I

I remember the whole beginning as a succession of flights and drops, a little seesaw of the right throbs and the wrong. After rising, in town, to meet his appeal, I had at all events a couple of very bad days—found myself doubtful again, felt indeed sure I had made a mistake. In this state of mind I spent the long hours of bumping, swinging coach that carried me to the stopping place at which I was to be met by a vehicle from the house. This convenience, I was told, had been ordered, and I found, toward the close of the June afternoon, a commodious fly in waiting for me. Driving at that hour, on a lovely day, through a country to which the summer sweetness seemed to offer me a friendly welcome, my fortitude mounted afresh and, as we turned into the avenue, encountered a reprieve that was probably but a proof of the point to which it had sunk. I suppose I had expected, or had dreaded, something so melancholy that what greeted me was a good surprise. I remember as a most pleasant impression the broad, clear front, its open windows and fresh curtains and the pair of maids looking out; I remember the lawn and the bright flowers and the crunch of my wheels on the gravel and the clustered treetops over which the rooks circled and cawed in the golden sky. The scene had a greatness that made it a different affair from my own scant home, and there immediately appeared at the door, with a little girl in her hand, a civil person who dropped me as decent a curtsy as if I had been the mistress or a distinguished visitor. I had received in Harley Street a narrower notion of the place, and that, as I recalled it, made me think the proprietor still more of a gentleman, suggested that what I was to enjoy might be something beyond his promise.

I remember the whole beginning as a series of ups and downs, swinging between hope and doubt. In town, I had risen to meet his appeal. But afterward I had at least two very bad days. I began to doubt myself again and felt sure I had made a mistake. I was still in this state of mind during the long, bumpy, swaying coach ride. The coach took me to a stopping place, where a vehicle from the house was to meet me. I had been told it had been ordered, and near the end of the June afternoon, I found a roomy carriage waiting for me. It was a lovely day, and as we drove through the countryside, the sweetness of summer seemed to welcome me. My courage rose again. As we turned into the avenue, I felt a sense of relief. This was probably only a sign of how low my courage had sunk. I suppose I had expected, or feared, something so gloomy that what I saw came as a pleasant surprise. I remember the broad, bright front of the house, with its open windows, fresh curtains, and two maids looking out. I remember the lawn and the bright flowers, and the crunch of the wheels on the gravel. Beyond the clustered treetops, rooks circled and cawed in the golden sky. The scene was grand, so unlike my own modest home. At once, a polite woman appeared at the door, holding a little girl by the hand. She gave me a proper curtsy, as if I were the lady of the house or a distinguished visitor. In Harley Street, I had been given a more modest impression of the place. As I recalled that, I thought the owner even more of a gentleman. It suggested that what I was to enjoy might be more than he had promised.

I had no drop again till the next day, for I was carried triumphantly through the following hours by my introduction to the younger of my pupils. The little girl who accompanied Mrs. Grose appeared to me on the spot a creature so charming as to make it a great fortune to have to do with her. She was the most beautiful child I had ever seen, and I afterward wondered that my employer had not told me more of her. I slept little that night—I was too much excited; and this astonished me too, I recollect, remained with me, adding to my sense of the liberality with which I was treated. The large, impressive room, one of the best in the house, the great state bed, as I almost felt it, the full, figured draperies, the long glasses in which, for the first time, I could see myself from head to foot, all struck me—like the extraordinary charm of my small charge—as so many things thrown in. It was thrown in as well, from the first moment, that I should get on with Mrs. Grose in a relation over which, on my way, in the coach, I fear I had rather brooded. The only thing indeed that in this early outlook might have made me shrink again was the clear circumstance of her being so glad to see me. I perceived within half an hour that she was so glad—stout, simple, plain, clean, wholesome woman—as to be positively on her guard against showing it too much. I wondered even then a little why she should wish not to show it, and that, with reflection, with suspicion, might of course have made me uneasy.

My spirits did not drop again until the next day. Meeting the younger of my pupils carried me triumphantly through the hours that followed. The little girl who came with Mrs. Grose struck me at once as so charming that I felt fortunate to have her in my care. She was the most beautiful child I had ever seen. Later, I wondered why my employer had not told me more about her. I slept little that night because I was too excited. I remember that I was also astonished, and the astonishment stayed with me. It added to my sense of how generously I was being treated. My large, impressive room was one of the best in the house. There was the great bed, which almost felt grand enough for royalty, the full, patterned curtains, and the long mirrors. For the first time, I could see myself in them from head to foot. Like the extraordinary charm of the little girl in my care, all these seemed like extra gifts. From the first moment, I felt that getting along with Mrs. Grose was another such gift. I fear I had worried about our relationship during the coach journey. The only thing that might have made me shrink back again was how clearly glad she was to see me. Within half an hour, I could see that she was so glad she was actually careful not to show it too much. She was a stout, simple, plain, clean, wholesome woman. Even then, I wondered a little why she did not want to show how glad she was. If I had thought about it and grown suspicious, that might, of course, have made me uneasy.

