第79部分(第3/7 页)

on；　and　must；　besides；　have　been　innately　conscious　that　in　my　place　they　would　have　done　precisely　what　I　wished　to　do—they　yielded　at　length　so　far　as　to　consent　to　put　the　affair　to　arbitration。　The　judges　chosen　were　Mr。　Oliver　and　an　able　lawyer：　both　coincided　in　my　opinion：　I　carried　my　point。　The　instruments　of　transfer　were　drawn　out：　St。　John；　Diana；　Mary；　and　I；　each　became　possessed　of　a　petency。

Chapter　33

It　was　near　Christmas　by　the　time　all　was　settled：　the　season　of　general　holiday　approached。　I　now　closed　Morton　school；　taking　care　that　the　parting　should　not　be　barren　on　my　side。　Good　fortune　opens　the　hand　as　well　as　the　heart　wonderfully；　and　to　give　somewhat　when　we　have　largely　received；　is　but　to　afford　a　vent　to　the　unusual　ebullition　of　the　sensations。　I　had　long　felt　with　pleasure　that　many　of　my　rustic　scholars　liked　me；　and　when　we　parted；　that　consciousness　was　confirmed：　they　manifested　their　affection　plainly　and　strongly。　Deep　was　my　gratification　to　find　I　had　really　a　place　in　their　unsophisticated　hearts：　I　promised　them　that　never　a　week　should　pass　in　future　that　I　did　not　visit　them；　and　give　them　an　hour’s　teaching　in　their　school。

Mr。　Rivers　came　up　as；　having　seen　the　classes；　now　numbering　sixty　girls；　file　out　before　me；　and　locked　the　door；　I　stood　with　the　key　in　my　hand；　exchanging　a　few　words　of　special　farewell　with　some　half…dozen　of　my　best　scholars：　as　decent；　respectable；　modest；　and　well…informed　young　women　as　could　be　found　in　the　ranks　of　the　British　peasantry。　And　that　is　saying　a　great　deal；　for　after　all；　the　British　peasantry　are　the　best　taught；　best　mannered；　most　self…　respecting　of　any　in　Europe：　since　those　days　I　have　seen　paysannes　and　Bauerinnen；　and　the　best　of　them　seemed　to　me　i