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Jane Eyre-第44章

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ooking at adèle and the dog: the fire shone full on his face。 i knew my traveller with his broad and jetty eyebrows; his square forehead; made squarer by the horizontal sweep of his black hair。 i recognised his decisive nose; more remarkable for character than beauty; his full nostrils; denoting; i thought; choler; his grim mouth; chin; and jaw—yes; all three were very grim; and no mistake。 his shape; now divested of cloak; i perceived harmonised in squareness with his physiognomy: i suppose it was a good figure in the athletic sense of the term—broad chested and thin flanked; though neither tall nor graceful。

mr。 rochester must have been aware of the entrance of mrs。 fairfax and myself; but it appeared he was not in the mood to notice us; for he never lifted his head as we approached。

“here is miss eyre; sir;” said mrs。 fairfax; in her quiet way。 he bowed; still not taking his eyes from the group of the dog and child。

“let miss eyre be seated;” said he: and there was something in the forced stiff bow; in the impatient yet formal tone; which seemed further to express; “what the deuce is it to me whether miss eyre be there or not? at this moment i am not disposed to accost her。”

i sat down quite disembarrassed。 a reception of finished politeness would probably have confused me: i could not have returned or repaid it by answering grace and elegance on my part; but harsh caprice laid me under no obligation; on the contrary; a decent quiescence; under the freak of manner; gave me the advantage。 besides; the eccentricity of the proceeding was piquant: i felt interested to see how he would go on。

he went on as a statue would; that is; he neither spoke nor moved。 mrs。 fairfaeemed to think it necessary that some one should be amiable; and she began to talk。 kindly; as usual—and; as usual; rather trite—she condoled with him on the pressure of business he had had all day; on the annoyance it must have been to him with that painful sprain: then she mended his patience and perseverance in going through with it。

“madam; i should like some tea;” was the sole rejoinder she got。 she hastened to ring the bell; and when the tray came; she proceeded to arrange the cups; spoons; &c。; with assiduous celerity。 i and adèle went to the table; but the master did not leave his couch。

“will you hand mr。 rochester’s cup?” said mrs。 fairfax to me; “adèle might perhaps spill it。”

i did as requested。 as he took the cup from my hand; adèle; thinking the moment propitious for making a request in my favour; cried out—

“n’est…ce pas; monsieur; qu’il y a un cadeau pour mademoiselle eyre dans votre petit coffre?”

“who talks of cadeaux?” said he gruffly。 “did you expect a present; miss eyre? are you fond of presents?” and he searched my face with eyes that i saw were dark; irate; and piercing。

“i hardly know; sir; i have little experience of them: they are generally thought pleasant things。”

“generally thought? but what do you think?”

“i should be obliged to take time; sir; before i could give you an answer worthy of your acceptance: a present has many faces to it; has it not? and one should consider all; before pronouncing an opinion as to its nature。”

“miss eyre; you are not so unsophisticated as adèle: she demands a ‘cadeau;’ clamorously; the moment she sees me: you beat about the bush。”

“because i have less confidence in my deserts than adèle has: she can prefer the claim of old acquaintance; and the right too of custom; for she says you have always been in the habit of giving her playthings; but if i had to make out a case i should be puzzled; since i am a stranger; and have done nothing to entitle me to an acknowledgment。”

“oh; don’t fall back on over…modesty! i have examined adèle; and find you have taken great pains with her: she is not bright; she has no talents; yet in a short time she has made much improvement。”

“sir; you have now given me my ‘cadeau;’ i am obliged to you: it is the meed teachers most covet—praise of their pupils’ progress。”

“humph!” said mr。 rochester; and he took his tea in silence。

“e to the fire;” said the master; when the tray was taken away; and mrs。 fairfax had settled into a corner with her knitting; while adèle was leading me by the hand round the room; showing me the beautiful books and ornaments on the consoles and chiffonnieres。 we obeyed; as in duty bound; adèle wanted to take a seat on my knee; but she was ordered to amuse herself with pilot。

“you have been resident in my house three months?”

“yes; sir。”

“and you came from—?”

“from lowood school; in—shire。”

“ah! a charitable concern。 how long were you there?”

“eight years。”

“eight years! you must be tenacious of life。 i thought half the time in such a place would have done up any constitution! no wonder you have rather the look of another world。 i marvelled where you had got that sort of face。 when you came on me in hay lane last night; i thought unaccountably of fairy tales; and had half a mind to demand whether you had bewitched my horse: i am not sure yet。 who are your parents?”

“i have none。”

“nor ever had; i suppose: do you remember them?”

“no。”

“i thought not。 and so you were waiting for your people when you sat on that stile?”

“for whom; sir?”

“for the men in green: it was a proper moonlight evening for them。 did i break through one of your rings; that you spread that damned ice on the causeway?”

i shook my head。 “the men in green all forsook england a hundred years ago;” said i; speaking as seriously as he had done。 “and not even in hay lane; or the fields about it; could you find a trace of them。 i don’t think either summer or harvest; or winter moon; will ever shine on their revels more。”

mrs。 fairfax had dropped her knitting; and; with raised eyebrows; seemed wondering what sort of talk this was。

“well;” resumed mr。 rochester; “if you disown parents; you must have some sort of kinsfolk: uncles and aunts?”

“no; none that i ever saw。”

“and your home?”

“i have none。”

“where do your brothers and sisters live?”

“i have no brothers or sisters。”
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