M. PELET could not of course
object to the proposal made by
Mdlle. Reuter; permission to
accept such additional employment,
should it offer, having formed
an article of the terms on which
he had engaged me. It was, therefore,
arranged in the course of next
day that I should be at liberty
to give lessons in Mdlle. Reuter's
establishment four afternoons
in every week.
When evening
came I prepared to step over
in order to seek
a conference with Mademoiselle
herself on the subject; I had
not had time to pay the visit
before, having been all day closely
occupied in class. I remember
very well that before quitting
my chamber, I held a brief debate
with myself as to whether I should
change my ordinary attire for
something smarter. At last I
concluded it would be a waste
of labour. "Doubtless," thought
I, "she is some stiff old maid;
for though the daughter of Madame
Reuter, she may well number upwards
of forty winters; besides, if
it were otherwise, if she be
both young and pretty, I am not
handsome, and no dressing can
make me so, therefore I'll go
as I am." And off I started,
cursorily glancing sideways as
I passed the toilet-table, surmounted
by a looking-glass: a thin irregular
face I saw, with sunk, dark eyes
under a large, square forehead,
complexion destitute of bloom
or attraction; something young,
but not youthful, no object to
win a lady's love, no butt for
the shafts of Cupid.
I was soon at the entrance
of the pensionnat, in a moment
I had pulled the bell; in another
moment the door was opened, and
within appeared a passage paved
alternately with black and white
marble; the walls were painted
in imitation of marble also;
and at the far end opened a glass
door, through which I saw shrubs
and a grass-plat, looking pleasant
in the sunshine of the mild spring
evening-for it was now the middle
of April.
This, then, was my first glimpse
of the garden; but I had not
time to look long, the portress,
after having answered in the
affirmative my question as to
whether her mistress was at home,
opened the folding-doors of a
room to the left, and having
ushered me in, closed them behind
me. I found myself in a salon
with a very well-painted, highly
varnished floor; chairs and sofas
covered with white draperies,
a green porcelain stove, walls
hung with pictures in gilt frames,
a gilt pendule and other ornaments
on the mantelpiece, a large lustre
pendent from the centre of the
ceiling, mirrors, consoles, muslin
curtains, and a handsome centre
table completed the inventory
of furniture. All looked extremely
clean and glittering, but the
general effect would have been
somewhat chilling had not a second
large pair of folding-doors,
standing wide open, and disclosing
another and smaller salon, more
snugly furnished, offered some
relief to the eye. This room
was carpeted, and therein was
a piano, a couch, a chiffonniere--above
all, it contained a lofty window
with a crimson curtain, which,
being undrawn, afforded another
glimpse of the garden, through
the large, clear panes, round
which some leaves of ivy, some
tendrils of vine were trained
"Monsieur Creemsvort, n'est
ce pas?" said a voice behind
me; and, starting involuntarily,
I turned. I had been so taken
up with the contemplation of
the pretty little salon that
I had not noticed the entrance
of a person into the larger room.
It was, however, Mdlle. Reuter
who now addressed me, and stood
close beside me; and when I had
bowed with instantaneously recovered
sang-froid--for I am not easily
embarrassed--I commenced the
conversation by remarking on
the pleasant aspect of her little
cabinet, and the advantage she
had over M. Pelet in possessing
a garden.
"Yes," she said, "she often
thought so;" and added, "it is
my garden, monsieur, which makes
me retain this house, otherwise
I should probably have removed
to larger and more commodious
premises long since; but you
see I could not take my garden
with me, and I should scarcely
find one so large and pleasant
anywhere else in town."
I approved her judgment.
"But you have not seen it yet," said
she, rising; "come to the window
and take a better view." I followed
her; she opened the sash, and
leaning out I saw in full the
enclosed demesne which had hitherto
been to me an unknown region.
