The Professor

nour to me. I had to endure from him neither cold neglect, irritating interference, nor pretentious assumption of superiority. I fear, however, two p

hocked at the difference he made between them and me, and

que des Flam

and if he was sometimes a little sarcastic and sometimes a little too insinuating, and if I did discover that his mildness was more a matter of appearance than of reality — if I did occasionally suspect the existence of flint or steel under an external covering of velvet — still we are none of us perfect; and weary as I was of the atmosphere of brutality and insolence in which I had constantly lived at X—— I had no inclination now, on casting anchor in calmer regions, to institute at once a prying search after defects that were scrupulously withdrawn and carefully veiled from my view. I was willing to take Pelet for what he seemed — to believe him benevolent and friendly until some untoward event shoul

when at home, she seldom wore a gown — only a shabby cotton camisole; shoes, too, were strangers to her feet, and in lieu of them she sported roomy slippers, trodden down at the heels. On the other hand, whenever it was her pleasure to appear abroad, as on Sundays and fete-days, she would put on some very brilliant-coloured dress, usually of thin texture, a silk bonnet with a

On these steps, by-the-by, I have not unfrequently seen Madame Pelet seated with a trencher on her knee, engaged in the threefold employment of eating her dinner, gossiping with her favourite servant, the housemaid, and scolding her antagonist, the cook;

, as I was sitting all alone in my apartment, correcting a huge pile of English and Latin exercises, a servant tapped at the door, and, on its being opened, pre

e, and as I descended the stairs, I wondered what whim had entered the old lady’s brain; her son was out — gone to pass the evening at the Salle of the Gra

old Frenchwomen doing odd things in that line; and the gouter? The

d bolted myself in; but whenever a danger or a horror is veiled with uncertainty, the primary wish of the mind is to ascertain first the naked truth, reserving the expedient of flight for the mome

ttle of something — I did not know what. Already the cold sweat started on my brow, already I glanced back over my shoulder at the closed door, when, to my unspeakable relief, my eye, wandering mildly in the direction of the stove, rested upon a second figure, seated in a large fa

Madame Pelet, coming forward with what she intended sh

ficant person like me — will Monsieur complete his kindness by allowing me to present him to m

I bowed and took my seat. Madame Reuter p

e de pensionnat. In general the continental, or at least the Belgian old women permit themselves a licence of manners, speech, and aspect, such as our venerable granddames would recoil from as absolutely disreputable, and Madame Reuter’s jolly face bore evidence that she was no exception to the rule of her country; there was a twinkle and leer in her left eye; her right she kept habitually half shut, which I thought very odd indeed. After several vain attempts to comprehend the motives of these two droll old creatures for inviting me to join them at their gouter, I at last fairly gave it up, and resigning myself to inevitable mystificati

rpreted, was to the effect that she had asked for the pleasure of my company that evening in order to give her fri

en avez bien l’air. Take one drop of the punch” (or ponche, as she prono

ain declined it

e commission with which my dear daughter has entrusted me, for you are aware, M

ndeed, at that moment I recollected that it was ca

as my friend Madame Pelet does for Monsieur her son — noth

ong, as though the idea ti

am sure it is not because she cannot;” and I whipped out a white pocket-handke

a low voice. Madame Reuter, being less sentimental,

rs for her school (car Zoraide fait tout comme une reine, c’est une veritable maitresse-femme), she has commissioned me to step over this afternoon, and sound Madame Pelet as to the possibility of engaging you. Zoraide is a wary general; she never advances without first examining well her ground I don’t think she would be pleased if she knew I had already disclosed her

comme mon fils!” c

giving lessons in my daughter’s establishment to her son, and he will speak to you; and then to-morrow, you will step over to our house, and ask to see my daughter, and you will in

to bore me very much; “I will consult M. Pelet, and the thing shall be sett

en allez deja?” ex

sieur; une pomme cuite, des bisc

revoir.” And I backed at

uppermost feeling in my mind on the subject was one of satisfaction. In the first place it would be a change to give lessons in another seminary, and then to teach young ladies would be an occupation so interesting — to be admitted at all