Isidore — Villette

Lucy's days fill with teaching and with her own study. At Madame Beck's, girls of many nations sit together, and a lie is only a small monthly fault, confessed and absolved. Missing mass is treated as worse. Madame will not support a teacher in a fight with the pupils, because she keeps her own popularity, so Lucy must manage alone. Force will not move them. Patience will, and so will a clear sarcasm they can bear. When a girl's ears burn with shame, that girl is won, and bouquets appear. Then Lucy says, unguarded, that a lie is worse than missing church. The pupils report her. After that a teacher appears whenever a girl sits beside her, and Madame's silent shoes arrive at her back. Isabelle tells her a Protestant will burn at once in hell, and that they might burn her alive now to save her. Lucy laughs.

Ginevra Fanshawe, who arrived a few days after Lucy, complains of the food and brings heaps of mending until Lucy refuses and lets the tears pass. On Sundays she goes out in lilac silk to a suitor she names Isidore, his real name not being pretty enough. She loves him only "comme cela," encourages him furiously, and would be shocked if he failed to break his heart. She cannot describe his face, yet his homage sounds delicate. Lucy tells her he is too good for her, and that she is a vain coquette. Ginevra laughs and dances off as if praised.

Madame gives her great licence to visit, since her stay will not be lengthened whether she learns or not. Mrs. Cholmondeley stops buying her dresses. The gloves, bouquets, and a parure finer than Madame's still appear. Ginevra turns in Lucy's room to be admired. Her uncle knows nothing of the jewels. Lucy says she looked prettier in the plain straw bonnet of the packet, and later tells her to send the presents back. Ginevra confesses that Isidore blushed to offer them, calls it the honour of homage, and says she is his queen but he is not her king. Colonel Alfred de Hamal suits her better. Isidore, she says, is only bourgeois, and seeing her wear the gifts is payment enough. Lucy tells her to leave. Ginevra goes away laughing.