第28章

“We will now speak of business，” said Madame Pelet， and shewent on to make an elaborate speech， which， being interpreted， was to the effect that she had asked for the pleasure of my company that evening in order to give her friend Madame Reuter an opportunity of broaching an important proposal， which might turn out greatly to my advantage.

“Pourvu que vous soyez sage，” said Madame Reuter， “et à vraidire， vous en avez bien l’air.Take one drop of the punch” (or ponche， as she pronounced it)； “it is an agreeable and wholesome beverage after a full meal.”

I bowed， but again declined it.She went on：-“I feel，” said she， after a solemn sip—“I feel profoundly the importance of the commission with which my dear daughter has entrusted me， for you are aware， Monsieur， that it is my daughter who directs the establishment in the next house？”

“Ah！ I thought it was yourself， madame.” Though， indeed， at that moment I recollected that it was called Mademoiselle， not Madame Reuter’s pensionnat.

“I！ Oh， no！ I manage the house and look after the servants， as my friend Madame Pelet does for Monsieur her son—nothing more.Ah！ you thought I gave lessons in class—did you？”

And she laughed loud and long， as though the idea tickled her fancy amazingly.

“Madame is in the wrong to laugh，” I observed； “if she does notgive lessons， I am sure it is not because she cannot；” and I whipped out a white pocket-handkerchief and wafted it， with a French grace， past my nose， bowing at the name time.

“Quel charmant jeune homme！” murmured Madame Pelet in a low voice.Madame Reuter， being less sentimental， as she was Flamand and not French， only laughed again.

“You are a dangerous person， I fear，” said she； “if you can forge compliments at that rate， Zora？de will positively be afraid of you； but if you are good， I will keep your secret， and not tell her how well you can flatter.Now， listen what sort of a proposal she makes to you.She has heard that you are an excellent professor， and as she wishes to get the very beet masters for her school (car Zora？de fait tout comme une reine， c’est une véritable ma？tresse-femme)， she has commissioned me to step over this afternoon， and sound Madame Pelet as to the possibility of engaging you.Zora？de is a wary general； she never advances without first examining well herground I don’t think she would be pleased if she knew I had already disclosed her intentions to you； she did not order me to go so far， but I thought there would be no harm in letting you into the secret， and Madame Pelet was of the same opinion.Take care， however， you don’t betray either of us to Zora？de—to my daughter， I mean； she is so discreet and circumspect herself， she cannot understand that one should find a pleasure in gossiping a little—”

“C’est absolument comme mon fils！” cried Madame Pelet.

“All the world is so changed since our girlhood！” rejoined the other： “young people have such old heads now.But to return， Monsieur.Madame Pelet will mention the subject of your giving lessons in my daughter’s establishment to her son， and he will speak to you； and then to-morrow， you will step over to our house， and ask to see my daughter， and you will introduce the subject as if the first intimation of it had reached you from M.Pelet himself， and be sure you never mention my name， for I would not displease Zora？de on any account.

“Bien！ bien！” interrupted I—for all this chatter and circumlocution began to bore me very much； “I will consult M.Pelet， and the thing shall be settled as you desire.Good evening， mesdames—I am infinitely obliged to you.”

“Comment！ vous vous en allez deja？” exclaimed Madame Pelet.

“Prenez encore quelquechose， monsieur； une pomme cuite， des biscuits， encore une tasse de café？”

“Merci， merci， madame—au revoir.” And I backed at last out ofthe apartment.

Having regained my own room， I set myself to turn over in my mind the incident of the evening.It seemed a queer affair altogether， and queerly managed； the two old women had madequite a little intricate mess of it； still I found that the uppermost feeling in my mind on the subject was one of satisfaction.In the first place it would be a change to give lessons in another seminary， and then to teach young ladies would be an occupation so interesting—to be admitted at all into a ladies’ boarding-school would be an incident so new in my life.Besides， thought I， as I glanced at the boarded window， “I shall now at last see the mysterious garden： I shall gaze both on the angels and their Eden.”