You, Charlotte, represent the A, and I represent your B; for in fact I do depend altogether on you and follow you as A follows B. The C is quite obviously the Captain, who for the moment is to some extent drawing me away from you. Now it is only fair that, if you are not to vanish into the limitless air, you must be provided with a D, and this D is unquestionably the charming little lady Ottilie, whose approaching presence you may no longer resist.’

‘Very well,’ Charlotte replied. ‘Even if, as I think, this example does not precisely fit our case, I still consider it a good thing that today we are for once fully in agreement, and that these natural and elective affinities should hasten me to tell you something in confidence. Let me confess, then, that this afternoon I decided to send for Ottilie: for my housekeeper, who has been loyal to me till now, is leaving to get married. This is why for my own sake and convenience I want Ottilie to come; but I also want her to come for her own sake, and why that should be so you shall read aloud to us. I shall refrain from looking over your shoulder, although it cannot matter whether I do so or not, for I already know the contents. However, do read it to us!’ With these words she drew out a letter and handed it to Eduard.

CHAPTER FIVE

The Headmistress’s Letter

Your Ladyship will forgive me if I write quite briefly today: for the examinations are now over, and I have to report to all our parents and guardians what we have achieved with our pupils during the course of the past year; and brevity is also quite in order here, since I can say much in few words. Your daughter has proved herself the first girl in the school in every respect. The enclosed certificates, and her own letter describing the prizes she has won and expressing the pleasure she feels at so successful an achievement, will bring you reassurance, and indeed joy. Mine is to some extent diminished when I foresee that we shall not for very much longer have any cause to detain with us a lady who has made such vast progress. I commend myself to your Ladyship and will take the liberty in the near future of communicating to you what I consider will be the most advantageous course for her to take now. My assistant has been good enough to write to you on the subject of Ottilie.

The Schoolmaster’s Letter

Our revered headmistress would have me write on the subject of Ottilie, in part because it would, to her way of thinking, be painful to tell what has to be told, but in part too because she herself owes an apology which she would prefer me to make in her stead.

As I know all too well how little our good Ottilie is able to express what lies within her and what she is capable of, I was somewhat fearful of the examination, the more so since no preparation for it is possible, and, if it were to be conducted in the usual fashion, Ottilie could not even be prepared for making a show of knowledge. The event proved my fears to be only too justified: she received no prize, and she is also one of those who have been awarded no certificate. There is no point in expatiating on this. In writing, the others hardly had such well-rounded letters, but they wrote much more fluently; in arithmetic everyone else was faster, and the test did not involve the more difficult problems which she is better able to cope with. In French she excelled many in both the oral and written exercises; in history she could not remember names and dates; in geography she failed to pay attention to political divisions. At the musical recital there was neither time nor leisure for her few modest melodies. In drawing she would certainly have carried off the prize: her outlines were clear and the execution of the picture careful and gifted. Unfortunately she attempted something too big and was unable to complete it.

When the pupils had withdrawn and the examiners took counsel together and granted at any rate a few words to us teachers, I soon noticed that Ottilie was not mentioned at all, or if she was, it was with disapproval or indifference. I hoped I might inspire some goodwill for her by describing her nature and character to them, and I ventured on this with a twofold fervour, firstly because I could speak according to my own conviction, then because in earlier years I had found myself in precisely the same sad case. I was listened to with attention; but when I had finished the chairman of examiners said to me, in an affable but nonetheless laconic manner: ‘Ability is presumed, the point is to turn it into performance. This is the purpose of all education, this is the clearly expressed intention of the parents and guardians, the unexpressed, only half-conscious intention of the children themselves. This is also the object of the examination, whereby both pupil and teacher are judged together. From what we have heard from you we may hope well of the child, and it is in any event to your credit that you pay such exact attention to the abilities of your pupils. Should you succeed in the course of the year in transforming such abilities into performance, you and your favoured pupil shall not lack our applause.’

I resigned myself to the consequences of this, but I did not anticipate a worse thing that happened not long afterwards. When the gentlemen had departed, our good headmistress who, like a good shepherd, does not like to see even one of her sheep go astray – or, as was here the case, undecorated – could not conceal her displeasure, and said to Ottilie, who was standing quietly beside the window while the others were rejoicing over their prizes: ‘For Heaven’s sake, girl! Tell me how it is possible to appear so stupid, when one is not stupid!’ Ottilie replied quite composedly: ‘You must excuse me, dear mother, but today I happen to have another of my headaches, and quite a bad one.’ ‘How could I be expected to know that!’ replied the headmistress, who is usually so sympathetic, and turned away in irritation.

It is true no one could be expected to know, for Ottilie does not alter her expression, nor have I noticed her once raise a hand to her brow.

But that was not all. Your Ladyship’s daughter, who is always very frank and lively, became under the influence of her triumphs of that day arrogant and exuberant. She ran around the room with her prizes and certificates and waved them in front of Ottilie’s face. ‘You’ve done badly today!’ she exclaimed.