：—
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“Mademoiselle Henri； je crois qu’il va pleuvoir； vous feriez bien；
ma bonne amie； de retourner chez vous tout de suite。”
In silence； without a word of thanks for this officious warning；
Mdlle Henri collected her books； she moved to me respectfully；
endeavoured to move to her superior； though the endeavour was
almost a failure； for her head seemed as if it would not bend； and
thus departed。
Where there is one grain of perseverance or wilfulness in the
composition； trifling obstacles are ever known rather to stimulate
than discourage。 Mdlle Reuter might as well have spared herself
the trouble of giving that intimation about the weather （by…the…by
her prediction was falsified by the event—it did not rain that
evening）。 At the close of the next lesson I was again at Mdlle
Henri’s desk。 Thus did I accost her：—
“What is your idea of England； mademoiselle？ Why do you wish
to go there？”
Accustomed by this time to the calculated abruptness of my
manner； it no longer discomposed or surprised her； and she
answered with only so much of hesitation as was rendered
inevitable by the difficulty she experienced in improvising the
translation of her thoughts from French to English。
“England is something unique； as I have heard and read； my
idea of it is vague； and I want to go there to render my idea clear；
definite。”
“Hum！ How much of England do you suppose you could see if
you went there in the capacity of a teacher？ A strange notion you
must have of getting a clear and definite idea of a country！ All you
could see of Great Britain would be the interior of a school； or at
most of one or two private dwellings。”
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“It would be an English school； they would be English
dwellings。”
“Indisputably； but what then？ What would be the value of
observations made on a scale so narrow？”
“Monsieur； might not one learn something by analogy？ An
échantillon—a—a sample often serves to give an idea of the whole；
besides； narrow and wide are words comparative； are they not？ All
my life would perhaps seem narrow in your eyes—all the life of a—
that little animal subterranean—une taupe—comment dit…on？”
“Mole。”
“Yes—a mole； which lives underground would seem narrow
even to me。”
“Well； mademoiselle—what then？ Proceed。
