第12章

Istillstoodabsolutelydumfounderedatwhatappearedtomehermiraculousself—possessionandmostinscrutablehypocrisy，whenthecookentered。

“Mrs。Poole，”saidshe，addressingGrace，“theservants’dinnerwillsoonbeready:willyoucomedown？”

“No;justputmypintofporterandbitofpuddingonatray，andI’llcarryitupstairs。”

“You’llhavesomemeat？”

“Justamorsel，andatasteofcheese，that’sall。”

“Andthesago？”

“Neverminditatpresent:Ishallbecomingdownbeforeteatime:I’llmakeitmyself。”

Thecookhereturnedtome，sayingthatMrs。Fairfaxwaswaitingforme:soIdeparted。

IhardlyheardMrs。Fairfax’saccountofthecurtainconflagrationduringdinner，somuchwasIoccupiedinpuzzlingmybrainsovertheenigmaticalcharacterofGracePoole，andstillmoreinponderingtheproblemofherpositionatThornfieldandquestioningwhyshehadnotbeengivenintocustodythatmorning，or，attheveryleast，dismissedfromhermaster’sservice。Hehadalmostasmuchasdeclaredhisconvictionofhercriminalitylastnight:whatmysteriouscausewithheldhimfromaccusingher？Whyhadheenjoinedme，too，tosecrecy？Itwasstrange:abold，vindictive，andhaughtygentlemanseemedsomehowinthepowerofoneofthemeanestofhisdependants;somuchinherpower，thatevenwhensheliftedherhandagainsthislife，hedarednotopenlychargeherwiththeattempt，muchlesspunishherforit。

HadGracebeenyoungandhandsome，IshouldhavebeentemptedtothinkthattendererfeelingsthanprudenceorfearinfluencedMr。Rochesterinherbehalf;but，hard—favouredandmatronlyasshewas，theideacouldnotbeadmitted。“Yet，”Ireflected，“shehasbeenyoungonce;heryouthwouldbecontemporarywithhermaster’s:Mrs。Fairfaxtoldmeonce，shehadlivedheremanyyears。Idon’tthinkshecaneverhavebeenpretty;but，foraughtIknow，shemaypossessoriginalityandstrengthofcharactertocompensateforthewantofpersonaladvantages。Mr。Rochesterisanamateurofthedecidedandeccentric:Graceiseccentricatleast。Whatifaformercaprice（afreakverypossibletoanaturesosuddenandheadstrongashis）hasdeliveredhimintoherpower，andshenowexercisesoverhisactionsasecretinfluence，theresultofhisownindiscretion，whichhecannotshakeoff，anddarenotdisregard？”But，havingreachedthispointofconjecture，Mrs。Poole’ssquare，flatfigure，anduncomely，dry，evencoarseface，recurredsodistinctlytomymind’seye，thatIthought，“No;impossible！mysuppositioncannotbecorrect。Yet，”suggestedthesecretvoicewhichtalkstousinourownhearts，“youarenotbeautifuleither，andperhapsMr。Rochesterapprovesyou:atanyrate，youhaveoftenfeltasifhedid;andlastnight—rememberhiswords;rememberhislook;rememberhisvoice！”

Iwellrememberedall;language，glance，andtoneseemedatthemomentvividlyrenewed。Iwasnowintheschoolroom;Adèlewasdrawing;Ibentoverheranddirectedherpencil。Shelookedupwithasortofstart。

“Qu’avez—vous，mademoiselle？”saidshe。“Vosdoigtstremblentcommelafeuille，etvosjouessontrouges:mais，rougescommedescerises！”

“Iamhot，Adèle，withstooping！”Shewentonsketching;Iwentonthinking。

IhastenedtodrivefrommymindthehatefulnotionIhadbeenconceivingrespectingGracePoole;itdisgustedme。Icomparedmyselfwithher，andfoundweweredifferent。BessieLeavenhadsaidIwasquitealady;andshespoketruth—Iwasalady。AndnowIlookedmuchbetterthanIdidwhenBessiesawme;Ihadmorecolourandmoreflesh，morelife，morevivacity，becauseIhadbrighterhopesandkeenerenjoyments。

“Eveningapproaches，”saidI，asIlookedtowardsthewindow。“IhaveneverheardMr。Rochester’svoiceorstepinthehouseto—day;butsurelyIshallseehimbeforenight:Ifearedthemeetinginthemorning;nowIdesireit，becauseexpectationhasbeensolongbaffledthatitisgrownimpatient。”

