the life of charlotte bronte-1-第39部分

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hem；　pointing　out　in　what　such　or　such　an　author　excelled；　and　where　were　the　blemishes。　　He　believed　that　he　had　to　do　with　pupils　capable；　from　their　ready　sympathy　with　the　intellectual；　the　refined；　the　polished；　or　the　noble；　of　catching　the　echo　of　a　style；　and　so　reproducing　their　own　thoughts　in　a　somewhat　similar　manner。

After　explaining　his　plan　to　them；　he　awaited　their　reply。　　Emily　spoke　first；　and　said　that　she　saw　no　good　to　be　derived　from　it；　and　that；　by　adopting　it；　they　should　lose　all　originality　of　thought　and　expression。　　She　would　have　entered　into　an　argument　on　the　subject；　but　for　this；　M。　Heger　had　no　time。　　Charlotte　then　spoke；　she　also　doubted　the　success　of　the　plan；　but　she　would　follow　out　M。　Heger's　advice；　because　she　was　bound　to　obey　him　while　she　was　his　pupil。　　Before　speaking　of　the　results；　it　may　be　desirable　to　give　an　extract　from　one　of　her　letters；　which　shows　some　of　her　first　impressions　of　her　new　life。

〃Brussels；　1842　（May？）。

〃I　was　twenty…six　years　old　a　week　or　two　since；　and　at　this　ripe　time　of　life　I　am　a　school…girl；　and；　on　the　whole；　very　happy　in　that　capacity。　　It　felt　very　strange　at　first　to　submit　to　authority　instead　of　exercising　itto　obey　orders　instead　of　giving　them；　but　I　like　that　state　of　things。　　I　returned　to　it　with　the　same　avidity　that　a　cow；　that　has　long　been　kept　on　dry　hay；　returns　to　fresh　grass。　　Don't　laugh　at　my　simile。　　It　is　natural　to　me　to　submit；　and　very　unnatural　to　command。

〃This　is　a　large　school；　in　which　there　are　about　forty　externes；　or　day　pupils；　and　twelve　pensionnaires；　or　boarders。　　Madame　Heger；　the　head；　is　a　lady　of　precisely　the　same　cast　of　mind；　degree　of　cultivation；　and　quality　of　intellect　as　Miss　…。　　I　think　the　severe　points　are　a　little　softened；　because　she　has　not　been　disappointed；　and　consequently　soured。　　In　a　word；　she　is　a　married　instead　of　a　maiden　lady。　　There　are　three　teachers　in　the　schoolMademoiselle　Blanche；　Mademoiselle　Sophie；　and　Mademoiselle　Marie。　　The　two　first　have　no　particular　character。　One　is　an　old　maid；　and　the　other　will　be　one。　　Mademoiselle　Marie　is　talented　and　original；　but　of　repulsive　and　arbitrary　manners；　which　have　made　the　whole　school；　except　myself　and　Emily；　her　bitter　enemies。　　No　less　than　seven　masters　attend；　to　teach　the　different　branches　of　educationFrench；　Drawing；　Music；　Singing；　Writing；　Arithmetic；　and　German。　　All　in　the　house　are　Catholics　except　ourselves；　one　other　girl；　and　the　gouvernante　of　Madame's　children；　an　Englishwoman；　in　rank　something　between　a　lady's　maid　and　a　nursery　governess。　　The　difference　in　country　and　religion　makes　a　broad　line　of　demarcation　between　us　and　all　the　rest。　　We　are　completely　isolated　in　the　midst　of　numbers。　　Yet　I　think　I　am　never　unhappy；　my　present　life　is　so　delightful；　so　congenial　to　my　own　nature；　compared　to　that　of　a　governess。　　My　time；　constantly　occupied；　passes　too　rapidly。　　Hitherto　both　Emily　and　I　have　had　good　health；　and　therefore　we　have　been　able　to　work　well。　　There　is　one　individual　of　whom　I　have　not　yet　spokenM。　Heger；　the　husband　of　Madame。　　He　is　professor　of　rhetoric；　a　man　of　power　as　to　mind；　but　very　choleric　and　irritable　in　temperament。　　He　is　very　angry　with　me　just　at　present；　because　I　have　written　a　translation　which　he　chose　to　stigmatize　as　'PEU　CORRECT。'　　He　did　not　tell　me　so；　but　wrote　the　word　on　the　margin　of　my　book；　and　asked；　in　brief　stern　phrase；　how　it　happened　that　my　compositions　were　always　better　than　my　translations？　adding　that　the　thing　seemed　to　him　inexplicable。　　The　fact　is；　some　weeks　ago；　in　a　high…flown　humour；　he　forbade　me　to　use　either　dictionary　or　grammar　in　translating　the　most　difficult　English　compositions　into　French。　　This　makes　the　task　rather　arduous；　and　compels　me　every　now　and　then　to　introduce　an　English　word；　which　nearly　plucks　the　eyes　out　of　his　head　when　he　sees　it。　　Emily　and　he　don't　draw　well　together　at　all。　　Emily　works　like　a　horse；　and　she　has　had　great　difficulties　to　contend　withfar　greater　than　I　have　had。　　Indeed；　those　who　come　to　a　French　school　for　instruction　ought　previously　to　have　acquired　a　considerable　knowledge　of　the　French　language；　otherwise　they　will　lose　a　great　deal　of　time；　for　the　course　of　instruction　is　adapted　to　natives　and　not　to　foreigners；　and　in　these　large　establishments　they　will　not　change　their　ordinary　course　for　one　or　two　strangers。　　The　few　private　lessons　that　M。　Heger　has　vouchsafed　to　give　us；　are；　I　suppose；　to　be　considered　a　great　favour；　and　I　can　perceive　they　have　already　excited　much　spite　and　jealousy　in　the　school。

