Know, O incredulous reader! that a master stands in a somewhat different relation towards a pretty, light-headed, probably ignorant girl, to that occupied by a partner at a ball, or a gallant17 on the promenade18. A professor does not meet his pupil to see her dressed in satin and muslin, with hair perfumed and curled, neck scarcely shaded by aerial lace, round white arms circled with bracelets19, feet dressed for the gliding20 dance. It is not his business to whirl her through the waltz, to feed her with compliments, to heighten her beauty by the flush of gratified vanity. Neither does he encounter her on the smooth-rolled, tree shaded Boulevard, in the green and sunny park, whither she repairs clad in her becoming walking dress, her scarf thrown with grace over her shoulders, her little bonnet21 scarcely screening her curls, the red rose under its brim adding a new tint22 to the softer rose on her cheek; her face and eyes, too, illumined with smiles, perhaps as transient as the sunshine of the gala-day, but also quite as brilliant; it is not his office to walk by her side, to listen to her lively chat, to carry her parasol, scarcely larger than a broad green leaf, to lead in a ribbon her Blenheim spaniel or Italian greyhound. No: he finds her in the schoolroom, plainly dressed, with books before her. Owing to her education or her nature books are to her a nuisance, and she opens them with aversion, yet her teacher must instil23 into her mind the contents of these books; that mind resists the admission of grave information, it recoils24, it grows restive25, sullen26 tempers are shown, disfiguring frowns spoil the symmetry of the face, sometimes coarse gestures banish27 grace from the deportment, while muttered expressions, redolent of native and ineradicable vulgarity, desecrate28 the sweetness of the voice. Where the temperament29 is serene30 though the intellect be sluggish31, an unconquerable dullness opposes every effort to instruct. Where there is cunning but not energy, dissimulation32, falsehood, a thousand schemes and tricks are put in play to evade33 the necessity of application; in short, to the tutor, female youth, female charms are like tapestry34 hangings, of which the wrong side is continually turned towards him; and even when he sees the smooth, neat external surface he so well knows what knots, long stitches, and jagged ends are behind that he has scarce a temptation to admire too fondly the seemly forms and bright colours exposed to general view.
Our likings are regulated by our circumstances. The artist prefers a hilly country because it is picturesque35; the engineer a flat one because it is convenient; the man of pleasure likes what he calls “a fine woman”— she suits him; the fashionable young gentleman admires the fashionable young lady — she is of his kind; the toil-worn, fagged, probably irritable36 tutor, blind almost to beauty, insensible to airs and graces, glories chiefly in certain mental qualities: application, love of knowledge, natural capacity, docility37, truthfulness38, gratefulness, are the charms that attract his notice and win his regard. These he seeks, but seldom meets; these, if by chance he finds, he would fain retain for ever, and when separation deprives him of them he feels as if some ruthless hand had snatched from him his only ewe-lamb. Such being the case, and the ease it is, my readers will agree with me that there was nothing either very meritorious39 or very marvellous in the integrity and moderation of my conduct at Mdlle. Reuter’s pensionnat de demoiselles.
My first business this afternoon consisted in reading the list of places for the month, determined40 by the relative correctness of the compositions given the preceding day. The list was headed, as usual, by the name of Sylvie, that plain, quiet little girl I have described before as being at once the best and ugliest pupil in the establishment; the second place had fallen to the lot of a certain Leonie Ledru, a diminutive41, sharp-featured, and parchment-skinned creature of quick wits, frail42 conscience, and indurated feelings; a lawyer-like thing, of whom I used to say that, had she been a boy, she would have made a model of an unprincipled, clever attorney. Then came Eulalie, the proud beauty, the Juno of the school, whom six long years of drilling in the simple grammar of the English language had compelled, despite the stiff phlegm of her intellect, to acquire a mechanical acquaintance with most of its rules. No smile, no trace of pleasure or satisfaction appeared in Sylvie’s nun43-like and passive face as she heard her name read first. I always felt saddened by the sight of that poor girl’s absolute quiescence44 on all occasions, and it was my custom to look at her, to address her, as seldom as possible; her extreme docility, her assiduous perseverance45, would have recommended her warmly to my good opinion; her modesty, her intelligence, would have induced me to feel most kindly46 — most affectionately towards her, notwithstanding the almost ghastly plainness of her features, the disproportion of her form, the corpse-like lack of animation47 in her countenance48, had I not been aware that every friendly word, every kindly action, would be reported by her to her confessor, and by him misinterpreted and poisoned. Once I laid my hand on her head, in token of approbation49; I thought Sylvie was going to smile, her dim eye almost kindled50; but, presently, she shrank from me; I was a man and a heretic; she, poor child! a destined51 nun and devoted52 Catholic: thus a four-fold wall of separation divided her mind from mine. A pert smirk53, and a hard glance of triumph, was Leonie’s method of testifying her gratification; Eulalie looked sullen and envious54 — she had hoped to be first. Hortense and Caroline exchanged a reckless grimace55 on hearing their names read out somewhere near the bottom of the list; the brand of mental inferiority was considered by them as no disgrace, their hopes for the future being based solely56 on their personal attractions.
