第122章

第122章sophiecameatseventodressme:shewasverylongindeedinaccomplishinghertask;solongthatmr.rochester,grown,isuppose,impatientofmydelay,sentuptoaskwhyididnotcome.shewasjustfasteningmyveil(theplainsquareofblondafterall)tomyhairwithabrooch;ihurriedfromunderherhandsassoonasicould.

“stop!”shecriedinfrench.“lookatyourselfinthemirror:youhavenottakenonepeep.”

soiturnedatthedoor:isawarobedandveiledfigure,sounlikemyusualselfthatitseemedalmosttheimageofastranger.“jane!”calledavoice,andihasteneddown.iwasreceivedatthefootofthestairsbymr.rochester.

“lingerer!”hesaid,“mybrainisonfirewithimpatience,andyoutarrysolong!”

hetookmeintothedining-room,surveyedmekeenlyallover,pronouncedme“fairasalily,andnotonlytheprideofhislife,butthedesireofhiseyes,”andthentellingmehewouldgivemebuttenminutestoeatsomebreakfast,herangthebell.oneofhislatelyhiredservants,afootman,answeredit.

“isjohngettingthecarriageready?”

“yes,sir.”

“istheagebroughtdown?”

“theyarebringingitdown,sir.”

“goyoutothechurch:seeifmr.wood(theclergyman)andtheclerkarethere:returnandtellme.”

thechurch,asthereaderknows,wasbutjustbeyondthegates;thefootmansoonreturned.

“mr.woodisinthevestry,sir,puttingonhissurplice.”

“andthecarriage?”

“thehorsesareharnessing.”

“weshallnotwantittogotochurch;butitmustbereadythemomentwereturn:alltheboxesandagearrangedandstrappedon,andthecoachmaninhisseat.”

“yes,sir.”

“jane,areyouready?”

irose.therewerenogroomsmen,nobridesmaids,norelativestowaitforormarshal:nonebutmr.rochesterandi.mrs.fairfaxstoodinthehallaswepassed.iwouldfainhavespokentoher,butmyhandwasheldbyagraspofiron:iwashurriedalongbyastrideicouldhardlyfollow;andtolookatmr.rochester’sfacewastofeelthatnotasecondofdelaywouldbetoleratedforanypurpose.iwonderwhatotherbridegroomeverlookedashedid—sobentuptoapurpose,sogrimlyresolute:orwho,undersuchsteadfastbrows,everrevealedsuchflamingandflashingeyes.

iknownotwhetherthedaywasfairorfoul;indescendingthedrive,igazedneitheronskynorearth:myheartwaswithmyeyes;andbothseemedmigratedintomr.rochester’sframe.iwantedtoseetheinvisiblethingonwhich,aswewentalong,heappearedtofastenaglancefierceandfell.iwantedtofeelthethoughtswhoseforceheseemedbreastingandresisting.

atthechurchyardwickethestopped:hediscoverediwasquiteoutofbreath.“amicruelinmylove?”hesaid.“delayaninstant:leanonme,jane.”

andnowicanrecallthepictureofthegreyoldhouseofgodrisingcalmbeforeme,ofarookwheelingroundthesteeple,ofaruddymorningskybeyond.iremembersomething,too,ofthegreengrave-mounds;andihavenotforgotten,either,twofiguresofstrangersstrayingamongstthelowhillocksandreadingthemementoesgravenonthefewmossyhead-stones.inoticedthem,because,astheysawus,theypassedroundtothebackofthechurch;andidoubtednottheyweregoingtoenterbytheside-aisledoorandwitnesstheceremony.bymr.rochestertheywerenotobserved;hewasearnestlylookingatmyfacefromwhichthebloodhad,idaresay,momentarilyfled:forifeltmyforeheaddewy,andmycheeksandlipscold.whenirallied,whichisoondid,hewalkedgentlywithmeupthepathtotheporch.

weenteredthequietandhumbletemple;thepriestwaitedinhiswhitesurpliceatthelowlyaltar,theclerkbesidehim.allwasstill:twoshadowsonlymovedinaremotecorner.myconjecturehadbeencorrect:thestrangershadslippedinbeforeus,andtheynowstoodbythevaultoftherochesters,theirbackstowardsus,viewingthroughtherailstheoldtime-stainedmarbletomb,whereakneelingangelguardedtheremainsofdamerderochester,slainatmarstonmoorinthetimeofthecivilwars,andofelizabeth,hiswife.

ourplacewastakenatthecommunionrails.hearingacautiousstepbehindme,iglancedovermyshoulder:oneofthestrangers—agentleman,evidently—wasadvancingupthechancel.theservicebegan.theexplanationoftheintentofmatrimonywasgonethrough;andthentheclergymancameastepfurtherforward,and,bendingslightlytowardsmr.rochester,wenton.

“irequireandchargeyouboth(asyewillansweratthedreadfuldayofjudgment,whenthesecretsofallheartsshallbedisclosed),thatifeitherofyouknowanyimpedimentwhyyemaynotlawfullybejoinedtogetherinmatrimony,yedonowconfessit;forbeyewellassuredthatsomanyasarecoupledtogetherotherwisethangod’sworddothallow,arenotjoinedtogetherbygod,neitheristheirmatrimonylawful.”

hepaused,asthecustomis.whenisthepauseafterthatsentenceeverbrokenbyreply?not,perhaps,onceinahundredyears.andtheclergyman,whohadnotliftedhiseyesfromhisbook,andhadheldhisbreathbutforamoment,wasproceeding:hishandwasalreadystretchedtowardsmr.rochester,ashislipsunclosedtoask,“wiltthouhavethiswomanforthyweddedwife?”—whenadistinctandnearvoicesaid—

“themarriagecannotgoon:ideclaretheexistenceofanimpediment.”

theclergymanlookedupatthespeakerandstoodmute;theclerkdidthesame;mr.rochestermovedslightly,asifanearthquakehadrolledunderhisfeet:takingafirmerfooting,andnotturninghisheadoreyes,hesaid,“proceed.”

profoundsilencefellwhenhehadutteredthatword,withdeepbutlowintonation.presentlymr.woodsaid—

“icannotproceedwithoutsomeinvestigationintowhathasbeenasserted,andevidenceofitstruthorfalsehood.”

“theceremonyisquitebrokenoff,”subjoinedthevoicebehindus.“iaminaconditiontoprovemyallegation:aninsuperableimpedimenttothismarriageexists.”

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