straight；　and　hastily　packed　up　for　England；　doubtful　whether　they　should　ever　return　to　Brussels　or　not；　leaving　all　their　relations　with　M。　and　Madame　Heger；　and　the　pensionnat；　uprooted；　and　uncertain　of　any　future　existence。　Even　before　their　departure；　on　the　morning　after　they　received　the　first　intelligence　of　illnesswhen　they　were　on　the　very　point　of　startingcame　a　second　letter；　telling　them　of　their　aunt's　death。　　It　could　not　hasten　their　movements；　for　every　arrangement　had　been　made　for　speed。　　They　sailed　from　Antwerp；　they　travelled　night　and　day；　and　got　home　on　a　Tuesday　morning。　The　funeral　and　all　was　over；　and　Mr。　Bronte　and　Anne　were　sitting　together；　in　quiet　grief　for　the　loss　of　one　who　had　done　her　part　well　in　their　household　for　nearly　twenty　years；　and　earned　the　regard　and　respect　of　many　who　never　knew　how　much　they　should　miss　her　till　she　was　gone。　　The　small　property　which　she　had　accumulated；　by　dint　of　personal　frugality　and　self…denial；　was　bequeathed　to　her　nieces。　　Branwell；　her　darling；　was　to　have　had　his　share；　but　his　reckless　expenditure　had　distressed　the　good　old　lady；　and　his　name　was　omitted　in　her　will。
  When　the　first　shock　was　over；　the　three　sisters　began　to　enjoy　the　full　relish　of　meeting　again；　after　the　longest　separation　they　had　had　in　their　lives。　　They　had　much　to　tell　of　the　past；　and　much　to　settle　for　the　future。　　Anne　had　been　for　some　little　time　in　a　situation；　to　which　she　was　to　return　at　the　end　of　the　Christmas　holidays。　　For　another　year　or　so　they　were　again　to　be　all　three　apart；　and；　after　that；　the　happy　vision　of　being　together　and　opening　a　school　was　to　be　realised。　　Of　course　they　did　not　now　look　forward　to　settling　at　Burlington；　or　any　other　place　which　would　take　them　away　from　their　father；　but　the　small　sum　which　they　each　independently　possessed　would　enable　them　to　effect　such　alterations　in　the　parsonage…house　at　Haworth　as　would　adapt　it　to　the　reception　of　pupils。　　Anne's　plans　for　the　interval　were　fixed。　　Emily　quickly　decided　to　be　the　daughter　to　remain　at　home。　　About　Charlotte　there　was　much　deliberation　and　some　discussion。
  Even　in　all　the　haste　of　their　sudden　departure　from　Brussels；　M。　Heger　had　found　time　to　write　a　letter　of　sympathy　to　Mr。　Bronte　on　the　loss　which　he　had　just　sustained；　a　letter　containing　such　a　graceful　appreciation　of　the　daughters'　characters；　under　the　form　of　a　tribute　of　respect　to　their　father；　that　I　should　have　been　tempted　to　copy　it；　even　had　there　not　also　been　a　proposal　made　in　it　respecting　Charlotte；　which　deserves　a　place　in　the　record　of　her　life。
  〃Au　Reverend　Monsieur　Bronte；　Pasteur　Evangelique；　&c；　&c。
  〃Samedi；　5　Obre。
  〃MONSIEUR；
