Villette

sometimes receiving and answering Mrs. Bretton’s chat, which was just of the proper sort for a man in his morbid mood — not over-sympathet

frequently lifted her to his knee; she would sit there till she felt or fancied h

-speckled handkerchief came into play. This handkerchief, it seems, was intended as a keepsake for “papa,” and must be finished before his

school), brought us an accession of animation — a quality not diminished by t

first evening of his arrival: her usual answer, when he addressed her, was —“I can’t a

sin

f engravings — some of them gaily coloured — which he had amassed from time to time. Nor was this powerful temptation wholly unavailing: her eyes, furtively raised from

e dog!” said

he approached to examine the treasure more closely. The dog’s great ey

was her favour

may have it,

s strong, but to accept would be a compromise

have it, th

ather not,

I will do with the pi

turned

trips for ligh

N

I s

se —

the pleading tone; he took the scis

ng flourish. “Right through Fido’s he

No!

e. Come quickly

d, lingered,

it?” he asked, as

eas

all want

w m

kis

cture first

he absconded a debtor, darted to her father, and took refuge on his knee. Graha

pa — send

sent away,”

ted, she held out he

t moment it became a miniature fist, and dealt

a sofa, and resting his head against the cushion, lay like one in pain. Polly, finding him silent, presently peeped at him. His e

the matter?”

etter ask

rt?” (gro

e as if he were,

had better send for the doctor. Oh my eye!” (re

ome blind ——?” su

bear the suggestion. She

n to touch it, only your mouth; and

er features worked — “I

emotion, falt

hat child, Graham,”

ense, my pet,”

ed him; and while she pulled his lion’s locks, termed him —“T

d his daughter had some conversation in a win

and go with you, papa?”

ok his

be a troub

, Po

e I am

people that should travel. But don’t look sad, my little girl

I am not sad, s

rry to give papa p

r than

fret afterwards. She must look forward to meeting ag

will

Farewell, then. I

— ju

st

t she, I remarked, did not. Having put her down,

she dropped on her knees at

that brief interval of her infant life, emotions such as some never feel; it was in her constitution: she would have more of such instants if she lived

ntended with an intolerable feeling; and, ere long, in some degree, repressed it. That d

resist: she rather nestled in his arms, as if weary. When he sat down, she laid her head against him; in a few minutes she slept;

to send a cup of tea into the study. Polly volunteered to carry it: she must be busy about something, look after somebody. The cup was entrusted to

?” she asked, pausi

g,” sai

e to take breakfas

o b

ant any b

cour

re,

lor putting a prisoner’s pitcher of water through h

have besides te

mething particularly nice;

ack to Mrs

send your boy

or him, Polly; what

e skies; promising that, when he had a house of his own, she should be his housekeeper, and perhaps — if she showed any culinary genius — his cook; and, as she did not return, and I went to look after her, I found Graham and her breakfasting tête-à-tête — she standi

ttle character never properly came out, except with young Bretton. As she got settled, and accustomed to the house, she proved tractable enough with Mrs. Bretton; but she would sit on a stool at that lady’s feet all day long, learning her task, or sewing, or drawing figures with a pencil on a slate, and never kindling o

shoes properly on the mat

ybody! Are

up than you” (peeping between the rails of

ol

of her terms for him, adopted

age-wall in seeming exhaustion. “Dr. Digby” (the headmaster) “has quite kno

u’re cu

s positive fact. I’m as w

et like the cat’s,

the kind: it isn’t

se not to touch — not to snatch

do it!” (sinkin

wn on the first step,

w and spasmodic life: the game of romps was sure to be exacted. Sometimes she would be angry; sometimes the matter was allowed to pass sm

on, nor carefully enough looked after; he was more than the Grand Turk in her estimation. She would gradually assemble the various plates before him, and, when one would suppose all he could possibly desire was within his reach, she would find out something else: “Ma’am,” she would whisper to Mrs. Bretton — “perhaps your son would

with her to whom he owed it; but that was never allowed: to insist, was to ruffle her for the evening. To

s existence. She learned the names of all his schoolfellows in a trice: she got by heart their characters as given from his lips: a single description of an individual seemed to suffice. She never forgot, or confused identities: she would talk with him the whole evening about people she had never seen, and appear comple

ce a rupture occurred, in which he

those of whom Graham oftenest spoke. After dinner, the young gentlemen were left by themselves in the dining-room, where they soon became very merry and made a good deal of noise. Chancing to pass through the hall, I fo

u thinking a

t I might see through it. The boys seem very cheerful, and I wan

ers you fr

do you think? May I knock at

bject to have her as a playmate, a

on a second essay the door unclosed; Graham’s head

want, you l

ome t

istress Snowe, and tell them to put you to bed.” The auburn head and br

spoke so before,” she said in co

Graham is busy with

er than me! He turns me

ady for application. She stopped me, however, by putting her fingers in her ears at the first words I uttered, and then lying down on the mat with her face a

