下载辰思小说免费APP
“Canyouseeme？”
“No，myfairy:butIamonlytoothankfultohearandfeelyou。”
“Whendoyoutakesupper？”
“Inevertakesupper。”
“Butyoushallhavesometo—night。Iamhungry:soareyou，Idaresay，onlyyouforget。”
SummoningMary，Isoonhadtheroominmorecheerfulorder:Ipreparedhim，likewise，acomfortablerepast。Myspiritswereexcited，andwithpleasureandeaseItalkedtohimduringsupper，andforalongtimeafter。Therewasnoharassingrestraint，norepressingofgleeandvivacitywithhim;forwithhimIwasatperfectease，becauseIknewIsuitedhim;allIsaidordidseemedeithertoconsoleorrevivehim。Delightfulconsciousness！Itbroughttolifeandlightmywholenature:inhispresenceIthoroughlylived;andhelivedinmine。Blindashewas，smilesplayedoverhisface，joydawnedonhisforehead:hislineamentssoftenedandwarmed。
Aftersupper，hebegantoaskmemanyquestions，ofwhereIhadbeen，whatIhadbeendoing，howIhadfoundhimout;butIgavehimonlyverypartialreplies:itwastoolatetoenterintoparticularsthatnight。Besides，Iwishedtotouchnodeep—thrillingchord—toopennofreshwellofemotioninhisheart:mysolepresentaimwastocheerhim。Cheered，asIhavesaid，hewas:andyetbutbyfits。Ifamoment’ssilencebroketheconversation，hewouldturnrestless，touchme，thensay，“Jane。”
“Youarealtogetherahumanbeing，Jane？Youarecertainofthat？”
“Iconscientiouslybelieveso，Mr。Rochester。”
“Yethow，onthisdarkanddolefulevening，couldyousosuddenlyriseonmylonehearth？Istretchedmyhandtotakeaglassofwaterfromahireling，anditwasgivenmebyyou:Iaskedaquestion，expectingJohn’swifetoanswerme，andyourvoicespokeatmyear。”
“BecauseIhadcomein，inMary’sstead，withthetray。”
“AndthereisenchantmentintheveryhourIamnowspendingwithyou。Whocantellwhatadark，dreary，hopelesslifeIhavedraggedonformonthspast？Doingnothing，expectingnothing;mergingnightinday;feelingbutthesensationofcoldwhenIletthefiregoout，ofhungerwhenIforgottoeat:andthenaceaselesssorrow，and，attimes，averydeliriumofdesiretobeholdmyJaneagain。Yes:forherrestorationIlonged，farmorethanforthatofmylostsight。HowcanitbethatJaneiswithme，andsaysshelovesme？Willshenotdepartassuddenlyasshecame？To—morrow，IfearIshallfindhernomore。”
Acommonplace，practicalreply，outofthetrainofhisowndisturbedideas，was，Iwassure，thebestandmostreassuringforhiminthisframeofmind。Ipassedmyfingeroverhiseyebrows，andremarkedthattheywerescorched，andthatIwouldapplysomethingwhichwouldmakethemgrowasbroadandblackasever。
“Whereistheuseofdoingmegoodinanyway，beneficentspirit，when，atsomefatalmoment，youwillagaindesertme—passinglikeashadow，whitherandhowtomeunknown，andformeremainingafterwardsundiscoverable？
“Haveyouapocket—combaboutyou，sir？”
“Whatfor，Jane？”
“Justtocomboutthisshaggyblackmane。Ifindyouratheralarming，whenIexamineyoucloseathand:youtalkofmybeingafairy，butIamsure，youaremorelikeabrownie。”
“AmIhideous，Jane？”
“Very，sir:youalwayswere，youknow。”
“Humph！Thewickednesshasnotbeentakenoutofyou，whereveryouhavesojourned。”
“YetIhavebeenwithgoodpeople;farbetterthanyou:ahundredtimesbetterpeople;possessedofideasandviewsyouneverentertainedinyourlife:quitemorerefinedandexalted。”
“Whothedeucehaveyoubeenwith？”
“Ifyoutwistinthatwayyouwillmakemepullthehairoutofyourhead;andthenIthinkyouwillceasetoentertaindoubtsofmysubstantiality。”
“Whohaveyoubeenwith，Jane？”