  〃Un　evenement　bien　triste　decide　mesdemoiselles　vas　filles　e　retourner　brusquement　en　Angleterre；　ce　depart　qui　nous　afflige　beaucoup　a　cependant　ma　complete　approbation；　il　est　bien　naturel　qu'elles　cherchent　e　vous　consoler　de　ce　que　le　ciel　vient　de　vous　oter；　on　se　serrant　autour　de　vous；　poui　mieux　vous　faire　apprecier　ce　que　le　ciel　vous　a　donne　et　ce　qu'il　vous　laisse　encore。　　J'espere　que　vous　me　pardonnerez；　Monsieur；　de　profiter　de　cette　circonstance　pour　vous　faire　parvenir　l'expression　de　mon　respect；　je　n'ai　pas　l'honneur　de　vous　connaitre　personnellement；　et　cependant　j'eprouve　pour　votre　personne　un　sentiment　de　sincere　veneration；　car　en　jugeant　un　pere　de　famille　par　ses　enfants　on　ne　risque　pas　de　se　tromper；　et　sous　ce　rapport　l'education　et　les　sentiments　que　nous　avons　trouves　dans　mesdemoiselles　vos　filles　n'ont　pu　que　nous　donner　une　tres…haute　idee　de　votre　merite　et　de　votre　caractere。　　Vous　apprendrez　sans　doute　avec　plaisir　que　vos　enfants　ont　fait　du　progres　tresremarquable　dans　toutes　les　branches　de　l'enseignenient；　et　que　ces　progres　sont　entierement　du　e　leur　amour　pour　le　travail　et　e　leur　perseverance；　nous　n'avons　eu　que　bien　peu　e　faire　avec　de　pareilles　eleves；　leur　avancement　est　votre　oeuvre　bien　plus　que　la　notre；　nous　n'avons　pas　eu　e　leur　apprendre　le　prix　du　temps　et　de　l'instruction；　elles　avaient　appris　tout　cela　dans　la　maison　paternelle；　et　nous　n'avons　eu；　pour　notre　part；　que　le　faible　merite　de　diriger　leurs　efforts　et　de　fournir　un　aliment　convenable　e　la　louable　activite　que　vos　filles　ont　puisees　dans　votre　exemple　et　dans　vos　lecons。　Puissent　les　eloges　meritees　que　nous　donnons　e　vos　enfants　vous　etre　de　quelque　consolation　dans　le　malheur　que　vous　afflige；　c'est　le　notre　espoir　en　vous　ecrivant；　et　ce　sera；　pour　Mesdemoiselles　Charlotte　et　Emily；　une　douce　et　belle　recompense　de　leurs　travaux。
  〃En　perdant　nos　deux　cheres　eleves；　nous　ne　devons　pas　vous　cacher　que　nous　eprouvons　e　la　fois　et　du　chagrin　et　de　l'inquietude；　nous　sommes　affliges　parce　que　cette　brusque　separation　vient　briser　l'affection　presque　paternelle　que　nous　leur　avons　vouee；　et　notre　peine　s'augmente　e　la　vue　de　tant　de　travaux　interrompues；　de　tant　de　choses　bien　commencees；　et　qui　ne　demandent　que　quelque　temps　encore　pour　etre　menees　e　bonne　fin。　Dans　un　an；　chacune　de　vos　demoiselles　eut　ete　entierement　premunie　contre　les　eventualites　de　l'avenir；　chacune　d'elles　acquerait　e　la　fois　et　l'instruction　et　la　science　d'enseignement；　Mlle　Emily　allait　apprendre　le　piano；　recevoir　les　lecons　du　meilleur　professeur　que　nous　ayons　en　Belgique；　et　deje　elle　avait　elle…meme　de　petites　eleves；　elle　perdait　donc　e　la　fois　un　reste　d'ignorance　et　un　reste　plus　genant　encore　de　timidite；　Mlle　Charlotte　commencait　e　donner　des　lecons　en　francais；　et　d'acquerir　cette　assurance；　cet　aplomb　si　necessaire　dans　l'enseignement；　encore　un　an　tout　au　plus　et　l'oeuvre　etait　achevee　et　bien　achevee。　　Alors　nous　aurions　pu；　si　cela　vous　eut　convenu；　offrir　e　mesdemoiselles　vos　filles　ou　du　moins　e　l'une　des　deux　une　position　qui　eut　ete　dans　ses　gouts；　et　qui　lui　eut　donne　cette　douce　independance　si　difficile　e　trouver　pour　une　jeune　personne。　　Ce　n'est　pas；　croyez　le　bien；　Monsieur；　ce　n'est　pas　ici　pour　nous　une　question　d'interet　personnel；　c'est　une　question　d'affection；　vous　me　pardonnerez　si　nous　vous　parlons　de　vos　enfants；　si　nous　nous　occupons　de　leur　avenir；　comme　si　elles　faisaient　partie　de　notre　famille；　leurs　qualites　personnelles；　leur　bon　vouloir；　leur　zele　extreme　sont　les　seules　causes　qui　nous　poussent　e　nous　hasarder　de　la　sorte。　　