like a bit of marble. The day after, he teased her to know what was the matter; her lips would not unclose. Of course he could not feel real anger on his side: the match was too unequal in every way; he tried soothing and coaxing. “Why was she so angry? What had he done?” By-and-by tears answered h

he, proudly; “I don’t choose to give him

mbition to be permitted to have a ride round the courtyard on this pony; but far be it from her to ask such a favour. One day she descen

have a canter?” asked G

thought he was

she, turning away wi

sued he. “You will

d care a fig about i

told Lucy Snowe you l

rfect articulation was the least precocious thing she h

creature is a changeling: she is a perfect cabinet of oddities; but I should

of occasionally chatting with me when we were alone in our room a

nge? Is there one day out of the seven wh

the most excellent on a Sunday; then we have him the wh

unday, and the evening he generally dedicated to a serene, though rather indolent sort of enjoym

could take a pleasure too in reading, nor was his selection of books wholly indiscriminate: there were glimmerings of characteristic prefer

not inaudible, though subdued. I caught a snatch of their tenor now and then; and, in truth, some influe

ed any hymns th

pretty one, four verses

then: don’t b

m: she proved a ready scholar. To the hymn would succeed some reading — perhaps a chapter in the Bible; correction was seldom required here, for the child could read any simple narrative chapter very well; and, when the subject was such as she could unders

he once added —“as much, Graham, as I love you: if you were to die” (and she re-opened the book, soug

t half-tamed by art, too heedlessly fondled. Not that I feared Graham would hurt, or very roughly check her; but I thought she ran risk of incurring such a careless, impatient repulse, as would be worse almost to her than a blow. On: the whol

” said she; “I do l

Mr. Home, signifying that he was now settled amongst his maternal kinsfolk on the Continent; that, as England was become wholly dist

Bretton, when she had read the letter. I wondere

h, half shaded by the drooping draperies of the window near. She seemed happy; all her appliances for occupation were about her; the white wood workbox, a shred or two of muslin, an end or two of ribbon collected for conversion into doll-millinery. The doll, dul

ely any clothes, for the sake of being cool, you know; for they have very hot weather. Here is a picture of thousands gathered in a desolate place — a plain, spread with sand — round a man in black — a good, good Englishman — a missionary, who is preaching to them under a palm-tree.” (She showed a little coloured cut to that effect.) “And here are pictures” (she went on) “more stranger” (grammar was occasionally forgotten) “than that. There is the wonderful Great Wall of China; here is a Chinese lady, with a foot littler than mine. There is a wild horse of Tartary; and h

he ram

upted, “should yo

tall as Mrs. Bretton, I may travel with Graham. We intend going to Switzerland, and climbing Mount

e to travel now, if yo

pause — evinced one of those unexpe

mention papa? What is papa to you? I was just beginning to be happy, and

received, and to mention the directions given that she and Harriet should

ok and ceased to rock her doll; she ga

you like to

ertain more of what she thought but no: she would converse no more. Hastening to Mrs. Bretton, she questioned her, and received the confirmation of my news. The weight and importance of these tidings kept her perfectly serious the w

,” she whispered; “

e greatly preoccupied about some school-prize, for which he was competing. The news had to be t

e Mousie, I shall be sorry to lose he

a candle and a small table to himself an

w Graham — wholly unconscious of her proximity — push her with his restless foot. She receded an inch or two. A minute after one little hand stole out from beneath her face,

as but fulfilled, when I discovered her, all cold and vigilant, perched like a white bird on the outside of the bed. I scarcely knew how to accost her; she was not to be managed like another ch

what a

” said she, with

call Mrs.

entricities regardlessly before me — for whom she professed scarcely the semblance of affection — she never showed my godmother one glimpse of her inner self: for her, she was nothing but a docile, somewhat quaint l

good-night again?” I asked. “H

fted. Folding a shawl round her, I carried her bac

aking to you once more,” I said. “She do

d humour, and kissing her little hot face and burning l

t you care nothing for

in kissed, restored to me, and I car

ina, you should not grieve that Graham does not care

questioning e

is sixteen and you are only six; his natur

o much; he should

ond of you. You a

aham’s f

an any little

thed her; she smi

pect too much of him, or else he will feel yo

y; “then I’ll be good. I’ll

her

myself. I assured her that he would; that as yet he was by no

am going. Shall I ever — ever — see

hour elapsed. I thought her asleep, when the little white shape once more lifted

m! Yes,

e! Do you lik

t. No: not

like h

here is the use of caring for him s

s

boys

than g

nk anybody perfect; and as to likes and dislikes

a wise

ry to be so.

g her elfish hand on her elfish breast,) “when you think

en you are very soon going to rejoin your father. Have you fo

succeeded t

down and sle

,” said she. “I

ious, little creature, and especially whimsical with me. She came, however, instantly, like a small ghost gliding over the carpet. I took he

littering eyelids and her wet cheeks with my handkerchief. “How will she get through this world, or battle with this life? How will s

ike a leaf when she took leave, but ex