“Amelie Mullenberg, ask me no question, and request of me no assistance, for a week to come; during that space of time I will neither speak to you nor help you.”
The words were uttered with emphasis — nay10, with vehemence11 — and a comparative silence followed; whether the calm was permanent, I know not; two doors now closed between me and the carre.
Next day was appropriated to the first class; on my arrival, I found the directress seated, as usual, in a chair between the two estrades, and before her was standing8 Mdlle. Henri, in an attitude (as it seemed to me) of somewhat reluctant attention. The directress was knitting and talking at the same time. Amidst the hum of a large school-room, it was easy so to speak in the ear of one person, as to be heard by that person alone, and it was thus Mdlle. Reuter parleyed with her teacher. The face of the latter was a little flushed, not a little troubled; there was vexation in it, whence resulting I know not, for the directress looked very placid12 indeed; she could not be scolding in such gentle whispers, and with so equable a mien13; no, it was presently proved that her discourse14 had been of the most friendly tendency, for I heard the closing words —
“C’est assez, ma bonne amie; a present je ne veux pas vous retenir davantage.”
Without reply, Mdlle. Henri turned away; dissatifaction was plainly evinced in her face, and a smile, slight and brief, but bitter, distrustful, and, I thought, scornful, curled her lip as she took her place in the class; it was a secret, involuntary smile, which lasted but a second; an air of depression succeeded, chased away presently by one of attention and interest, when I gave the word for all the pupils to take their reading-books. In general I hated the reading-lesson, it was such a torture to the ear to listen to their uncouth15 mouthing of my native tongue, and no effort of example or precept16 on my part ever seemed to effect the slightest improvement in their accent. To-day, each in her appropriate key, lisped, stuttered, mumbled17, and jabbered18 as usual; about fifteen had racked me in turn, and my auricular nerve was expecting with resignation the discords19 of the sixteenth, when a full, though low voice, read out, in clear correct English-
“On his way to Perth, the king was met by a Highland20 woman, calling herself a prophetess; she stood at the side of the ferry by which he was about to travel to the north, and cried with a loud voice, ‘My lord the king, if you pass this water you will never return again alive!’”—(vide the history of scotland).
I looked up in amazement21; the voice was a voice of Albion; the accent was pure and silvery; it only wanted firmness, and assurance, to be the counterpart of what any well-educated lady in Essex or Middlesex might have enounced, yet the speaker or reader was no other than Mdlle. Henri, in whose grave, joyless face I saw no mark of consciousness that she had performed any extraordinary feat22. No one else evinced surprise either. Mdlle. Reuter knitted away assiduously; I was aware, however, that at the conclusion of the paragraph, she had lifted her eyelid23 and honoured me with a glance sideways; she did not know the full excellency of the teacher’s style of reading, but she perceived that her accent was not that of the others, and wanted to discover what I thought; I masked my visage with indifference24, and ordered the next girl to proceed.
When the lesson was over, I took advantage of the confusion caused by breaking up, to approach Mdlle. Henri; she was standing near the window and retired25 as I advanced; she thought I wanted to look out, and did not imagine that I could have anything to say to her. I took her exercise-book; out of her hand; as I turned over the leaves I addressed her:—
“You have had lessons in English before?” I asked.
“No, sir.”
“No! you read it well; you have been in England?”
“Oh, no!” with some animation26.
“You have been in English families?”
Still the answer was “No.” Here my eye, resting on the flyleaf of the book, saw written, “Frances Evan Henri.”
“Your name?” I asked
“Yes, sir.”
My interrogations were cut short; I heard a little rustling27 behind me, and close at my back was the directress, professing28 to be examining the interior of a desk.
“Mademoiselle,” said she, looking up and addressing the teacher, “Will you have the goodness to go and stand in the corridor, while the young ladies are putting on their things, and try to keep some order?”
Mdlle. Henri obeyed.
“What splendid weather!” observed the directress cheerfully, glancing at the same time from the window. I assented29 and was withdrawing. “What of your new pupil, monsieur?” continued she, following my retreating steps. “Is she likely to make progress in English?”
