ietly
down in my chair; circumstances defile past me; I watch their march; so
long as they follow the course I wish, I say nothing, and do nothing; I
don't clap my hands, and cry out 'Bravo! How lucky I am!' to attract
the attention and envy of my neighbours--I am merely passive; but when
events fall out ill--when circumstances become adverse--I watch very
vigilantly; I knit on still, and still I hold my tongue; but every now
and then, monsieur, I just put my toe out--so--and give the rebellious
circumstance a little secret push, without noise, which sends it the way
I wish, and I am successful after all, and nobody has seen my expedient.
So, when teachers or masters become troublesome and inefficient--when,
in short, the interests of the school would suffer from their retaining
their places--I mind my knitting, events progress, circumstances glide
past; I see one which, if pushed ever so little awry, will render
untenable the post I wish to have vacated--the deed is done--the
stumbling-block removed--and no one saw me: I have not made an enemy, I
am rid of an incumbrance."

A moment since, and I thought her alluring; this speech concluded, I
looked on her with distaste. "Just like you," was my cold answer.
"And in this way you have ousted Mdlle. Henri? You wanted her office,
therefore you rendered it intolerable to her?"

"Not at all, monsieur, I was merely anxious about Mdlle. Henri's health;
no, your moral sight is clear and piercing, but there you have failed
to discover the truth. I took--I have always taken a real interest in
Mdlle. Henri's welfare; I did not like her going out in all weathers;
I thought it would be more advantageous for her to obtain a permanent
situation; besides, I considered her now qualified to do something more
than teach sewing. I reasoned with her; left the decision to herself;
she saw the correctness of my views, and adopted them."

"Excellent! and now, mademoiselle, you will have the goodness to give me
her address."

"Her address!" and a sombre and stony change came over the mien of
the directress. "Her address? Ah?--well--I wish I could oblige you,
monsieur, but I cannot, and I will tell you why; whenever I myself asked
her for her address, she always evaded the inquiry. I thought--I may
be wrong--but I THOUGHT her motive for doing so, was a natural, though
mistaken reluctance to introduce me to some, probably, very poor
abode; her means were narrow, her origin obscure; she lives s