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Villette, --and here we made known our wish to see the garden and class-rooms, and met with a prompt refusal from the neat _portresse_. We tried diplomacy (also lucre) with her, without avail: it was the _grandes vacances_, the ladies were out, M. Héger was engaged, we could not be gratified,--unless, indeed, we were patrons of the school. At this juncture a portly, ruddy-faced lady of middle age and most courteous of speech and manner appeared, and, addressing us in faultless English, introduced herself as Mademoiselle Héger, co-directress of the _pensionnat_, and
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In response to our apologies for the intrusion and explanations of the desire which had prompted it, we received complaisant assurances of welcome; yet the manner of our kind entertainer indicated that she did not appreciate, much less share in, our admiration and enthusiasm for Charlotte Bronté and her books. In the subsequent conversation it appeared that Mademoiselle and her family hold decided opinions upon the subject,--something more than mere lack of admiration. She was familiar with the novels, and thought that, while they exhibit a talent certainly not above mediocrity, they reflect the injustice, the untruthfulness, and the ingratitude of their creator. We were obliged to confess to ourselves that the family have apparent reason for this view, when we reflected that in the books Miss Bronté has assailed their religion and disparaged the school and the character of the teachers and pupils, has depicted Madame Héger in the odious duad of Madame Beck and Mademoiselle Reuter, has represented M. Héger as the scheming and deceitful M. Pelet and the preposterous M. Paul, Lucy Snowe's lover, that this lover was the husband of Madame Héger, and father of the family of children to whom Lucy was at first _bonne d'enfants_, and that possibly the daughter she has described as the thieving, vicious Désirée--
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--was this very lady now so politely entertaining us. To all this add the significant fact that
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Villette is an autobiographical novel, which
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not a few of the incidents being