r to look
up, in order to make out her identity--for, shortsighted as I was, I had
not recognized her at her entrance--Mdlle. Reuter, leaving her chair,
approached the estrade.

"Monsieur Creemsvort," said she, in a whisper: for when the schoolrooms
were silent, the directress always moved with velvet tread, and spoke
in the most subdued key, enforcing order and stillness fully as much
by example as precept: "Monsieur Creemsvort, that young person, who has
just entered, wishes to have the advantage of taking lessons with you in
English; she is not a pupil of the house; she is, indeed, in one sense,
a teacher, for she gives instruction in lace-mending, and in little
varieties of ornamental needle-work. She very properly proposes to
qualify herself for a higher department of education, and has asked
permission to attend your lessons, in order to perfect her knowledge
of English, in which language she has, I believe, already made
some progress; of course it is my wish to aid her in an effort
so praiseworthy; you will permit her then to benefit by your
instruction--n'est ce pas, monsieur?" And Mdlle. Reuter's eyes were
raised to mine with a look at once naive, benign, and beseeching.

I replied, "Of course," very laconically, almost abruptly.

"Another word," she said, with softness: "Mdlle. Henri has not received
a regular education; perhaps her natural talents are not of the highest
order: but I can assure you of the excellence of her intentions, and
even of the amiability of her disposition. Monsieur will then, I am
sure, have the goodness to be considerate with her at first, and not
expose her backwardness, her inevitable deficiencies, before the young
ladies, who, in a sense, are her pupils. Will Monsieur Creemsvort favour
me by attending to this hint?" I nodded. She continued with subdued
earnestness--

"Pardon me, monsieur, if I venture to add that what I have just said is
of importance to the poor girl; she already experiences great difficulty
in impressing these giddy young things with a due degree of deference
for her authority, and should that difficulty be increased by new
discoveries of her incapacity, she might find her position in my
establishment too painful to be retained; a circumstance I should much
regret for her sake, as she can ill afford to lose the profits of her
occupation here."

Mdlle. Reuter possessed marvellous tact; but tact the most exclusive,
unsupported by sincerity, will sometimes fai