Quotation from: Villette

Written by: Charlotte Bronte

Till the date at which the last chapter closes, M. Paul had not been
my professor--he had not given me lessons, but about that time,
accidentally hearing me one day acknowledge an ignorance of some
branch of education (I think it was arithmetic), which would have
disgraced a charity-school boy, as he very truly remarked, he took me
in hand, examined me first, found me, I need not say, abundantly
deficient, gave me some books and appointed me some tasks.