第88章

第88章ihadforgottentodrawmycurtain,whichiusuallydid,andalsotoletdownmywindow-blind.theconsequencewas,thatwhenthemoon,whichwasfullandbright(forthenightwasfine),cameinhercoursetothatspaceintheskyoppositemycasement,andlookedinatmethroughtheunveiledpanes,hergloriousgazerousedme.awakinginthedeadofnight,iopenedmyeyesonherdisk—silver-whiteandcrystalclear.itwasbeautiful,buttoosolemn;ihalfrose,andstretchedmyarmtodrawthecurtain.

goodgod!whatacry!

thenight—itssilence—itsrest,wasrentintwainbyasavage,asharp,ashrillysoundthatranfromendtoendofthornfieldhall.

mypulsestopped:myheartstoodstill;mystretchedarmwasparalysed.thecrydied,andwasnotrenewed.indeed,whateverbeingutteredthatfearfulshriekcouldnotsoonrepeatit:notthewidest-wingedcondorontheandescould,twiceinession,sendoutsuchayellfromthecloudshroudinghiseyrie.thethingdeliveringsuchutterancemustrestereitcouldrepeattheeffort.

itcameoutofthethirdstorey;foritpassedoverhead.andoverhead—yes,intheroomjustabovemychamber-ceiling—inowheardale:adeadlyoneitseemedfromthenoise;andahalf-smotheredvoiceshouted—

“help!help!help!”threetimesrapidly.

“willnoonecome?”itcried;andthen,whiletheeringandstampingwentonwildly,idistinguishedthroughplankandplaster:—

“rochester!rochester!forgod’ssake,come!”

achamber-dooropened:someoneran,orrushed,alongthegallery.anotherstepstampedontheflooringaboveandsomethingfell;andtherewassilence.

ihadputonsomeclothes,thoughhorrorshookallmylimbs;iissuedfrommyapartment.thesleeperswereallaroused:ejaculations,terrifiedmurmurssoundedineveryroom;doorafterdoorunclosed;onelookedoutandanotherlookedout;thegalleryfilled.gentlemenandladiesalikehadquittedtheirbeds;and“oh!whatisit?”—“whoishurt?”—“whathashappened?”—“fetchalight!”—“isitfire?”—“arethererobbers?”—“whereshallwerun?”wasdemandedconfusedlyonallhands.butforthemoonlighttheywouldhavebeenincompletedarkness.theyrantoandfro;theycrowdedtogether:somesobbed,somestumbled:theconfusionwasinextricable.

“wherethedevilisrochester?”criedcoloneldent.“icannotfindhiminhisbed.”

“here!here!”wasshoutedinreturn.“becomposed,allofyou:i’mcoming.”

andthedoorattheendofthegalleryopened,andmr.rochesteradvancedwithacandle:hehadjustdescendedfromtheupperstorey.oneoftheladiesrantohimdirectly;sheseizedhisarm:itwasmissingram.

“whatawfuleventhastakenplace?”saidshe.“speak!letusknowtheworstatonce!”

“butdon’tpullmedownorstrangleme,”hereplied:forthemisseseshtonwereclingingabouthimnow;andthetwodowagers,invastwhitewrappers,werebearingdownonhimlikeshipsinfullsail.

“all’sright!—all’sright!”hecried.“it’samererehearsalofmuchadoaboutnothing.ladies,keepoff,orishallwaxdangerous.”

anddangeroushelooked:hisblackeyesdartedsparks.calminghimselfbyaneffort,headded—

“aservanthashadthenightmare;thatisall.she’sanexcitable,nervousperson:sheconstruedherdreamintoanapparition,orsomethingofthatsort,nodoubt;andhastakenafitwithfright.now,then,imustseeyouallbackintoyourrooms;for,tillthehouseissettled,shecannotbelookedafter.gentlemen,havethegoodnesstosettheladiestheexample.missingram,iamsureyouwillnotfailinevincingsuperioritytoidleterrors.amyandlouisa,returntoyournestslikeapairofdoves,asyouare.mesdames”(tothedowagers),“youwilltakecoldtoadeadcertainty,ifyoustayinthischillgalleryanylonger.”

andso,bydintofalternatecoaxingandcommanding,hecontrivedtogetthemalloncemoreenclosedintheirseparatedormitories.ididnotwaittobeorderedbacktomine,butretreatedunnoticed,asunnoticedihadleftit.

not,however,togotobed:onthecontrary,ibegananddressedmyselfcarefully.thesoundsihadheardafterthescream,andthewordsthathadbeenuttered,hadprobablybeenheardonlybyme;fortheyhadproceededfromtheroomabovemine:buttheyassuredmethatitwasnotaservant’sdreamwhichhadthusstruckhorrorthroughthehouse;andthattheexplanationmr.rochesterhadgivenwasmerelyaninventionframedtopacifyhisguests.idressed,then,tobereadyforemergencies.whendressed,isatalongtimebythewindowlookingoutoverthesilentgroundsandsilveredfieldsandwaitingforiknewnotwhat.itseemedtomethatsomeeventmustfollowthestrangecry,le,andcall.

no:stillnessreturned:eachmurmurandmovementceasedgradually,andinaboutanhourthornfieldhallwasagainashushedasadesert.itseemedthatsleepandnighthadresumedtheirempire.meantimethemoondeclined:shewasabouttoset.notlikingtositinthecoldanddarkness,ithoughtiwouldliedownonmybed,dressedasiwas.ileftthewindow,andmovedwithlittlenoiseacrossthecarpet;asistoopedtotakeoffmyshoes,acautioushandtappedlowatthedoor.

“amiwanted?”iasked.

“areyouup?”askedthevoiceiexpectedtohear,viz.,mymaster’s.

“yes,sir.”

“anddressed?”“yes.”

“comeout,then,quietly.”

iobeyed.mr.rochesterstoodinthegalleryholdingalight.

“iwantyou,”hesaid:“comethisway:takeyourtime,andmakenonoise.”

myslipperswerethin:icouldwalkthemattedfloorassoftlyasacat.heglidedupthegalleryandupthestairs,andstoppedinthedark,lowcorridorofthefatefulthirdstorey:ihadfollowedandstoodathisside.

“haveyouaspongeinyourroom?”heaskedinawhisper.

“yes,sir.”

“haveyouanysalts—volatilesalts?yes.”

“gobackandfetchboth.”