第19章

第19章“silence!”ejaculatedavoice;notthatofmissmiller,butoneoftheupperteachers,alittleanddarkpersonage,smartlydressed,butofsomewhatmoroseaspect,whoinstalledherselfatthetopofonetable,whileamorebuxomladypresidedattheother.ilookedinvainforherihadfirstseenthenightbefore;shewasnotvisible:missmilleroccupiedthefootofthetablewhereisat,andastrange,foreign-looking,elderlylady,thefrenchteacher,asiafterwardsfound,tookthecorrespondingseatattheotherboard.alonggracewassaidandahymnsung;thenaservantbroughtinsometeafortheteachers,andthemealbegan.

ravenous,andnowveryfaint,idevouredaspoonfulortwoofmyportionwithoutthinkingofitstaste;butthefirstedgeofhungerblunted,iperceivedihadgotinhandanauseousmess;burntporridgeisalmostasbadasrottenpotatoes;famineitselfsoonsickensoverit.thespoonsweremovedslowly:isaweachgirltasteherfoodandtrytoswallowit;butinmostcasestheeffortwassoonrelinquished.breakfastwasover,andnonehadbreakfasted.thanksbeingreturnedforwhatwehadnotgot,andasecondhymnchanted,therefectorywasevacuatedfortheschoolroom.iwasoneofthelasttogoout,andinpassingthetables,isawoneteachertakeabasinoftheporridgeandtasteit;shelookedattheothers;alltheircountenancesexpresseddispleasure,andoneofthem,thestoutone,whispered—

“abominablestuff!howshameful!”

aquarterofanhourpassedbeforelessonsagainbegan,duringwhichtheschoolroomwasinaglorioustumult;forthatspaceoftimeitseemedtobepermittedtotalkloudandmorefreely,andtheyusedtheirprivilege.thewholeconversationranonthebreakfast,whichoneandallabusedroundly.poorthings!itwasthesoleconsolationtheyhad.missmillerwasnowtheonlyteacherintheroom:agroupofgreatgirlsstandingaboutherspokewithseriousandsullengestures.iheardthenameofmr.brocklehurstpronouncedbysomelips;atwhichmissmillershookherheaddisapprovingly;butshemadenogreatefforttocheekthegeneralwrath;doubtlessshesharedinit.

aclockintheschoolroomstrucknine;missmillerlefthercircle,andstandinginthemiddleoftheroom,cried—

“silence!toyourseats!”

disciplineprevailed:infiveminutestheconfusedthrongwasresolvedintoorder,andcomparativesilencequelledthebabelclamouroftongues.theupperteachersnowpunctuallyresumedtheirposts:butstill,allseemedtowait.rangedonbenchesdownthesidesoftheroom,theeightygirlssatmotionlessanderect;aquaintassemblagetheyappeared,allwithplainlockscombedfromtheirfaces,notacurlvisible;inbrowndresses,madehighandsurroundedbyanarrowtuckeraboutthethroat,withlittlepocketsofholland(shapedsomethinglikeahighlander’spurse)tiedinfrontoftheirfrocks,anddestinedtoservethepurposeofawork-bag:all,too,wearingwoollenstockingsandcountry-madeshoes,fastenedwithbrassbuckles.abovetwentyofthosecladinthiscostumewerefull-growngirls,orratheryoungwomen;itsuitedthemill,andgaveanairofoddityeventotheprettiest.

iwasstilllookingatthem,andalsoatintervalsexaminingtheteachers—noneofwhompreciselypleasedme;forthestoutonewasalittlecoarse,thedarkonenotalittlefierce,theforeignerharshandgrotesque,andmissmiller,poorthing!lookedpurple,weather-beaten,andover-worked—when,asmyeyewanderedfromfacetoface,thewholeschoolrosesimultaneously,asifmovedbyacommonspring.

whatwasthematter?ihadheardnoordergiven:iwaspuzzled.ereihadgatheredmywits,theclasseswereagainseated:butasalleyeswerenowturnedtoonepoint,minefollowedthegeneraldirection,andencounteredthepersonagewhohadreceivedmelastnight.shestoodatthebottomofthelongroom,onthehearth;fortherewasafireateachend;shesurveyedthetworowsofgirlssilentlyandgravely.missmillerapproaching,seemedtoaskheraquestion,andhavingreceivedheranswer,wentbacktoherplace,andsaidaloud—

“monitorofthefirstclass,fetchtheglobes!”

whilethedirectionwasbeingexecuted,theladyconsultedmovedslowlyuptheroom.isupposeihaveaconsiderableorganofveneration,foriretainyetthesenseofadmiringawewithwhichmyeyestracedhersteps.seennow,inbroaddaylight,shelookedtall,fair,andshapely;browneyeswithabenignantlightintheiririds,andafinepencillingoflonglashesround,relievedthewhitenessofherlargefront;oneachofhertemplesherhair,ofaverydarkbrown,wasclusteredinroundcurls,accordingtothefashionofthosetimes,whenneithersmoothbandsnorlongringletswereinvogue;herdress,alsointhemodeoftheday,wasofpurplecloth,relievedbyasortofspanishtrimmingofblackvelvet;agoldwatch(watcheswerenotsocommonthenasnow)shoneathergirdle.letthereaderadd,tocompletethepicture,refinedfeatures;acomplexion,ifpale,clear;andastatelyairandcarriage,andhewillhave,atleast,asclearlyaswordscangiveit,acorrectideaoftheexteriorofmisstemple—mariatemple,asiafterwardssawthenamewritteninaprayer-bookintrustedtometocarrytochurch.

thesuperintendentoflowood(forsuchwasthislady)havingtakenherseatbeforeapairofglobesplacedononeofthetables,summonedthefirstclassroundher,andcommencedgivingalessonongeography;thelowerclasseswerecalledbytheteachers:repetitionsinhistory,grammar,&c.,wentonforanhour;writingandarithmeticeeded,andmusiclessonsweregivenbymisstempletosomeoftheeldergirls.thedurationofeachlessonwasmeasuredbytheclock,whichatlaststrucktwelve.thesuperintendentrose—

“ihaveawordtoaddresstothepupils,”saidshe.

thetumultofcessationfromlessonswasalreadybreakingforth,butitsankathervoice.shewenton—