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Jane Eyre-第37章

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moked—how it did smoke!—and i was sick; and so was sophie; and so was mr。 rochester。 mr。 rochester lay down on a sofa in a pretty room called the salon; and sophie and i had little beds in another place。 i nearly fell out of mine; it was like a shelf。 and mademoiselle—what is your name?”

“eyre—jane eyre。”

“aire? bah! i cannot say it。 well; our ship stopped in the morning; before it was quite daylight; at a great city—a huge city; with very dark houses and all smoky; not at all like the pretty clean town i came from; and mr。 rochester carried me in his arms over a plank to the land; and sophie came after; and we all got into a coach; which took us to a beautiful large house; larger than this and finer; called an hotel。 we stayed there nearly a week: i and sophie used to walk every day in a great green place full of trees; called the park; and there were many children there besides me; and a pond with beautiful birds in it; that i fed with crumbs。”

“can you understand her when she runs on so fast?” asked mrs。 fairfax。

i understood her very well; for i had been accustomed to the fluent tongue of madame pierrot。

“i wish;” continued the good lady; “you would ask her a question or two about her parents: i wonder if she remembers them?”

“adèle;” i inquired; “with whom did you live when you were in that pretty clean town you spoke of?”

“i lived long ago with mama; but she is gone to the holy virgin。 mama used to teach me to dance and sing; and to say verses。 a great many gentlemen and ladies came to see mama; and i used to dance before them; or to sit on their knees and sing to them: i liked it。 shall i let you hear me sing now?”

she had finished her breakfast; so i permitted her to give a specimen of her acplishments。 descending from her chair; she came and placed herself on my knee; then; folding her little hands demurely before her; shaking back her curls and lifting her eyes to the ceiling; she menced singing a song from some opera。 it was the strain of a forsaken lady; who; after bewailing the perfidy of her lover; calls pride to her aid; desires her attendant to deck her in her brightest jewels and richest robes; and resolves to meet the false one that night at a ball; and prove to him; by the gaiety of her demeanour; how little his desertion has affected her。

the subject seemed strangely chosen for an infant singer; but i suppose the point of the exhibition lay in hearing the notes of love and jealousy warbled with the lisp of childhood; and in very bad taste that point was: at least i thought so。

adèle sang the canzonette tunefully enough; and with the na?veté of her age。 this achieved; she jumped from my knee and said; “now; mademoiselle; i will repeat you some poetry。”

assuming an attitude; she began; “la ligue des rats: fable de la fontaine。” she then declaimed the little piece with an attention to punctuation and emphasis; a flexibility of voice and an appropriateness of gesture; very unusual indeed at her age; and which proved she had been carefully trained。

“was it your mama who taught you that piece?” i asked。

“yes; and she just used to say it in this way: ‘qu’ avez vous donc? lui dit un de ces rats; parlez!’ she made me lift my hand—so—to remind me to raise my voice at the question。 now shall i dance for you?”

“no; that will do: but after your mama went to the holy virgin; as you say; with whom did you live then?”

“with madame frédéric and her husband: she took care of me; but she is nothing related to me。 i think she is poor; for she had not so fine a house as mama。 i was not long there。 mr。 rochester asked me if i would like to go and live with him in england; and i said yes; for i knew mr。 rochester before i knew madame frédéric; and he was always kind to me and gave me pretty dresses and toys: but you see he has not kept his word; for he has brought me to england; and now he is gone back again himself; and i never see him。”

after breakfast; adèle and i withdrew to the library; which room; it appears; mr。 rochester had directed should be used as the schoolroom。 most of the books were locked up behind glass doors; but there was one bookcase left open containing everything that could be needed in the way of elementary works; and several volumes of light literature; poetry; biography; travels; a few romances; &c。 i suppose he had considered that these were all the governess would require for her private perusal; and; indeed; they contented me amply for the present; pared with the scanty pickings i had now and then been able to glean at lowood; they seemed to offer an abundant harvest of entertainment and information。 in this room; too; there was a cabinet piano; quite new and of superior tone; also an easel for painting and a pair of globes。

i found my pupil sufficiently docile; though disinclined to apply: she had not been used to regular occupation of any kind。 i felt it would be injudicious to confine her too much at first; so; when i had talked to her a great deal; and got her to learn a little; and when the morning had advanced to noon; i allowed her to return to her nurse。 i then proposed to occupy myself till dinner…time in drawing some little sketches for her use。

as i was going upstairs to fetch my portfolio and pencils; mrs。 fairfax called to me: “your morning school…hours are over now; i suppose;” said she。 she was in a room the folding…doors of which stood open: i went in when she addressed me。 it was a large; stately apartment; with purple chairs and curtains; a turkey carpet; walnut…panelled walls; one vast window rich in slanted glass; and a lofty ceiling; nobly moulded。 mrs。 fairfax was dusting some vases of fine purple spar; which stood on a sideboard。

“what a beautiful room!” i exclaimed; as i looked round; for i had never before seen any half so imposing。

“yes; this is the dining…room。 i have just opened the window; to let in a little air and sunshine; for everything gets so damp in apartments that are seldom inhabited; the drawing…room yonder feels like a vault。”

she pointed to a wide arch corresponding to the window; and hung like it with a tyrian…dyed curtain; now looped up。 mounting
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