Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original illustrations. See 41105-h.htm or 41105-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41105/41105-h/41105-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/41105/41105-h.zip) THE SECRET OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË Followed by Some Reminiscences of the Real Monsieur and Madame Heger by FREDERIKA MACDONALD, D.LITT. Authoress of 'Xavier and I,' 'The Iliad of the East,' 'A New Criticism of J.-J. Rousseau,' 'The Flower and The Spirit,' 'The Humane Philosophy of Rousseau,' etc. London: T.C. & E.C. Jack 67 Long Acre, W.C. and Edinburgh 1914 [Illustration: Portrait by Richmond] 'And now I will rehearse the tale of Love, which I heard from Diotima of Mantineia, a woman wise in this, and many other kinds of knowledge.... '... "What then is Love," I asked: "Is he mortal?" "He is neither mortal nor immortal, but in a mean between the two," she replied. "He is a great Spirit, and, like all spirits, an intermediate between the divine and the mortal." "And what," I said, "is his power?" "He interprets," she replied, "between gods and men; conveying to the gods the prayers and sacrifices of men; and to men the commands and replies of the gods." "And who," I said, "is his father? and who is his mother?" "His father," she replied, "was Plenty (Poros), and his mother Poverty (Penia), and as his parentage is, so are his fortunes. He is always poor, and has no shoes, nor a house to dwell in; on the bare earth exposed he lies under the open heaven, in the streets, or at the doors of houses, taking his rest, and like his mother he is always in distress. Like his father, too, he is bold, enterprising,--a philosopher at all times, terrible as an enchanter, sorcerer, sophist. As he is neither mortal nor immortal, he is alive and flourishing one moment, and dead another moment; and again alive, by reason of his father's nature."' (_Symposium_. Plato's _Dialogues_. Translator, Jowett, vol. ii. pp. 54, 55.) [Illustration: THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL (RUE D'ISABELLE), WHICH REMAINED UNALTERED UNTIL 1909] CONTENTS PART I CHARLOTTE BRONTË'S LETTERS TO M. HEGER _(These Letters supply the Key to the Secret of Charlotte Brontë)_ CHAPTER I THE PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEM OF CHARLOTTE BRONTË, CREATED BY A FALSE CRITICAL METHOD CHAPTER II THE KEY TO THE PROBLEM CHAPTER III CHARLOTTE'S LAST YEAR AT BRUXELLES, 1842-43 CHAPTER IV THE CONFESSION AT STE. GUDULE CHAPTER V THE LEAVE-TAKING--THE SCENE IN THE CLASS-ROOM --'MY HEART WILL BREAK' CHAPTER VI THE LOVE-LETTERS OF A ROMANTIC PART II SOME REMINISCENCES OF THE REAL MONSIEUR AND MADAME HEGER CHAPTER I THE HISTORICAL DIFFICULTY: TO DISENTANGLE FACT FROM FICTION CHAPTER II MY FIRST INTRODUCTION TO CHARLOTTE BRONTË'S PROFESSOR