Whenduskactuallyclosed，andwhenAdèleleftmetogoandplayinthenurserywithSophie，Ididmostkeenlydesireit。Ilistenedforthebelltoringbelow;IlistenedforLeahcomingupwithamessage;IfanciedsometimesIheardMr。Rochester’sowntread，andIturnedtothedoor，expectingittoopenandadmithim。Thedoorremainedshut;darknessonlycameinthroughthewindow。Stillitwasnotlate;heoftensentformeatsevenandeighto’clock，anditwasyetbutsix。SurelyIshouldnotbewhollydisappointedto—night，whenIhadsomanythingstosaytohim！IwantedagaintointroducethesubjectofGracePoole，andtohearwhathewouldanswer;Iwantedtoaskhimplainlyifhereallybelieveditwasshewhohadmadelastnight’shideousattempt;andifso，whyhekeptherwickednessasecret。Itlittlematteredwhethermycuriosityirritatedhim;Iknewthepleasureofvexingandsoothinghimbyturns;itwasoneIchieflydelightedin，andasureinstinctalwayspreventedmefromgoingtoofar;beyondthevergeofprovocationIneverventured;ontheextremebrinkIlikedwelltotrymyskill。Retainingeveryminuteformofrespect，everyproprietyofmystation，Icouldstillmeethiminargumentwithoutfearoruneasyrestraint;thissuitedbothhimandme。

Atreadcreakedonthestairsatlast。Leahmadeherappearance;butitwasonlytointimatethatteawasreadyinMrs。Fairfax’sroom。ThitherIrepaired，gladatleasttogodownstairs;forthatbroughtme，Iimagined，nearertoMr。Rochester’spresence。

“Youmustwantyourtea，”saidthegoodlady，asIjoinedher;“youatesolittleatdinner。Iamafraid，”shecontinued，“youarenotwellto—day:youlookflushedandfeverish。”

“Oh，quitewell！Ineverfeltbetter。”

“Thenyoumustproveitbyevincingagoodappetite;willyoufilltheteapotwhileIknitoffthisneedle？”Havingcompletedhertask，sherosetodrawdowntheblind，whichshehadhithertokeptup，byway，Isuppose，ofmakingthemostofdaylight，thoughduskwasnowfastdeepeningintototalobscurity。

“Itisfairto—night，”saidshe，asshelookedthroughthepanes，“thoughnotstarlight;Mr。Rochesterhas，onthewhole，hadafavourabledayforhisjourney。”

“Journey！—IsMr。Rochestergoneanywhere？Ididnotknowhewasout。”

“Oh，hesetofthemomenthehadbreakfasted！HeisgonetotheLeas，Mr。Eshton’splace，tenmilesontheothersideMillcote。Ibelievethereisquiteapartyassembledthere;LordIngram，SirGeorgeLynn，ColonelDent，andothers。”

“Doyouexpecthimbackto—night？”

“No—norto—morroweither;Ishouldthinkheisverylikelytostayaweekormore:whenthesefine，fashionablepeoplegettogether，theyaresosurroundedbyeleganceandgaiety，sowellprovidedwithallthatcanpleaseandentertain，theyareinnohurrytoseparate。Gentlemenespeciallyareofteninrequestonsuchoccasions;andMr。Rochesterissotalentedandsolivelyinsociety，thatIbelieveheisageneralfavourite:theladiesareveryfondofhim;thoughyouwouldnotthinkhisappearancecalculatedtorecommendhimparticularlyintheireyes:butIsupposehisacquirementsandabilities，perhapshiswealthandgoodblood，makeamendsforanylittlefaultoflook。”

“ArethereladiesattheLeas？”

“ThereareMrs。Eshtonandherthreedaughters—veryelegantyoungladiesindeed;andtherearetheHonourableBlancheandMaryIngram，mostbeautifulwomen，Isuppose:indeedIhaveseenBlanche，sixorsevenyearssince，whenshewasagirlofeighteen。ShecameheretoaChristmasballandpartyMr。Rochestergave。Youshouldhaveseenthedining—roomthatday—howrichlyitwasdecorated，howbrilliantlylitup！Ishouldthinktherewerefiftyladiesandgentlemenpresent—allofthefirstcountyfamilies;andMissIngramwasconsideredthebelleoftheevening。”