It was a long, not very broad
strip of cultured ground, with
an alley bordered by enormous
old fruit trees down the middle;
there was a sort of lawn, a parterre
of rose-trees, some flower-borders,
and, on the far side, a thickly
planted copse of lilacs, laburnums,
and acacias. It looked pleasant,
to me--very pleasant, so long
a time had elapsed since I had
seen a garden of any sort. But
it was not only on Mdlle. Reuter's
garden that my eyes dwelt; when
I had taken a view of her well-trimmed
beds and budding shrubberies,
I allowed my glance to come back
to herself, nor did I hastily
withdraw it.
I had thought to see a tall,
meagre, yellow, conventual image
in black, with a close white
cap, bandaged under the chin
like a nun's head-gear; whereas,
there stood by me a little and
roundly formed woman, who might
indeed be older than I, but was
still young; she could not, I
thought, be more than six or
seven and twenty; she was as
fair as a fair Englishwoman;
she had no cap; her hair was
nut-brown, and she wore it in
curls; pretty her features were
not, nor very soft, nor very
regular, but neither were they
in any degree plain, and I already
saw cause to deem them expressive.
What was their predominant cast?
Was it sagacity?--sense? Yes,
I thought so; but I could scarcely
as yet be sure. I discovered,
however, that there was a certain
serenity of eye, and freshness
of complexion, most pleasing
to behold. The colour on her
cheek was like the bloom on a
good apple, which is as sound
at the core as it is red on the
rind.
Mdlle. Reuter
and I entered upon business.
She said she was
not absolutely certain of the
wisdom of the step she was about
to take, because I was so young,
and parents might possibly object
to a professor like me for their
daughters: "But it is often well
to act on one's own judgment," said
she, "and to lead parents, rather
than be led by them. The fitness
of a professor is not a matter
of age; and, from what I have
heard, and from what I observe
myself, I would much rather trust
you than M. Ledru, the music-master,
who is a married man of near
fifty."
I remarked
that I hoped she would find
me worthy of her good
opinion; that if I knew myself,
I was incapable of betraying
any confidence reposed in me. "Du
reste," said she, "the surveillance
will be strictly attended to." And
then she proceeded to discuss
the subject of terms. She was
very cautious, quite on her guard;
she did not absolutely bargain,
but she warily sounded me to
find out what my expectations
might be; and when she could
not get me to name a sum, she
reasoned and reasoned with a
fluent yet quiet circumlocution
of speech, and at last nailed
me down to five hundred francs
per annum--not too much, but
I agreed. Before the negotiation
was completed, it began to grow
a little dusk. I did not hasten
it, for I liked well enough to
sit and hear her talk; I was
amused with the sort of business
talent she displayed. Edward
could not have shown himself
more practical, though he might
have evinced more coarseness
and urgency; and then she had
so many reasons, so many explanations;
and, after all, she succeeded
in proving herself quite disinterested
and even liberal. At last she
concluded, she could say no more,
because, as I acquiesced in all
things, there was no further
ground for the exercise of her
parts of speech. I was obliged
to rise. I would rather have
sat a little longer; what had
I to return to but my small empty
room? And my eyes had a pleasure
in looking at Mdlle. Reuter,
especially now, when the twilight
softened her features a little,
and, in the doubtful dusk, I
could fancy her forehead as open
as it was really elevated, her
mouth touched with turns of sweetness
as well as defined in lines of
sense. When I rose to go, I held
out my hand, on purpose, though
I knew it was contrary to the
etiquette of foreign habits;
she smiled, and said--
"Ah! c'est comme tous les Anglais," but
gave me her hand very kindly.
"It is the privilege of my
country, Mademoiselle," said
I; "and, remember, I shall always
claim it."
She laughed a little, quite
good-naturedly, and with the
sort of tranquillity obvious
in all she did--a tranquillity
which soothed and suited me singularly,
at least I thought so that evening.
Brussels seemed a very pleasant
place to me when I got out again
into the street, and it appeared
as if some cheerful, eventful,
upward-tending career were even
then opening to me, on that selfsame
mild, still April night. So impressionable
a being is man, or at least such
a man as I was in those days.
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