“Indeed I can hardly judge. She possesses a pretty good accent; of her real knowledge of the language I have as yet had no opportunity of forming an opinion.”
“And her natural capacity, monsieur? I have had my fears about that: can you relieve me by an assurance at least of its average power?”
“I see no reason to doubt its average power, mademoiselle, but really I scarcely know her, and have not had time to study the calibre of her capacity. I wish you a very good afternoon.”
She still pursued me. “You will observe, monsieur, and tell me what you think; I could so much better rely on your opinion than on my own; women cannot judge of these things as men can, and, excuse my pertinacity30, monsieur, but it is natural I should feel interested about this poor little girl (pauvre petite); she has scarcely any relations, her own efforts are all she has to look to, her acquirements must be her sole fortune; her present position has once been mine, or nearly so; it is then but natural I should sympathize with her; and sometimes when I see the difficulty she has in managing pupils, I reel quite chagrined31. I doubt not she does her best, her intentions are excellent; but, monsieur, she wants tact32 and firmness. I have talked to her on the subject, but I am not fluent, and probably did not express myself with clearness; she never appears to comprehend me. Now, would you occasionally, when you see an opportunity, slip in a word of advice to her on the subject; men have so much more influence than women have — they argue so much more logically than we do; and you, monsieur, in particular, have so paramount33 a power of making yourself obeyed; a word of advice from you could not but do her good; even if she were sullen34 and headstrong (which I hope she is not), she would scarcely refuse to listen to you; for my own part, I can truly say that I never attend one of your lessons without deriving35 benefit from witnessing your management of the pupils. The other masters are a constant source of anxiety to me; they cannot impress the young ladies with sentiments of respect, nor restrain the levity36 natural to youth: in you, monsieur, I feel the most absolute confidence; try then to put this poor child into the way of controlling our giddy, high-spirited Brabantoises. But, monsieur, I would add one word more; don’t alarm her amour propre; beware of inflicting37 a wound there. I reluctantly admit that in that particular she is blameably — some would say ridiculously — susceptible38. I fear I have touched this sore point inadvertently, and she cannot get over it.”
During the greater part of this harangue39 my hand was on the lock of the outer door; I now turned it.
“Au revoir, mademoiselle,” said I, and I escaped. I saw the directress’s stock of words was yet far from exhausted40. She looked after me, she would fain have detained me longer. Her manner towards me had been altered ever since I had begun to treat her with hardness and indifference: she almost cringed to me on every occasion; she consulted my countenance incessantly41, and beset42 me with innumerable little officious attentions. Servility creates despotism. This slavish homage43, instead of softening44 my heart, only pampered45 whatever was stern and exacting46 in its mood. The very circumstance of her hovering47 round me like a fascinated bird, seemed to transform me into a rigid48 pillar of stone; her flatteries irritated my scorn, her blandishments confirmed my reserve. At times I wondered what she meant by giving herself such trouble to win me, when the more profitable Pelet was already in her nets, and when, too, she was aware that I possessed49 her secret, for I had not scrupled50 to tell her as much: but the fact is that as it was her nature to doubt the reality and under-value the worth of modesty51, affection, disinterestedness52 — to regard these qualities as foibles of character — so it was equally her tendency to consider pride, hardness, selfishness, as proofs of strength. She would trample53 on the neck of humility54, she would kneel at the feet of disdain55; she would meet tenderness with secret contempt, indifference she would woo with ceaseless assiduities. Benevolence56, devotedness57, enthusiasm, were her antipathies58; for dissimulation59 and self-interest she had a preference — they were real wisdom in her eyes; moral and physical degradation60, mental and bodily inferiority, she regarded with indulgence; they were foils capable of being turned to good account as set-offs for her own endowments. To violence, injustice61, tyranny, she succumbed62 — they were her natural masters; she had no propensity63 to hate, no impulse to resist them; the indignation their behests awake in some hearts was unknown in hers. From all this it resulted that the false and selfish called her wise, the vulgar and debased termed her charitable, the insolent64 and unjust dubbed65 her amiable66, the conscientious67 and benevolent68 generally at first accepted as valid69 her claim to be considered one of themselves; but ere long the plating of pretension70 wore off, the real material appeared below, and they laid her aside as a deception71.
