第147章

第147章dianahadavoicetoned,tomyear,likethecooingofadove.shepossessedeyeswhosegazeidelightedtoencounter.herwholefaceseemedtomefillofcharm.mary’scountenancewasequallyintelligent—herfeaturesequallypretty;butherexpressionwasmorereserved,andhermanners,thoughgentle,moredistant.dianalookedandspokewithacertainauthority:shehadawill,evidently.itwasmynaturetofeelpleasureinyieldingtoanauthoritysupportedlikehers,andtobend,wheremyconscienceandself-respectpermitted,toanactivewill.

“andwhatbusinesshaveyouhere?”shecontinued.“itisnotyourplace.maryandisitinthekitchensometimes,becauseathomeweliketobefree,eventolicense—butyouareavisitor,andmustgointotheparlour.”

“iamverywellhere.”

“notatall,withhannahbustlingaboutandcoveringyouwithflour.”

“besides,thefireistoohotforyou,”interposedmary.

“tobesure,”addedhersister.“come,youmustbeobedient.”andstillholdingmyhandshemademerise,andledmeintotheinnerroom.

“sitthere,”shesaid,placingmeonthesofa,“whilewetakeourthingsoffandgettheteaready;itisanotherprivilegeweexerciseinourlittlemoorlandhome—toprepareourownmealswhenwearesoinclined,orwhenhannahisbaking,brewing,washing,orironing.”

sheclosedthedoor,leavingmesoluswithmr.st.john,whosatopposite,abookornewspaperinhishand.iexaminedfirst,theparlour,andthenitsoccupant.

theparlourwasratherasmallroom,veryplainlyfurnished,yetcomfortable,becausecleanandneat.theold-fashionedchairswereverybright,andthewalnut-woodtablewaslikealooking-glass.afewstrange,antiqueportraitsofthemenandwomenofotherdaysdecoratedthestainedwalls;acupboardwithglassdoorscontainedsomebooksandanancientsetofchina.therewasnosuperfluousornamentintheroom—notonemodernpieceoffurniture,saveabraceofworkboxesandalady’sdeskinrosewood,whichstoodonaside-table:everything—includingthecarpetandcurtains—lookedatoncewellwornandwellsaved.

mr.st.john—sittingasstillasoneofthedustypicturesonthewalls,keepinghiseyesfixedonthepageheperused,andhislipsmutelysealed—waseasyenoughtoexamine.hadhebeenastatueinsteadofaman,hecouldnothavebeeneasier.hewasyoung—perhapsfromtwenty-eighttothirty—tall,slender;hisfacerivetedtheeye;itwaslikeagreekface,verypureinoutline:quiteastraight,classicnose;quiteanathenianmouthandchin.itisseldom,indeed,anenglishfacecomessoneartheantiquemodelsasdidhis.hemightwellbealittleshockedattheirregularityofmylineaments,hisownbeingsoharmonious.hiseyeswerelargeandblue,withbrownlashes;hishighforehead,colourlessasivory,waspartiallystreakedoverbycarelesslocksoffairhair.

thisisagentledelineation,isitnot,reader?yethewhomitdescribesscarcelyimpressedonewiththeideaofagentle,ayielding,animpressible,orevenofaplacidnature.quiescentashenowsat,therewassomethingabouthisnostril,hismouth,hisbrow,which,tomyperceptions,indicatedelementswithineitherrestless,orhard,oreager.hedidnotspeaktomeoneword,norevendirecttomeoneglance,tillhissistersreturned.diana,asshepassedinandout,inthecourseofpreparingtea,broughtmealittlecake,bakedonthetopoftheoven.

“eatthatnow,”shesaid:“youmustbehungry.hannahsaysyouhavehadnothingbutsomegruelsincebreakfast.”

ididnotrefuseit,formyappetitewasawakenedandkeen.mr.riversnowclosedhisbook,approachedthetable,and,ashetookaseat,fixedhisbluepictorial-lookingeyesfullonme.therewasanunceremoniousdirectness,asearching,decidedsteadfastnessinhisgazenow,whichtoldthatintention,andnotdiffidence,hadhithertokeptitavertedfromthestranger.

“youareveryhungry,”hesaid.

“iam,sir.”itismyway—italwayswasmyway,byinstinct—evertomeetthebriefwithbrevity,thedirectwithplainness.

“itiswellforyouthatalowfeverhasforcedyoutoabstainforthelastthreedays:therewouldhavebeendangerinyieldingtothecravingsofyourappetiteatfirst.nowyoumayeat,thoughstillnotimmoderately.”

“itrustishallnoteatlongatyourexpense,sir,”wasmyveryclumsily-contrived,unpolishedanswer.

“no,”hesaidcoolly:“whenyouhaveindicatedtoustheresidenceofyourfriends,wecanwritetothem,andyoumayberestoredtohome.”

“that,imustplainlytellyou,isoutofmypowertodo;beingabsolutelywithouthomeandfriends.”

thethreelookedatme,butnotdistrustfully;ifelttherewasnosuspicionintheirglances:therewasmoreofcuriosity.ispeakparticularlyoftheyoungladies.st.john’seyes,thoughclearenoughinaliteralsense,inafigurativeoneweredifficulttofathom.heseemedtousethemratherasinstrumentstosearchotherpeople’sthoughts,thanasagentstorevealhisown:thewhichcombinationofkeennessandreservewasconsiderablymorecalculatedtoembarrassthantoencourage.

“doyoumeantosay,”heasked,“thatyouarecompletelyisolatedfromeveryconnection?”

“ido.notatielinksmetoanylivingthing:notaclaimdoipossesstoadmittanceunderanyroofinengland.”

“amostsingularpositionatyourage!”

hereisawhisglancedirectedtomyhands,whichwerefoldedonthetablebeforeme.iwonderedwhathesoughtthere:hiswordssoonexplainedthequest.

“youhaveneverbeenmarried?youareaspinster?”

dianalaughed.“why,shecan’theaboveseventeenoreighteenyearsold,st.john,”saidshe.

“iamnearnineteen:butiamnotmarried.no.”