This affair arranged, the regular lesson followed. During a brief interval57, 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 nonplussed58; 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 considerably59 less. I felt assured, at first sight, that she was not a Belgian; her complexion60, 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 jocund61, material, unthinking. When I first cast my eyes on her, she sat looking fixedly62 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 peculiar63, 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 careworn64 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 drawn65 the outline of her shape. You cannot tell whether her nose was aquiline66 or retrousse, 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 solicitude67, 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 relentless68. 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 dictated69 a little faster. On looking towards her again, I perceived her face clouded with embarrassment70, but she was still writing on most diligently71; I paused a few seconds; she employed the interval in hurriedly re-perusing what she had written, and shame and discomfiture72 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 unprecedentedly73 stupid. Glancing over her exercise, I found that several lines had been omitted, but what was written contained very few faults; I instantly inscribed74 “Bon” at the bottom of the page, and returned it to her; she smiled, at first incredulously, then as if reassured75, but did not lift her eyes; she could look at me, it seemed, when perplexed76 and bewildered, but not when gratified; I thought that scarcely fair.
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1
intrude
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| vi.闯入；侵入；打扰，侵扰 | |
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rite
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| n.典礼，惯例，习俗 | |
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wont
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| adj.习惯于；v.习惯；n.习惯 | |
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aplomb
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| n.沉着，镇静 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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humbled
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| adj. 卑下的，谦逊的，粗陋的 vt. 使 ... 卑下，贬低 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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giggling
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| v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 ) | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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orbs
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| abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球，天体，圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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austere
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| adj.艰苦的；朴素的，朴实无华的；严峻的 | |
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guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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conscientious
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| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
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justify
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| vt.证明…正当(或有理)，为…辩护 | |
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veracity
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| n.诚实 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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promenade
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| n./v.散步 | |
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bracelets
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| n.手镯，臂镯( bracelet的名词复数 ) | |
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gliding
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| v. 滑翔 adj. 滑动的 | |
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bonnet
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| n.无边女帽；童帽 | |
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tint
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| n.淡色，浅色；染发剂；vt.着以淡淡的颜色 | |
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instil
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| v.逐渐灌输 | |
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recoils
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| n.（尤指枪炮的）反冲，后坐力( recoil的名词复数 )v.畏缩( recoil的第三人称单数 )；退缩；报应；返回 | |
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restive
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| adj.不安宁的，不安静的 | |
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sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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banish
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| vt.放逐，驱逐；消除，排除 | |
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desecrate
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| v.供俗用，亵渎，污辱 | |
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temperament
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| n.气质，性格，性情 | |
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serene
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| adj. 安详的，宁静的，平静的 | |
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sluggish
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| adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的 | |
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dissimulation
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| n.掩饰，虚伪，装糊涂 | |
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evade
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| vt.逃避，回避；避开，躲避 | |
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tapestry
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| n.挂毯，丰富多采的画面 | |
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picturesque
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| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
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irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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docility
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| n.容易教，易驾驶，驯服 | |
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truthfulness
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| n. 符合实际 | |
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meritorious
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| adj.值得赞赏的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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diminutive
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| adj.小巧可爱的，小的 | |
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frail
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| adj.身体虚弱的；易损坏的 | |
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nun
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| n.修女，尼姑 | |
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44
quiescence
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| n.静止 | |
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45
perseverance
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| n.坚持不懈，不屈不挠 | |
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46
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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48
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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approbation
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| n.称赞；认可 | |
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50
kindled
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| （使某物）燃烧，着火( kindle的过去式和过去分词 )； 激起（感情等）； 发亮，放光 | |
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51
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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52
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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53
smirk
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| n.得意地笑；v.傻笑；假笑着说 | |
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envious
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| adj.嫉妒的，羡慕的 | |
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grimace
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| v.做鬼脸，面部歪扭 | |
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solely
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| adv.仅仅，唯一地 | |
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interval
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| n.间隔，间距；幕间休息，中场休息 | |
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58
nonplussed
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| adj.不知所措的，陷于窘境的v.使迷惑( nonplus的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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jocund
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| adj.快乐的，高兴的 | |
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fixedly
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| adv.固定地；不屈地，坚定不移地 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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careworn
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| adj.疲倦的，饱经忧患的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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aquiline
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| adj.钩状的，鹰的 | |
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solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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relentless
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| adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的 | |
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dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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diligently
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| ad.industriously;carefully | |
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discomfiture
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| n.崩溃；大败；挫败；困惑 | |
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unprecedentedly
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| adv.空前地 | |
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inscribed
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| v.写，刻( inscribe的过去式和过去分词 )；内接 | |
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reassured
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| adj.使消除疑虑的；使放心的v.再保证，恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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perplexed
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| adj.不知所措的 | |
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