第164章

第164章herewasanewcardturnedup!itisafinething,reader,tobeliftedinamomentfromindigencetowealth—averyfinething;butnotamatteronecancomprehend,orconsequentlyenjoy,allatonce.andthenthereareotherchancesinlifefarmorethrillingandrapture-giving:thisissolid,anaffairoftheactualworld,nothingidealaboutit:allitsassociationsaresolidandsober,anditsmanifestationsarethesame.onedoesnotjump,andspring,andshouthurrah!athearingonehasgotafortune;onebeginstoconsiderresponsibilities,andtoponderbusiness;onabaseofsteadysatisfactionrisecertaingravecares,andwecontainourselves,andbloodoverourblisswithasolemnbrow.

besides,thewordslegacy,bequest,gosidebysidewiththewords,death,funeral.myuncleihadheardwasdead—myonlyrelative;eversincebeingmadeawareofhisexistence,ihadcherishedthehopeofonedayseeinghim:now,inevershould.andthenthismoneycameonlytome:nottomeandarejoicingfamily,buttomyisolatedself.itwasagrandboondoubtless;andindependencewouldbeglorious—yes,ifeltthat—thatthoughtswelledmyheart.

“youunbendyourforeheadatlast,”saidmr.rivers.“ithoughtmedusahadlookedatyou,andthatyouwereturningtostone.perhapsnowyouwillaskhowmuchyouareworth?”

“howmuchamiworth?”

“oh,atrifle!nothingofcoursetospeakof—twentythousandpounds,ithinktheysay—butwhatisthat?”

“twentythousandpounds?”

herewasanewstunner—ihadbeencalculatingonfourorfivethousand.thisnewsactuallytookmybreathforamoment:mr.st.john,whomihadneverheardlaughbefore,laughednow.

“well,”saidhe,“ifyouhadcommittedamurder,andihadtoldyouyourcrimewasdiscovered,youcouldscarcelylookmoreaghast.”

“itisalargesum—don’tyouthinkthereisamistake?”

“nomistakeatall.”

“perhapsyouhavereadthefigureswrong—itmaybe2,000!”

“itiswritteninletters,notfigures,—twentythousand.”

iagainfeltratherlikeanindividualofbutaveragegastronomicalpowerssittingdowntofeastaloneatatablespreadwithprovisionsforahundred.mr.riversrosenowandputhiscloakon.

“ifitwerenotsuchaverywildnight,”hesaid,“iwouldsendhannahdowntokeepyoucompany:youlooktoodesperatelymiserabletobeleftalone.buthannah,poorwoman!couldnotstridethedriftssowellasi:herlegsarenotquitesolong:soimuste’enleaveyoutoyoursorrows.good-night.”

hewasliftingthelatch:asuddenthoughtoccurredtome.“stoponeminute!”icried.

“well?”

“itpuzzlesmetoknowwhymr.swrotetoyouaboutme;orhowheknewyou,orcouldfancythatyou,livinginsuchanout-of-the-wayplace,hadthepowertoaidinmydiscovery.”

“oh!iamaclergyman,”hesaid;“andtheclergyareoftenappealedtoaboutoddmatters.”againthelatchrattled.

“no;thatdoesnotsatisfyme!”iexclaimed:andindeedtherewassomethinginthehastyandunexplanatoryreplywhich,insteadofallaying,piquedmycuriositymorethanever.

“itisaverystrangepieceofbusiness,”iadded;“imustknowmoreaboutit.”

“anothertime.”

“no;to-night!—to-night!”andasheturnedfromthedoor,iplacedmyselfbetweenitandhim.helookedratherembarrassed.

“youcertainlyshallnotgotillyouhavetoldmeall,”isaid.

“iwouldrathernotjustnow.”

“youshall!—youmust!”

“iwouldratherdianaormaryinformedyou.”

ofcoursetheseobjectionswroughtmyeagernesstoaclimax:gratifieditmustbe,andthatwithoutdelay;anditoldhimso.

“butiapprisedyouthatiwasahardman,”saidhe,“difficulttopersuade.”

“andiamahardwoman,—impossibletoputoff.”

“andthen,”hepursued,“iamcold:nofervourinfectsme.”

“whereasiamhot,andfiredissolvesice.theblazetherehasthawedallthesnowfromyourcloak;bythesametoken,ithasstreamedontomyfloor,andmadeitlikeatrampledstreet.asyouhopeevertobeforgiven,mr.rivers,thehighcrimeandmisdemeanourofspoilingasandedkitchen,tellmewhatiwishtoknow.”

“well,then,”hesaid,“iyield;ifnottoyourearnestness,toyourperseverance:asstoneiswornbycontinualdropping.besides,youmustknowsomeday,—aswellnowaslater.yournameisjaneeyre?”

“ofcourse:thatwasallsettledbefore.”

“youarenot,perhaps,awarethatiamyournamesake?—thatiwaschristenedst.johneyrerivers?”

无一错一首一发一内一容一在一6一9一书一吧一看！

“no,indeed!iremembernowseeingthelettere.comprisedinyourinitialswritteninbooksyouhaveatdifferenttimeslentme;butineveraskedforwhatnameitstood.butwhatthen?surely—”

istopped:icouldnottrustmyselftoentertain,muchlesstoexpress,thethoughtthatrusheduponme—thatembodieditself,—that,inasecond,stoodoutastrong,solidprobability.circumstancesknitthemselves,fittedthemselves,shotintoorder:thechainthathadbeenlyinghithertoaformlesslumpoflinkswasdrawnoutstraight,—everyringwasperfect,theconnectioncomplete.iknew,byinstinct,howthematterstood,beforest.johnhadsaidanotherword;buticannotexpectthereadertohavethesameintuitiveperception,soimustrepeathisexplanation.

“mymother’snamewaseyre;shehadtwobrothers;oneaclergyman,whomarriedmissjanereed,ofgateshead;theother,johneyre,esq.,merchant,lateoffunchal,madeira.mr.s,beingmr.eyre’ssolicitor,wrotetouslastaugusttoinformusofouruncle’sdeath,andtosaythathehadlefthispropertytohisbrothertheclergyman’sorphandaughter,overlookingus,inconsequenceofaquarrel,neverforgiven,betweenhimandmyfather.hewroteagainafewweekssince,tointimatethattheheiresswaslost,andaskingifweknewanythingofher.anamecasuallywrittenonaslipofpaperhasenabledmetofindherout.youknowtherest.”againhewasgoing,butisetmybackagainstthedoor.

“doletmespeak,”isaid;“letmehaveonemomenttodrawbreathandreflect.”ipaused—hestoodbeforeme,hatinhand,lookingcomposedenough.iresumed—