time to her dress too--is _sure_not to be very clever or to care much for clever things."
Ten minutes passed--then a bell rang, and Mademoiselle Bavarde, theFrench governess, who had been engaged with a very elementary class ofsmall maidens in another room, threw the door open for the six childrento pass in, announcing at the same time that Herr Marklestatter hadcome. Up started the seven girls forming the first class and filed intothe Professor's presence; Miss Meredon was following them, but wasdetained by a glance from Miss Lloyd.
"I will accompany you and explain to Herr Marklestatter," she said.
He was a stout, florid man, with a beamingly good-natured face, lookinglike anything but the very clever, scholarly, frightfully hot-temperedman he really was. He was a capital teacher when he thought histeaching was appreciated, that is to say, where he perceived realanxiety to profit by it. With slowness of apprehension when united toreal endeavour he could be patient; but woe betide the really carelessor stolidly stupid in his hands! With such his sarcasm was scathing,his fury sometimes almost ungovernable; the veins on his forehead wouldstart out like cords, his blue eyes would flash fire, he would dash fromone language to the other of the nine of which he was "past master," asif seeking everywhere some relief for his uncontrollable irritation,till in the minds of the more intelligent and sympathising of his pupilsall other feeling would be merged in actual pity for the man. Scenes ofsuch violence were of course rare, though it was seldom that a lessonpassed without some growls as of thunder in the distance. But with itall he was really beloved, and those who understood him would unite tosave him, as far as could be, from the trials to his temper of theincorrigibly dense or indifferent students. It was not difficult to doso unsuspected. The honest German was in many ways unsuspicious as achild, and so impressionable, so keenly interested in everything thatcame in his way, that a word, the suggestion of an inquiry on almost anysubject, would make him entirely forget the point on which he had beenabout to wax irate, and by the time he came back to it he had quitecooled down.
"I do hope, Gueda," whispered Charlotte to Miss Knox, as they made theirway to the German master's presence, "I do hope that that stupid EdithGreenman has learnt her lessons for once, and that Isabel Lewis will tryto pay attention. She is the worst of the two; it is possible to shieldpoor Edith sometimes."
"I wouldn't say `poor Edith,'" Gueda replied. "She really does not careto learn. I feel quite as angry with her sometimes as HerrMarklestatter himself."
"So do I. But it would be such a disgrace to us all to have a scene thefirst morning, almost the first hour that girl is here."
"You sheltered Edith last week by an allusion to the comet. You did itsplendidly. He was off on the comet's tail at once, without an idea youhad put him there. But I think you can do anything with him, Charlotte,you are such a pet of his, and you deserve to be."
This was true. Charlotte both was and deserved to be a favourite pupil,and she liked to feel that it was so.
"Well, I hope things will go well to-day," she said. "I should not likeMiss Meredon to think she had got into a bear-garden."
"Do you suppose she knows much German, Charlotte?" whispered Gueda. Shewas a very gentle, unassertive girl, who generally saved herself troubleby allowing Charlotte to settle her opinions for her.
Charlotte's rosy lips formed themselves into an unmistakable and rathercontemptuous expression of dissent, and Gueda breathed more freely.German was not her own strong point, and she disliked the idea of thenew-comer's criticism on her shortcomings.
Herr Marklestatter's smiling face greeted the girls as they entered theroom.
"Good day, young ladies," he said. "A pleasant morning's work is beforeus, I trust," for he was always particularly sanguine, poor man, afterthe rest of Sunday. "Ah?" in a tone of courteous inquiry, as the sevenmaidens were followed by Miss Lloyd escorting the stranger. "A newpupil? I make you welcome, miss," he went on in his queer English,--hopelessly queer it was, notwithstanding his many years' residence inEngland, and his marvellous proficiency in continental languages,--ashis eyes rested with pleasure on the sweet flushed face. "You speakGerman?" he added in that language.
