第79章

第79章thediviningpartyagainlaidtheirheadstogether：apparentlytheycouldnotagreeaboutthewordorsyllablethesceneillustrated.coloneldent，theirspokesman，demanded“thetableauofthewhole；”whereuponthecurtainagaindescended.

onitsthirdrisingonlyaportionofthedrawing-roomwasdisclosed；therestbeingconcealedbyascreen，hungwithsomesortofdarkandcoarsedrapery.themarblebasinwasremoved；initsplace，stoodadealtableandakitchenchair：theseobjectswerevisiblebyaverydimlightproceedingfromahornlantern，thewaxcandlesbeingallextinguished.

amidstthissordidscene，satamanwithhisclenchedhandsrestingonhisknees，andhiseyesbentontheground.iknewmr.rochester；thoughthebegrimedface，thedisordereddress(hiscoathangingloosefromonearm，asifithadbeenalmosttornfromhisbackinascuffle)，thedesperateandscowlingcountenance，therough，bristlinghairmightwellhavedisguisedhim.ashemoved，achainclanked；tohiswristswereattachedfetters.

“bridewell！”exclaimedcoloneldent，andthecharadewassolved.

asufficientintervalhavingelapsedfortheperformerstoresumetheirordinarycostume，theyre-enteredthedining-room.mr.rochesterledinmissingram；shewascomplimentinghimonhisacting.

“doyouknow，”saidshe，“that，ofthethreecharacters，ilikedyouinthelastbest？oh，hadyoubutlivedafewyearsearlier，whatagallantgentleman-highwaymanyouwouldhavemade！”

“isallthesootwashedfrommyface？”heasked，turningittowardsher.

“alas！yes：themore’sthepity！nothingcouldbemorebecomingtoyourcomplexionthanthatruffian’srouge.”

“youwouldlikeaherooftheroadthen？”

“anenglishherooftheroadwouldbethenextbestthingtoanitalianbandit；andthatcouldonlybesurpassedbyalevantinepirate.”

“well，whateveriam，rememberyouaremywife；weweremarriedanhoursince，inthepresenceofallthesewitnesses.”sheled，andhercolourrose.

“now，dent，”continuedmr.rochester，“itisyourturn.”andastheotherpartywithdrew，heandhisbandtookthevacatedseats.missingramplacedherselfatherleader’srighthand；theotherdivinersfilledthechairsoneachsideofhimandher.ididnotnowwatchtheactors；inolongerwaitedwithinterestforthecurtaintorise；myattentionwasabsorbedbythespectators；myeyes，erewhilefixedonthearch，werenowirresistiblyattractedtothesemicircleofchairs.whatcharadecoloneldentandhispartyplayed，whatwordtheychose，howtheyacquittedthemselves，inolongerremember；butistillseetheconsultationwhichfollowedeachscene：iseemr.rochesterturntomissingram，andmissingramtohim；iseeherinclineherheadtowardshim，tillthejettycurlsalmosttouchhisshoulderandwaveagainsthischeek；iheartheirmutualwhisperings；irecalltheirinterchangedglances；andsomethingevenofthefeelingrousedbythespectaclereturnsinmemoryatthismoment.

ihavetoldyou，reader，thatihadlearnttolovemr.rochester：icouldnotunlovehimnow，merelybecauseifoundthathehadceasedtonoticeme—becauseimightpasshoursinhispresence，andhewouldneveronceturnhiseyesinmydirection—becauseisawallhisattentionsappropriatedbyagreatlady，whoscornedtotouchmewiththehemofherrobesasshepassed；who，ifeverherdarkandimperiouseyefellonmebychance，wouldwithdrawitinstantlyasfromanobjecttoomeantomeritobservation.icouldnotunlovehim，becauseifeltsurehewouldsoonmarrythisverylady—becauseireaddailyinheraproudsecurityinhisintentionsrespectingher—becauseiwitnessedhourlyinhimastyleofcourtshipwhich，ifcarelessandchoosingrathertobesoughtthantoseek，wasyet，initsverycarelessness，captivating，andinitsverypride，irresistible.

therewasnothingtocoolorbanishloveinthesecircumstances，thoughmuchtocreatedespair.muchtoo，youwillthink，reader，toengenderjealousy：ifawoman，inmyposition，couldpresumetobejealousofawomaninmissingram’s.butiwasnotjealous：orveryrarely；—thenatureofthepainisufferedcouldnotbeexplainedbythatword.missingramwasamarkbeneathjealousy：shewastooinferiortoexcitethefeeling.pardontheseemingparadox；imeanwhatisay.shewasveryshowy，butshewasnotgenuine：shehadafineperson，manybrilliantattainments；buthermindwaspoor，herheartbarrenbynature：nothingbloomedspontaneouslyonthatsoil；nounforcednaturalfruitdelightedbyitsfreshness.shewasnotgood；shewasnotoriginal：sheusedtorepeatsoundingphrasesfrombooks：sheneveroffered，norhad，anopinionofherown.sheadvocatedahightoneofsentiment；butshedidnotknowthesensationsofsympathyandpity；tendernessandtruthwerenotinher.toooftenshebetrayedthis，bytheundueventshegavetoaspitefulantipathyshehadconceivedagainstlittleadèle：pushingherawaywithsomecontumeliousepithetifshehappenedtoapproachher；sometimesorderingherfromtheroom，andalwaystreatingherwithcoldnessandacrimony.othereyesbesidesminewatchedthesemanifestationsofcharacter—watchedthemclosely，keenly，shrewdly.yes；thefuturebridegroom，mr.rochesterhimself，exercisedoverhisintendedaceaselesssurveillance；anditwasfromthissagacity—thisguardednessofhis—thisperfect，clearconsciousnessofhisfairone’sdefects—thisobviousabsenceofpassioninhissentimentstowardsher，thatmyever-torturingpainarose.

isawhewasgoingtomarryher，forfamily，perhapspoliticalreasons，becauseherrankandconnectionssuitedhim；ifelthehadnotgivenherhislove，andthatherqualificationswereilladaptedtowinfromhimthattreasure.thiswasthepoint—thiswaswherethenervewastouchedandteased—thiswaswherethefeverwassustainedandfed：shecouldnotcharmhim.