按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
is physiognomy。
“you examine me; miss eyre;” said he: “do you think me handsome?”
i should; if i had deliberated; have replied to this question by something conventionally vague and polite; but the answer somehow slipped from my tongue before i was aware—“no; sir。”
“ah! by my word! there is something singular about you;” said he: “you have the air of a little nonnette; quaint; quiet; grave; and simple; as you sit with your hands before you; and your eyes generally bent on the carpet (except; by…the…bye; when they are directed piercingly to my face; as just now; for instance); and when one asks you a question; or makes a remark to which you are obliged to reply; you rap out a round rejoinder; which; if not blunt; is at least brusque。 what do you mean by it?”
“sir; i was too plain; i beg your pardon。 i ought to have replied that it was not easy to give an impromptu answer to a question about appearances; that tastes mostly differ; and that beauty is of little consequence; or something of that sort。”
“you ought to have replied no such thing。 beauty of little consequence; indeed! and so; under pretence of softening the previous outrage; of stroking and soothing me into placidity; you stick a sly penknife under my ear! go on: what fault do you find with me; pray? i suppose i have all my limbs and all my features like any other man?”
“mr。 rochester; allow me to disown my first answer: i intended no pointed repartee: it was only a blunder。”
“just so: i think so: and you shall be answerable for it。 criticise me: does my forehead not please you?”
he lifted up the sable waves of hair which lay horizontally over his brow; and showed a solid enough mass of intellectual organs; but an abrupt deficiency where the suave sign of benevolence should have risen。
“now; ma’am; am i a fool?”
“far from it; sir。 you would; perhaps; think me rude if i inquired in return whether you are a philanthropist?”
“there again! another stick of the penknife; when she pretended to pat my head: and that is because i said i did not like the society of children and old women (low be it spoken!)。 no; young lady; i am not a general philanthropist; but i bear a conscience;” and he pointed to the prominences which are said to indicate that faculty; and which; fortunately for him; were sufficiently conspicuous; giving; indeed; a marked breadth to the upper part of his head: “and; besides; i once had a kind of rude tenderness of heart。 when i was as old as you; i was a feeling fellow enough; partial to the unfledged; unfostered; and unlucky; but fortune has knocked me about since: she has even kneaded me with her knuckles; and now i flatter myself i am hard and tough as an india…rubber ball; pervious; though; through a chink or two still; and with one sentient point in the middle of the lump。 yes: does that leave hope for me?”
“hope of what; sir?”
“of my final re…transformation from india…rubber back to flesh?”
“decidedly he has had too much wine;” i thought; and i did not know what answer to make to his queer question: how could i tell whether he was capable of being re…transformed?
“you looked very much puzzled; miss eyre; and though you are not pretty any more than i am handsome; yet a puzzled air bees you; besides; it is convenient; for it keeps those searching eyes of yours away from my physiognomy; and busies them with the worsted flowers of the rug; so puzzle on。 young lady; i am disposed to be gregarious and municative to…night。”
with this announcement he rose from his chair; and stood; leaning his arm on the marble mantelpiece: in that attitude his shape was seen plainly as well as his face; his unusual breadth of chest; disproportionate almost to his length of limb。 i am sure most people would have thought him an ugly man; yet there was so much unconscious pride in his port; so much ease in his demeanour; such a look of plete indifference to his own external appearance; so haughty a reliance on the power of other qualities; intrinsic or adventitious; to atone for the lack of mere personal attractiveness; that; in looking at him; one inevitably shared the indifference; and; even in a blind; imperfect sense; put faith in the confidence。
“i am disposed to be gregarious and municative to…night;” he repeated; “and that is why i sent for you: the fire and the chandelier were not sufficient pany for me; nor would pilot have been; for none of these can talk。 adèle is a degree better; but still far below the mark; mrs。 fairfax ditto; you; i am persuaded; can suit me if you will: you puzzled me the first evening i invited you down here。 i have almost forgotten you since: other ideas have driven yours from my head; but to…night i am resolved to be at ease; to dismiss what importunes; and recall what pleases。 it would please me now to draw you out—to learn more of you—therefore speak。”
instead of speaking; i smiled; and not a very placent or submissive smile either。
“speak;” he urged。
“what about; sir?”
“whatever you like。 i leave both the choice of subject and the manner of treating it entirely to yourself。”
accordingly i sat and said nothing: “if he expects me to talk for the mere sake of talking and showing off; he will find he has addressed himself to the wrong person;” i thought。
“you are dumb; miss eyre。”
i was dumb still。 he bent his head a little towards me; and with a single hasty glance seemed to dive into my eyes。
“stubborn?” he said; “and annoyed。 ah! it is consistent。 i put my request in an absurd; almost insolent form。 miss eyre; i beg your pardon。 the fact is; once for all; i don’t wish to treat you like an inferior: that is” (correcting himself); “i claim only such superiority as must result from twenty years’ difference in age and a century’s advance in experience。 this is legitimate; et j’y tiens; as adèle would say; and it is by virtue of this superiority; and this alone; that i desire you to have the goodness to talk to me a little now; and divert my thoughts; which are galled with dwelling on one point—cankering as a rusty nail。”
he had deigned an explanation; almost an apology; and i did not feel insensible to