“Yousawher，yousay，Mrs。Fairfax:whatwasshelike？”

“Yes，Isawher。Thedining—roomdoorswerethrownopen;and，asitwasChristmas—time，theservantswereallowedtoassembleinthehall，tohearsomeoftheladiessingandplay。Mr。Rochesterwouldhavemetocomein，andIsatdowninaquietcornerandwatchedthem。Ineversawamoresplendidscene:theladiesweremagnificentlydressed;mostofthem—atleastmostoftheyoungerones—lookedhandsome;butMissIngramwascertainlythequeen。”

“Andwhatwasshelike？”

“Tall，finebust，slopingshoulders;long，gracefulneck:olivecomplexion，darkandclear;noblefeatures;eyesratherlikeMr。Rochester’s:largeandblack，andasbrilliantasherjewels。Andthenshehadsuchafineheadofhair;raven—blackandsobecominglyarranged:acrownofthickplaitsbehind，andinfrontthelongest，theglossiestcurlsIeversaw。Shewasdressedinpurewhite;anamber—colouredscarfwaspassedoverhershoulderandacrossherbreast，tiedattheside，anddescendinginlong，fringedendsbelowherknee。Sheworeanamber—colouredflower，too，inherhair:itcontrastedwellwiththejettymassofhercurls。”

“Shewasgreatlyadmired，ofcourse？”

“Yes，indeed:andnotonlyforherbeauty，butforheraccomplishments。Shewasoneoftheladieswhosang:agentlemanaccompaniedheronthepiano。SheandMr。Rochestersangaduet。”

“Mr。Rochester？Iwasnotawarehecouldsing。”

“Oh！hehasafinebassvoice，andanexcellenttasteformusic。”

“AndMissIngram:whatsortofavoicehadshe？”

“Averyrichandpowerfulone:shesangdelightfully;itwasatreattolistentoher;—andsheplayedafterwards。Iamnojudgeofmusic，butMr。Rochesteris;andIheardhimsayherexecutionwasremarkablygood。”

“Andthisbeautifulandaccomplishedlady，sheisnotyetmarried？”

“Itappearsnot:Ifancyneithershenorhersisterhaveverylargefortunes。OldLordIngram’sestateswerechieflyentailed，andtheeldestsoncameinforeverythingalmost。”

“ButIwondernowealthynoblemanorgentlemanhastakenafancytoher:Mr。Rochester，forinstance。Heisrich，ishenot？”

“Oh！yes。Butyouseethereisaconsiderabledifferenceinage:Mr。Rochesterisnearlyforty;sheisbuttwenty—five。”

“Whatofthat？Moreunequalmatchesaremadeeveryday。”

“True:yetIshouldscarcelyfancyMr。Rochesterwouldentertainanideaofthesort。Butyoueatnothing:youhavescarcelytastedsinceyoubegantea。”

“No:Iamtoothirstytoeat。Willyouletmehaveanothercup？”

IwasaboutagaintoreverttotheprobabilityofaunionbetweenMr。RochesterandthebeautifulBlanche;butAdèlecamein，andtheconversationwasturnedintoanotherchannel。

Whenoncemorealone，IreviewedtheinformationIhadgot;lookedintomyheart，examineditsthoughtsandfeelings，andendeavouredtobringbackwithastricthandsuchashadbeenstrayingthroughimagination’sboundlessandtracklesswaste，intothesafefoldofcommonsense。

Arraignedatmyownbar，Memoryhavinggivenherevidenceofthehopes，wishes，sentimentsIhadbeencherishingsincelastnight—ofthegeneralstateofmindinwhichIhadindulgedfornearlyafortnightpast;Reasonhavingcomeforwardandtold，inherownquietwayaplain，unvarnishedtale，showinghowIhadrejectedthereal，andrabidlydevouredtheideal;—Ipronouncedjudgmenttothiseffect:—

ThatagreaterfoolthanJaneEyrehadneverbreathedthebreathoflife;thatamorefantasticidiothadneversurfeitedherselfonsweetlies，andswallowedpoisonasifitwerenectar。

