Quotation from: The Professor

Written by: Charlotte Bronte

Mdlle. Reuter was quite sufficiently acquainted with English to
understand it when read or spoken in her presence, though she
could neither speak nor write it herself. During the perusal of
this devoir, she sat placidly busy, her eyes and fingers occupied
with the formation of a "riviere" or open-work hem round a
cambric handkerchief; she said nothing, and her face and
forehead, clothed with a mask of purely negative expression, were
as blank of comment as her lips. As neither surprise, pleasure,
approbation, nor interest were evinced in her countenance, so no
more were disdain, envy, annoyance, weariness; if that
inscrutable mien said anything, it was simply this--