〃You　will　abuse　this　letter　for　being　short　and　dreary；　and　there　are　a　hundred　things　which　I　want　to　tell　you；　but　I　have　not　time。　　Brussels　is　a　beautiful　city。　　The　Belgians　hate　the　English。　　Their　external　morality　is　more　rigid　than　ours。　　To　lace　the　stays　without　a　handkerchief　on　the　neck　is　considered　a　disgusting　piece　of　indelicacy。〃

The　passage　in　this　letter　where　M。　Heger　is　represented　as　prohibiting　the　use　of　dictionary　or　grammar；　refers；　I　imagine；　to　the　time　I　have　mentioned；　when　he　determined　to　adopt　a　new　method　of　instruction　in　the　French　language；　of　which　they　were　to　catch　the　spirit　and　rhythm　rather　from　the　ear　and　the　heart；　as　its　noblest　accents　fell　upon　them；　than　by　over…careful　and　anxious　study　of　its　grammatical　rules。　　It　seems　to　me　a　daring　experiment　on　the　part　of　their　teacher；　but；　doubtless；　he　knew　his　ground；　and　that　it　answered　is　evident　in　the　composition　of　some　of　Charlotte's　DEVOIRS；　written　about　this　time。　　I　am　tempted；　in　illustration　of　this　season　of　mental　culture；　to　recur　to　a　conversation　which　I　had　with　M。　Heger　on　the　manner　in　which　he　formed　his　pupils'　style；　and　to　give　a　proof　of　his　success；　by　copying　a　DEVOIR　of　Charlotte's　with　his　remarks　upon　it。

He　told　me　that　one　day　this　summer　（when　the　Brontes　had　been　for　about　four　months　receiving　instruction　from　him）　he　read　to　them　Victor　Hugo's　celebrated　portrait　of　Mirabeau；　〃mais；　dans　ma　lecon　je　me　bornais　e　ce　qui　concerne　MIRABEAU　ORATEUR。　　C'est　apres　l'analyse　de　ce　morceau；　considere　surtout　du　point　de　vue　du　fond；　de　la　disposition　de　ce　qu'on　pourrait　appeler　LA　CHARPENTE　qu'ont　ete　faits　les　deux　portraits　que　je　vous　donne。〃　He　went　on　to　say　that　he　had　pointed　out　to　them　the　fault　in　Victor　Hugo's　style　as　being　exaggeration　in　conception；　and；　at　the　same　time；　he　had　made　them　notice　the　extreme　beauty　of　his　〃nuances〃　of　expression。　　They　were　then　dismissed　to　choose　the　subject　of　a　similar　kind　of　portrait。　　This　selection　M。　Heger　always　left　to　them；　for　〃it　is　necessary；〃　he　observed；　〃before　sitting　down　to　write　on　a　subject；　to　have　thoughts　and　feelings　about　it。　　I　cannot　tell　on　what　subject　your　heart　and　mind　have　been　excited。　　I　must　leave　that　to　you。〃　　The　marginal　comments；　I　need　hardly　say；　are　M。　Heger's；　the　words　in　italics　are　Charlotte's；　for　which　he　substitutes　a　better　form　of　expression；　which　is　placed　between　brackets。　｛6｝