“Youshallnotgetitoutofmeto—night，sir;youmustwaittillto—morrow;toleavemytalehalftold，will，youknow，beasortofsecuritythatIshallappearatyourbreakfasttabletofinishit。Bythebye，Imustmindnottoriseonyourhearthwithonlyaglassofwaterthen:Imustbringaneggattheleast，tosaynothingoffriedham。”
“Youmockingchangeling—fairy—bornandhuman—bred！YoumakemefeelasIhavenotfeltthesetwelvemonths。IfSaulcouldhavehadyouforhisDavid，theevilspiritwouldhavebeenexorcisedwithouttheaidoftheharp。”
“There，sir，youarereddupandmadedecent。NowI’llleaveyou:Ihavebeentravellingtheselastthreedays，andIbelieveIamtired。Goodnight。”
“Justoneword，Jane:werethereonlyladiesinthehousewhereyouhavebeen？”
Ilaughedandmademyescape，stilllaughingasIranupstairs。“Agoodidea！”Ithoughtwithglee。“IseeIhavethemeansoffrettinghimoutofhismelancholyforsometimetocome。”
VeryearlythenextmorningIheardhimupandastir，wanderingfromoneroomtoanother。AssoonasMarycamedownIheardthequestion:“IsMissEyrehere？”Then:“Whichroomdidyouputherinto？Wasitdry？Issheup？Goandaskifshewantsanything;andwhenshewillcomedown。”
IcamedownassoonasIthoughttherewasaprospectofbreakfast。Enteringtheroomverysoftly，Ihadaviewofhimbeforehediscoveredmypresence。Itwasmournful，indeed，towitnessthesubjugationofthatvigorousspirittoacorporealinfirmity。Hesatinhischair—still，butnotatrest:expectantevidently;thelinesofnowhabitualsadnessmarkinghisstrongfeatures。Hiscountenanceremindedoneofalampquenched，waitingtobere—lit—andalas！itwasnothimselfthatcouldnowkindlethelustreofanimatedexpression:hewasdependentonanotherforthatoffice！Ihadmeanttobegayandcareless，butthepowerlessnessofthestrongmantouchedmyhearttothequick:stillIaccostedhimwithwhatvivacityIcould。
“Itisabright，sunnymorning，sir，”Isaid。“Therainisoverandgone，andthereisatendershiningafterit:youshallhaveawalksoon。”
Ihadwakenedtheglow:hisfeaturesbeamed。
“Oh，youareindeedthere，myskylark！Cometome。Youarenotgone:notvanished？Iheardoneofyourkindanhourago，singinghighoverthewood:butitssonghadnomusicforme，anymorethantherisingsunhadrays。AllthemelodyonearthisconcentratedinmyJane’stonguetomyear（Iamgladitisnotnaturallyasilentone）:allthesunshineIcanfeelisinherpresence。”
Thewaterstoodinmyeyestohearthisavowalofhisdependence;justasifaroyaleagle，chainedtoaperch，shouldbeforcedtoentreatasparrowtobecomeitspurveyor。ButIwouldnotbelachrymose:Idashedoffthesaltdrops，andbusiedmyselfwithpreparingbreakfast。
Mostofthemorningwasspentintheopenair。Iledhimoutofthewetandwildwoodintosomecheerfulfields:Idescribedtohimhowbrilliantlygreentheywere;howtheflowersandhedgeslookedrefreshed;howsparklinglybluewasthesky。Isoughtaseatforhiminahiddenandlovelyspot，adrystumpofatree;nordidIrefusetolethim，whenseated，placemeonhisknee。WhyshouldI，whenbothheandIwerehappiernearthanapart？Pilotlaybesideus:allwasquiet。Hebrokeoutsuddenlywhileclaspingmeinhisarms—
“Cruel，crueldeserter！Oh，Jane，whatdidIfeelwhenIdiscoveredyouhadfledfromThornfield，andwhenIcouldnowherefindyou;and，afterexaminingyourapartment，ascertainedthatyouhadtakennomoney，noranythingwhichcouldserveasanequivalent！ApearlnecklaceIhadgivenyoulayuntouchedinitslittlecasket;yourtrunkswereleftcordedandlockedastheyhadbeenpreparedforthebridaltour。Whatcouldmydarlingdo，Iasked，leftdestituteandpenniless？Andwhatdidshedo？Letmehearnow。”
