the life of charlotte bronte-1-第37章

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ctor。　　And　from　these　conflicting　characters；　he　would　require　them　to　sift　and　collect　the　elements　of　truth；　and　try　to　unite　them　into　a　perfect　whole。

This　kind　of　exercise　delighted　Charlotte。　　It　called　into　play　her　powers　of　analysis；　which　were　extraordinary；　and　she　very　soon　excelled　in　it。

Wherever　the　Brontes　could　be　national　they　were　so；　with　the　same　tenacity　of　attachment　which　made　them　suffer　as　they　did　whenever　they　left　Haworth。　　They　were　Protestant　to　the　backbone　in　other　things　beside　their　religion；　but　pre…eminently　so　in　that。　Touched　as　Charlotte　was　by　the　letter　of　St。　Ignatius　before　alluded　to；　she　claimed　equal　self…devotion；　and　from　as　high　a　motive；　for　some　of　the　missionaries　of　the　English　Church　sent　out　to　toil　and　to　perish　on　the　poisonous　African　coast；　and　wrote　as　an　〃imitation；〃　〃Lettre　d'un　Missionnaire；　Sierra　Leone；　Afrique。〃

Something　of　her　feeling；　too；　appears　in　the　following　letter：…


〃Brussels；　1842。

〃I　consider　it　doubtful　whether　I　shall　come　home　in　September　or　not。　　Madame　Heger　has　made　a　proposal　for　both　me　and　Emily　to　stay　another　half…year；　offering　to　dismiss　her　English　master；　and　take　me　as　English　teacher；　also　to　employ　Emily　some　part　of　each　day　in　teaching　music　to　a　certain　number　of　the　pupils。　　For　these　services　we　are　to　be　allowed　to　continue　our　studies　in　French　and　German；　and　to　have　board；　&c。；　without　paying　for　it；　no　salaries；　however；　are　offered。　　The　proposal　is　kind；　and　in　a　great　selfish　city　like　Brussels；　and　a　great　selfish　school；　containing　nearly　ninety　pupils　（boarders　and　day　pupils　included）；　implies　a　degree　of　interest　which　demands　gratitude　in　return。　　I　am　inclined　to　accept　it。　　What　think　you？　　I　don't　deny　I　sometimes　wish　to　be　in　England；　or　that　I　have　brief　attacks　of　home　sickness；　but；　on　the　whole；　I　have　borne　a　very　valiant　heart　so　far；　and　I　have　been　happy　in　Brussels；　because　I　have　always　been　fully　occupied　with　the　employments　that　I　like。　Emily　is　making　rapid　progress　in　French；　German；　music；　and　drawing。　　Monsieur　and　Madame　Heger　begin　to　recognise　the　valuable　parts　of　her　character；　under　her　singularities。

〃If　the　national　character　of　the　Belgians　is　to　be　measured　by　the　character　of　most　of　the　girls　is　this　school；　it　in　a　character　singularly　cold；　selfish；　animal；　and　inferior。　　They　are　very　mutinous　and　difficult　for　the　teachers　to　manage；　and　their　principles　are　rotten　to　the　core。　　We　avoid　them；　which　it　is　not　difficult　to　do；　as　we　have　the　brand　of　Protestantism　and　Anglicism　upon　us。　　People　talk　of　the　danger　which　Protestants　expose　themselves　to　in　going　to　reside　in　Catholic　countries；　and　thereby　running　the　chance　of　changing　their　faith。　　My　advice　to　all　Protestants　who　are　tempted　to　do　anything　so　besotted　as　turn　Catholics；　is；　to　walk　over　the　sea　on　to　the　Continent；　to　attend　mass　sedulously　for　a　time；　to　note　well　the　mummeries　thereof；　also　the　idiotic；　mercenary　aspect　of　all　the　priests；　and　then；　if　they　are　still　disposed　to　consider　Papistry　in　any　other　light　than　a　most　feeble；　childish　piece　of　humbug；　let　them　turn　Papists　at　oncethat's　all。　　I　consider　Methodism；　Quakerism；　and　the　extremes　of　High　and　Low　Churchism　foolish；　but　Roman　Catholicism　beats　them　all。　　At　the　same　time；　allow　me　to　tell　you；　that　there　are　some　Catholics　who　are　as　good　as　any　Christians　can　be　to　whom　the　Bible　is　a　sealed　book；　and　much　better　than　many　Protestants。〃

