The Secret of Charlotte Brontë

'And now I will rehearse the tale of Love, which I heard from Diotima of Mantineia, a woman wise in this, and many other kinds of knowledge....

'... "What then is Love," I asked: "Is he mortal?" "He is neither mortal nor immortal, but in a mean between the two," she replied. "He is a great Spirit, and, like all spirits, an intermediate between the divine and the mortal." "And what," I said, "is his power?" "He interprets," she replied, "between gods and men; conveying to the gods the prayers and sacrifices of men; and to men the commands and replies of the gods." "And who," I said, "is his father? and who is his mother?" "His father," she replied, "was Plenty (Poros), and his mother Poverty (Penia), and as his parentage is, so are his fortunes. He is always poor, and has no shoes, nor a house to dwell in; on the bare earth exposed he lies under the open heaven, in the streets, or at the doors of houses, taking his rest, and like his mother he is always in distress. Like his father, too, he is bold, enterprising,--a philosopher at all times, terrible as an enchanter, sorcerer, sophist. As he is neither mortal nor immortal, he is alive and flourishing one moment, and dead another moment; and again alive, by reason of his father's nature."'

(Symposium. Plato's Dialogues. Translator, Jowett, vol. ii. pp. 54, 55.)

[Illustration: THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL (RUE D'ISABELLE), WHICH REMAINED UNALTERED UNTIL 1909]

CONTENTS

PART I

CHARLOTTE BRONTË'S LETTERS TO M. HEGER (These Letters supply the Key to the Secret of Charlotte Brontë)

CHAPTER I THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEM OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË, CREATED BY A FALSE CRITICAL METHOD

CHAPTER II THE KEY TO THE PROBLEM

CHAPTER III CHARLOTTE'S LAST YEAR AT BRUXELLES, 1842-43

CHAPTER IV THE CONFESSION AT STE. GUDULE

CHAPTER V THE LEAVE-TAKING--THE SCENE IN THE CLASS-ROOM --'MY HEART WILL BREAK'

CHAPTER VI THE LOVE-LETTERS OF A ROMANTIC

PART II

SOME REMINISCENCES OF THE REAL MONSIEUR AND MADAME HEGER

CHAPTER I THE HISTORICAL DIFFICULTY: TO DISENTANGLE FACT FROM FICTION

CHAPTER II MY FIRST INTRODUCTION TO CHARLOTTE BRONTË'S PROFESSOR

CHAPTER III MONSIEUR AND MADAME HEGER AS I SAW THEM: AND BELGIAN SCHOOLGIRLS AS I KNEW THEM

CHAPTER IV MY SECOND INTERVIEW WITH M. HEGER. THE WASHING OF 'PEPPER.' THE LESSON IN ARITHMETIC

CHAPTER V THE STORY OF A CHAPEAU D'UNIFORME

CHAPTER VI MADAME HEGER'S SENTIMENT OF THE JUSTICE OF RESIGNATION TO INJUSTICE

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

CHARLOTTE BRONTË .... Frontispiece THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL IN THE RUE D'ISABELLE M. HEGER AT SIXTY DRAWING BY CHARLOTTE BRONTË OF ASHBURNHAM CHURCH (Copyright of Author) MADAME HEGER AT SIXTY (Copyright of Author) THE ALLÉE DÉFENDUE (Copyright of Author) THE GALERIE AND GARDEN IN WINTER (Copyright of Author)

THE SECRET OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË

PART I

CHAPTER I

THE 'PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEM' OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË, CREATED BY A FALSE CRITICAL METHOD