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1
transit
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| n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过 | |
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2
sewers
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| n.阴沟，污水管，下水道( sewer的名词复数 ) | |
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3
assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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4
importunate
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| adj.强求的；纠缠不休的 | |
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5
harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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6
entreat
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| v.恳求，恳请 | |
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7
countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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8
standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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9
eldest
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| adj.最年长的，最年老的 | |
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10
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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vehemence
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| n.热切；激烈；愤怒 | |
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placid
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| adj.安静的，平和的 | |
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mien
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| n.风采；态度 | |
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discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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uncouth
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| adj.无教养的，粗鲁的 | |
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16
precept
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| n.戒律；格言 | |
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mumbled
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| 含糊地说某事，叽咕，咕哝( mumble的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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18
jabbered
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| v.急切而含混不清地说( jabber的过去式和过去分词 )；急促兴奋地说话 | |
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19
discords
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| 不和（discord的复数形式） | |
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20
highland
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| n.(pl.)高地，山地 | |
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21
amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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22
feat
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| n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的 | |
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23
eyelid
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| n.眼睑，眼皮 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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26
animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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27
rustling
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| n. 瑟瑟声，沙沙声 adj. 发沙沙声的 | |
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28
professing
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| 声称( profess的现在分词 )； 宣称； 公开表明； 信奉 | |
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29
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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30
pertinacity
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| n.执拗，顽固 | |
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31
chagrined
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| adj.懊恼的，苦恼的v.使懊恼，使懊丧，使悔恨( chagrin的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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32
tact
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| n.机敏，圆滑，得体 | |
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33
paramount
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| a.最重要的，最高权力的 | |
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34
sullen
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| adj.愠怒的，闷闷不乐的，(天气等)阴沉的 | |
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35
deriving
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| v.得到( derive的现在分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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36
levity
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| n.轻率，轻浮，不稳定，多变 | |
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37
inflicting
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| 把…强加给，使承受，遭受( inflict的现在分词 ) | |
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38
susceptible
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| adj.过敏的，敏感的；易动感情的，易受感动的 | |
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39
harangue
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| n.慷慨冗长的训话，言辞激烈的讲话 | |
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40
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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41
incessantly
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| ad.不停地 | |
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42
beset
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| v.镶嵌；困扰，包围 | |
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43
homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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44
softening
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| 变软，软化 | |
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45
pampered
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| adj.饮食过量的，饮食奢侈的v.纵容，宠，娇养( pamper的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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46
exacting
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| adj.苛求的，要求严格的 | |
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47
hovering
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| 鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫 | |
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48
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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49
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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50
scrupled
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| v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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51
modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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52
disinterestedness
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53
trample
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| vt.踩，践踏；无视，伤害，侵犯 | |
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54
humility
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| n.谦逊，谦恭 | |
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55
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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56
benevolence
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| n.慈悲，捐助 | |
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57
devotedness
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58
antipathies
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| 反感( antipathy的名词复数 )； 引起反感的事物； 憎恶的对象； （在本性、倾向等方面的）不相容 | |
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59
dissimulation
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| n.掩饰，虚伪，装糊涂 | |
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60
degradation
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| n.降级；低落；退化；陵削；降解；衰变 | |
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61
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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62
succumbed
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| 不再抵抗（诱惑、疾病、攻击等）( succumb的过去式和过去分词 )； 屈从； 被压垮； 死 | |
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63
propensity
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| n.倾向；习性 | |
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64
insolent
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| adj.傲慢的，无理的 | |
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65
dubbed
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| v.给…起绰号( dub的过去式和过去分词 )；把…称为；配音；复制 | |
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66
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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67
conscientious
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| adj.审慎正直的，认真的，本着良心的 | |
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68
benevolent
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| adj.仁慈的，乐善好施的 | |
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69
valid
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| adj.有确实根据的；有效的；正当的，合法的 | |
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70
pretension
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| n.要求；自命，自称；自负 | |
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71
deception
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| n.欺骗，欺诈；骗局，诡计 | |
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