“You，”Isaid，“afavouritewithMr。Rochester？Yougiftedwiththepowerofpleasinghim？Youofimportancetohiminanyway？Go！yourfollysickensme。Andyouhavederivedpleasurefromoccasionaltokensofpreference—equivocaltokensshownbyagentlemanoffamilyandamanoftheworldtoadependentandanovice。Howdaredyou？Poorstupiddupe！—Couldnotevenself—interestmakeyouwiser？Yourepeatedtoyourselfthismorningthebriefsceneoflastnight？—Coveryourfaceandbeashamed！Hesaidsomethinginpraiseofyoureyes，didhe？Blindpuppy！Opentheirblearedlidsandlookonyourownaccursedsenselessness！Itdoesgoodtonowomantobeflatteredbyhersuperior，whocannotpossiblyintendtomarryher;anditismadnessinallwomentoletasecretlovekindlewithinthem，which，ifunreturnedandunknown，mustdevourthelifethatfeedsit;and，ifdiscoveredandrespondedto，mustlead，ignis—fatus—like，intomirywildswhencethereisnoextrication。

“Listen，then，JaneEyre，toyoursentence:tomorrow，placetheglassbeforeyou，anddrawinchalkyourownpicture，faithfully，withoutsofteningonedefect;omitnoharshline，smoothawaynodispleasingirregularity;writeunderit，‘PortraitofaGoverness，disconnected，poor，andplain。’

“Afterwards，takeapieceofsmoothivory—youhaveonepreparedinyourdrawing—box:takeyourpalette，mixyourfreshest，finest，clearesttints;chooseyourmostdelicatecamel—hairpencils;delineatecarefullytheloveliestfaceyoucanimagine;paintitinyoursoftestshadesandsweetestlines，accordingtothedescriptiongivenbyMrs。FairfaxofBlancheIngram;remembertheravenringlets，theorientaleye;—What！youreverttoMr。Rochesterasamodel！Order！Nosnivel！—nosentiment！—noregret！Iwillendureonlysenseandresolution。Recalltheaugustyetharmoniouslineaments，theGrecianneckandbust;lettheroundanddazzlingarmbevisible，andthedelicatehand;omitneitherdiamondringnorgoldbracelet;portrayfaithfullytheattire，aeriallaceandglisteningsatin，gracefulscarfandgoldenrose;callit‘Blanche，anaccomplishedladyofrank。’

“Whenever，infuture，youshouldchancetofancyMr。Rochesterthinkswellofyou，takeoutthesetwopicturesandcomparethem:say，‘Mr。Rochestermightprobablywinthatnoblelady’slove，ifhechosetostriveforit;isitlikelyhewouldwasteaseriousthoughtonthisindigentandinsignificantplebeian？’”

“I’lldoit，”Iresolved:andhavingframedthisdetermination，Igrewcalm，andfellasleep。

Ikeptmyword。Anhourortwosufficedtosketchmyownportraitincrayons;andinlessthanafortnightIhadcompletedanivoryminiatureofanimaginaryBlancheIngram。Itlookedalovelyfaceenough，andwhencomparedwiththerealheadinchalk，thecontrastwasasgreatasself—controlcoulddesire。Iderivedbenefitfromthetask:ithadkeptmyheadandhandsemployed，andhadgivenforceandfixednesstothenewimpressionsIwishedtostampindeliblyonmyheart。

Erelong，IhadreasontocongratulatemyselfonthecourseofwholesomedisciplinetowhichIhadthusforcedmyfeelingstosubmit。Thankstoit，Iwasabletomeetsubsequentoccurrenceswithadecentcalm，which，hadtheyfoundmeunprepared，Ishouldprobablyhavebeenunequaltomaintain，evenexternally。

Chapter17

Aweekpassed，andnonewsarrivedofMr。Rochester:tendays，andstillhedidnotcome。Mrs。FairfaxsaidsheshouldnotbesurprisedifheweretogostraightfromtheLeastoLondon，andthencetotheContinent，andnotshowhisfaceagainatThornfieldforayeartocome;hehadnotunfrequentlyquitteditinamannerquiteasabruptandunexpected。WhenIheardthis，Iwasbeginningtofeelastrangechillandfailingattheheart。Iwasactuallypermittingmyselftoexperienceasickeningsenseofdisappointment;butrallyingmywits，andrecollectingmyprinciples，Iatoncecalledmysensationstoorder;anditwaswonderfulhowIgotoverthetemporaryblunder—howIclearedupthemistakeofsupposingMr。Rochester’smovementsamatterinwhichIhadanycausetotakeavitalinterest。NotthatIhumbledmyselfbyaslavishnotionofinferiority:onthecontrary，Ijustsaid—

