Part 3 (1/2)
”There, Julia, don't look so forlorn, for mercy's sake!” exclaimed Marion. ”You are so delightfully easy to tease; but I confess it was a very poor reward for your silence of the past two days, which (she added with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes) I know must have almost killed you.”
Julia and Florence both laughed outright at this rather equivocal consolation, and at that moment the supper-bell rang.
Friday morning every girl was in her seat precisely as the clock struck nine; for it was French day, and consequently only the second appearance of M. Beranger, and the novelty of having him there at all had by no means worn off.
He entered the room, shortly after, and, having politely wished Miss Stiefbach and her sister good-morning, was about to pa.s.s into the anteroom, when Miss Stiefbach detained him.
”Excuse me, M. Beranger, but I must trouble you to remain here a few moments.”
M. Beranger bowed with his usual grace, and Miss Stiefbach continued:--
”I regret to say (she did not look as if she regretted it at all) that a circ.u.mstance of a most painful nature has lately taken place in this school. One of my young ladies has done that which makes me deem it necessary to exact a public apology from her. As you were indirectly concerned in the matter, I think it proper that the apology should be made before you. Miss--”
”But, madame,” hastily interrupted the astonished Frenchman, ”I cannot imagine; there must be a meestake--I am a perfect stranger; if you will have the goodness to excuse me, I shall be one tousand times obliged;”
and the poor man looked as if he himself was the culprit.
”It is impossible, monsieur,” decidedly replied Miss Stiefbach; ”one particular clause of her punishment was, that it should be made in your presence. Miss Berkley, you will please come forward.”
During the above conversation a most profound silence had reigned throughout the room; the girls, with the exception of the initiated three, had looked from one to another, and then at the group on the platform, with faces expressive of the most intense astonishment, proving how wholly unsuspicious they had been; but as Marion's name was p.r.o.nounced a light broke in upon every one, and all eyes were turned upon her as she left her seat.
Miss Stiefbach stood with her hands folded over each other in her usual stately att.i.tude. M. Beranger looked infinitely annoyed and distressed, and twirled his watch-chain in a very nervous manner. Miss Christine had retired to the extreme end of the platform, and was trying to appear interested in a book; but her face had a sad, pained look, which showed how fully her sympathies were with her pupil.
Florence Stevenson buried her face in her hands; she could not bear to witness her friend's disgrace. Marion advanced quietly up between the rows of desks, and as she stepped upon the platform turned so as to face the school.
She never looked lovelier in her life; a bright color burned in her cheeks, and her eyes, always wonderfully beautiful, glowed with a strange light; but the expression of her face would have baffled the most scrutinizing observer. Calm, quiet, perfectly self-possessed, but without a particle of self-a.s.surance, she stood, the centre of general observation.
Presently she spoke in a full, clear voice: ”Miss Stiefbach, as M.
Beranger evidently does not know how he is concerned in this matter, perhaps I had better explain the circ.u.mstances to him.”
Miss Stiefbach bowed her consent, and Marion, turning towards the bewildered Frenchman, thus addressed him:--
”M. Beranger, last Wednesday morning, as I, with two of my companions, was in my room, which is in the front of the house, my attention was attracted towards a gentleman who was coming down the street, and I immediately called my two friends to the window that they might get a good view of him. Our interest was of course doubly increased when we saw the gentleman enter this garden. His whole appearance was so decidedly elegant (here M. Beranger, who began to see that he was the subject of her remarks, colored up to the roots of his hair) that we could not help giving our opinions of him, and _I_ applied to him the word 'swell,' which in itself I acknowledge to be very inelegant; but my only excuse for using it is, that in this case it was so very expressive.”
M. Beranger, despite his embara.s.sment, could hardly conceal a smile, while a suppressed murmur of amus.e.m.e.nt ran round the room. Miss Stiefbach looked hard at Marion, but her face was composed, and her manner quietly polite; she was apparently perfectly unconscious of having said anything to cause this diversion.
”While we were talking of him, Miss Stiefbach entered the room, and must have, unintentionally of course, overheard our comments, for the first intimation we had of her presence was this remark, which she made standing directly behind us: 'Young ladies, allow me to see; perhaps I can inform you.' And now occurred the remark which it was so exceedingly improper in me to make, and which justly gave so much offence to Miss Stiefbach.” (Here Marion turned towards her teacher, who, as if to encourage her to proceed, bowed quite graciously.) ”I was standing on the seat in the window, and consequently had the best view of the gentleman. In the excitement of the moment, regardless of the difference in our ages, and only remembering that we were impelled by one common object, I asked her to _jump_ on to the seat beside me. Miss Stiefbach, for that rudeness I most sincerely ask your pardon. It was wrong, very wrong of me; I should have stepped aside, thus giving you an excellent opportunity of gratifying your desire to look at what is rarely seen here,--a handsome man.”
The perfect absurdity of Miss Stiefbach's jumping up in a window with a party of wild school-girls, for the sake of looking at a handsome man, or indeed for her to look at a man at any time with any degree of interest, could only be appreciated by those who were daily witnesses of her prim, stately ways. It certainly was too much for the gravity of the inhabitants of that school-room.
[Ill.u.s.tration: MARION APOLOGIZES.]
M. Beranger bit his lip fiercely under his mustache; Miss Christine became suddenly very much interested in something out in the back yard; and the school-girls were obliged to resort to open books and desk-covers to conceal their amus.e.m.e.nt.
Marion alone remained cool and collected, looking at Miss Stiefbach as if to ask if she had said enough.
Miss Stiefbach's face was scarlet, and she shut her teeth tightly together, striving for her usual composure. The sudden turn of Marion's apology, which placed her in such a ridiculous light, had completely disconcerted her, and she knew not what to do or say.
If Marion's eyes had twinkled with mischief; if there had been the slightest tinge of sarcasm in her tone, or of triumph in her manner, Miss Stiefbach would have thought she intended a fresh insult; but throughout the whole her bearing had been unusually quiet, ladylike, and polite. There was no tangible point for her teacher to fasten on, and, commanding herself sufficiently to speak, Miss Stiefbach merely said, ”It is enough; you may go to your seat.”