English
WhenSaraenteredtheschoolroomthenextmorningeverybodylookedatherwithwide,interestedeyes.
Bythattimeeverypupil—fromLaviniaHerbert,whowasnearlythirteenandfeltquitegrownup,toLottieLegh,whowasonlyjustfourandthebabyoftheschool—hadheardagreatdealabouther.
TheyknewverycertainlythatshewasMissMinchin’sshowpupilandwasconsideredacredittotheestablishment.
OneortwoofthemhadevencaughtaglimpseofherFrenchmaid,Mariette,whohadarrivedtheeveningbefore.
LaviniahadmanagedtopassSara’sroomwhenthedoorwasopen,andhadseenMarietteopeningaboxwhichhadarrivedlatefromsomeshop.
“Itwasfullofpetticoatswithlacefrillsonthem—frillsandfrills,”shewhisperedtoherfriendJessieasshebentoverhergeography.“Isawhershakingthemout.
IheardMissMinchinsaytoMissAmeliathatherclothesweresograndthattheywereridiculousforachild.
Mymammasaysthatchildrenshouldbedressedsimply.
Shehasgotoneofthosepetticoatsonnow.Isawitwhenshesatdown.”
“Shehassilkstockingson!”whisperedJessie,bendingoverhergeographyalso.“Andwhatlittlefeet!Ineversawsuchlittlefeet.”
“Oh,”sniffedLavinia,spitefully,“thatisthewayherslippersaremade.
Mymammasaysthatevenbigfeetcanbemadetolooksmallifyouhaveaclevershoemaker.Idon’tthinksheisprettyatall.Hereyesaresuchaqueercolor.”
“Sheisn’tprettyasotherprettypeopleare,”saidJessie,stealingaglanceacrosstheroom;“butshemakesyouwanttolookatheragain.
Shehastremendouslylongeyelashes,buthereyesarealmostgreen.”
Sarawassittingquietlyinherseat,waitingtobetoldwhattodo.
ShehadbeenplacednearMissMinchin’sdesk.
Shewasnotabashedatallbythemanypairsofeyeswatchingher.
Shewasinterestedandlookedbackquietlyatthechildrenwholookedather.
Shewonderedwhattheywerethinkingof,andiftheylikedMissMinchin,andiftheycaredfortheirlessons,andifanyofthemhadapapaatalllikeherown.
ShehadhadalongtalkwithEmilyaboutherpapathatmorning.
“Heisontheseanow,Emily,”shehadsaid.
“Wemustbeverygreatfriendstoeachotherandtelleachotherthings.Emily,lookatme.
YouhavethenicesteyesIeversaw—butIwishyoucouldspeak.”
Shewasachildfullofimaginingsandwhimsicalthoughts,andoneofherfancieswasthattherewouldbeagreatdealofcomfortinevenpretendingthatEmilywasaliveandreallyheardandunderstood.
AfterMariettehaddressedherinherdark-blueschoolroomfrockandtiedherhairwithadark-blueribbon,shewenttoEmily,whosatinachairofherown,andgaveherabook.
“YoucanreadthatwhileIamdownstairs,”shesaid;and,seeingMariettelookingathercuriously,shespoketoherwithaseriouslittleface.
“WhatIbelieveaboutdolls,”shesaid,“isthattheycandothingstheywillnotletusknowabout.
Perhaps,really,Emilycanreadandtalkandwalk,butshewillonlydoitwhenpeopleareoutoftheroom.Thatishersecret.
Yousee,ifpeopleknewthatdollscoulddothings,theywouldmakethemwork.
So,perhaps,theyhavepromisedeachothertokeepitasecret.
Ifyoustayintheroom,Emilywilljustsitthereandstare;butifyougoout,shewillbegintoread,perhaps,orgoandlookoutofthewindow.
Thenifsheheardeitherofuscoming,shewouldjustrunbackandjumpintoherchairandpretendshehadbeenthereallthetime.”
