2. A French Lesson

by Frances Hodgson Burnett

　　When Sara entered the schoolroom the next morning everybodylooked at her with wide, interested eyes. By that time everypupil-- from Lavinia Herbert, who was nearly thirteen and feltquite grown up, to Lottie Legh, who was only just four and thebaby of the school-- had heard a great deal about her. They knewvery certainly that she was Miss Minchin's show pupil and wasconsidered a credit to the establishment. One or two of them hadeven caught a glimpse of her French maid, Mariette, who hadarrived the evening before. Lavinia had managed to pass Sara'sroom when the door was open, and had seen Mariette opening a boxwhich had arrived late from some shop."It was full of petticoats with lace frills on them--frills andfrills," she whispered to her friend Jessie as she bent over hergeography. "I saw her shaking them out. I heard Miss Minchinsay to Miss Amelia that her clothes were so grand that they wereridiculous for a child. My mamma says that children should bedressed simply. She has got one of those petticoats on now. Isaw it when she sat down.""She has silk stockings on!" whispered Jessie, bending over hergeography also. "And what little feet! I never saw such littlefeet.""Oh," sniffed Lavinia, spitefully, "that is the way her slippersare made. My mamma says that even big feet can be made to looksmall if you have a clever shoemaker. I don't think she ispretty at all. Her eyes are such a queer color.""She isn't pretty as other pretty people are," said Jessie,stealing a glance across the room; "but she makes you want tolook at her again. She has tremendously long eyelashes, but hereyes are almost green."Sara was sitting quietly in her seat, waiting to be told what todo. She had been placed near Miss Minchin's desk. She was notabashed at all by the many pairs of eyes watching her. She wasinterested and looked back quietly at the children who looked ather. She wondered what they were thinking of, and if they likedMiss Minchin, and if they cared for their lessons, and if any ofthem had a papa at all like her own. She had had a long talkwith Emily about her papa that morning."He is on the sea now, Emily," she had said. "We must be verygreat friends to each other and tell each other things. Emily,look at me. You have the nicest eyes I ever saw--but I wish youcould speak."She was a child full of imaginings and whimsical thoughts, andone of her fancies was that there would be a great deal ofcomfort in even pretending that Emily was alive and really heardand understood. After Mariette had dressed her in her dark-blueschoolroom frock and tied her hair with a dark-blue ribbon, shewent to Emily, who sat in a chair of her own, and gave her abook."You can read that while I am downstairs," she said; and, seeingMariette looking at her curiously, she spoke to her with aserious little face."What I believe about dolls," she said, "is that they can dothings they will not let us know about. Perhaps, really, Emilycan read and talk and walk, but she will only do it when peopleare out of the room. That is her secret. You see, if peopleknew that dolls could do things, they would make them work. So,perhaps, they have promised each other to keep it a secret. Ifyou stay in the room, Emily will just sit there and stare; but ifyou go out, she will begin to read, perhaps, or go and look outof the window. Then if she heard either of us coming, she wouldjust run back and jump into her chair and pretend she had beenthere all the time.""Comme elle est drole!" Mariette said to herself, and when shewent downstairs she told the head housemaid about it. But shehad already begun to like this odd little girl who had such anintelligent small face and such perfect manners. She had takencare of children before who were not so polite. Sara was a veryfine little person, and had a gentle, appreciative way of saying,"If you please, Mariette," "Thank you, Mariette," which was verycharming. Mariette told the head housemaid that she thanked heras if she was thanking a lady."Elle a l'air d'une princesse, cette petite," she said. Indeed,she was very much pleased with her new little mistress and likedher place greatly.After Sara had sat in her seat in the schoolroom for a fewminutes, being looked at by the pupils, Miss Minchin rapped in adignified manner upon her desk."Young ladies," she said, "I wish to introduce you to your newcompanion." All the little girls rose in their places, and Sararose also. "I shall expect you all to be very agreeable to MissCrewe; she has just come to us from a great distance--in fact,from India. As soon as lessons are over you must make eachother's acquaintance."The pupils bowed ceremoniously, and Sara made a little curtsy,and then they sat down and looked at each other again."Sara," said Miss Minchin in her schoolroom manner, "come hereto me."She had taken a book from the desk and was turning over itsleaves. Sara went to her politely."As your papa has engaged a French maid for you," she began, "Iconclude that he wishes you to make a special study of the Frenchlanguage."Sara felt a little awkward."I think he