_June 11th._--After we had finished drawing, we went downstairs into
the schoolroom. It was a long room; in it there were two tables, which
seemed originally to have been white, but they were now almost black
with ink-stains and dirt; at the top of one of the tables sat Madame
Crosnier, and at the other Mademoiselle Allemagne. We none of us did
anything but write and copy one another's writings; Madame Crosnier
sat reading the newspapers, every now and then looking up and saying
'travaillez,' or 'paix.' The girls stained all their frocks and aprons
with ink; if the rulers were inky they wiped them on their aprons, and
if there were not inkstands enough, they had a very short expedient;
they made an inkstand of the table, by pouring some ink on it into
which they dipped their pens. The paper of the room was torn off, so
that in many places one could see the canvas that covered the walls.
Round the room were hung several maps, which looked as if they had been
nibbled away by mice. The girls jumped over the stools, spirted ink at
one another, tossed about the books, and danced upon the tables;[19]
it did not seem to be in the teachers' power to make them be quiet,
though they sometimes gave them verses to write; but the most common
punishment was either making them kneel down (which the girls seemed
to think good fun), or else sending for the _bonnet de nuit_, which
they put on and laughed. Soon after we had come down, one of the
girls brought in Madame Crosnier's breakfast. She used to have such
a variety; one day fish, another asparagus and oil, another dressed
eggs, another pease, another minced beef, etc., along with this she
had bread, and wine and water; and afterwards she had a cup of coffee
and some more bread, so that she did very well. Soon after Madame
Crosnier had finished her breakfast, they had prayers; the girls knelt
down, while one of them gabbled over a prayer as quick as she could;
the only words we could distinguish were, 'C'est ma faute, c'est ma
faute, c'est ma grande faute, par St. Jean, et St. Paul, et St. Pierre'
(then all the French girls crossed themselves). Madame Crosnier and
Mademoiselle Allemagne very seldom knelt down; they used to be employed
mending pens or correcting exercises. After prayers were finished,
the girls got up and wrote as before. Madame Crosnier's two children
used to come running in, or squealing at the door most of school-time.
The youngest was quite an infant, a miserable-looking little thing,
wrapt up in a woollen cloth, daubed with dirt: the servants used to
sit in the kitchen with it on their knees, and stuff its mouth full of
curd. The other child was liked by some of the girls, but I thought
it a most disagreeable little brat: it had on a dirty, ragged, little
brown pinafore, and its face looked as if it was never washed. At
twelve o'clock Madame Crosnier rang a bell, and then all the girls
left off school, and went into the luncheon-room. The day-scholars
brought their own luncheon, mostly bread and cherries, and capillaire
or sorbet to drink; two little French girls brought a bottle of wine,
or wine and water, which they drank _between_ them. Those that did not
bring their luncheon got the sour French bread and curds, or apples.
Mademoiselle Allemagne or Mademoiselle Croissé helped the luncheon.
The girls used to eat one, and sometimes two, half slices off the flat
loaves a foot in breadth, cut very thick, and sour curd as thick as
the bread; the girls used to take dirty knives out of their pockets
and spread the curd on the bread. The English girls told us that
they got for breakfast, broth or radishes, or apples and bread; for
dinner, _bouilli_ or roast mutton, and instead of pudding, vegetables
dressed with butter; and for supper nearly the same as at luncheon.
After luncheon they used to go into the garden (which was more like
a wilderness) and skip or run, or sit and talk, or else they used
to amuse themselves in the house, in making little baskets, fishes,
crosses, birds, etc., of beads; which was very agreeable work.[20] At
one o'clock the bell rang again, and we employed ourselves much the
same as in the morning, till two o'clock, when school was over. Annette
taught in a different room, principally the little ones. We once looked
in: all the little girls were sitting dawdling and scribbling round
the table up to their elbows in ink; Annette was walking round rapping
the table with a short ruler and saying 'travaillez, travaillez.' The
youngest of her scholars, who was only five years old, used to walk up
and down the passages most of schooltime, and if any of the English
girls spoke to her she used to say, 'Moitié Anglaise, moitié Anglaise.'
She could, however, speak nothing but French. Notwithstanding the
number of English, not one of the French girls could speak a word of
English except Mademoiselle Selina, who used to say 'Good nih, good
morning.'[21]
We were altogether very much astonished at this _genteel_ and select
school; if I had not seen it, I could not have thought it possible for
the girls to be specimens of French young ladies. I only attended a
month, and though, at first, it was a change, I was not sorry to leave
such a dirty, disagreeable place. Catherine and Euphemia were ill, and
therefore stayed a much shorter time. Madame Crosnier's fête was some
months after. I was told that on her fête she gave a ball and supper,
to which she invited (besides her own friends) all the young ladies
and their parents. One English girl said if she might she would have
no wish to come, for she knew they would get nothing but scraps to eat
and sugar and water to drink.[22] Before the fête it is the custom
to give Madame Crosnier a present. One year they gave her a gown,
another year a carpet, and this year it was to be a clock. Each of the
girls subscribed ten francs or 8s. 4d., and some of the little ones
six francs. They also gave a drawing or some present of their own. At
Christmas they each gave a pound of tea or sugar, or a pair of gloves
or some other thing.
[Illustration: FRENCH MILLER]
Before the girls took their _première communion_ (which they take as
soon as they are ten years old) Madame Crosnier instructed them a great
deal on their catechism, etc.; they did not come down or speak to any
of the other girls for a week before.
Near the stables there were several girls who used to beg from every
person they met; two were quite rude. As we went we used to see people
sitting out of doors getting their breakfasts or dinners. They seemed
to have very curious messes: bread and fruit, broth, and porringers of
preserves into which they dipt their bread, for dinner. On one bench
we generally used to see a number of millers[23] sitting getting their
breakfast, with a very long roll and a knife in their hands, and a
bottle of _vin ordinaire_ beside them.