When　the　Brontes　first　went　to　Brussels；　it　was　with　the　intention　of　remaining　there　for　six　months；　or　until　the　GRANDES　VACANCES　began　in　September。　　The　duties　of　the　school　were　then　suspended　for　six　weeks　or　two　months；　and　it　seemed　a　desirable　period　for　their　return。　　But　the　proposal　mentioned　in　the　foregoing　letter　altered　their　plans。　　Besides；　they　were　happy　in　the　feeling　that　they　were　making　progress　in　all　the　knowledge　they　had　so　long　been　yearning　to　acquire。　　They　were　happy；　too；　in　possessing　friends　whose　society　had　been　for　years　congenial　to　them；　and　in　occasional　meetings　with　these；　they　could　have　the　inexpressible　solace　to　residents　in　a　foreign　countryand　peculiarly　such　to　the　Brontesof　talking　over　the　intelligence　received　from　their　respective　homesreferring　to　past；　or　planning　for　future　days。　〃Mary〃　and　her　sister；　the　bright；　dancing；　laughing　Martha；　were　parlour…boarders　in　an　establishment　just　beyond　the　barriers　of　Brussels。　　Again；　the　cousins　of　these　friends　were　resident　in　the　town；　and　at　their　house　Charlotte　and　Emily　were　always　welcome；　though　their　overpowering　shyness　prevented　their　more　valuable　qualities　from　being　known；　and　generally　kept　them　silent。　　They　spent　their　weekly　holiday　with　this　family；　for　many　months；　but　at　the　end　of　the　time；　Emily　was　as　impenetrable　to　friendly　advances　as　at　the　beginning；　while　Charlotte　was　too　physically　weak　（as　〃Mary〃　has　expressed　it）　to　〃gather　up　her　forces〃　sufficiently　to　express　any　difference　or　opposition　of　opinion；　and　had　consequently　an　assenting　and　deferential　manner；　strangely　at　variance　with　what　they　knew　of　her　remarkable　talents　and　decided　character。　　At　this　house；　the　T。's　and　the　Brontes　could　look　forward　to　meeting　each　other　pretty　frequently。　　There　was　another　English　family　where　Charlotte　soon　became　a　welcome　guest；　and　where；　I　suspect；　she　felt　herself　more　at　her　ease　than　either　at　Mrs。　Jenkins'；　or　the　friends　whom　I　have　first　mentioned。

An　English　physician；　with　a　large　family　of　daughters；　went　to　reside　at　Brussels；　for　the　sake　of　their　education。　　He　placed　them　at　Madame　Heger's　school　in　July；　1842；　not　a　month　before　the　beginning　of　the　GRANDES　VACANCES　on　August　15th。　　In　order　to　make　the　most　of　their　time；　and　become　accustomed　to　the　language；　these　English　sisters　went　daily；　through　the　holidays；　to　the　pensionnat　in　the　Rue　d'Isabelle。　　Six　or　eight　boarders　remained；　besides　the　Miss　Brontes。　　They　were　there　during　the　whole　time；　never　even　having　the　break　to　their　monotonous　life；　which　passing　an　occasional　day　with　a　friend　would　have　afforded　them；　but　devoting　themselves　with　indefatigable　diligence　to　the　different　studies　in　which　they　were　engaged。　　Their　position　in　the　school　appeared；　to　these　new　comers；　analogous　to　what　is　often　called　that　of　a　parlour…boarder。　　They　prepared　their　French；　drawing；　German；　and　literature　for　their　various　masters；　and　to　these　occupations　Emily　added　that　of　music；　in　which　she　was　somewhat　of　a　proficient；　so　much　so　as　to　be　qualified　to　give　instruction　in　it　to　the　three　younger　sisters　of　my　informant。

The　school　was　divided　into　three　classes。　　In　the　first　were　from　fifteen　to　twenty　pupils；　in　the　second；　sixty　was　about　the　average　numberall　foreigners；　excepting　the　two　Brontes　and　one　other；　in　the　third；　there　were　from　twenty　to　thirty　pupils。　　The　first　and　second　classes　occupied　a　long　room；　divided　by　a　wooden　partition；　in　each　division　were　four　long　ranges　of　desks；　and　at　the　end　was　the　ESTRADE；　or　platform；　for　the　presiding　instructor。　　On　the　last　row；　in　the　quietest　corner；　sat　Charlotte　and　Emily；　side　by　side；　so　deeply　absorbed　in　their　studies　as　to　be　insensible　to　any　noise　or　movement　around　them。　The　school…hours　were　from　nine　to　twelve　（the　luncheon　hour）；　when　the　boarders　and　half…boardersperhaps　two…and…thirty　girls…　…went　to　the　refectoire　（a　room　with　two　long　tables；　having　an　oil…lamp　suspended　over　each）；　to　partake　of　bread　and　fruit；　the　EXTERNES；　or　morning　pupils；　who　had　brought　their　own　refreshment　with　them；　adjourning　to　eat　it　in　the　garden。　　From　one　to　two；　there　was　fancy…worka　pupil　reading　aloud　some　light　literature　in　each　room；　from　two　to　four；　lessons　again。　　At　four；　the　externes　left；　and　the　remaining　girls　dined　in　the　refectoire；　M。　and　Madame　Heger　presiding。　　From　five　to　six　there　was　recreation；　from　six　to　seven；　preparation　for　lessons；　and；　after　that　succeeded　the　LECTURE　PIEUSECharlotte's　nightmare。　　On　rare　occasions；　M。　Heger　himself　would　come　in；　and　substitute　a　book　of　a　different　and　more　interesting　kind。　　At　eight；　there　was　a　slight　meal　of　water　and　PISTOLETS　（the　delicious　little　Brussels　rolls）；　which　was　immediately　followed　by　prayers；　and　then　to　bed。

