第5章 A French Lesson(1)

When Sara entered the schoolroom the next morning everybody looked at her with wide,interested eyes.By that time every pupil--from Lavinia Herbert,who was nearly thirteen and felt quite grown up,to Lottie Legh,who was only just four and the baby of the school--had heard a great deal about her.They knew very certainly that she was Miss Minchin's show pupil and was considered a credit to the establishment.One or two of them had even caught a glimpse of her French maid,Mariette,who had arrived the evening before.

Lavinia had managed to pass Sara's room when the door was open,and had seen Mariette opening a box which had arrived late from some shop.

"It was full of petticoats with lace frills on them--frills and frills,"

she whispered to her friend Jessie as she bent over her geography.

"I saw her shaking them out.I heard Miss Minchin say to Miss Amelia that her clothes were so grand that they were ridiculous for a child.My mamma says that children should be dressed simply.

She has got one of those petticoats on now.I saw it when she sat down."

"She has silk stockings on!"whispered Jessie,bending over her geography also."And what little feet!I never saw such little feet."

"Oh,"sniffed Lavinia,spitefully,"that is the way her slippers are made.My mamma says that even big feet can be made to look small if you have a clever shoemaker.I don't think she is pretty 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 to look at her again.She has tremendously long eyelashes,but her eyes are almost green."

Sara was sitting quietly in her seat,waiting to be told what to do.

She had been placed near Miss Minchin's desk.She was not abashed at all by the many pairs of eyes watching her.She was interested and looked back quietly at the children who looked at her.

She wondered what they were thinking of,and if they liked Miss Minchin,and if they cared for their lessons,and if any of them had a papa at all like her own.She had had a long talk with Emily about her papa that morning.

"He is on the sea now,Emily,"she had said."We must be very great friends to each other and tell each other things.Emily,look at me.

You have the nicest eyes I ever saw--but I wish you could speak."

She was a child full of imaginings and whimsical thoughts,and one of her fancies was that there would be a great deal of comfort in even pretending that Emily was alive and really heard and understood.

After Mariette had dressed her in her dark-blue schoolroom frock and tied her hair with a dark-blue ribbon,she went to Emily,who sat in a chair of her own,and gave her a book.

"You can read that while I am downstairs,"she said;and,seeing Mariette looking at her curiously,she spoke to her with a serious little face.

"What I believe about dolls,"she said,"is that they can do things they will not let us know about.Perhaps,really,Emily can read and talk and walk,but she will only do it when people are out of the room.That is her secret.You see,if people knew that dolls could do things,they would make them work.So,perhaps,they have promised each other to keep it a secret.If you stay in the room,Emily will just sit there and stare;but if you go out,she will begin to read,perhaps,or go and look out of the window.

Then if she heard either of us coming,she would just run back and jump into her chair and pretend she had been there all the time."

"Comme elle est drole!"Mariette said to herself,and when she went downstairs she told the head housemaid about it.But she had already begun to like this odd little girl who had such an intelligent small face and such perfect manners.She had taken care of children before who were not so polite.Sara was a very fine little person,and had a gentle,appreciative way of saying,"If you please,Mariette,"

"Thank you,Mariette,"which was very charming.Mariette told the head housemaid that she thanked her as 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 liked her place greatly.

After Sara had sat in her seat in the schoolroom for a few minutes,being looked at by the pupils,Miss Minchin rapped in a dignified manner upon her desk.

"Young ladies,"she said,"I wish to introduce you to your new companion."All the little girls rose in their places,and Sara rose also."I shall expect you all to be very agreeable to Miss Crewe;

she has just come to us from a great distance--in fact,from India.

As soon as lessons are over you must make each other'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 here to me."

She had taken a book from the desk and was turning over its leaves.

Sara went to her politely.

"As your papa has engaged a French maid for you,"she began,"I conclude that he wishes you to make a special study of the French language."

Sara felt a little awkward.