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ederick lynn has taken a seat beside mary ingram; and is showing her the engravings of a splendid volume: she looks; smiles now and then; but apparently says little。 the tall and phlegmatic lord ingram leans with folded arms on the chair…back of the little and lively amy eshton; she glances up at him; and chatters like a wren: she likes him better than she does mr。 rochester。 henry lynn has taken possession of an ottoman at the feet of louisa: adèle shares it with him: he is trying to talk french with her; and louisa laughs at his blunders。 with whom will blanche ingram pair? she is standing alone at the table; bending gracefully over an album。 she seems waiting to be sought; but she will not wait too long: she herself selects a mate。
mr。 rochester; having quitted the eshtons; stands on the hearth as solitary as she stands by the table: she confronts him; taking her station on the opposite side of the mantelpiece。
“mr。 rochester; i thought you were not fond of children?”
“nor am i。”
“then; what induced you to take charge of such a little doll as that?” (pointing to adèle)。 “where did you pick her up?”
“i did not pick her up; she was left on my hands。”
“you should have sent her to school。”
“i could not afford it: schools are so dear。”
“why; i suppose you have a governess for her: i saw a person with her just now—is she gone? oh; no! there she is still; behind the window…curtain。 you pay her; of course; i should think it quite as expensive;—more so; for you have them both to keep in addition。”
i feared—or should i say; hoped?—the allusion to me would make mr。 rochester glance my way; and i involuntarily shrank farther into the shade: but he never turned his eyes。
“i have not considered the subject;” said he indifferently; looking straight before him。
“no; you men never do consider economy and mon sense。 you should hear mama on the chapter of governesses: mary and i have had; i should think; a dozen at least in our day; half of them detestable and the rest ridiculous; and all incubi—were they not; mama?”
“did you speak; my own?”
the young lady thus claimed as the dowager’s special property; reiterated her question with an explanation。
“my dearest; don’t mention governesses; the word makes me nervous。 i have suffered a martyrdom from their inpetency and caprice。 i thank heaven i have now done with them!”
mrs。 dent here bent over to the pious lady and whispered something in her ear; i suppose; from the answer elicited; it was a reminder that one of the anathematised race was present。
“tant pis!” said her ladyship; “i hope it may do her good!” then; in a lower tone; but still loud enough for me to hear; “i noticed her; i am a judge of physiognomy; and in hers i see all the faults of her class。”
“what are they; madam?” inquired mr。 rochester aloud。
“i will tell you in your private ear;” replied she; wagging her turban three times with portentous significancy。
“but my curiosity will be past its appetite; it craves food now。”
“ask blanche; she is nearer you than i。”
“oh; don’t refer him to me; mama! i have just one word to say of the whole tribe; they are a nuisance。 not that i ever suffered much from them; i took care to turn the tables。 what tricks theodore and i used to play on our miss wilsons; and mrs。 greys; and madame jouberts! mary was always too sleepy to join in a plot with spirit。 the best fun was with madame joubert: miss wilson was a poor sickly thing; lachrymose and low…spirited; not worth the trouble of vanquishing; in short; and mrs。 grey was coarse and insensible; no blow took effect on her。 but poor madame joubert! i see her yet in her raging passions; when we had driven her to extremities—spilt our tea; crumbled our bread and butter; tossed our books up to the ceiling; and played a charivari with the ruler and desk; the fender and fire…irons。 theodore; do you remember those merry days?”
“yaas; to be sure i do;” drawled lord ingram; “and the poor old stick used to cry out ‘oh you villains childs!’—and then we sermonised her on the presumption of attempting to teach such clever blades as we were; when she was herself so ignorant。”
“we did; and; tedo; you know; i helped you in prosecuting (or persecuting) your tutor; whey…faced mr。 vining—the parson in the pip; as we used to call him。 he and miss wilson took the liberty of falling in love with each other—at least tedo and i thought so; we surprised sundry tender glances and sighs which we interpreted as tokens of ‘la belle passion;’ and i promise you the public soon had the benefit of our discovery; we employed it as a sort of lever to hoist our dead…weights from the house。 dear mama; there; as soon as she got an inkling of the business; found out that it was of an immoral tendency。 did you not; my lady…mother?”
“certainly; my best。 and i was quite right: depend on that: there are a thousand reasons why liaisons between governesses and tutors should never be tolerated a moment in any well…regulated house; firstly—”
“oh; gracious; mama! spare us the enumeration! au reste; we all know them: danger of bad example to innocence of childhood; distractions and consequent neglect of duty on the part of the attached—mutual alliance and reliance; confidence thence resulting—insolence acpanying—mutiny and general blow…up。 am i right; baroness ingram; of ingram park?”
“my lily…flower; you are right now; as always。”
“then no more need be said: change the subject。”
amy eshton; not hearing or not heeding this dictum; joined in with her soft; infantine tone: “louisa and i used to quiz our governess too; but she was such a good creature; she would bear anything: nothing put her out。 she was never cross with us; was she; louisa?”
“no; never: we might do what we pleased; ransack her desk and her workbox; and turn her drawers inside out; and she was so good… natured; she would give as anything we asked for。”
“i suppose; now;” said miss ingram; curling her lip sarcastically; “we shall have an abstract of the memoirs of all the governesses extant: in order to avert such a visitation; i again move the introduction of a new