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Therese remained grumbling in the corridor because she had not been able
to get to the door in time。
〃Mademoiselle； I beg you will be kind enough to address me very
solemnly by my title； and to say to me； 'Good…morning； my guardian。'〃
〃Then it has all been settled？ Oh； how nice！〃 cried the child； clapping
her hands。
〃It has all been arranged； Mademoiselle； in the Salle…commune and
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before the Justice of the Peace； and from to…day you are under my
authority。。。。 What are you laughing about； my ward？ I see it in your eyes。
You have some crazy idea in your head this very moment some more
nonsense； eh？〃 〃Oh； no！ Monsieur。。。。 I mean； my guardian。 I was looking
at your white hair。 It curls out from under the edge of your hat like
honeysuckle on a balcony。 It is very handsome； and I like it very much！〃
〃Be good enough to sit down； my ward； and； if you can possibly help
it； stop saying ridiculous things； because I have some very serious things
to say to you。 Listen。 I suppose you are not going to insist upon being sent
back to the establishment of Mademoiselle Prefere？。。。 No。 Well； then； what
would you say if I should take you here to live with me； and to finish your
education； and keep you here until。。。what shall I say？for ever； as the song
has it？〃
〃Oh； Monsieur！〃 she cried； flushing crimson with pleasure。
I continued；
〃Behind there we have a nice little room； which my housekeeper has
cleaned up and furnished for you。 You are going to take the place of the
books which used to be in it； you will succeed them as the day succeeds
night。 Go with Therese and look at it； and see if you think you will be able
to live in it。 Madame de Gabry and I have made up our minds that you can
sleep there to…night。〃
She had already started to run； I called her back for a moment。
〃Jeanne； listen to me a moment longer！ You have always until now
made yourself a favourite with my housekeeper； who； like all very old
people； is apt to be cross at times。 Be gentle and forebearing。 Make every
allowance for her。 I have thought it my duty to make every allowance for
her myself； and to put up with all her fits of impatience。 Now； let me tell
you； Jeanne：Respect her！ And when I say that； I do not forget that she is
my servant and yours； neither will she ever allow herself to forget it for a
moment。 But what I want you to respect in her is her great age and her
great heart。 She is a humble woman who has lived a very； very long time
in the habit of doing good； and she has become hardened and stiffened in
that habit。 Bear patiently with the harsh ways of that upright soul。 If you
know how to command； she will know how to obey。 Go now； my child；
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arrange your room in whatever way may seem to you best suited for your
studies and for your repose。〃
Having started Jeanne； with this viaticum； upon her domestic career； I
began to read a Review； which； although conducted by very young men； is
excellent。 The tone of it is somewhat unpolished； but the spirit is zealous。
The article I read was certainly far superior； in point of precision and
positiveness； to anything of the sort ever written when I was a young man。
The author of the article； Monsieur Paul Meyer； points out every error
with a remarkably lucid power of incisive criticism。
We used not in my time to criticise with such strict justice。 Our
indulgence was vast。 It went even so far as to confuse the scholar and the
ignoramus in the same burst of praise。 And nevertheless one must learn
how to find fault； and it is even an imperative duty to blame when the
blame is deserved。
I remember little Raymond （that was the name we gave him）； he did
not know anything； and his mind was not a mind capable of absorbing any
solid learning； but he was very fond of his mother。 We took very good care
never to utter a hint of the ignorance of so perfect a son； and； thanks； to
our forbearance； little Raymond made his way to the highest positions。 He
had lost his mother then； but honours of all kinds were showered upon him。
He became omnipotentto the grievous injury of his colleagues and of
science。。。。 But here comes my young fiend of the Luxembourg。
〃Good…evening； Gelis。 You look very happy to…day。 What good fortune
has come to you； my dear lad？〃
His good fortune is that he has been able to sustain his thesis very
credibly； and that he has taken high rank in his class。 He tells me this with
the additional information that my own words； which were incidentally
referred to in the course of the examination； had been spoken of by the
college professors in terms of the most unqualified praise。
〃That is very nice；〃 I replied； 〃and it makes me very happy； Gelis； to
find my old reputation thus associated with your own youthful honours。 I
was very much interested； you know； in that thesis of yours；but some
domestic arrangements have been keeping me so busy lately that I quite
forgot this was the day on which you were to sustain it。〃
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Mademoiselle Jeanne made her appearance very opportunely； as if in
order to suggest to him something about the nature of those very domestic
arrangements。 The giddy girl burst into the City of Books like a fresh
breeze； crying at the top of her voice that her room was a perfect little
wonder。 then she became very red indeed on seeing Monsieur Gelis there。
But none of us can escape our destiny。
Monsieur Gelis asked her how she was with the tone of a young fellow
who resumes upon a previous acquaintance； and who proposes to put
himself forward as an old friend。 Oh； never fear！she had not forgotten
him at all； that was very evident from the fact that then and there； right
under my nose； they resumed their last year's conversation on the subject
of the 〃Venetian blond〃！ They continued the discussion after quite an
animated fashion。 I began to ask myself what right I had to be in the room
at all。 The only thing I could do in order to make myself heard was to
cough。 As for getting in a word； they never even gave me a chance。 Gelis
discoursed enthusiastically； not only about the Venetian colourists； but also
upon all other matters relating to nature or to mankind。 And Jeanne kept
answering him； 〃Yes； Monsieur； you are right。〃。。。。 〃That is just what I
supposed； Monsieur。〃。。。。 〃Monsieur； you express so beautifully just what I
feel。〃。。。 〃I am going to think a great deal about what you have just told me；
Monsieur。〃
When I speak； Mademoiselle never answers me in that tone。 It is only
with the very tip of her tongue that she will even taste any intellectual food
which I set before her。 Usually she will not touch it at all。 But Monsieur
Gelis seems to be in her opinion the supreme authority upon all subjects。 It
was always； 〃Oh； yes！〃〃Oh； of course！〃to all his empty chatter。 And；
then； the eyes of Jeanne！ I had never seen them look so large before； I had
never before observed in them such fixity of expression； but her gaze
otherwise remained what it always isartless； frank； and brave。 Gelis
evidently pleased her； she like Gelis； and her eyes betrayed the fact。 They
would have published it to the entire universe！ All very fine； Master
Bonnard！you have been so deeply interested in observing your ward； that
you have been forgetting you are her guardian！ You began only this
morning to exercise that function； and you can already see that it involves
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some very delicate and difficult duties。 Bonnard； you must really try to
devise some means of keeping that young man away from her； you really
ought。。。。 Eh！ how am I to know what I am to do？。。。
I have picked up a bo