Nous　savons；　Monsieur；　que　vous　peserez　plus　murement　et　plus　sagement　que　nous　la　consequence　qu'aurait　pour　l'avenir　une　interruption　complete　dans　les　etudes　de　vos　deux　filles；　vous　deciderez　ce　qu'il　faut　faire；　et　vous　nous　pardonnerez　notre　franchise；　si　vous　daignez　considerer　que　le　motif　qui　nous　fait　agir　est　une　affection　bien　desinteressee　et　qui　s'affligerait　beaucoup　de　devoir　deje　se　resigner　e　n'etre　plus　utile　e　vos　chers　enfants。
  〃Agreez；　je　vous　prie；　Monsieur；　l'expression　respectueuse　de　mes　sentiments　de　haute　consideration。
  〃C。　HEGER。〃
  There　was　so　much　truth；　as　well　as　so　much　kindness　in　this　letterit　was　so　obvious　that　a　second　year　of　instruction　would　be　far　more　valuable　than　the　first；　that　there　was　no　long　hesitation　before　it　was　decided　that　Charlotte　should　return　to　Brussels。
  Meanwhile；　they　enjoyed　their　Christmas　all　together　inexpressibly。　　Branwell　was　with　them；　that　was　always　a　pleasure　at　this　time；　whatever　might　be　his　faults；　or　even　his　vices；　his　sisters　yet　held　him　up　as　their　family　hope；　as　they　trusted　that　he　would　some　day　be　their　family　pride。　　They　blinded　themselves　to　the　magnitude　of　the　failings　of　which　they　were　now　and　then　told；　by　persuading　themselves　that　such　failings　were　common　to　all　men　of　any　strength　of　character；　for；　till　sad　experience　taught　them　better；　they　fell　into　the　usual　error　of　confounding　strong　passions　with　strong　character。
  Charlotte's　friend　came　over　to　see　her；　and　she　returned　the　visit。　　Her　Brussels　life　must　have　seemed　like　a　dream；　so　completely；　in　this　short　space　of　time；　did　she　fall　back　into　the　old　household　ways；　with　more　of　household　independence　than　she　could　ever　have　had　during　her　aunt's　lifetime。　　Winter　though　it　was；　the　sisters　took　their　accustomed　walks　on　the　snow…　covered　moors；　or　went　often　down　the　long　road　to　Keighley；　for　such　books　as　had　been　added　to　the　library　there　during　their　absence　from　England。
  CHAPTER　XII
  Towards　the　end　of　January；　the　time　came　for　Charlotte　to　return　to　Brussels。　　Her　journey　thither　was　rather　disastrous。　　She　had　to　make　her　way　alone；　and　the　train　from　Leeds　to　London；　which　should　have　reached　Euston…square　early　in　the　afternoon；　was　so　much　delayed　that　it　did　not　get　in　till　ten　at　night。　　She　had　intended　to　seek　out　the　Chapter　Coffee…house；　where　she　had　stayed　before；　and　which　would　have　been　near　the　place　where　the　steam…boats　lay；　but　she　appears　to　have　been　frightened　by　the　idea　of　arriving　at　an　hour　which；　to　Yorkshire　notions；　was　so　late　and　unseemly；　and　taking　a　cab；　therefore；　at　the　station；　she　drove　straight　to　the　London　Bridge　Wharf；　and　desired　a　waterman　to　row　her　to　the　Ostend　packet；　which　was　to　sail　the　next　morning。　　She　described　to　me；　pretty　much　as　she　has　since　described　it　in　〃Villette；〃　her　sense　of　loneliness；　and　yet　her　strange　pleasure　in　the　excitement　of　t