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perceived Mrs。 Church's exposition of her views to be by no means
complete； but in order to offer a chair to Miss Aurora； who at this
moment drew near。 She thanked me and remained standing； but without
at first； as I noticed； meeting her mother's eye。
〃You have been engaged with your new acquaintance； my dear？〃 this
lady inquired。
〃Yes； mamma； dear；〃 said the young girl； gently。
〃Do you find her very edifying？〃
Aurora was silent a moment； then she looked at her mother。 〃I don't
know； mamma； she is very fresh。〃
I ventured to indulge in a respectful laugh。 〃Your mother has
another word for that。 But I must not；〃 I added； 〃be crude。〃
〃Ah； vous m'en voulez？〃 inquired Mrs。 Church。 〃And yet I can't
pretend I said it in jest。 I feel it too much。 We have been having
a little social discussion；〃 she said to her daughter。 〃There is
still so much to be said。〃 〃And I wish；〃 she continued； turning to
me； 〃that I could give you our point of view。 Don't you wish；
Aurora； that we could give him our point of view？〃
〃Yes； mamma；〃 said Aurora。
〃We consider ourselves very fortunate in our point of view； don't we；
dearest？〃 mamma demanded。
〃Very fortunate； indeed； mamma。〃
〃You see we have acquired an insight into European life；〃 the elder
lady pursued。 〃We have our place at many a European fireside。 We
find so much to esteemso much to enjoy。 Do we not； my daughter？〃
〃So very much； mamma；〃 the young girl went on； with a sort of
inscrutable submissiveness。 I wondered at it； it offered so strange
a contrast to the mocking freedom of her tone the night before； but
while I wondered I was careful not to let my perplexity take
precedence of my good manners。
〃I don't know what you ladies may have found at European firesides；〃
I said； 〃but there can be very little doubt what you have left
there。〃
Mrs。 Church got up； to acknowledge my compliment。 〃We have spent
some charming hours。 And that reminds me that we have just now such
an occasion in prospect。 We are to call upon some Genevese friends
the family of the Pasteur Galopin。 They are to go with us to the old
library at the Hotel de Ville； where there are some very interesting
documents of the period of the Reformation； we are promised a glimpse
of some manuscripts of poor Servetus； the antagonist and victim； you
know； of Calvin。 Here； of course； one can only speak of Calvin under
one's breath； but some day； when we are more private；〃 and Mrs。
Church looked round the room； 〃I will give you my view of him。 I
think it has a touch of originality。 Aurora is familiar with； are
you not； my daughter； familiar with my view of Calvin？〃
〃Yes； mamma；〃 said Aurora； with docility； while the two ladies went
to prepare for their visit to the Pasteur Galopin。
CHAPTER VI。
〃She has demanded a new lamp； I told you she would！〃 This
communication was made me by Madame Beaurepas a couple of days later。
〃And she has asked for a new tapis de lit； and she has requested me
to provide Celestine with a pair of light shoes。 I told her that； as
a general thing； cooks are not shod with satin。 That poor
Celestine！〃
〃Mrs。 Church may be exacting；〃 I said； 〃but she is a clever little
woman。〃
〃A lady who pays but five francs and a half shouldn't be too clever。
C'est deplace。 I don't like the type。〃
〃What type do you call Mrs。 Church's？〃
〃Mon Dieu；〃 said Madame Beaurepas； 〃c'est une de ces mamans comme
vous en avez； qui promenent leur fille。〃
〃She is trying to marry her daughter？ I don't think she's of that
sort。〃
But Madame Beaurepas shrewdly held to her idea。 〃She is trying it in
her own way； she does it very quietly。 She doesn't want an American；
she wants a foreigner。 And she wants a mari serieux。 But she is
travelling over Europe in search of one。 She would like a
magistrate。〃
〃A magistrate？〃
〃A gros bonnet of some kind； a professor or a deputy。〃
〃I am very sorry for the poor girl；〃 I said； laughing。
〃You needn't pity her too much； she's a sly thing。〃
〃Ah； for that； no！〃 I exclaimed。 〃She's a charming girl。〃
Madame Beaurepas gave an elderly grin。 〃She has hooked you； eh？ But
the mother won't have you。〃
I developed my idea； without heeding this insinuation。 〃She's a
charming girl； but she is a little odd。 It's a necessity of her
position。 She is less submissive to her mother than she has to
pretend to be。 That's in self…defence； it's to make her life
possible。〃
〃She wishes to get away from her mother；〃 continued Madame Beaurepas。
〃She wishes to courir les champs。〃