“YouhavenothingtodowiththemasterofThornfield，furtherthantoreceivethesalaryhegivesyouforteachinghisprotégée，andtobegratefulforsuchrespectfulandkindtreatmentas，ifyoudoyourduty，youhavearighttoexpectathishands。Besurethatistheonlytieheseriouslyacknowledgesbetweenyouandhim;sodon’tmakehimtheobjectofyourfinefeelings，yourraptures，agonies，andsoforth。Heisnotofyourorder:keeptoyourcaste，andbetooself—respectingtolavishtheloveofthewholeheart，soul，andstrength，wheresuchagiftisnotwantedandwouldbedespised。”

Iwentonwithmyday’sbusinesstranquilly;buteverandanonvaguesuggestionskeptwanderingacrossmybrainofreasonswhyIshouldquitThornfield;andIkeptinvoluntarilyframingadvertisementsandponderingconjecturesaboutnewsituations:thesethoughtsIdidnotthinkcheck;theymightgerminateandbearfruitiftheycould。

Mr。Rochesterhadbeenabsentupwardsofafortnight，whenthepostbroughtMrs。Fairfaxaletter。

“Itisfromthemaster，”saidshe，asshelookedatthedirection。“NowIsupposeweshallknowwhetherwearetoexpecthisreturnornot。”

Andwhileshebrokethesealandperusedthedocument，Iwentontakingmycoffee（wewereatbreakfast）:itwashot，andIattributedtothatcircumstanceafieryglowwhichsuddenlyrosetomyface。Whymyhandshook，andwhyIinvoluntarilyspilthalfthecontentsofmycupintomysaucer，Ididnotchoosetoconsider。

“Well，Isometimesthinkwearetooquiet;butwerunachanceofbeingbusyenoughnow:foralittlewhileatleast，”saidMrs。Fairfax，stillholdingthenotebeforeherspectacles。

EreIpermittedmyselftorequestanexplanation，ItiedthestringofAdèle’spinafore，whichhappenedtobeloose:havinghelpedheralsotoanotherbunandrefilledhermugwithmilk，Isaid，nonchalantly—

“Mr。Rochesterisnotlikelytoreturnsoon，Isuppose？”

“Indeedheis—inthreedays，hesays:thatwillbenextThursday;andnotaloneeither。Idon’tknowhowmanyofthefinepeopleattheLeasarecomingwithhim:hesendsdirectionsforallthebestbedroomstobeprepared;andthelibraryanddrawing—roomsaretobecleanedout;IamtogetmorekitchenhandsfromtheGeorgeInn，atMillcote，andfromwhereverelseIcan;andtheladieswillbringtheirmaidsandthegentlementheirvalets:soweshallhaveafullhouseofit。”AndMrs。Fairfaxswallowedherbreakfastandhastenedawaytocommenceoperations。

Thethreedayswere，asshehadforetold，busyenough。IhadthoughtalltheroomsatThornfieldbeautifullycleanandwellarranged;butitappearsIwasmistaken。Threewomenweregottohelp;andsuchscrubbing，suchbrushing，suchwashingofpaintandbeatingofcarpets，suchtakingdownandputtingupofpictures，suchpolishingofmirrorsandlustres，suchlightingoffiresinbedrooms，suchairingofsheetsandfeather—bedsonhearths，Ineverbeheld，eitherbeforeorsince。Adèleranquitewildinthemidstofit:thepreparationsforcompanyandtheprospectoftheirarrival，seemedtothrowherintoecstasies。ShewouldhaveSophietolookoverallher“toilettes，”asshecalledfrocks;tofurbishupanythatwere“passées，”andtoairandarrangethenew。Forherself，shedidnothingbutcaperaboutinthefrontchambers，jumponandoffthebedsteads，andlieonthemattressesandpiled—upbolstersandpillowsbeforetheenormousfiresroaringinthechimneys。Fromschooldutiesshewasexonerated:Mrs。Fairfaxhadpressedmeintoherservice，andIwasalldayinthestoreroom，helping（orhindering）herandthecook;learningtomakecustardsandcheese—cakesandFrenchpastry，totrussgameandgarnishdesert—dishes。