But it was a comfort that there could be no uneasiness in a connection with anything so beatific as the radiant image of my little girl, the vision of whose angelic beauty had probably more than anything else to do with the restlessness that, before morning, made me several times rise and wander about my room to take in the whole picture and prospect; to watch, from my open window, the faint summer dawn, to look at such portions of the rest of the house as I could catch, and to listen, while, in the fading dusk, the first birds began to twitter, for the possible recurrence of a sound or two, less natural and not without, but within, that I had fancied I heard. There had been a moment when I believed I recognized, faint and far, the cry of a child; there had been another when I found myself just consciously starting as at the passage, before my door, of a light footstep. But these fancies were not marked enough not to be thrown off, and it is only in the light, or the gloom, I should rather say, of other and subsequent matters that they now come back to me. To watch, teach, “form” little Flora would too evidently be the making of a happy and useful life. It had been agreed between us downstairs that after this first occasion I should have her as a matter of course at night, her small white bed being already arranged, to that end, in my room. What I had undertaken was the whole care of her, and she had remained, just this last time, with Mrs. Grose only as an effect of our consideration for my inevitable strangeness and her natural timidity. In spite of this timidity—which the child herself, in the oddest way in the world, had been perfectly frank and brave about, allowing it, without a sign of uncomfortable consciousness, with the deep, sweet serenity indeed of one of Raphael’s holy infants, to be discussed, to be imputed to her, and to determine us—I feel quite sure she would presently like me. It was part of what I already liked Mrs. Grose herself for, the pleasure I could see her feel in my admiration and wonder as I sat at supper with four tall candles and with my pupil, in a high chair and a bib, brightly facing me, between them, over bread and milk. There were naturally things that in Flora’s presence could pass between us only as prodigious and gratified looks, obscure and roundabout allusions.

But it was comforting to know that there could be no uneasiness associated with anything as blessed as the radiant image of my little girl. The vision of her angelic beauty probably did more than anything else to make me restless. Before morning, I got up several times and wandered around my room, taking in the whole scene and view. From my open window, I watched the faint summer dawn and looked at what I could see of the rest of the house. As the darkness faded and the first birds began to twitter, I listened for sounds I had imagined hearing. They were less natural sounds, coming from inside the house rather than outside. At one moment, I had thought I recognized the faint, distant cry of a child. At another, I had caught myself starting as if a light footstep had passed my door. But these impressions were vague enough to dismiss. They come back to me now only in the light, or rather the gloom, of other things that happened later. Watching over, teaching, and “forming” little Flora would clearly make for a happy and useful life. Downstairs, we had agreed that after this first night she would sleep with me as a matter of course. Her small white bed had already been set up in my room for that purpose. I had taken on the whole care of her. She had stayed with Mrs. Grose just this last time out of consideration for my inevitable unfamiliarity and her natural shyness. Despite her shyness, I felt quite sure she would soon like me. In the oddest way, the child herself had been perfectly frank and brave about being shy. She showed no sign of discomfort as we discussed her shyness, ascribed it to her, and let it guide our decision. She accepted it all with the deep, sweet serenity of one of Raphael’s holy infants. One reason I already liked Mrs. Grose was the pleasure she took in my admiration and wonder. I could see it as I sat at supper with four tall candles. My pupil sat opposite me, between the candles, in a high chair and a bib, her face bright as she ate bread and milk. Naturally, some things could be expressed in Flora’s presence only through astonished, pleased looks and vague, indirect hints.

“And the little boy—does he look like her? Is he too so very remarkable?”

“And the little boy, does he look like her? Is he also so remarkable?”

One wouldn’t flatter a child. “Oh, miss, most remarkable. If you think well of this one!”—and she stood there with a plate in her hand, beaming at our companion, who looked from one of us to the other with placid heavenly eyes that contained nothing to check us.

One wouldn’t flatter a child. “Oh, miss, very remarkable. If you think highly of this one!” She stood there holding a plate, beaming at our companion. The child looked from one of us to the other with calm, heavenly eyes that did nothing to stop us.

“Yes; if I do—?”

“Yes, if I do?”

“You will be carried away by the little gentleman!”

“You will be charmed by the little gentleman!”

“Well, that, I think, is what I came for—to be carried away. I’m afraid, however,” I remember feeling the impulse to add, “I’m rather easily carried away. I was carried away in London!”

“Well, I think that’s why I came. I wanted to be carried away. But I’m afraid,” I remember wanting to add, “I’m rather easily carried away. I was carried away in London!”