The　principal　bedroom　was　over　the　long　classe；　or　school…room。　There　were　six　or　eight　narrow　beds　on　each　side　of　the　apartment；　every　one　enveloped　in　its　white　draping　curtain；　a　long　drawer；　beneath　each；　served　for　a　wardrobe；　and　between　each　was　a　stand　for　ewer；　basin；　and　looking…glass。　　The　beds　of　the　two　Miss　Brontes　were　at　the　extreme　end　of　the　room；　almost　as　private　and　retired　as　if　they　had　been　in　a　separate　apartment。

During　the　hours　of　recreation；　which　were　always　spent　in　the　garden；　they　invariably　walked　together；　and　generally　kept　a　profound　silence；　Emily；　though　so　much　the　taller；　leaning　on　her　sister。　　Charlotte　would　always　answer　when　spoken　to；　taking　the　lead　in　replying　to　any　remark　addressed　to　both；　Emily　rarely　spoke　to　any　one。　　Charlotte's　quiet；　gentle　manner　never　changed。　She　was　never　seen　out　of　temper　for　a　moment；　and　occasionally；　when　she　herself　had　assumed　the　post　of　English　teacher；　and　the　impertinence　or　inattention　of　her　pupils　was　most　irritating；　a　slight　increase　of　colour；　a　momentary　sparkling　of　the　eye；　and　more　decided　energy　of　manner；　were　the　only　outward　tokens　she　gave　of　being　conscious　of　the　annoyance　to　which　she　was　subjected。　　But　this　dignified　endurance　of　hers　subdued　her　pupils；　in　the　long　run；　far　more　than　the　voluble　tirades　of　the　other　mistresses。　　My　informant　adds：…　〃The　effect　of　this　manner　was　singular。　　I　can　speak　from　personal　experience。　　I　was　at　that　time　high…spirited　and　impetuous；　not　respecting　the　French　mistresses；　yet；　to　my　own　astonishment；　at　one　word　from　her；　I　was　perfectly　tractable；　so　much　so；　that　at　length；　M。　and　Madame　Heger　invariably　preferred　all　their　wishes　to　me　through　her；　the　other　pupils　did　not；　perhaps；　love　her　as　I　did；　she　was　so　quiet　and　silent；　but　all　respected　her。〃

With　the　exception　of　that　part　which　describes　Charlotte's　manner　as　English　teacheran　office　which　she　did　not　assume　for　some　months　laterall　this　description　of　the　school　life　of　the　two　Brontes　refers　to　the　commencement　of　the　new　scholastic　year　in　October　1842；　and　the　extracts　I　have　given　convey　the　first　impression　which　the　life　at　a　foreign　school；　and　the　position　of　the　two　Miss　Brontes　therein；　made　upon　an　intelligent　English　girl　of　sixteen。　　I　will　make　a　quotation　from　〃Mary's〃　letter　referring　to　this　time。

〃The　first　part　of　her　time　at　Brussels　was　not　uninteresting。　She　spoke　of　new　people　and　characters；　and　foreign　ways　of　the　pupils　and　teachers。　　She　knew　the　hopes　and　prospects　of　the　teachers；　and　mentioned　one　who　was　very　anxious　to　marry；　'she　was　getting　so　old。'　　She　used　to　get　her　father　or　brother　（I　forget　which）　to　be　the　bearer　of　letters　to　different　single　men；　who　she　thought　might　be　persuaded　to　do　her　the　favour；　saying　that　her　only　resource　was　to　become　a　sister　of　charity　if　her　present　employment　failed　and　that　she　hated　the　idea。　　Charlotte　naturally　looked　with　curiosit