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Boncourt often glanced at Rudin with a peculiarly stealthy expression in her eyes; in old setter dogs one may sometimes see the same expression. 'Aha! she seemed to be saying to herself, 'so you're caught! At last six o'clock struck, and Rudin's carriage was brought to the door. He began to take a hurried farewell of all. He had a feeling of nausea at his heart.
Mlle, Boncourt had not given her lessons in mythology and geography for a long while; but Natalya had every morning to read historical books, travels, or other instructive works with her. Darya Mihailovna selected them, ostensibly on a special system of her own.
Natalya looked her mother in the face and thought, 'Why shouldn't I be reserved? When Rudin met her on the terrace she was just going indoors with Mlle, Boncourt to put on her hat and go out into the garden. Her morning occupations were over. Natalya was not treated as a school-girl now.
'Yes, indeed, with a stake, a very big stake, like those that are used in the defence of a fort. 'Mais c'est un horreur ce que vous dites la, Monsieur, cried Mlle. Boncourt, looking angrily at the boys, who were in fits of laughter. 'Oh, you mustn't believe him, said Darya Mihailovna. 'Don't you know him?
But Natalya read books too, the existence of which Mlle, Boncourt did not suspect; she knew all Pushkin by heart. Natalya flushed slightly at meeting Rudin. 'Are you going for a walk? he asked her. 'Yes. We are going into the garden. 'May I come with you? Natalya looked at Mlle, Boncourt 'Mais certainement, monsieur; avec plaisir, said the old lady promptly.
In the latter year he was invited to become a prof. at Coimbra, where he was imprisoned by the Inquisition as a heretic from 1549-51, and wrote the greater part of his magnificent translation of the Psalms into Latin verse, which has never been excelled by any modern. He returned to England in 1552, but soon re-crossed to France and taught in the Coll. of Boncourt.
Mlle, Boncourt looked specially severely and sourly through her spectacles when Natalya was reading historical books; according to the old French lady's ideas all history was filled with impermissible things, though for some reason or other of all the great men of antiquity she herself knew only one Cambyses, and of modern times Louis XIV. and Napoleon, whom she could not endure.
Then she summoned Mlle. Boncourt and remained a long while closeted with her. When she had dismissed her she sent for Pandalevsky. She wanted at all hazards to discover the real cause of Rudin's departure... but Pandalevsky succeeded in completely satisfying her. It was what he was there for. The next day Volintsev and his sister came to dinner.
The day before she had been very silent all day; she was secretly ashamed of her tears, and she slept very badly. Sitting half-dressed at her little piano, at times she played some chords, hardly audibly for fear of waking Mlle. Boncourt, and then let her forehead fall on the cold keys and remained a long while motionless.
Boncourt, the governess, a dry old maiden lady of sixty, with a false front of black curls under a parti-coloured cap and cotton wool in her ears; in the corner near the door was huddled Bassistoff reading a paper, near him were Petya and Vanya playing draughts, and leaning by the stove, his hands clasped behind his back, was a gentleman of low stature, with a swarthy face covered with bristling grey hair, and fiery black eyes a certain African Semenitch Pigasov.
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