第20部分(第4/8 頁)

；　the　new　field　offered　to　hope；　seemed　all　astir。　I　cannot　precisely　define　what　they　expected；　but　it　was　something　pleasant：　not　perhaps　that　day　or　that　month；　but　at　an　indefinite　future　period。

I　rose；　I　dressed　myself　with　care：　obliged　to　be　plain—for　I　had　no　article　of　attire　that　was　not　made　with　extreme　simplicity—I　was　still　by　nature　solicitous　to　be　neat。　It　was　not　my　habit　to　be　disregardful　of　appearance　or　careless　of　the　impression　I　made：　on　the　contrary；　I　ever　wished　to　look　as　well　as　I　could；　and　to　please　as　much　as　my　want　of　beauty　would　permit。　I　sometimes　regretted　that　I　was　not　handsomer；　I　sometimes　wished　to　have　rosy　cheeks；　a　straight　nose；　and　small　cherry　mouth；　I　desired　to　be　tall；　stately；　and　finely　developed　in　figure；　I　felt　it　a　misfortune　that　I　was　so　little；　so　pale；　and　had　features　so　irregular　and　so　marked。　And　why　had　I　these　aspirations　and　these　regrets？　It　would　be　difficult　to　say：　I　could　not　then　distinctly　say　it　to　myself；　yet　I　had　a　reason；　and　a　logical；　natural　reason　too。　However；　when　I　had　brushed　my　hair　very　smooth；　and　put　on　my　black　frock—which；　Quakerlike　as　it　was；　at　least　had　the　merit　of　fitting　to　a　nicety—and　adjusted　my　clean　white　tucker；　I　thought　I　should　do　respectably　enough　to　appear　before　Mrs。　Fairfax；　and　that　my　new　pupil　would　not　at　least　recoil　from　me　with　antipathy。　Having　opened　my　chamber　window；　and　seen　that　I　left　all　things　straight　and　neat　on　the　toilet　table；　I　ven