At
ten years old, her education was still at the same point; and
it must be owned that, however varied and sufficient for the
purposes of the moment, it left open a wide field for labour
in the future years; though M. Linders appeared perfectly
satisfied with the results of his teaching so far, and showed
no particular desire to enlarge her ideas upon any point. As
for religion, no wild Arab of our London streets ever knew or
heard less about it than did our little Madelon; or was left
more utterly uninstructed in its simplest truths and dogmas.
What M. Linders' religious beliefs were, or whether he had any
at all, we need not inquire. He at least took care that none
should be instilled into his child's mind; feeling, probably,
that under whatever form they were presented to her, they
would assuredly clash sooner or later with his peculiar system
of education. For himself, his opinions on such matters were
expressed when occasion arose, only in certain unvarying and
vehement declamations against priests and nuns--the latter
particularly, where his general sense of aversion to a class
in the abstract, became specific and definite, when he looked
upon that class as represented in the person of his sister
Therese.
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