第182章

第182章thelate!iseemtohavereceived,withfullforce,theblowihadbeentryingtoevade.

“thelate!”gasped.“ishedead?”

“imeanthepresentgentleman,mr.edward’sfather,”heexplained.ibreathedagain:mybloodresumeditsflow.fullyassuredbythesewordsthatmr.edward—mymr.rochester(godblesshim,whereverhewas!)—wasatleastalive:was,inshort,“thepresentgentleman.”gladdeningwords!itseemedicouldhearallthatwastocome—whateverthedisclosuresmightbe—withcomparativetranquillity.sincehewasnotinthegrave,icouldbear,ithought,tolearnthathewasattheantipodes.

“ismr.rochesterlivingatthornfieldhallnow?”iasked,knowing,ofcourse,whattheanswerwouldbe,butyetdesirousofdeferringthedirectquestionastowherehereallywas.

“no,ma’am—oh,no!nooneislivingthere.isupposeyouareastrangerintheseparts,oryouwouldhaveheardwhathappenedlastautumn,—thornfieldhallisquitearuin:itwasburntdownjustaboutharvest-time.adreadfulcalamity!suchanimmensequantityofvaluablepropertydestroyed:hardlyanyofthefurniturecouldbesaved.thefirebrokeoutatdeadofnight,andbeforetheenginesarrivedfrommillcote,thebuildingwasonemassofflame.itwasaterriblespectacle:iwitnesseditmyself.”

“atdeadofnight!”imuttered.yes,thatwaseverthehouroffatalityatthornfield.“wasitknownhowitoriginated?”idemanded.

“theyguessed,ma’am:theyguessed.indeed,ishouldsayitwasascertainedbeyondadoubt.youarenotperhapsaware,”hecontinued,edginghischairalittlenearerthetable,andspeakinglow,“thattherewasalady—a—alunatic,keptinthehouse?”

“ihaveheardsomethingofit.”

“shewaskeptinverycloseconfinement,ma’am:peopleevenforsomeyearswasnotabsolutelycertainofherexistence.noonesawher:theyonlyknewbyrumourthatsuchapersonwasatthehall;andwhoorwhatshewasitwasdifficulttoconjecture.theysaidmr.edwardhadbroughtherfromabroad,andsomebelievedshehadbeenhismistress.butaqueerthinghappenedayearsince—averyqueerthing.”

ifearednowtohearmyownstory.iendeavouredtorecallhimtothemainfact.

“andthislady?”

“thislady,ma’am,”heanswered,“turnedouttobemr.rochester’swife!thediscoverywasbroughtaboutinthestrangestway.therewasayounglady,agovernessatthehall,thatmr.rochesterfellin—”

“butthefire,”iested.

“i’mcomingtothat,ma’am—thatmr.edwardfellinlovewith.theservantssaytheyneversawanybodysomuchinloveashewas:hewasafterhercontinually.theyusedtowatchhim—servantswill,youknow,ma’am—andhesetstoreonherpasteverything:forall,nobodybuthimthoughthersoveryhandsome.shewasalittlesmallthing,theysay,almostlikeachild.ineversawhermyself;buti’veheardleah,thehouse-maid,tellofher.leahlikedherwellenough.mr.rochesterwasaboutforty,andthisgovernessnottwenty;andyousee,whengentlemenofhisagefallinlovewithgirls,theyareoftenlikeasiftheywerebewitched.well,hewouldmarryher.”

“youshalltellmethispartofthestoryanothertime,”isaid;“butnowihaveaparticularreasonforwishingtohearallaboutthefire.wasitsuspectedthatthislunatic,mrs.rochester,hadanyhandinit?”