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Jane Eyre-第107章

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y yet living flesh shuddered at its chilling influence。 i rose ere long。

the light was yet there; shining dim but constant through the rain。 i tried to walk again: i dragged my exhausted limbs slowly towards it。 it led me aslant over the hill; through a wide bog; which would have been impassable in winter; and was splashy and shaking even now; in the height of summer。 here i fell twice; but as often i rose and rallied my faculties。 this light was my forlorn hope: i must gain it。

having crossed the marsh; i saw a trace of white over the moor。 i approached it; it was a road or a track: it led straight up to the light; which now beamed from a sort of knoll; amidst a clump of trees—firs; apparently; from what i could distinguish of the character of their forms and foliage through the gloom。 my star vanished as i drew near: some obstacle had intervened between me and it。 i put out my hand to feel the dark mass before me: i discriminated the rough stones of a low wall—above it; something like palisades; and within; a high and prickly hedge。 i groped on。 again a whitish object gleamed before me: it was a gate—a wicket; it moved on its hinges as i touched it。 on each side stood a sable bush…holly or yew。

entering the gate and passing the shrubs; the silhouette of a house rose to view; black; low; and rather long; but the guiding light shone nowhere。 all was obscurity。 were the inmates retired to rest? i feared it must be so。 in seeking the door; i turned an angle: there shot out the friendly gleam again; from the lozenged panes of a very small latticed window; within a foot of the ground; made still smaller by the growth of ivy or some other creeping plant; whose leaves clustered thick over the portion of the house wall in which it was set。 the aperture was so screened and narrow; that curtain or shutter had been deemed unnecessary; and when i stooped down and put aside the spray of foliage shooting over it; i could see all within。 i could see clearly a room with a sanded floor; clean scoured; a dresser of walnut; with pewter plates ranged in rows; reflecting the redness and radiance of a glowing peat…fire。 i could see a clock; a white deal table; some chairs。 the candle; whose ray had been my beacon; burnt on the table; and by its light an elderly woman; somewhat rough…looking; but scrupulously clean; like all about her; was knitting a stocking。

i noticed these objects cursorily only—in them there was nothing extraordinary。 a group of more interest appeared near the hearth; sitting still amidst the rosy peace and warmth suffusing it。 two young; graceful women—ladies in every point—sat; one in a low rocking…chair; the other on a lower stool; both wore deep mourning of crape and bombazeen; which sombre garb singularly set off very fair necks and faces: a large old pointer dog rested its massive head on the knee of one girl—in the lap of the other was cushioned a black cat。

a strange place was this humble kitchen for such occupants! who were they? they could not be the daughters of the elderly person at the table; for she looked like a rustic; and they were all delicacy and cultivation。 i had nowhere seen such faces as theirs: and yet; as i gazed on them; i seemed intimate with every lineament。 i cannot call them handsome—they were too pale and grave for the word: as they each bent over a book; they looked thoughtful almost to severity。 a stand between them supported a second candle and two great volumes; to which they frequently referred; paring them; seemingly; with the smaller books they held in their hands; like people consulting a dictionary to aid them in the task of translation。 this scene was as silent as if all the figures had been shadows and the firelit apartment a picture: so hushed was it; i could hear the cinders fall from the grate; the clock tick in its obscure corner; and i even fancied i could distinguish the click… click of the woman’s knitting…needles。 when; therefore; a voice broke the strange stillness at last; it was audible enough to me。

“listen; diana;” said one of the absorbed students; “franz and old daniel are together in the night…time; and franz is telling a dream from which he has awakened in terror—listen!” and in a low voice she read something; of which not one word was intelligible to me; for it was in an unknown tongue—neither french nor latin。 whether it were greek or german i could not tell。

“that is strong;” she said; when she had finished: “i relish it。” the other girl; who had lifted her head to listen to her sister; repeated; while she gazed at the fire; a line of what had been read。 at a later day; i knew the language and the book; therefore; i will here quote the line: though; when i first heard it; it was only like a stroke on sounding brass to me—conveying no meaning:—

“‘da trat hervor einer; anzusehen wie die sternen nacht。’ good! good!” she exclaimed; while her dark and deep eye sparkled。 “there you have a dim and mighty archangel fitly set before you! the line is worth a hundred pages of fustian。 ‘ich wage die gedanken in der schale meines zornes und die werke mit dem gewichte meines grimms。’ i like it!”

both were again silent。

“is there ony country where they talk i’ that way?” asked the old woman; looking up from her knitting。

“yes; hannah—a far larger country than england; where they talk in no other way。”

“well; for sure case; i knawn’t how they can understand t’ one t’other: and if either o’ ye went there; ye could tell what they said; i guess?”

“we could probably tell something of what they said; but not all— for we are not as clever as you think us; hannah。 we don’t speak german; and we cannot read it without a dictionary to help us。”

“and what good does it do you?”

“we mean to teach it some time—or at least the elements; as they say; and then we shall get more money than we do now。”

“varry like: but give ower studying; ye’ve done enough for to… night。”

“i think we have: at least i’m tired。 mary; are you?”

“mortally: after all; it’s tough work fagging away at a language with no master but a lexicon。”

“it is; especially such a language as this crabbed but glorious deut
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