第74章

第74章butthethreemostdistinguished—partly，perhaps，becausethetallestfiguresoftheband—werethedowagerladyingramandherdaughters，blancheandmary.theywereallthreeoftheloftieststatureofwomen.thedowagermightbebetweenfortyandfifty：hershapewasstillfine；herhair(bycandle-lightatleast)stillblack；herteeth，too，werestillapparentlyperfect.mostpeoplewouldhavetermedherasplendidwomanofherage：andsoshewas，nodoubt，physicallyspeaking；butthentherewasanexpressionofalmostinsupportablehaughtinessinherbearingandcountenance.shehadromanfeaturesandadoublechin，disappearingintoathroatlikeapillar：thesefeaturesappearedtomenotonlyinflatedanddarkened，butevenfurrowedwithpride；andthechinwassustainedbythesameprinciple，inapositionofalmostpreternaturalerectness.shehad，likewise，afierceandahardeye：itremindedmeofmrs.reed’s；shemouthedherwordsinspeaking；hervoicewasdeep，itsinflectionsverypompous，verydogmatical，—veryintolerable，inshort.acrimsonvelvetrobe，andashawlturbanofsomegold-wroughtindianfabric，investedher(isupposeshethought)withatrulyimperialdignity.

blancheandmarywereofequalstature，—straightandtallaspoplars.marywastooslimforherheight，butblanchewasmouldedlikeadian.iregardedher，ofcourse，withspecialinterest.first，iwishedtoseewhetherherappearanceaccordedwithmrs.fairfax’sdescription；secondly，whetheritatallresembledthefancyminiatureihadpaintedofher；andthirdly—itwillout！—whetheritweresuchasishouldfancylikelytosuitmr.rochester’staste.

asfaraspersonwent，sheansweredpointforpoint，bothtomypictureandmrs.fairfax’sdescription.thenoblebust，theslopingshoulders，thegracefulneck，thedarkeyesandblackringletswereallthere；—butherface？herfacewaslikehermother’s；ayouthfulunfurrowedlikeness：thesamelowbrow，thesamehighfeatures，thesamepride.itwasnot，however，sosaturnineapride！shelaughedcontinually；herlaughwassatirical，andsowasthehabitualexpressionofherarchedandhaughtylip.

geniusissaidtobeself-conscious.icannottellwhethermissingramwasagenius，butshewasself-conscious—remarkablyself-consciousindeed.sheenteredintoadiscourseonbotanywiththegentlemrs.dent.itseemedmrs.denthadnotstudiedthatscience：though，asshesaid，shelikedflowers，“especiallywildones；”missingramhad，andsheranoveritsvocabularywithanair.ipresentlyperceivedshewas(whatisvernacularlytermed)trailingmrs.dent；thatis，playingonherignorance—hertrailmightbeclever，butitwasdecidedlynotgood-natured.sheplayed：herexecutionwasbrilliant；shesang：hervoicewasfine；shetalkedfrenchaparttohermamma；andshetalkeditwell，withfluencyandwithagoodaccent.

maryhadamilderandmoreopencountenancethanblanche；softerfeaturestoo，andaskinsomeshadesfairer(missingramwasdarkasaspaniard)—butmarywasdeficientinlife：herfacelackedexpression，hereyelustre；shehadnothingtosay，andhavingoncetakenherseat，remainedfixedlikeastatueinitsniche.thesisterswerebothattiredinspotlesswhite.

anddidinowthinkmissingramsuchachoiceasmr.rochesterwouldbelikelytomake？icouldnottell—ididnotknowhistasteinfemalebeauty.ifhelikedthemajestic，shewastheverytypeofmajesty：thenshewasaccomplished，sprightly.mostgentlemenwouldadmireher，ithought；andthathedidadmireher，ialreadyseemedtohaveobtainedproof：toremovethelastshadeofdoubt，itremainedbuttoseethemtogether.

youarenottosuppose，reader，thatadèlehasallthistimebeensittingmotionlessonthestoolatmyfeet：no；whentheladiesentered，sherose，advancedtomeetthem，madeastatelyreverence，andsaidwithgravity—

“bonjour，mesdames.”

andmissingramhadlookeddownatherwithamockingair，andexclaimed，“oh，whatalittlepuppet！”

ladylynnhadremarked，“itismr.rochester’sward，isuppose—thelittlefrenchgirlhewasspeakingof.”

mrs.denthadkindlytakenherhand，andgivenherakiss.

amyandlouisaeshtonhadcriedoutsimultaneously—“whataloveofachild！”

andthentheyhadcalledhertoasofa，whereshenowsat，ensconcedbetweenthem，chatteringalternatelyinfrenchandbrokenenglish；absorbingnotonlytheyoungladies’attention，butthatofmrs.eshtonandladylynn，andgettingspoilttoherheart’scontent.

atlastcoffeeisbroughtin，andthegentlemenaresummoned.isitintheshade—ifanyshadetherebeinthisbrilliantly-litapartment；thewindow-curtainhalfhidesme.againthearchyawns；theycome.thecollectiveappearanceofthegentlemen，likethatoftheladies，isveryimposing：theyareallcostumedinblack；mostofthemaretall，someyoung.henryandfrédéricklynnareverydashingsparksindeed；andcoloneldentisafinesoldierlyman.mr.eshton，themagistrateofthedistrict，isgentleman-like：hishairisquitewhite，hiseyebrowsandwhiskersstilldark，whichgiveshimsomethingoftheappearanceofa“pèrenobledethéatre.”lordingram，likehissisters，isverytall；likethem，also，heishandsome；buthesharesmary’sapatheticandlistlesslook：heseemstohavemorelengthoflimbthanvivacityofbloodorvigourofbrain.

andwhereismr.rochester？