"Miss Meredon will be present at this lesson, Herr Marklestatter," MissLloyd hastened to explain, "in order that she may see what work theadvanced pupils are doing, and that you may judge which class she shouldjoin."
"Exactly so," the German master replied. "Now, young ladies, what haveyou to show me?"
The exercise-books were handed to him, certain tasks corrected andcriticised at once, others put aside for the professor to look over athis leisure. Things seemed to be going pretty well, nothing worse thansome half-muttered ejaculations, and raising of Herr Marklestatter'seyebrows, testifying to the mistakes he came across. Then followed thepupils reading aloud, translating as they went. They were all farenough advanced to read fairly, but Charlotte Waldron read the best.To-day, however, a rather unusually difficult passage fell to her turn;she made more than one slight mistake, and hesitated in the translationof a phrase.
"Come, come," said the professor, glancing round, as was his habit, tillhis eyes fell on a look of intelligence, "who can translate that? MissKnox, Miss Lathom, eh, what, you know it, miss?"
For to his surprise, the young stranger, flushing still more rosily, butwith a bright glance of satisfaction, looked up with lips parted,evidently eager to speak. "Yes?" said he. "Say what you think it is."
Miss Meredon translated it correctly, and in well-chosen words, withoutthe slightest hesitation. Herr Marklestatter listened carefully.
"Good! very good!" he said. "Continue then. Read the followingparagraph. Aloud--in German first, then translate it."
She did both; her accent and pronunciation were excellent, hertranslation faultlessly correct.
"You have read that before, Miss--"
"Meredon," replied the owner of the name.
"Miss Meredon? You have read that before?"
"No. I have heard of it, but I never actually read it before," shereplied innocently, evidently unconscious of the bearing of his remark.Herr Marklestatter's face grew beaming.
"_Very_ good," he said; while Charlotte, half clenching her hands underthe table, muttered in Gueda's ears, "I don't believe it."
The rest of the lesson went on in due routine, save that HerrMarklestatter made Miss Meredon take regular part in all. It becamequickly evident that her first success had been no random shot. She wasat home in every detail, so that at the end of the class, when givingout the work for next time, the master told her to write an essay inGerman as an exercise of style, which would have been beyond the powersof the rest of the pupils. Miss Lloyd came in as he was explaining hiswishes.
"You are giving Miss Meredon separate work to do?" she inquired. "Ifshe is not up to the standard of this class, would it not be better--"
But the enthusiastic professor interrupted her.
"My dear madam," he exclaimed, "not up to this class! Miss--but she isfar beyond. Only you would not wish to have a class for one pupil allalone? And it will be of advantage--it will bring new life among usall. Miss Waldron, with your intelligence--for you work well, my dearyoung lady, only this morning not quite so well as usual--you will enjoyto work with Miss Meredon?" and the good man in his innocence turned hisbeaming countenance on Charlotte encouragingly.
Not to save her life could Charlotte have responded with a smile. ButMiss Lloyd spoke again before Herr Marklestatter had noticed MissWaldron's silence.
"I am pleased to hear so good a report of Miss Meredon. You must workwell, my dear, and keep up your place," she said, addressing the newpupil.
"Thank you; I will indeed," Miss Meredon replied. "And thank you verymuch, sir, for your kindness," she added, turning to the professor.
Her face seemed positively alight with pleasure. It was really not tobe wondered at that as the last girls left the room they heard himmurmur the German equivalents for "bewitching, charming."
An
d one of these last girls was unluckily Charlotte Waldron.
CHAPTER FIVE.
LADY MILDRED.
Charlotte went home that Monday looking fagged and unlike herself. Hermother met her as she was going into the school-room, her arms loadedwith books.
"My dear, is that you?" said Mrs Waldron. "I did not hear you come in.What a dull, dreary day it is! You have not got wet, I hope?"
"It was not actually raining. My frock got no harm," Charlotte replied.
But her voice was dull and dreary like the day, and though, as she hadjust said of the weather, "not actually raining," the mother's earsperceived that tears