the seven."

I said, "Monsieur exaggerated. I certainly had enjoyed the advantage of
a little change lately, but not before it had become necessary; and the
privilege was by no means exercised in excess."

"Necessary! How was it necessary? I was well enough, he supposed?
Change necessary! He would recommend me to look at the Catholic
'religieuses,' and study _their_ lives. _They_ asked no change."

I am no judge of what expression crossed my face when he thus spoke,
but it was one which provoked him: he accused me of being reckless,
worldly, and epicurean; ambitious of greatness, and feverishly athirst
for the pomps and vanities of life. It seems I had no "devouement," no
"recueillement" in my character; no spirit of grace, faith, sacrifice,
or self-abasement. Feeling the inutility of answering these charges, I
mutely continued the correction of a pile of English exercises.

"He could see in me nothing Christian: like many other Protestants, I
revelled in the pride and self-will of paganism."

I slightly turned from him, nestling still closer under the wing of
silence.

A vague sound grumbled between his teeth; it could not surely be a
"juron:" he was too religious for that; but I am certain I heard the
word _sacre_. Grievous to relate, the same word was repeated, with the
unequivocal addition of _mille_ something, when I passed him about two
hours afterwards in the corridor, prepared to go and take my German
lesson in the Rue Crecy. Never was a better little man, in some points,
than M. Paul: never, in others, a more waspish little despot.

* * * * *

Our German mistress, Fraeulein Anna Braun, was a worthy, hearty woman,
of about forty-five; she ought, perhaps, to have lived in the days of
Queen Elizabeth, as she habitually consumed, for her first and second
breakfasts, beer and beef: also, her direct and downright Deutsch
nature seemed to suffer a sensation of cruel restraint from what she
called our English reserve; though we thought we were very cordial with
her: but we did not slap her on the shoulder, and if we consented to
kiss her cheek, it was done quietly, and without any explosive smack.
These omissions oppressed and depressed her considerably; still, on the
whole, we got on very well. Accustomed to instruct foreign girls, who
hardly ever will think and study for themselves--who have no idea of
grappling with a difficulty, and overcoming it by dint of reflection or
appl