第81章

第81章meantime，whileithoughtonlyofmymasterandhisfuturebride—sawonlythem，heardonlytheirdiscourse，andconsideredonlytheirmovementsofimportance—therestofthepartywereoccupiedwiththeirownseparateinterestsandpleasures.theladieslynnandingramcontinuedtoconsortinsolemnconferences，wheretheynoddedtheirtwoturbansateachother，andhelduptheirfourhandsinconfrontinggesturesofsurprise，ormystery，orhorror，accordingtothethemeonwhichtheirgossipran，likeapairofmagnifiedpuppets.mildmrs.denttalkedwithgood-naturedmrs.eshton；andthetwosometimesbestowedacourteouswordorsmileonme.sirgeorgelynn，coloneldent，andmr.eshtondiscussedpolitics，orcountyaffairs，orjusticebusiness.lordingramflirtedwithamyeshton；louisaplayedandsangtoandwithoneofthemessrs.lynn；andmaryingramlistenedlanguidlytothegallantspeechesoftheother.sometimesall，aswithoneconsent，suspendedtheirby-playtoobserveandlistentotheprincipalactors：for，afterall，mr.rochesterand—becausecloselyconnectedwithhim—missingramwerethelifeandsouloftheparty.ifhewasabsentfromtheroomanhour，aperceptibledulnessseemedtostealoverthespiritsofhisguests；andhisre-entrancewassuretogiveafreshimpulsetothevivacityofconversation.

thewantofhisanimatinginfluenceappearedtobepeculiarlyfeltonedaythathehadbeensummonedtomillcoteonbusiness，andwasnotlikelytoreturntilllate.theafternoonwaswet：awalkthepartyhadproposedtotaketoseeagipsycamp，latelypitchedonacommonbeyondhay，wasconsequentlydeferred.someofthegentlemenweregonetothestables：theyoungerones，togetherwiththeyoungerladies，wereplayingbilliardsinthebilliard-room.thedowagersingramandlynnsoughtsolaceinaquietgameatcards.blancheingram，afterhavingrepelled，bysupercilioustaciturnity，someeffortsofmrs.dentandmrs.eshtontodrawherintoconversation，hadfirstmurmuredoversomesentimentaltunesandairsonthepiano，andthen，havingfetchedanovelfromthelibrary，hadflungherselfinhaughtylistlessnessonasofa，andpreparedtobeguile，bythespelloffiction，thetedioushoursofabsence.theroomandthehouseweresilent：onlynowandthenthemerrimentofthebilliard-playerswasheardfromabove.

itwasvergingondusk，andtheclockhadalreadygivenwarningofthehourtodressfordinner，whenlittleadèle，whokneltbymeinthedrawing-roomwindow-seat，suddenlyexclaimed—

“voilà，monsieurrochester，quirevient！”

iturned，andmissingramdartedforwardsfromhersofa：theothers，too，lookedupfromtheirseveraloccupations；foratthesametimeacrunchingofwheelsandasplashingtrampofhorse-hoofsbecameaudibleonthewetgravel.apost-chaisewasapproaching.

“whatcanpossesshimtocomehomeinthatstyle？”saidmissingram.“herodemesrour(theblackhorse)，didhenot，whenhewentout？andpilotwaswithhim：—whathashedonewiththeanimals？”

asshesaidthis，sheapproachedhertallpersonandamplegarmentssonearthewindow，thatiwasobligedtobendbackalmosttothebreakingofmyspine：inhereagernessshedidnotobservemeatfirst，butwhenshedid，shecurledherlipandmovedtoanothercasement.thepost-chaisestopped；thedriverrangthedoor-bell，andagentlemanalightedattiredintravellinggarb；butitwasnotmr.rochester；itwasatall，fashionable-lookingman，astranger.

“howprovoking！”exclaimedmissingram：“youtiresomemonkey！”(apostrophisingadèle)，“whoperchedyouupinthewindowtogivefalseintelligence？”andshecastonmeanangryglance，asifiwereinfault.

someparleyingwasaudibleinthehall，andsoonthenew-comerentered.hebowedtoladyingram，asdeeminghertheeldestladypresent.

“itappearsicomeataninopportunetime，madam，”saidhe，“whenmyfriend，mr.rochester，isfromhome；butiarrivefromaverylongjourney，andithinkimaypresumesofaronoldandintimateacquaintanceastoinstalmyselfheretillhereturns.”

hismannerwaspolite；hisaccent，inspeaking，struckmeasbeingsomewhatunusual，—notpreciselyforeign，butstillnotaltogetherenglish：hisagemightbeaboutmr.rochester’s，—betweenthirtyandforty；hiscomplexionwassingularlysallow：otherwisehewasafine-lookingman，atfirstsightespecially.oncloserexamination，youdetectedsomethinginhisfacethatdispleased，orratherthatfailedtoplease.hisfeatureswereregular，buttoorelaxed：hiseyewaslargeandwellcut，butthelifelookingoutofitwasatame，vacantlife—atleastsoithought.

thesoundofthedressing-belldispersedtheparty.itwasnottillafterdinnerthatisawhimagain：hethenseemedquiteathisease.butilikedhisphysiognomyevenlessthanbefore：itstruckmeasbeingatthesametimeunsettledandinanimate.hiseyewandered，andhadnomeaninginitswandering：thisgavehimanoddlook，suchasineverrememberedtohaveseen.forahandsomeandnotanunamiable-lookingman，herepelledmeexceedingly：therewasnopowerinthatsmooth-skinnedfaceofafullovalshape：nofirmnessinthataquilinenoseandsmallcherrymouth；therewasnothoughtonthelow，evenforehead；nocommandinthatblank，browneye.

asisatinmyusualnook，andlookedathimwiththelightofthegirandolesonthemantelpiecebeamingfulloverhim—forheoccupiedanarm-chairdrawnclosetothefire，andkeptshrinkingstillnearer，asifhewerecold，icomparedhimwithmr.rochester.ithink(withdeferencebeitspoken)thecontrastcouldnotbemuchgreaterbetweenasleekganderandafiercefalcon：betweenameeksheepandtherough-coatedkeen-eyeddog，itsguardian.hehadspokenofmr.rochesterasanoldfriend.acuriousfriendshiptheirsmusthavebeen：apointedillustration，indeed，oftheoldadagethat“extremesmeet.”