第184章

第184章themanor-houseofferndeanwasabuildingofconsiderableantiquity,moderatesize,andnoarchitecturalpretensions,deepburiedinawood.ihadheardofitbefore.mr.rochesteroftenspokeofit,andsometimeswentthere.hisfatherhadpurchasedtheestateforthesakeofthegamecovers.hewouldhaveletthehouse,butcouldfindnotenant,inconsequenceofitsineligibleandinsalubrioussite.ferndeanthenremaineduninhabitedandunfurnished,withtheexceptionofsometwoorthreeroomsfittedupfortheaccommodationofthesquirewhenhewentthereintheseasontoshoot.

tothishouseicamejusteredarkonaneveningmarkedbythecharacteristicsofsadsky,coldgale,andcontinuedsmallpenetratingrain.thelastmileiperformedonfoot,havingdismissedthechaiseanddriverwiththedoubleremunerationihadpromised.evenwhenwithinaveryshortdistanceofthemanor-house,youcouldseenothingofit,sothickanddarkgrewthetimberofthegloomywoodaboutit.irongatesbetweengranitepillarsshowedmewheretoenter,andpassingthroughthem,ifoundmyselfatonceinthetwilightofclose-rankedtrees.therewasagrass-growntrackdescendingtheforestaislebetweenhoarandknottyshaftsandunderbranchedarches.ifollowedit,expectingsoontoreachthedwelling;butitstretchedonandon,itwouldfarandfarther:nosignofhabitationorgroundswasvisible.ithoughtihadtakenawrongdirectionandlostmyway.thedarknessofnaturalaswellasofsylvanduskgatheredoverme.ilookedroundinsearchofanotherroad.therewasnone:allwasinterwovenstem,columnartrunk,densesummerfoliage—noopeninganywhere.

iproceeded:atlastmywayopened,thetreesthinnedalittle;presentlyibeheldarailing,thenthehouse—scarce,bythisdimlight,distinguishablefromthetrees;sodankandgreenwereitsdecayingwalls.enteringaportal,fastenedonlybyalatch,istoodamidstaspaceofenclosedground,fromwhichthewoodsweptawayinasemicircle.therewerenoflowers,nogarden-beds;onlyabroadgravel-walkgirdlingagrass-plat,andthissetintheheavyframeoftheforest.thehousepresentedtwopointedgablesinitsfront;thewindowswerelatticedandnarrow:thefrontdoorwasnarrowtoo,onestepleduptoit.thewholelooked,asthehostoftherochesterarmshadsaid,“quiteadesolatespot.”itwasasstillasachurchonaweek-day:thepatteringrainontheforestleaveswastheonlysoundaudibleinitsvicinage.

“cantherebelifehere?”iasked.

yes,lifeofsomekindtherewas;foriheardamovement—thatnarrowfront-doorwasunclosing,andsomeshapewasabouttoissuefromthegrange.

itopenedslowly:afigurecameoutintothetwilightandstoodonthestep;amanwithoutahat:hestretchedforthhishandasiftofeelwhetheritrained.duskasitwas,ihadrecognisedhim—itwasmymaster,edwardfairfaxrochester,andnoother.

istayedmystep,almostmybreath,andstoodtowatchhim—toexaminehim,myselfunseen,andalas!tohiminvisible.itwasasuddenmeeting,andoneinwhichrapturewaskeptwellincheckbypain.ihadnodifficultyinrestrainingmyvoicefromexclamation,mystepfromhastyadvance.

hisformwasofthesamestrongandstalwartcontourasever:hisportwasstillerect,hishairwasstillravenblack;norwerehisfeaturesalteredorsunk:notinoneyear’sspace,byanysorrow,couldhisathleticstrengthbequelledorhisvigorousprimeblighted.butinhiscountenanceisawachange:thatlookeddesperateandbrooding—thatremindedmeofsomewrongedandfetteredwildbeastorbird,dangeroustoapproachinhissullenwoe.thecagedeagle,whosegold-ringedeyescrueltyhasextinguished,mightlookaslookedthatsightlesssamson.

and,reader,doyouthinkifearedhiminhisblindferocity?—ifyoudo,youlittleknowme.asofthopeblestwithmysorrowthatsoonishoulddaretodropakissonthatbrowofrock,andonthoselipssosternlysealedbeneathit:butnotyet.iwouldnotaccosthimyet.

hedescendedtheonestep,andadvancedslowlyandgropinglytowardsthegrass-plat.wherewashisdaringstridenow?thenhepaused,asifheknewnotwhichwaytoturn.heliftedhishandandopenedhiseyelids;gazedblank,andwithastrainingeffort,onthesky,andtowardtheamphitheatreoftrees:onesawthatalltohimwasvoiddarkness.hestretchedhisrighthand(theleftarm,themutilatedone,hekepthiddeninhisbosom);heseemedtowishbytouchtogainanideaofwhatlayaroundhim:hemetbutvacancystill;forthetreesweresomeyardsoffwherehestood.herelinquishedtheendeavour,foldedhisarms,andstoodquietandmuteintherain,nowfallingfastonhisuncoveredhead.atthismomentjohnapproachedhimfromsomequarter.

“willyoutakemyarm,sir?”hesaid;“thereisaheavyshowercomingon:hadyounotbettergoin?”

“letmealone,”wastheanswer.

johnwithdrewwithouthavingobservedme.mr.rochesternowtriedtowalkabout:vainly,—allwastoouncertain.hegropedhiswaybacktothehouse,and,re-enteringit,closedthedoor.

inowdrewnearandknocked:john’swifeopenedforme.“mary,”isaid,“howareyou?”

shestartedasifshehadseenaghost:icalmedher.toherhurried“isitreallyyou,miss,comeatthislatehourtothis’onlyplace?”iansweredbytakingherhand;andthenifollowedherintothekitchen,wherejohnnowsatbyagoodfire.iexplainedtothem,infewwords,thatihadheardallwhichhadhappenedsinceileftthornfield,andthatiwascometoseemr.rochester.iaskedjohntogodowntotheturn-pike-house,whereihaddismissedthechaise,andbringmytrunk,whichihadleftthere:andthen,whileiremovedmybonnetandshawl,iquestionedmaryastowhethericouldbeaccommodatedatthemanorhouseforthenight;andfindingthatarrangementstothateffect,thoughdifficult,wouldnotbeimpossible,iinformedherishouldstay.justatthismomenttheparlour-bellrang.