第87章

第87章“discussingthegipsy,idaresay.”

“sitdown!—letmehearwhattheysaidaboutme.”

“ihadbetternotstaylong,sir;itmustbeneareleveno’clock.oh,areyouaware,mr.rochester,thatastrangerhasarrivedheresinceyouleftthismorning?”

“astranger!—no;whocanitbe?iexpectednoone;ishegone?”

“no;hesaidhehadknownyoulong,andthathecouldtakethelibertyofinstallinghimselfheretillyoureturned.”

“thedevilhedid!didhegivehisname?”

“hisnameismason,sir;andhecomesfromthewestindies;fromspanishtown,injamaica,ithink.”

mr.rochesterwasstandingnearme;hehadtakenmyhand,asiftoleadmetoachair.asispokehegavemywristaconvulsivegrip;thesmileonhislipsfroze:apparentlyaspasmcaughthisbreath.

“mason!—thewestindies!”hesaid,inthetoneonemightfancyaspeakingautomatontoenounceitssinglewords;“mason!—thewestindies!”hereiterated;andhewentoverthesyllablesthreetimes,growing,intheintervalsofspeaking,whiterthanashes:hehardlyseemedtoknowwhathewasdoing.

“doyoufeelill,sir?”iinquired.

“jane,i’vegotablow;i’vegotablow,jane!”heered.

“oh,leanonme,sir.”

“jane,youofferedmeyourshoulderoncebefore;letmehaveitnow.”

“yes,sir,yes;andmyarm.”

hesatdown,andmademesitbesidehim.holdingmyhandinbothhisown,hechafedit;gazingonme,atthesametime,withthemosttroubledanddrearylook.

“mylittlefriend!”saidhe,“iwishiwereinaquietislandwithonlyyou;andtrouble,anddanger,andhideousrecollectionsremovedfromme.”

“canihelpyou,sir?—i’dgivemylifetoserveyou.”

“jane,ifaidiswanted,i’llseekitatyourhands;ipromiseyouthat.”

“thankyou,sir.tellmewhattodo,—i’lltry,atleast,todoit.”

“fetchmenow,jane,aglassofwinefromthedining-room:theywillbeatsupperthere;andtellmeifmasoniswiththem,andwhatheisdoing.”

iwent.ifoundallthepartyinthedining-roomatsupper,asmr.rochesterhadsaid;theywerenotseatedattable,—thesupperwasarrangedonthesideboard;eachhadtakenwhathechose,andtheystoodabouthereandthereingroups,theirplatesandglassesintheirhands.everyoneseemedinhighglee;laughterandconversationweregeneralandanimated.mr.masonstoodnearthefire,talkingtocolonelandmrs.dent,andappearedasmerryasanyofthem.ifilledawine-glass(isawmissingramwatchmefrowninglyasididso:shethoughtiwastakingaliberty,idaresay),andireturnedtothelibrary.

mr.rochester’sextremepallorhaddisappeared,andhelookedoncemorefirmandstern.hetooktheglassfrommyhand.

“hereistoyourhealth,ministrantspirit!”hesaid.heswallowedthecontentsandreturnedittome.“whatarethey

doing,jane?”

“laughingandtalking,sir.”

“theydon’tlookgraveandmysterious,asiftheyhadheardsomethingstrange?”

“notatall:theyarefullofjestsandgaiety.”

“andmason?”

“hewaslaughingtoo.”

“ifallthesepeoplecameinabodyandspatatme,whatwouldyoudo,jane?”

“turnthemoutoftheroom,sir,ificould.”

hehalfsmiled.“butifiweretogotothem,andtheyonlylookedatmecoldly,andwhisperedsneeringlyamongsteachother,andthendroppedoffandleftmeonebyone,whatthen?wouldyougowiththem?”

“iratherthinknot,sir:ishouldhavemorepleasureinstayingwithyou.”

“tocomfortme?”

“yes,sir,tocomfortyou,aswellasicould.”

“andiftheylaidyouunderabanforadheringtome?”

无一错一首一发一内一容一在一6一9一书一吧一看！

“i,probably,shouldknownothingabouttheirban;andifidid,ishouldcarenothingaboutit.”

“then,youcoulddarecensureformysake?”

“icoulddareitforthesakeofanyfriendwhodeservedmyadherence;asyou,iamsure,do.”

“gobacknowintotheroom;stepquietlyuptomason,andwhisperinhisearthatmr.rochesteriscomeandwishestoseehim:showhiminhereandthenleaveme.”

“yes,sir.”

ididhisbehest.thecompanyallstaredatmeasipassedstraightamongthem.isoughtmr.mason,deliveredthemessage,andprecededhimfromtheroom:iusheredhimintothelibrary,andtheniwentupstairs.

atalatehour,afterihadbeeninbedsometime,iheardthevisitorsrepairtotheirchambers:idistinguishedmr.rochester’svoice,andheardhimsay,“thisway,mason;thisisyourroom.”

hespokecheerfully:thegaytonessetmyheartatease.iwassoonasleep.