“Commeelleestdrole!”Mariettesaidtoherself,andwhenshewentdownstairsshetoldtheheadhousemaidaboutit.
Butshehadalreadybeguntolikethisoddlittlegirlwhohadsuchanintelligentsmallfaceandsuchperfectmanners.
Shehadtakencareofchildrenbeforewhowerenotsopolite.
Sarawasaveryfinelittleperson,andhadagentle,appreciativewayofsaying,“Ifyouplease,Mariette,”“Thankyou,Mariette,”whichwasverycharming.
Mariettetoldtheheadhousemaidthatshethankedherasifshewasthankingalady.
“Elleal’aird’uneprincesse,cettepetite,”shesaid.Indeed,shewasverymuchpleasedwithhernewlittlemistressandlikedherplacegreatly.
AfterSarahadsatinherseatintheschoolroomforafewminutes,beinglookedatbythepupils,MissMinchinrappedinadignifiedmanneruponherdesk.
“Youngladies,”shesaid,“Iwishtointroduceyoutoyournewcompanion.”
Allthelittlegirlsroseintheirplaces,andSararosealso.
“IshallexpectyoualltobeveryagreeabletoMissCrewe;shehasjustcometousfromagreatdistance—infact,fromIndia.
Assoonaslessonsareoveryoumustmakeeachother’sacquaintance.”
Thepupilsbowedceremoniously,andSaramadealittlecurtsy,andthentheysatdownandlookedateachotheragain.
“Sara,”saidMissMinchininherschoolroommanner,“comeheretome.”
Shehadtakenabookfromthedeskandwasturningoveritsleaves.Sarawenttoherpolitely.
“AsyourpapahasengagedaFrenchmaidforyou,”shebegan,“IconcludethathewishesyoutomakeaspecialstudyoftheFrenchlanguage.”
Sarafeltalittleawkward.
“Ithinkheengagedher,”shesaid,“becausehe—hethoughtIwouldlikeher,MissMinchin.”
“Iamafraid,”saidMissMinchin,withaslightlysoursmile,“thatyouhavebeenaveryspoiledlittlegirlandalwaysimaginethatthingsaredonebecauseyoulikethem.
MyimpressionisthatyourpapawishedyoutolearnFrench.”
IfSarahadbeenolderorlesspunctiliousaboutbeingquitepolitetopeople,shecouldhaveexplainedherselfinaveryfewwords.
But,asitwas,shefeltaflushrisingonhercheeks.
MissMinchinwasaverysevereandimposingperson,andsheseemedsoabsolutelysurethatSaraknewnothingwhateverofFrenchthatshefeltasifitwouldbealmostrudetocorrecther.
ThetruthwasthatSaracouldnotrememberthetimewhenshehadnotseemedtoknowFrench.
Herfatherhadoftenspokenittoherwhenshehadbeenababy.
HermotherhadbeenaFrenchwoman,andCaptainCrewehadlovedherlanguage,soithappenedthatSarahadalwaysheardandbeenfamiliarwithit.
“I—IhaveneverreallylearnedFrench,but—but—”shebegan,tryingshylytomakeherselfclear.
OneofMissMinchin’schiefsecretannoyanceswasthatshedidnotspeakFrenchherself,andwasdesirousofconcealingtheirritatingfact.
She,therefore,hadnointentionofdiscussingthematterandlayingherselfopentoinnocentquestioningbyanewlittlepupil.
“Thatisenough,”shesaidwithpolitetartness.
“Ifyouhavenotlearned,youmustbeginatonce.
TheFrenchmaster,MonsieurDufarge,willbehereinafewminutes.
Takethisbookandlookatituntilhearrives.”
Sara’scheeksfeltwarm.Shewentbacktoherseatandopenedthebook.
Shelookedatthefirstpagewithagraveface.
Sheknewitwouldberudetosmile,andshewasverydeterminednottoberude.
