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Jane Eyre-第58章

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“you must want your tea;” said the good lady; as i joined her; “you ate so little at dinner。 i am afraid;” she continued; “you are not well to…day: you look flushed and feverish。”

“oh; quite well! i never felt better。”

“then you must prove it by evincing a good appetite; will you fill the teapot while i knit off this needle?” having pleted her task; she rose to draw down the blind; which she had hitherto kept up; by way; i suppose; of making the most of daylight; though dusk was now fast deepening into total obscurity。

“it is fair to…night;” said she; as she looked through the panes; “though not starlight; mr。 rochester has; on the whole; had a favourable day for his journey。”

“journey!—is mr。 rochester gone anywhere? i did not know he was out。”

“oh; he set of the moment he had breakfasted! he is gone to the leas; mr。 eshton’s place; ten miles on the other side millcote。 i believe there is quite a party assembled there; lord ingram; sir george lynn; colonel dent; and others。”

“do you expect him back to…night?”

“no—nor to…morrow either; i should think he is very likely to stay a week or more: when these fine; fashionable people get together; they are so surrounded by elegance and gaiety; so well provided with all that can please and entertain; they are in no hurry to separate。 gentlemen especially are often in request on such occasions; and mr。 rochester is so talented and so lively in society; that i believe he is a general favourite: the ladies are very fond of him; though you would not think his appearance calculated to remend him particularly in their eyes: but i suppose his acquirements and abilities; perhaps his wealth and good blood; make amends for any little fault of look。”

“are there ladies at the leas?”

“there are mrs。 eshton and her three daughters—very elegant young ladies indeed; and there are the honourable blanche and mary ingram; most beautiful women; i suppose: indeed i have seen blanche; six or seven years since; when she was a girl of eighteen。 she came here to a christmas ball and party mr。 rochester gave。 you should have seen the dining…room that day—how richly it was decorated; how brilliantly lit up! i should think there were fifty ladies and gentlemen present—all of the first county families; and miss ingram was considered the belle of the evening。”

“you saw her; you say; mrs。 fairfax: what was she like?”

“yes; i saw her。 the dining…room doors were thrown open; and; as it was christmas…time; the servants were allowed to assemble in the hall; to hear some of the ladies sing and play。 mr。 rochester would have me to e in; and i sat down in a quiet corner and watched them。 i never saw a more splendid scene: the ladies were magnificently dressed; most of them—at least most of the younger ones—looked handsome; but miss ingram was certainly the queen。”

“and what was she like?”

“tall; fine bust; sloping shoulders; long; graceful neck: olive plexion; dark and clear; noble features; eyes rather like mr。 rochester’s: large and black; and as brilliant as her jewels。 and then she had such a fine head of hair; raven…black and so beingly arranged: a crown of thick plaits behind; and in front the longest; the glossiest curls i ever saw。 she was dressed in pure white; an amber…coloured scarf was passed over her shoulder and across her breast; tied at the side; and descending in long; fringed ends below her knee。 she wore an amber…coloured flower; too; in her hair: it contrasted well with the jetty mass of her curls。”

“she was greatly admired; of course?”

“yes; indeed: and not only for her beauty; but for her acplishments。 she was one of the ladies who sang: a gentleman acpanied her on the piano。 she and mr。 rochester sang a duet。”

“mr。 rochester? i was not aware he could sing。”

“oh! he has a fine bass voice; and an excellent taste for music。”

“and miss ingram: what sort of a voice had she?”

“a very rich and powerful one: she sang delightfully; it was a treat to listen to her;—and she played afterwards。 i am no judge of music; but mr。 rochester is; and i heard him say her execution was remarkably good。”

“and this beautiful and acplished lady; she is not yet married?”

“it appears not: i fancy neither she nor her sister have very large fortunes。 old lord ingram’s estates were chiefly entailed; and the eldest son came in for everything almost。”

“but i wonder no wealthy nobleman or gentleman has taken a fancy to her: mr。 rochester; for instance。 he is rich; is he not?”

“oh! yes。 but you see there is a considerable difference in age: mr。 rochester is nearly forty; she is but twenty…five。”

“what of that? more unequal matches are made every day。”

“true: yet i should scarcely fancy mr。 rochester would entertain an idea of the sort。 but you eat nothing: you have scarcely tasted since you began tea。”

“no: i am too thirsty to eat。 will you let me have another cup?”

i was about again to revert to the probability of a union between mr。 rochester and the beautiful blanche; but adèle came in; and the conversation was turned into another channel。

when once more alone; i reviewed the information i had got; looked into my heart; examined its thoughts and feelings; and endeavoured to bring back with a strict hand such as had been straying through imagination’s boundless and trackless waste; into the safe fold of mon sense。

arraigned at my own bar; memory having given her evidence of the hopes; wishes; sentiments i had been cherishing since last night—of the general state of mind in which i had indulged for nearly a fortnight past; reason having e forward and told; in her own quiet way a plain; unvarnished tale; showing how i had rejected the real; and rabidly devoured the ideal;—i pronounced judgment to this effect:—

that a greater fool than jane eyre had never breathed the breath of life; that a more fantastic idiot had never surfeited herself on sweet lies; and swallowed poison as if it were nectar。

“you;” i said; “a favourite with mr。 rochester? you gifted with the power of pleasing him? you of importance to him in any way? go! your folly sickens me。 and you have de
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