IMITATION。

〃Le　31　Juillet；　1842。

PORTRAIT　DE　PIERRE　L'HERMITE。　　CHARLOTTE　BRONTE


〃De　temps　en　temps；　il　parait　sur　la　terre　des　hommes　destines　e　etre　les　instruments　＇predestines＇　｛Pourquoi　cette　suppression？｝　de　grands　changements　moraux　ou　politiques。　　Quelquefois　c'est　un　conquerant；　un　Alexandre　ou　un　Attila；　qui　passe　comme　un　ouragan；　et　purifie　l'atmosphere　moral；　comme　l'orage　purifie　l'atmosphere　physique；　quelquefois；　c'est　un　revolutionnaire；　un　Cromwell；　ou　un　Robespierre；　qui　fait　expier　par　un　roi　｛les　fautes　et｝　les　vices　de　toute　une　dynastie；　quelquefois　c'est　un　enthousiaste　religieux　comme　Mahomet；　ou　Pierre　l'Hermite；　qui；　avec　le　seul　levier　de　la　pensee；　souleve　des　nations　entieres；　les　deracine　et　les　transplante　dans　des　climats　nouveaux；　PEUPLANT　L'ASIE　AVEC　LES　HABITANTS　DE　L'EUROPE。　　Pierre　l'Hermite　etait　gentilhomme　de　Picardie；　en　France；　｛Invtile；　quand　vous　ecrivez　er　francais｝　pourquoi　donc　n'a…t…il　passe　sa　vie　comma　les　autres　gentilhommes；　ses　contemporains；　ont　passe　la　leur；　e　table；　e　la　chasse；　dans　son　lit；　sans　s'inquieter　de　Saladin；　ou　de　ses　Sarrasins？　　N'est…　ce　pas；　parce　qu'il　y　a　dans　certaines　natures；　UNE　ARDOUR　＇un　foyer　d'activite＇　indomptable　qui　ne　leur　permet　pas　de　rester　inactives；　QUI　LES　FORCE　E　SE　REMUER　AFIN　D'EXERCER　LES　FACULTES　PUISSANTES；　QUI　MEME　EN　DORMANT　SONT　PRETES；　COMME　SAMPSON；　E　BRISER　LES　NOEUDS　QUI　LES　RETIENNENT？

｛Vous　avez　commence　e　parler　de　Pierre：　　vous　etes　entree　dans　le　sujet：　　marchez　au　but。｝

〃Pierre　prit　la　profession　des　armes；　SI　SON　ARDEUR　AVAIT　ETE　DE　CETTE　ESPECE　＇s'il　n'avait　eu　que　cette　ardeur　vulgaire＇　qui　provient　d'une　robuste　sante；　IL　AURAIT　＇c'eut＇　ete　un　brave　militaire；　et　rien　de　plus；　mais　son　ardeur　etait　celle　de　l'ame；　sa　flamme　etait　pure　et　elle　s'elevait　vers　le　ciel。

〃SANS　DOUTE　＇Il　est　vrai　que＇　la　jeunesse　de　Pierre　ETAIT　＇fet＇　troublee　par　passions　orageuses；　les　natures　puissantes　sont　extremes　en　tout；　elles　ne　connaissent　la　tiedeur　ni　dans　le　bien；　ni　dans　le　mal；　Pierre　donc　chercha　d'abord　avidement　la　gloire　qui　se　fletrit　et　les　plaisirs　qui　trompent；　mais　IL　FIT　BIENTOT　LA　DECOUVERTE　＇bientot　il　s'apercut＇　que　ce　qu'il　poursuivait　n'etait　qe'une　illusion　e　laquelle　il　ne　pourrait　jamais　atteindre；　｛Vnutile；　quand　vous　avez　dit　illusion｝　il　retourna　donc　sur　ses　pas；　il　recommenca　le　voyage　de　la　vie；　mais　cette　fois　il　evita　le　chemin　spacieux　qui　mene　e　la　perdition　et　il　prit　le　chemin　etroit　qui　mene　e　la　vie；　PUISQUE　＇comme＇　le　trajet　etait　long　et　difficile　il　jeta　la　casque　et　les　armes　du　soldat；　et　se　vetit　de　l'habit　simple　du　moine。　　A　la　vie　militaire　succeda　la　vie　monastique；　car　les　extremes　se　touchent；　et　CHEZ　L'HOMME　SINCERE　la　sincerite　du　repentir　amene　＇necessairement　e　la　suite＇　AVEC　LUI　la　rigueur　de　la　penitence。　　＇Voile　donc　Pierre　devenu　moine！＇

〃Mais　PIERRE　＇il＇　avait　en　lui　un　principe　qui　l'empechait　de　rester　long…temps　inactif；　ses　idees；　sur　quel　sujet　QU'IL　SOIT　＇que　ce　fut＇　ne　pouvaient　pas　etre　bornees；　il　ne　lui　suffisait　pas　que　lui…meme　fut　religieux；　que　lui…meme　fut　convaincu　de　la　realite　de　Christianisme　（sic）；　il　fallait　que　toute　l'Europe；　que　toute　l'Asie；　partageat　sa　c