I can still see Mrs. Grose’s broad face as she took this in. “In Harley Street?”

I can still picture Mrs. Grose’s broad face as she took this in. “In Harley Street?”

“In Harley Street.”

“In Harley Street.”

“Well, miss, you’re not the first—and you won’t be the last.”

“Well, miss, you’re not the first, and you won’t be the last.”

“Oh, I’ve no pretension,” I could laugh, “to being the only one. My other pupil, at any rate, as I understand, comes back tomorrow?”

“Oh, I don’t claim to be the only one,” I said with a laugh. “In any case, my other pupil comes back tomorrow, as I understand it?”

“Not tomorrow—Friday, miss. He arrives, as you did, by the coach, under care of the guard, and is to be met by the same carriage.”

“Not tomorrow, miss. Friday. He'll arrive by coach, as you did, in the guard's care. The same carriage will meet him.”

I forthwith expressed that the proper as well as the pleasant and friendly thing would be therefore that on the arrival of the public conveyance I should be in waiting for him with his little sister; an idea in which Mrs. Grose concurred so heartily that I somehow took her manner as a kind of comforting pledge—never falsified, thank heaven!—that we should on every question be quite at one. Oh, she was glad I was there!

I immediately said that the proper, pleasant, and friendly thing would be to meet him with his little sister when the coach arrived. Mrs. Grose agreed so heartily that I somehow took her manner as a comforting promise that we would agree on every question. And thank heaven, that promise was never broken! Oh, she was glad I was there!

What I felt the next day was, I suppose, nothing that could be fairly called a reaction from the cheer of my arrival; it was probably at the most only a slight oppression produced by a fuller measure of the scale, as I walked round them, gazed up at them, took them in, of my new circumstances. They had, as it were, an extent and mass for which I had not been prepared and in the presence of which I found myself, freshly, a little scared as well as a little proud. Lessons, in this agitation, certainly suffered some delay; I reflected that my first duty was, by the gentlest arts I could contrive, to win the child into the sense of knowing me. I spent the day with her out-of-doors; I arranged with her, to her great satisfaction, that it should be she, she only, who might show me the place. She showed it step by step and room by room and secret by secret, with droll, delightful, childish talk about it and with the result, in half an hour, of our becoming immense friends. Young as she was, I was struck, throughout our little tour, with her confidence and courage with the way, in empty chambers and dull corridors, on crooked staircases that made me pause and even on the summit of an old machicolated square tower that made me dizzy, her morning music, her disposition to tell me so many more things than she asked, rang out and led me on. I have not seen Bly since the day I left it, and I daresay that to my older and more informed eyes it would now appear sufficiently contracted. But as my little conductress, with her hair of gold and her frock of blue, danced before me round corners and pattered down passages, I had the view of a castle of romance inhabited by a rosy sprite, such a place as would somehow, for diversion of the young idea, take all color out of storybooks and fairytales. Wasn’t it just a storybook over which I had fallen adoze and adream? No; it was a big, ugly, antique, but convenient house, embodying a few features of a building still older, half-replaced and half-utilized, in which I had the fancy of our being almost as lost as a handful of passengers in a great drifting ship. Well, I was, strangely, at the helm!

What I felt the next day was not, I suppose, really a reaction to the cheer of my arrival. At most, I was probably only a little overwhelmed by a fuller sense of my new circumstances. I walked around the place, gazed up at it, and took it all in. Its size and grandeur were more than I had expected. Confronted with them, I found myself a little scared, as well as a little proud. In my unsettled state, lessons were certainly delayed. I decided that my first duty was to help the child feel she knew me, using the gentlest means I could devise. I spent the day outdoors with her. To her great satisfaction, I arranged for her, and her alone, to show me the place. She showed it to me step by step, room by room, and secret by secret. She talked about it in a funny, delightful, childlike way, and within half an hour we had become great friends. Young as she was, her confidence and courage struck me throughout our little tour. We went through empty rooms and gloomy corridors, up crooked staircases that made me pause, and even to the top of an old square tower with openings in its parapet. The height made me dizzy. Yet her morning music, her readiness to tell me so many more things than she asked, rang out and led me on. I have not seen Bly since the day I left it. I daresay it would now look quite small to my older, more knowledgeable eyes. But as my little guide, with her golden hair and blue dress, danced ahead of me around corners and pattered down passages, I saw a castle out of a romance, inhabited by a rosy sprite. It was the kind of place that would somehow make storybooks and fairy tales seem dull to a young mind in search of amusement. Wasn't it just a storybook over which I had fallen asleep and begun to dream? No, it was a big, ugly, old but convenient house. It incorporated a few features of an even older building, which had been partly replaced and partly put to use. In this house, I imagined that we were almost as lost as a handful of passengers on a great drifting ship. Well, strangely enough, I was at the helm!