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ree days without speaking; but last tuesday she seemed rather better: she appeared as if she wanted to say something; and kept making signs to my wife and mumbling。 it was only yesterday morning; however; that bessie understood she was pronouncing your name; and at last she made out the words; ‘bring jane—fetch jane eyre: i want to speak to her。’ bessie is not sure whether she is in her right mind; or means anything by the words; but she told miss reed and miss georgiana; and advised them to send for you。 the young ladies put it off at first; but their mother grew so restless; and said; ‘jane; jane;’ so many times; that at last they consented。 i left gateshead yesterday: and if you can get ready; miss; i should like to take you back with me early to… morrow morning。”
“yes; robert; i shall be ready: it seems to me that i ought to go。”
“i think so too; miss。 bessie said she was sure you would not refuse: but i suppose you will have to ask leave before you can get off?”
“yes; and i will do it now;” and having directed him to the servants’ hall; and remended him to the care of john’s wife; and the attentions of john himself; i went in search of mr。 rochester。
he was not in any of the lower rooms; he was not in the yard; the stables; or the grounds。 i asked mrs。 fairfax if she had seen him;—yes: she believed he was playing billiards with miss ingram。 to the billiard…room i hastened: the click of balls and the hum of voices resounded thence; mr。 rochester; miss ingram; the two misses eshton; and their admirers; were all busied in the game。 it required some courage to disturb so interesting a party; my errand; however; was one i could not defer; so i approached the master where he stood at miss ingram’s side。 she turned as i drew near; and looked at me haughtily: her eyes seemed to demand; “what can the creeping creature want now?” and when i said; in a low voice; “mr。 rochester;” she made a movement as if tempted to order me away。 i remember her appearance at the moment—it was very graceful and very striking: she wore a morning robe of sky…blue crape; a gauzy azure scarf was twisted in her hair。 she had been all animation with the game; and irritated pride did not lower the expression of her haughty lineaments。
“does that person want you?” she inquired of mr。 rochester; and mr。 rochester turned to see who the “person” was。 he made a curious grimace—one of his strange and equivocal demonstrations—threw down his cue and followed me from the room。
“well; jane?” he said; as he rested his back against the schoolroom door; which he had shut。
“if you please; sir; i want leave of absence for a week or two。”
“what to do?—where to go?”
“to see a sick lady who has sent for me。”
“what sick lady?—where does she live?”
“at gateshead; in—shire。”
“…shire? that is a hundred miles off! who may she be that sends for people to see her that distance?”
“her name is reed; sir—mrs。 reed。”
“reed of gateshead? there was a reed of gateshead; a magistrate。”
“it is his widow; sir。”
“and what have you to do with her? how do you know her?”
“mr。 reed was my uncle—my mother’s brother。”
“the deuce he was! you never told me that before: you always said you had no relations。”
“none that would own me; sir。 mr。 reed is dead; and his wife cast me off。”
“why?”
“because i was poor; and burdensome; and she disliked me。”
“but reed left children?—you must have cousins? sir george lynn was talking of a reed of gateshead yesterday; who; he said; was one of the veriest rascals on town; and ingram was mentioning a georgiana reed of the same place; who was much admired for her beauty a season or two ago in london。”
“john reed is dead; too; sir: he ruined himself and half…ruined his family; and is supposed to have mitted suicide。 the news so shocked his mother that it brought on an apoplectic attack。”
“and what good can you do her? nonsense; jane! i would never think of running a hundred miles to see an old lady who will; perhaps; be dead before you reach her: besides; you say she cast you off。”
“yes; sir; but that is long ago; and when her circumstances were very different: i could not be easy to neglect her wishes now。”
“how long will you stay?”
“as short a time as possible; sir。”
“promise me only to stay a week—”
“i had better not pass my word: i might be obliged to break it。”
“at all events you will e back: you will not be induced under any pretext to take up a permanent residence with her?”
“oh; no! i shall certainly return if all be well。”
“and who goes with you? you don’t travel a hundred miles alone。”
“no; sir; she has sent her coachman。”
“a person to be trusted?”
“yes; sir; he has lived ten years in the family。”
mr。 rochester meditated。 “when do you wish to go?”
“early to…morrow morning; sir。”
“well; you must have some money; you can’t travel without money; and i daresay you have not much: i have given you no salary yet。 how much have you in the world; jane?” he asked; smiling。
i drew out my purse; a meagre thing it was。 “five shillings; sir。” he took the purse; poured the hoard into his palm; and chuckled over it as if its scantiness amused him。 soon he produced his pocket… book: “here;” said he; offering me a note; it was fifty pounds; and he owed me but fifteen。 i told him i had no change。
“i don’t want change; you know that。 take your wages。”
i declined accepting more than was my due。 he scowled at first; then; as if recollecting something; he said—
“right; right! better not give you all now: you would; perhaps; stay away three months if you had fifty pounds。 there are ten; is it not plenty?”
“yes; sir; but now you owe me five。”
“e back for it; then; i am your banker for forty pounds。”
“mr。 rochester; i may as well mention another matter of business to you while i have the opportunity。”
“matter of business? i am curious to hear it。”
“you have as good as informed me; sir; that you are going shortly to be married?”
“yes; what then?”
“in that case; sir; adèle ought to go to school: i am sure you will pe