〃She wishes to go to America； her native country。〃
〃Precisely。 And she will certainly go。〃
〃I hope so！〃 I rejoined。
〃Some fine morningor eveningshe will go off with a young man；
probably with a young American。〃
〃Allons donc！〃 said I； with disgust。
〃That will be quite America enough；〃 pursued my cynical hostess。 〃I
have kept a boarding…house for forty years。 I have seen that type。〃
〃Have such things as that happened chez vous？〃 I asked。
〃Everything has happened chez moi。 But nothing has happened more
than once。 Therefore this won't happen here。 It will be at the next
place they go to； or the next。 Besides； here there is no young
American pour la partienone except you； Monsieur。 You are
susceptible； but you are too reasonable。〃
〃It's lucky for you I am reasonable；〃 I answered。 〃It's thanks to
that fact that you escape a scolding！〃
One morning； about this time； instead of coming back to breakfast at
the pension； after my lectures at the Academy； I went to partake of
this meal with a fellow…student； at an ancient eating…house in the
collegiate quarter。 On separating from my friend； I took my way
along that charming public walk known in Geneva as the Treille； a
shady terrace； of immense elevation； overhanging a portion of the
lower town。 There are spreading trees and well…worn benches； and
over the tiles and chimneys of the ville basse there is a view of the
snow…crested Alps。 On the other side； as you turn your back to the
view； the promenade is overlooked by a row of tall； sober…faced
hotels； the dwellings of the local aristocracy。 I was very fond of
the place； and often resorted to it to stimulate my sense of the
picturesque。 Presently； as I lingered there on this occasion； I
became aware that a gentleman was seated not far from where I stood；
with his back to the Alpine chain； which this morning was brilliant
and distinct； and a newspaper； unfolded； in his lap。 He was not
reading； however； he was staring before him in gloomy contemplation。
I don't know whether I recognised first the newspaper or its
proprietor； one； in either case； would have helped me to identify the
other。 One was the New York Herald； the other； of course； was Mr。
Ruck。 As I drew nearer； he transferred his eyes from the stony；
high…featured masks of the gray old houses on the other side of the
terrace； and I knew by the expression of his face just how he had
been feeling about these distinguished abodes。 He had made up his
mind that their proprietors were a dusky； narrow…minded； unsociable
company； plunging their roots into a superfluous past。 I
endeavoured； therefore； as I sat down beside him； to suggest
something more impersonal。
〃That's a beautiful view of the Alps；〃 I observed。
〃Yes；〃 said Mr。 Ruck； without moving； 〃I've examined it。 Fine thing；
in its wayfine thing。 Beauties of naturethat sort of thing。 We
came up on purpose to look at it。〃
〃Your ladies； then； have been with you？〃
〃Yes； they are just walking round。 They're awfully restless。 They
keep saying I'm restless； but I'm as quiet as a sleeping child to
them。 It takes；〃 he added in a moment； drily； 〃the form of
shopping。〃
〃Are they shopping now？〃
〃Well； if they ain't； they're trying to。 They told me to sit here a
while； and they'd just walk round。 I generally know what that means。
But that's the principal interest for ladies；〃 he added； retracting
his irony。 〃We thought we'd come up here and see the cathedral； Mrs。
Church seemed to think it a dead loss that we shouldn't see the
cathedral； especially as we hadn't seen many yet。 And I had to come
up to the banker's any way。 Well； we certainly saw the cathedral。 I
don't know as we are any the better for it； and I don't know as I
should know it again。 But we saw it； any way。 I don't know as I
should want to go there regularly； but I suppose it will give us； in
conversation； a kind of hold on Mrs。 Church； eh？ I guess we want
something of that kind。 Well；〃 Mr。 Ruck continued； 〃I stepped in at
the banker's to see if there wasn't something； and they handed me out
a Herald。〃
〃I hope the Herald is full of good news；〃 I said。
〃Can't say it is。 D…d bad news。〃
〃Political；〃 I inquired； 〃or commercial？〃
〃Oh； hang politics！ It's business； sir。 There ain't any business。
It's all gone to；〃and Mr。 Ruck became profane。 〃Nine failures in
one day。 What do you say…to that？〃
〃I hope they haven't injured you；〃 I said。
〃Well； they haven't helped me much。 So many houses on fire； that's
all。 If they happen to take place in your own street； they don't
increase the value of your property。 When