ThepartywereexpectedtoarriveonThursdayafternoon，intimefordinneratsix。DuringtheinterveningperiodIhadnotimetonursechimeras;andIbelieveIwasasactiveandgayasanybody—Adèleexcepted。Still，nowandthen，Ireceivedadampingchecktomycheerfulness;andwas，inspiteofmyself，thrownbackontheregionofdoubtsandportents，anddarkconjectures。ThiswaswhenIchancedtoseethethird—storeystaircasedoor（whichoflatehadalwaysbeenkeptlocked）openslowly，andgivepassagetotheformofGracePoole，inprimcap，whiteapron，andhandkerchief;whenIwatchedherglidealongthegallery，herquiettreadmuffledinalistslipper;whenIsawherlookintothebustling，topsy—turvybedrooms，—justsayaword，perhaps，tothecharwomanabouttheproperwaytopolishagrate，orcleanamarblemantelpiece，ortakestainsfrompaperedwalls，andthenpasson。Shewouldthusdescendtothekitchenonceaday，eatherdinner，smokeamoderatepipeonthehearth，andgoback，carryingherpotofporterwithher，forherprivatesolace，inherowngloomy，upperhaunt。Onlyonehourinthetwenty—fourdidshepasswithherfellow—servantsbelow;alltherestofhertimewasspentinsomelow—ceiled，oakenchamberofthesecondstorey:thereshesatandsewed—andprobablylaugheddrearilytoherself，—ascompanionlessasaprisonerinhisdungeon。

Thestrangestthingofallwas，thatnotasoulinthehouse，exceptme，noticedherhabits，orseemedtomarvelatthem:noonediscussedherpositionoremployment;noonepitiedhersolitudeorisolation。Ionce，indeed，overheardpartofadialoguebetweenLeahandoneofthecharwomen，ofwhichGraceformedthesubject。LeahhadbeensayingsomethingIhadnotcaught，andthecharwomanremarked—

“Shegetsgoodwages，Iguess？”

“Yes，”saidLeah;“IwishIhadasgood;notthatminearetocomplainof，—there’snostinginessatThornfield;butthey’renotonefifthofthesumMrs。Poolereceives。Andsheislayingby:shegoeseveryquartertothebankatMillcote。Ishouldnotwonderbutshehassavedenoughtokeepherindependentifshelikedtoleave;butIsupposeshe’sgotusedtotheplace;andthenshe’snotfortyyet，andstrongandableforanything。Itistoosoonforhertogiveupbusiness。”

“Sheisagoodhand，Idaresay，”saidthecharwoman。

“Ah！—sheunderstandswhatshehastodo，—nobodybetter，”rejoinedLeahsignificantly;“anditisnoteveryonecouldfillhershoes—notforallthemoneyshegets。”

“Thatitisnot！”wasthereply。“Iwonderwhetherthemaster—”

Thecharwomanwasgoingon;buthereLeahturnedandperceivedme，andsheinstantlygavehercompanionanudge。

“Doesn’tsheknow？”Iheardthewomanwhisper。

Leahshookherhead，andtheconversationwasofcoursedropped。AllIhadgatheredfromitamountedtothis，—thattherewasamysteryatThornfield;andthatfromparticipationinthatmysteryIwaspurposelyexcluded。

Thursdaycame:allworkhadbeencompletedthepreviousevening;carpetswerelaiddown，bed—hangingsfestooned，radiantwhitecounterpanesspread，toilettablesarranged，furniturerubbed，flowerspiledinvases:bothchambersandsaloonslookedasfreshandbrightashandscouldmakethem。Thehall，too，wasscoured;andthegreatcarvedclock，aswellasthestepsandbanistersofthestaircase，werepolishedtothebrightnessofglass;inthedining—room，thesideboardflashedresplendentwithplate;inthedrawing—roomandboudoir，vasesofexoticsbloomedonallsides。

Afternoonarrived:Mrs。Fairfaxassumedherbestblacksatingown，hergloves，andhergoldwatch;foritwasherparttoreceivethecompany，—toconducttheladiestotheirrooms，&c。Adèle，too，wouldbedressed:thoughIthoughtshehadlittlechanceofbeingintroducedtothepartythatdayatleast。However，topleaseher，IallowedSophietoapparelherinoneofhershort，fullmuslinfrocks。Formyself，Ihadnoneedtomakeanychange;Ishouldnotbecalledupontoquitmysanctumoftheschoolroom;forasanctumitwasnowbecometome，—“averypleasantrefugeintimeoftrouble。”

Ithadbeenamild，serenespringday—oneofthosedayswhich，towardstheendofMarchorthebeginningofApril，riseshiningovertheearthasheraldsofsummer。Itwasdrawingtoanendnow;buttheeveningwasevenwarm，andIsatatworkintheschoolroomwiththewindowopen。

