第192页
《简·爱(英文版)》章节:第192页,宠文网网友提供全文无弹窗免费在线阅读。!
humming by me; it alights on a plant at Mr. Rochester's foot: he
sees it, and bends to examine it.
'Now, he has his back towards me,' thought I, 'and he is occupied
too; perhaps, if I walk softly, I can slip away unnoticed.'
I trode on an edging of turf that the crackle of the pebbly
gravel might not betray me: he was standing among the beds at a yard
or two distant from where I had to pass; the moth apparently engaged
him. 'I shall get by very well,' I meditated. As I crossed his shadow,
thrown long over the garden by the moon, not yet risen high, he said
quietly, without turning-
'Jane, come and look at this fellow.'
I had made no noise: he had not eyes behind- could his shadow feel?
I started at first, and then I approached him.
'Look at his wings,' said he, 'he reminds me rather of a West
Indian insect; one does not often see so large and gay a night-rover
in England; there! he is flown.'
The moth roamed away. I was sheepishly retreating also; but Mr.
Rochester followed me, and when we reached the wicket, he said-
'Turn back: on so lovely a night it is a shame to sit in the house;
and surely no one can wish to go to bed while sunset is thus at
meeting with moonrise.'
It is one of my faults, that though my tongue is sometimes prompt
enough at an answer, there are times when it sadly fails me in framing
an excuse; and always the lapse occurs at some crisis, when a facile
word or plausible pretext is specially wanted to get me out of painful
embarrassment. I did not like to walk at this hour alone with Mr.
Rochester in the shadowy orchard; but I could not find a reason to
allege for leaving him. I followed with lagging step, and thoughts
busily bent on discovering a means of extrication; but he himself
looked so composed and so grave also, I became ashamed of feeling
any confusion: the evil- if evil existent or prospective there was-
seemed to lie with me only; his mind was unconscious and quiet.
'Jane,' he recommenced, as we entered the laurel walk, and slowly
strayed down in the direction of the sunk fence and the
horse-chestnut, 'Thornfield is a pleasant place in summer, is it not?'
'Yes, sir.'
'You must have become in some degree attached to the house,- you,
who have an eye for natural beauties, and a good deal of the organ
of Adhesiveness?'
'I am attached to it, indeed.'
'And though I don't comprehend how it is, I perceive you have
acquired a degree of regard for that foolish little child Adele,
too; and even for simple dame Fairfax?'
'Yes, sir; in different ways, I have an affection for both.'
'And would be sorry to part with them?'
'Yes.'
'Pity!' he said, and sighed and paused. 'It is always the way of
events in this life,' he continued presently: 'no sooner have you
got settled in a pleasant resting-place, than a voice calls out to you
to rise and move on, for the hour of repose is expired.'