Thusurged，Ibeganthenarrativeofmyexperienceforthelastyear。Isoftenedconsiderablywhatrelatedtothethreedaysofwanderingandstarvation，becausetohavetoldhimallwouldhavebeentoinflictunnecessarypain:thelittleIdidsaylaceratedhisfaithfulheartdeeperthanIwished。
Ishouldnothavelefthimthus，hesaid，withoutanymeansofmakingmyway:Ishouldhavetoldhimmyintention。Ishouldhaveconfidedinhim:hewouldneverhaveforcedmetobehismistress。Violentashehadseemedinhisdespair，he，intruth，lovedmefartoowellandtootenderlytoconstitutehimselfmytyrant:hewouldhavegivenmehalfhisfortune，withoutdemandingsomuchasakissinreturn，ratherthanIshouldhaveflungmyselffriendlessonthewideworld。Ihadendured，hewascertain，morethanIhadconfessedtohim。
“Well，whatevermysufferingshadbeen，theywereveryshort，”Ianswered:andthenIproceededtotellhimhowIhadbeenreceivedatMoorHouse;howIhadobtainedtheofficeofschoolmistress，&c。Theaccessionoffortune，thediscoveryofmyrelations，followedindueorder。Ofcourse，St。JohnRivers’namecameinfrequentlyintheprogressofmytale。WhenIhaddone，thatnamewasimmediatelytakenup。
“ThisSt。John，then，isyourcousin？”
“Yes。”
“Youhavespokenofhimoften:doyoulikehim？”
“Hewasaverygoodman，sir;Icouldnothelplikinghim。”
“Agoodman。Doesthatmeanarespectablewell—conductedmanoffifty？Orwhatdoesitmean？”
“StJohnwasonlytwenty—nine，sir。”
“‘Jeuneencore，’astheFrenchsay。Isheapersonoflowstature，phlegmatic，andplain。Apersonwhosegoodnessconsistsratherinhisguiltlessnessofvice，thaninhisprowessinvirtue。”
“Heisuntiringlyactive。Greatandexalteddeedsarewhathelivestoperform。”
“Buthisbrain？Thatisprobablyrathersoft？Hemeanswell:butyoushrugyourshoulderstohearhimtalk？”
“Hetalkslittle，sir:whathedoessayisevertothepoint。Hisbrainisfirst—rate，Ishouldthinknotimpressible，butvigorous。”
“Isheanableman，then？”
“Trulyable。”
“Athoroughlyeducatedman？”
“St。Johnisanaccomplishedandprofoundscholar。”
“Hismanners，Ithink，yousaidarenottoyourtaste？—priggishandparsonic？”
“Inevermentionedhismanners;but，unlessIhadaverybadtaste，theymustsuitit;theyarepolished，calm，andgentlemanlike。”
“Hisappearance，—Iforgetwhatdescriptionyougaveofhisappearance;—asortofrawcurate，halfstrangledwithhiswhiteneckcloth，andstilteduponhisthick—soledhigh—lows，eh？”
“St。Johndresseswell。Heisahandsomeman:tall，fair，withblueeyes，andaGrecianprofile。”
（Aside。）“Damnhim！”—（Tome。）“Didyoulikehim，Jane？”
“Yes，Mr。Rochester，Ilikedhim:butyouaskedmethatbefore。”
Iperceived，ofcourse，thedriftofmyinterlocutor。Jealousyhadgotholdofhim:shestunghim;butthestingwassalutary:itgavehimrespitefromthegnawingfangofmelancholy。Iwouldnot，therefore，immediatelycharmthesnake。
“Perhapsyouwouldrathernotsitanylongeronmyknee，MissEyre？”wasthenextsomewhatunexpectedobservation。
“Whynot，Mr。Rochester？”
“Thepictureyouhavejustdrawnissuggestiveofarathertoooverwhelmingcontrast。YourwordshavedelineatedveryprettilyagracefulApollo:heispresenttoyourimagination，—tall，fair，blue—eyed，andwithaGrecianprofile。YoureyesdwellonaVulcan，—arealblacksmith，brown，broad—shouldered:andblindandlameintothebargain。”
“Ineverthoughtofit，before;butyoucertainlyareratherlikeVulcan，sir。”
“Well，youcanleaveme，ma’am:butbeforeyougo”（andheretainedmebyafirmergraspthanever），“youwillbepleasedjusttoanswermeaquestionortwo。”Hepaused。
“W