“Itgetslate，”saidMrs。Fairfax，enteringinrustlingstate。“IamgladIordereddinneranhourafterthetimeMr。Rochestermentioned;foritispastsixnow。IhavesentJohndowntothegatestoseeifthereisanythingontheroad:onecanseealongwayfromthenceinthedirectionofMillcote。”Shewenttothewindow。“Hereheis！”saidshe。“Well，John”（leaningout），“anynews？”

“They’recoming，ma’am，”wastheanswer。“They’llbehereintenminutes。”

Adèleflewtothewindow。Ifollowed，takingcaretostandononeside，sothat，screenedbythecurtain，Icouldseewithoutbeingseen。

ThetenminutesJohnhadgivenseemedverylong，butatlastwheelswereheard;fourequestriansgallopedupthedrive，andafterthemcametwoopencarriages。Flutteringveilsandwavingplumesfilledthevehicles;twoofthecavalierswereyoung，dashing—lookinggentlemen;thethirdwasMr。Rochester，onhisblackhorse，Mesrour，Pilotboundingbeforehim;athissiderodealady，andheandshewerethefirstoftheparty。Herpurpleriding—habitalmostswepttheground，herveilstreamedlongonthebreeze;minglingwithitstransparentfolds，andgleamingthroughthem，shonerichravenringlets。

“MissIngram！”exclaimedMrs。Fairfax，andawayshehurriedtoherpostbelow。

Thecavalcade，followingthesweepofthedrive，quicklyturnedtheangleofthehouse，andIlostsightofit。Adèlenowpetitionedtogodown;butItookheronmyknee，andgavehertounderstandthatshemustnotonanyaccountthinkofventuringinsightoftheladies，eithernoworatanyothertime，unlessexpresslysentfor:thatMr。Rochesterwouldbeveryangry，&c。“Somenaturaltearssheshed”onbeingtoldthis;butasIbegantolookverygrave，sheconsentedatlasttowipethem。

Ajoyousstirwasnowaudibleinthehall:gentlemen’sdeeptonesandladies’silveryaccentsblentharmoniouslytogether，anddistinguishableaboveall，thoughnotloud，wasthesonorousvoiceofthemasterofThornfieldHall，welcominghisfairandgallantguestsunderitsroof。Thenlightstepsascendedthestairs;andtherewasatrippingthroughthegallery，andsoftcheerfullaughs，andopeningandclosingdoors，and，foratime，ahush。

“Elleschangentdetoilettes，”saidAdèle;who，listeningattentively，hadfollowedeverymovement;andshesighed。

“Chezmaman，”saidshe，“quandilyavaitdumonde，jelesuivaispartout，ausalonetàleurschambres;souventjeregardaislesfemmesdechambrecoifferethabillerlesdames，etc’étaitsiamusant:commecelaonapprend。”

“Don’tyoufeelhungry，Adèle？”

“Maisoui，mademoiselle:voilàcinqousixheuresquenousn’avonspasmangé。”

“Wellnow，whiletheladiesareintheirrooms，Iwillventuredownandgetyousomethingtoeat。”

Andissuingfrommyasylumwithprecaution，Isoughtaback—stairswhichconducteddirectlytothekitchen。Allinthatregionwasfireandcommotion;thesoupandfishwereinthelaststageofprojection，andthecookhungoverhercruciblesinaframeofmindandbodythreateningspontaneouscombustion。Intheservants’halltwocoachmenandthreegentlemen’sgentlemenstoodorsatroundthefire;theabigails，Isuppose，wereupstairswiththeirmistresses;thenewservants，thathadbeenhiredfromMillcote，werebustlingabouteverywhere。Threadingthischaos，Iatlastreachedthelarder;thereItookpossessionofacoldchicken，arollofbread，sometarts，aplateortwoandaknifeandfork:withthisbootyImadeahastyretreat。Ihadregainedthegallery，andwasjustshuttingtheback—doorbehindme，whenanacceleratedhumwarnedmethattheladieswereabouttoissuefromtheirchambers。Icouldnotproceedtotheschoolroomwithoutpassingsomeoftheirdoors，andrunningtheriskofbeingsurprisedwithmycargoofvictualage;soIstoodstillatthisend，which，beingwindowless，wasdark:quitedarknow，forthesunwassetandtwilightgathering。

