The Professor

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.