Butitwasveryoddtofindherselfexpectedtostudyapagewhichtoldherthat“lepere”meant“thefather,”and“lamere”meant“themother.”
MissMinchinglancedtowardherscrutinizingly.
“Youlookrathercross,Sara,”shesaid.“IamsorryyoudonotliketheideaoflearningFrench.”
“Iamveryfondofit,”answeredSara,thinkingshewouldtryagain;“but—”
“Youmustnotsay`but’whenyouaretoldtodothings,”saidMissMinchin.“Lookatyourbookagain.”
AndSaradidso,anddidnotsmile,evenwhenshefoundthat“lefils”meant“theson,”and“lefrere”meant“thebrother.”
“WhenMonsieurDufargecomes,”shethought,“Icanmakehimunderstand.”
MonsieurDufargearrivedveryshortlyafterward.
Hewasaverynice,intelligent,middle-agedFrenchman,andhelookedinterestedwhenhiseyesfelluponSaratryingpolitelytoseemabsorbedinherlittlebookofphrases.
“Isthisanewpupilforme,madame?”hesaidtoMissMinchin.“Ihopethatismygoodfortune.”
“Herpapa—CaptainCrewe—isveryanxiousthatsheshouldbeginthelanguage.ButIamafraidshehasachildishprejudiceagainstit.Shedoesnotseemtowishtolearn,”saidMissMinchin.
“Iamsorryofthat,mademoiselle,”hesaidkindlytoSara.“Perhaps,whenwebegintostudytogether,Imayshowyouthatitisacharmingtongue.”
LittleSararoseinherseat.Shewasbeginningtofeelratherdesperate,asifshewerealmostindisgrace.
ShelookedupintoMonsieurDufarge’sfacewithherbig,green-grayeyes,andtheywerequiteinnocentlyappealing.
Sheknewthathewouldunderstandassoonasshespoke.
ShebegantoexplainquitesimplyinprettyandfluentFrench.Madamehadnotunderstood.
ShehadnotlearnedFrenchexactly—notoutofbooks—butherpapaandotherpeoplehadalwaysspokenittoher,andshehadreaditandwrittenitasshehadreadandwrittenEnglish.
Herpapalovedit,andsheloveditbecausehedid.
Herdearmamma,whohaddiedwhenshewasborn,hadbeenFrench.
Shewouldbegladtolearnanythingmonsieurwouldteachher,butwhatshehadtriedtoexplaintomadamewasthatshealreadyknewthewordsinthisbook—andsheheldoutthelittlebookofphrases.
WhenshebegantospeakMissMinchinstartedquiteviolentlyandsatstaringatheroverhereyeglasses,almostindignantly,untilshehadfinished.
MonsieurDufargebegantosmile,andhissmilewasoneofgreatpleasure.
Tohearthisprettychildishvoicespeakinghisownlanguagesosimplyandcharminglymadehimfeelalmostasifhewereinhisnativeland—whichindark,foggydaysinLondonsometimesseemedworldsaway.
Whenshehadfinished,hetookthephrasebookfromher,withalookalmostaffectionate.ButhespoketoMissMinchin.
“Ah,madame,”hesaid,“thereisnotmuchIcanteachher.ShehasnotlearnedFrench;sheisFrench.Heraccentisexquisite.”
“Yououghttohavetoldme,”exclaimedMissMinchin,muchmortified,turningtoSara.
“I—Itried,”saidSara.“I—IsupposeIdidnotbeginright.”
MissMinchinknewshehadtried,andthatithadnotbeenherfaultthatshewasnotallowedtoexplain.
AndwhenshesawthatthepupilshadbeenlisteningandthatLaviniaandJessieweregigglingbehindtheirFrenchgrammars,shefeltinfuriated.
“Silence,youngladies!”shesaidseverely,rappinguponthedesk.“Silenceatonce!”
Andshebeganfromthatminutetofeelratheragrudgeagainsthershowpupil.
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