第40页
《简·爱(英文版)》章节:第40页,宠文网网友提供全文无弹窗免费在线阅读。!
particular.'
'And cross and cruel,' I added; but Helen Burns would not admit
my addition: she kept silence.
'Is Miss Temple as severe to you as Miss Scatcherd?'
At the utterance of Miss Temple's name, a soft smile flitted over
her grave face.
'Miss Temple is full of goodness; it pains her to be severe to
any one, even the worst in the school: she sees my errors, and tells
me of them gently; and if I do anything worthy of praise, she gives me
my meed liberally. One strong proof of my wretchedly defective
nature is, that even her expostulations, so mild, so rational, have no
influence to cure me of my faults; and even her praise, though I value
it most highly, cannot stimulate me to continued care and foresight.'
'That is curious,' said I, 'it is so easy to be careful.'
'For you I have no doubt it is. I observed you in your class this
morning, and saw you were closely attentive: your thoughts never
seemed to wander while Miss Miller explained the lesson and questioned
you. Now, mine continually rove away; when I should be listening to
Miss Scatcherd, and collecting all she says with assiduity, often I
lose the very sound of her voice; I fall into a sort of dream.
Sometimes I think I am in Northumberland, and that the noises I hear
round me are the bubbling of a little brook which runs through
Deepden, near our house;- then, when it comes to my turn to reply, I
have to be awakened; and having heard nothing of what was read for
listening to the visionary brook, I have no answer ready.'
'Yet how well you replied this afternoon.'
'It was mere chance; the subject on which we had been reading had
interested me. This afternoon, instead of dreaming of Deepden, I was
wondering how a man who wished to do right could act so unjustly and
unwisely as Charles the First sometimes did; and I thought what a pity
it was that, with his integrity and conscientiousness, he could see no
farther than the prerogatives of the crown. If he had but been able to
look to a distance, and see how what they call the spirit of the age
was tending! Still, I like Charles- I respect him- I pity him, poor
murdered king! Yes, his enemies were the worst: they shed blood they
had no right to shed. How dared they kill him!'
Helen was talking to herself now: she had forgotten I could not
very well understand her- that I was ignorant, or nearly so, of the
subject she discussed. I recalled her to my level.
'And when Miss Temple teaches you, do your thoughts wander then?'
'No, certainly, not often: because Miss Temple has generally
something to say which is newer than my own reflections; her
language is singularly agreeable to me, and the information she
communicates is often just what I wished to gain.'
'Well, then, with Miss Temple you are good?'
'Yes, in a passive way: I make no effort; I follow as inclination
guides me. There is no merit in such goodness.'