engaged her," she said, "because he--he thought Iwould like her, Miss Minchin.""I am afraid," said Miss Minchin, with a slightly sour smile,"that you have been a very spoiled little girl and alwaysimagine that things are done because you like them. Myimpression is that your papa wished you to learn French."If Sara had been older or less punctilious about being quitepolite to people, she could have explained herself in a very fewwords. But, as it was, she felt a flush rising on her cheeks.Miss Minchin was a very severe and imposing person, and sheseemed so absolutely sure that Sara knew nothing whatever ofFrench that she felt as if it would be almost rude to correcther. The truth was that Sara could not remember the time whenshe had not seemed to know French. Her father had often spokenit to her when she had been a baby. Her mother had been a Frenchwoman, and Captain Crewe had loved her language, so it happenedthat Sara had always heard and been familiar with it."I--I have never really learned French, but--but--" she began,trying shyly to make herself clear.One of Miss Minchin's chief secret annoyances was that she didnot speak French herself, and was desirous of concealing theirritating fact. She, therefore, had no intention of discussingthe matter and laying herself open to innocent questioning by anew little pupil."That is enough," she said with polite tartness. "If you havenot learned, you must begin at once. The French master, MonsieurDufarge, will be here in a few minutes. Take this book and lookat it until he arrives."Sara's cheeks felt warm. She went back to her seat and openedthe book. She looked at the first page with a grave face. Sheknew it would be rude to smile, and she was very determined notto be rude. But it was very odd to find herself expected tostudy a page which told her that "le pere" meant "the father,"and "la mere" meant "the mother."Miss Minchin glanced toward her scrutinizingly."You look rather cross, Sara," she said. "I am sorry you do notlike the idea of learning French.""I am very fond of it," answered Sara, thinking she would tryagain; "but--""You must not say `but' when you are told to do things," saidMiss Minchin. "Look at your book again."And Sara did so, and did not smile, even when she found that "lefils" meant "the son," and "le frere" meant "the brother.""When Monsieur Dufarge comes," she thought, "I can make himunderstand."Monsieur Dufarge arrived very shortly afterward. He was a verynice, intelligent, middle-aged Frenchman, and he lookedinterested when his eyes fell upon Sara trying politely to seemabsorbed in her little book of phrases."Is this a new pupil for me, madame?" he said to Miss Minchin."I hope that is my good fortune.""Her papa--Captain Crewe--is very anxious that she should beginthe language. But I am afraid she has a childish prejudiceagainst it. She does not seem to wish to learn," said MissMinchin."I am sorry of that, mademoiselle," he said kindly to Sara."Perhaps, when we begin to study together, I may show you thatit is a charming tongue."Little Sara rose in her seat. She was beginning to feel ratherdesperate, as if she were almost in disgrace. She looked up intoMonsieur Dufarge's face with her big, green-gray eyes, and theywere quite innocently appealing. She knew that he wouldunderstand as soon as she spoke. She began to explain quitesimply in pretty and fluent French. Madame had not understood.She had not learned French exactly--not out of books--but herpapa and other people had always spoken it to her, and she hadread it and written it as she had read and written English. Herpapa loved it, and she loved it because he did. Her dear mamma,who had died when she was born, had been French. She would beglad to learn anything monsieur would teach her, but what she hadtried to explain to madame was that she already knew the words inthis book-- and she held out the little book of phrases.When she began to speak Miss Minchin started quite violently andsat staring at her over her eyeglasses, almost indignantly, untilshe had finished. Monsieur Dufarge began to smile, and his smilewas one of great pleasure. To hear this pretty childish voicespeaking his own language so simply and charmingly made him feelalmost as if he were in his native land--which in dark, foggydays in London sometimes seemed worlds away. When she hadfinished, he took the phrase book from her, with a look almostaffectionate. But he spoke to Miss Minchin."Ah, madame," he said, "there is not much I can teach her. Shehas not learned French; she is French. Her accent is exquisite.""You ought to have told me," exclaimed Miss Minchin, muchmortified, turning to Sara."I--I tried," said Sara. "I--I suppose I did not begin right."Miss Minchin knew she had tried, and that it had not been herfault that she was not allowed to explain. And when she saw thatthe pupils had been listening and that Lavinia and Jessie weregiggling behind their French grammars, she felt infuriated."Silence, young ladies!" she said severely, rapping upon thedesk. "Silence at once!"And she began from that minute to feel rather a grudge againsther show pupil.