第342页
《简·爱(英文版)》章节:第342页,宠文网网友提供全文无弹窗免费在线阅读。!
substantiality.'
'Who have you been with, Jane?'
'You shall not get it out of me to-night, sir; you must wait till
to-morrow; to leave my tale half told, will, you know, be a sort of
security that I shall appear at your breakfast table to finish it.
By the bye, I must mind not to rise on your hearth with only a glass
of water then: I must bring an egg at the least, to say nothing of
fried ham.'
'You mocking changeling- fairy-born and human-bred! You make me
feel as I have not felt these twelve months. If Saul could have had
you for his David, the evil spirit would have been exorcised without
the aid of the harp.'
'There, sir, you are redd up and made decent. Now I'll leave you: I
have been travelling these last three days, and I believe I am
tired. Good night.'
'Just one word, Jane: were there only ladies in the house where you
have been?'
I laughed and made my escape, still laughing as I ran upstairs.
'A good idea!' I thought with glee. 'I see I have the means of
fretting him out of his melancholy for some time to come.'
Very early the next morning I heard him up and astir, wandering
from one room to another. As soon as Mary came down I heard the
question: 'Is Miss Eyre here?' Then: 'Which room did you put her into?
Was it dry? Is she up? Go and ask if she wants anything; and when
she will come down.'
I came down as soon as I thought there was a prospect of breakfast.
Entering the room very softly, I had a view of him before he
discovered my presence. It was mournful, indeed, to witness the
subjugation of that vigorous spirit to a corporeal infirmity. He sat
in his chair- still, but not at rest: expectant evidently; the lines
of now habitual sadness marking his strong features. His countenance
reminded one of a lamp quenched, waiting to be re-lit- and alas! it
was not himself that could now kindle the lustre of animated
expression: he was dependent on another for that office! I had meant
to be gay and careless, but the powerlessness of the strong man
touched my heart to the quick: still I accosted him with what vivacity
I could.
'It is a bright, sunny morning, sir,' I said. 'The rain is over and
gone, and there is a tender shining after it: you shall have a walk
soon.'
I had wakened the glow: his features beamed.
'Oh, you are indeed there, my skylark! Come to me. You are not
gone: not vanished? I heard one of your kind an hour ago, singing high
over the wood: but its song had no music for me, any more than the
rising sun had rays. All the melody on earth is concentrated in my
Jane's tongue to my ear (I am glad it is not naturally a silent
one): all the sunshine I can feel is in her presence.'
The water stood in my eyes to hear this avowal of his dependence;
just as if a royal eagle, chained to a perch, should be forced to
entreat a sparrow to become its purveyor. But I would not be
lachrymose: I dashed off the salt drops, and busied myself with