Presentlythechambersgaveuptheirfairtenantsoneafteranother:eachcameoutgailyandairily，withdressthatgleamedlustrousthroughthedusk。Foramomenttheystoodgroupedtogetherattheotherextremityofthegallery，conversinginakeyofsweetsubduedvivacity:theythendescendedthestaircasealmostasnoiselesslyasabrightmistrollsdownahill。Theircollectiveappearancehadleftonmeanimpressionofhigh—bornelegance，suchasIhadneverbeforereceived。

IfoundAdèlepeepingthroughtheschoolroomdoor，whichsheheldajar。“Whatbeautifulladies！”criedsheinEnglish。“Oh，IwishImightgotothem！DoyouthinkMr。Rochesterwillsendforusby—and—bye，afterdinner？”

“No，indeed，Idon’t;Mr。Rochesterhassomethingelsetothinkabout。Nevermindtheladiesto—night;perhapsyouwillseethemto—morrow:hereisyourdinner。”

Shewasreallyhungry，sothechickenandtartsservedtodivertherattentionforatime。ItwaswellIsecuredthisforage，orbothshe，I，andSophie，towhomIconveyedashareofourrepast，wouldhaverunachanceofgettingnodinneratall:everyonedownstairswastoomuchengagedtothinkofus。Thedessertwasnotcarriedouttillafternineandattenfootmenwerestillrunningtoandfrowithtraysandcoffee—cups。IallowedAdèletositupmuchlaterthanusual;forshedeclaredshecouldnotpossiblygotosleepwhilethedoorskeptopeningandshuttingbelow，andpeoplebustlingabout。Besides，sheadded，amessagemightpossiblycomefromMr。Rochesterwhenshewasundressed;“etalorsqueldommage！”

Itoldherstoriesaslongasshewouldlistentothem;andthenforachangeItookheroutintothegallery。Thehalllampwasnowlit，anditamusedhertolookoverthebalustradeandwatchtheservantspassingbackwardsandforwards。Whentheeveningwasfaradvanced，asoundofmusicissuedfromthedrawing—room，whitherthepianohadbeenremoved;AdèleandIsatdownonthetopstepofthestairstolisten。Presentlyavoiceblentwiththerichtonesoftheinstrument;itwasaladywhosang，andverysweethernoteswere。Thesoloover，aduetfollowed，andthenaglee:ajoyousconversationalmurmurfilleduptheintervals。Ilistenedlong:suddenlyIdiscoveredthatmyearwaswhollyintentonanalysingthemingledsounds，andtryingtodiscriminateamidsttheconfusionofaccentsthoseofMr。Rochester;andwhenitcaughtthem，whichitsoondid，itfoundafurthertaskinframingthetones，renderedbydistanceinarticulate，intowords。

Theclockstruckeleven。IlookedatAdèle，whoseheadleantagainstmyshoulder;hereyeswerewaxingheavy，soItookherupinmyarmsandcarriedherofftobed。Itwasnearonebeforethegentlemenandladiessoughttheirchambers。

Thenextdaywasasfineasitspredecessor:itwasdevotedbythepartytoanexcursiontosomesiteintheneighbourhood。Theysetoutearlyintheforenoon，someonhorseback，therestincarriages;Iwitnessedboththedepartureandthereturn。MissIngram，asbefore，wastheonlyladyequestrian;and，asbefore，Mr。Rochestergallopedatherside;thetworodealittleapartfromtherest。IpointedoutthiscircumstancetoMrs。Fairfax，whowasstandingatthewindowwithme—

“Yousaiditwasnotlikelytheyshouldthinkofbeingmarried，”saidI，“butyouseeMr。Rochesterevidentlyprefershertoanyoftheotherladies。”

“Yes，Idaresay:nodoubtheadmiresher。”

“Andshehim，”Iadded;“lookhowsheleansherheadtowardshimasifshewereconversingconfidentially;IwishIcouldseeherface;Ihaveneverhadaglimpseofityet。”

“Youwillseeherthisevening，”answeredMrs。Fairfax。“IhappenedtoremarktoMr。RochesterhowmuchAdèlewishedtobeintroducedtotheladies，andhesaid:‘Oh！lethercomeintothedrawing—roomafterdinner;andrequestMissEyretoaccompanyher。’”

“Yes;hesaidthatfrommerepoliteness:Ineednotgo，Iamsure，”Ianswered。