The Carnival was nothing but
masking and mummery. M. Heger took me and one of the pupils into the
town to see the masks. It was animating to see the immense crowds,
and the general gaiety, but the masks were nothing. I have been twice
to the D.'s" (those cousins of "Mary's" of whom I have before made
mention). "When she leaves Bruxelles, I shall have nowhere to go to.
I have had two letters from Mary. She does not tell me she has been
ill, and she does not complain; but her letters are not the letters of
a person in the enjoyment of great happiness. She has nobody to be as
good to her as M. Heger is to me; to lend her books; to converse with
her sometimes, &c.
"Good-bye. When I say so, it seems to me that you will hardly hear
me; all the waves of the Channel heaving and roaring between must
deaden the sound."
From the tone of this letter, it may easily be perceived that the
Brussels of 1843 was a different place from that of 1842. Then she had
Emily for a daily and nightly solace and companion. She had the weekly
variety of a visit to the family of the D.s; and she had the frequent
happiness of seeing "Mary" and Martha. Now Emily was far away in
Haworth--where she or any other loved one, might die, before Charlotte,
with her utmost speed, could reach them, as experience, in her aunt's
case, had taught her.
Pages:
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326