At the close of the next lesson I was again at Mdlle.

Henri's desk.

Thus did I accost her:-- "What is your idea of England, mademoiselle?
Why do you wish to go there ?" Accustomed by this time to the calculated abruptness of my manner, it no longer discomposed or surprised her, and she answered with only so much of hesitation as was rendered inevitable by the difficulty she experienced in improvising the translation of her thoughts from French to English.
"England is something unique, as I have heard and read; my idea of it is vague, and I want to go there to render my idea clear, definite." "Hum! How much of England do you suppose you could see if you went there in the capacity of a teacher?
A strange notion you must have of getting a clear and definite idea of a country! All you could see of Great Britain would be the interior of a school, or at most of one or two private dwellings." "It would be an English school; they would be English dwellings." "Indisputably; but what then?
What would be the value of observations made on a scale so narrow ?" "Monsieur, might not one learn something by analogy?
An-echantillon--a--a sample often serves to give an idea of the whole; besides, narrow and wide are words comparative, are they not?
All my life would perhaps seem narrow in your eyes--all the life of a--that little animal subterranean--une taupe--comment dit-on ?" "Mole." "Yes--a mole, which lives underground would seem narrow even to me." "Well, mademoiselle--what then?
Proceed." "Mais, monsieur, vous me comprenez." "Not in the least; have the goodness to explain." "Why, monsieur, it is just so.

In Switzerland I have done but little, learnt but little, and seen but little; my life there was in a circle; I walked the same round every day; I could not get out of it; had I rested--remained there even till my death, I should never have enlarged it, because I am poor and not skilful, I have not great acquirements; when I was quite tired of this round, I begged my aunt to go to Brussels; my existence is no larger here, because I am no richer or higher; I walk in as narrow a limit, but the scene is changed; it would change again if I went to England.

I knew something of the bourgeois of Geneva, now I know something of the bourgeois of Brussels; if I went to London, I would know something of the bourgeois of London.