第64章

第64章ihardlyknowwhetherihadsleptornotafterthismusing;atanyrate,istartedwideawakeonhearingavaguemurmur,peculiarandlugubrious,whichsounded,ithought,justaboveme.iwishedihadkeptmycandleburning:thenightwasdrearilydark;myspiritsweredepressed.iroseandsatupinbed,listening.thesoundwashushed.

itriedagaintosleep;butmyheartbeatanxiously:myinwardtranquillitywasbroken.theclock,fardowninthehall,strucktwo.justthenitseemedmychamber-doorwastouched;asiffingershadsweptthepanelsingropingawayalongthedarkgalleryoutside.isaid,“whoisthere?”nothinganswered.iwaschilledwithfear.

allatonceirememberedthatitmightbepilot,who,whenthekitchen-doorchancedtobeleftopen,notunfrequentlyfoundhiswayuptothethresholdofmr.rochester’schamber:ihadseenhimlyingtheremyselfinthemornings.theideacalmedmesomewhat:ilaydown.silencecomposesthenerves;andasanunbrokenhushnowreignedagainthroughthewholehouse,ibegantofeelthereturnofslumber.butitwasnotfatedthatishouldsleepthatnight.adreamhadscarcelyapproachedmyear,whenitfledaffrighted,scaredbyamarrow-freezingincidentenough.

thiswasademoniaclaugh—low,suppressed,anddeep—uttered,asitseemed,attheverykeyholeofmychamberdoor.theheadofmybedwasnearthedoor,andithoughtatfirstthegoblin-laugherstoodatmybedside—orrather,crouchedbymypillow:butirose,lookedround,andcouldseenothing;while,asistillgazed,theunnaturalsoundwasreiterated:andiknewitcamefrombehindthepanels.myfirstimpulsewastoriseandfastenthebolt;mynext,againtocryout,“whoisthere?”

somethinggurgledandmoaned.erelong,stepsretreatedupthegallerytowardsthethird-storeystaircase:adoorhadlatelybeenmadetoshutinthatstaircase;ihearditopenandclose,andallwasstill.

“wasthatgracepoole?andisshepossessedwithadevil?”thoughti.impossiblenowtoremainlongerbymyself:imustgotomrs.fairfax.ihurriedonmyfrockandashawl;iwithdrewtheboltandopenedthedoorwithatremblinghand.therewasacandleburningjustoutside,andonthemattinginthegallery.iwassurprisedatthiscircumstance:butstillmorewasiamazedtoperceivetheairquitedim,asiffilledwithsmoke;and,whilelookingtotherighthandandleft,tofindwhencethesebluewreathsissued,ibecamefurtherawareofastrongsmellofburning.

somethingcreaked:itwasadoorajar;andthatdoorwasmr.rochester’s,andthesmokerushedinacloudfromthence.ithoughtnomoreofmrs.fairfax;ithoughtnomoreofgracepoole,orthelaugh:inaninstant,iwaswithinthechamber.tonguesofflamedartedroundthebed:thecurtainswereonfire.inthemidstofblazeandvapour,mr.rochesterlaystretchedmotionless,indeepsleep.

“wake!wake!”icried.ishookhim,butheonlymurmuredandturned:thesmokehadstupefiedhim.notamomentcouldbelost:theverysheetswerekindling,irushedtohisbasinandewer;fortunately,onewaswideandtheotherdeep,andbothwerefilledwithwater.iheavedthemup,delugedthebedanditsoccupant,flewbacktomyownroom,broughtmyownwater-jug,baptizedthecouchafresh,and,bygod’said,eededinextinguishingtheflameswhichweredevouringit.

thehissofthequenchedelement,thebreakageofapitcherwhichiflungfrommyhandwhenihademptiedit,and,aboveall,thesplashoftheshower-bathihadliberallybestowed,rousedmr.rochesteratlast.thoughitwasnowdark,iknewhewasawake;becauseiheardhimfulminatingstrangeanathemasatfindinghimselflyinginapoolofwater.

“isthereaflood?”hecried.

“no,sir,”ianswered;“buttherehasbeenafire:getup,do;youarequenchednow;iwillfetchyouacandle.”

“inthenameofalltheelvesinchristendom,isthatjaneeyre?”hedemanded.“whathaveyoudonewithme,witch,sorceress?whoisintheroombesidesyou?haveyouplottedtodrownme?”

“iwillfetchyouacandle,sir;and,inheaven’sname,getup.somebodyhasplottedsomething:youcannottoosoonfindoutwhoandwhatitis.”

“there!iamupnow;butatyourperilyoufetchacandleyet:waittwominutestilligetintosomedrygarments,ifanydrytherebe—yes,hereismydressing-gown.nowrun!”

ididrun;ibroughtthecandlewhichstillremainedinthegallery.hetookitfrommyhand,helditup,andsurveyedthebed,allblackenedandscorched,thesheetsdrenched,thecarpetroundswimminginwater.

“whatisit?andwhodidit?”heasked.ibrieflyrelatedtohimwhathadtranspired:thestrangelaughihadheardinthegallery:thestepascendingtothethirdstorey;thesmoke,—thesmelloffirewhichhadconductedmetohisroom;inwhatstateihadfoundmattersthere,andhowihaddelugedhimwithallthewatericouldlayhandson.