tried to dispose of a manuscript of this
kind, he can never know what stores of romance and sensibility lie
hidden in breasts he would not have suspected of casketing such
treasures. Men in business are usually thought to prefer the real; on
trial the idea will be often found fallacious: a passionate preference
for the wild, wonderful, and thrilling--the strange, startling, and
harrowing--agitates divers souls that show a calm and sober surface.

Such being the case, the reader will comprehend that to have reached
him in the form of a printed book, this brief narrative must have gone
through some struggles--which indeed it has. And after all, its
worst struggle and strongest ordeal is yet to come but it takes
comfort--subdues fear--leans on the staff of a moderate expectation--and
mutters under its breath, while lifting its eye to that of the public,

"He that is low need fear no fall."

CURRER BELL.

The foregoing preface was written by my wife with a view to the
publication of "The Professor," shortly after the appearance of
"Shirley." Being dissuaded from her intention, the authoress made some
use of the materials in a subsequent work--"Villette," As, however,
these two stories are in most respects unlike, it has been represented
to me that I ought not to withhold "The Professor" from the public. I
have therefore consented to its publication.

A. B. NICHOLLS

Haworth Parsonage,

September 22nd, 1856.

T H E P R O F E S S O R

CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTORY.

THE other day, in looking over my papers, I found in my desk the
following copy of a letter, sent by me a year since to an old school
acquaintance:--

"DEAR CHARLES,

"I think when you and I were at Eton together, we were neither of us
what could be called popular characters: you were a sarcastic,
observant, shrewd, cold-blooded creature; my own portrait I will not
attempt to draw, but I cannot recollect that it was a strikingly
attractive one--can you? What animal magnetism drew thee and me together
I know not; certainly I never experienced anything of the Pylades and
Orestes sentiment for you, and I have reason to believe that you, on
your part, were equally free from all romantic regard to me. Still, out
of school hours we walked and talked continually together; when the
theme of conversation was our companions or our masters we understood
each other, and when I recurred to some sentiment of affection, some
vague love of an excellent