第123章

第123章mr.rochesterheard,butheedednot:hestoodstubbornandrigid,makingnomovementbuttopossesshimselfofmyhand.whatahotandstronggrasphehad!andhowlikequarriedmarblewashispale,firm,massivefrontatthismoment!howhiseyeshone,stillwatchful,andyetwildbeneath!

mr.woodseemedataloss.“whatisthenatureoftheimpediment?”heasked.“perhapsitmaybegotover—explainedaway?”

“hardly,”wastheanswer.“ihavecalleditinsuperable,andispeakadvisedly.”

thespeakercameforwardandleanedontherails.hecontinued,utteringeachworddistinctly,calmly,steadily,butnotloudly—

“itsimplyconsistsintheexistenceofapreviousmarriage.mr.rochesterhasawifenowliving.”

mynervesvibratedtothoselow-spokenwordsastheyhadnevervibratedtothunder—mybloodfelttheirsubtleviolenceasithadneverfeltfrostorfire;butiwascollected,andinnodangerofswooning.ilookedatmr.rochester:imadehimlookatme.hiswholefacewascolourlessrock:hiseyewasbothsparkandflint.hedisavowednothing:heseemedasifhewoulddefyallthings.withoutspeaking,withoutsmiling,withoutseemingtorecogniseinmeahumanbeing,heonlytwinedmywaistwithhisarmandrivetedmetohisside.

“whoareyou?”heaskedoftheintruder.

“mynameiss,asolicitorof—street,london.”

“andyouwouldthrustonmeawife?”

“iwouldremindyouofyourlady’sexistence,sir,whichthelawrecognises,ifyoudonot.”

“favourmewithanaccountofher—withhername,herparentage,herplaceofabode.”

“certainly.”mr.scalmlytookapaperfromhispocket,andreadoutinasortofofficial,nasalvoice:—

“‘iaffirmandcanprovethatonthe20thofoctobera.d.—,(adateoffifteenyearsback),edwardfairfaxrochester,ofthornfieldhall,inthecountyof—,andofferndeanmanor,in—shire,england,wasmarriedtomysister,berthaantoinettamason,daughterofjonasmason,merchant,andofantoinettahiswife,acreole,at—church,spanishtown,jamaica.therecordofthemarriagewillbefoundintheregisterofthatchurch—acopyofitisnowinmypossession.signed,richardmason.’”

“that—ifagenuinedocument—mayproveihavebeenmarried,butitdoesnotprovethatthewomanmentionedthereinasmywifeisstillliving.”

“shewaslivingthreemonthsago,”returnedthelawyer.

“howdoyouknow?”

“ihaveawitnesstothefact,whosetestimonyevenyou,sir,willscarcelycontrovert.”

“producehim—orgotohell.”

“iwillproducehimfirst—heisonthespot.mr.mason,havethegoodnesstostepforward.”

mr.rochester,onhearingthename,sethisteeth;heexperienced,too,asortofstrongconvulsivequiver;neartohimasiwas,ifeltthespasmodicmovementoffuryordespairrunthroughhisframe.thesecondstranger,whohadhithertolingeredinthebackground,nowdrewnear;apalefacelookedoverthesolicitor’sshoulder—yes,itwasmasonhimself.mr.rochesterturnedandglaredathim.hiseye,asihaveoftensaid,wasablackeye:ithadnowatawny,nay,abloodylightinitsgloom;andhisfaceflushed—olivecheekandhuelessforeheadreceivedaglowasfromspreading,ascendingheart-fire:andhestirred,liftedhisstrongarm—hecouldhavestruckmason,dashedhimonthechurch-floor,shockedbyruthlessblowthebreathfromhisbody—butmasonshrankaway,andcriedfaintly,“goodgod!”contemptfellcoolonmr.rochester—hispassiondiedasifablighthadshrivelleditup:heonlyasked—“whathaveyoutosay?”

aninaudiblereplyescapedmason’swhitelips.

“thedevilisinitifyoucannotanswerdistinctly.iagaindemand,whathaveyoutosay?”

“sir—sir,”interruptedtheclergyman,“donotforgetyouareinasacredplace.”thenaddressingmason,heinquiredgently,“areyouaware,sir,whetherornotthisgentleman’swifeisstillliving?”

“courage,”urgedthelawyer,—“speakout.”

“sheisnowlivingatthornfieldhall,”saidmason,inmorearticulatetones:“isawhertherelastapril.iamherbrother.”

“atthornfieldhall!”ejaculatedtheclergyman.“impossible!iamanoldresidentinthisneighbourhood,sir,andineverheardofamrs.rochesteratthornfieldhall.”

isawagrimsmilecontortmr.rochester’slips,andhemuttered—

无一错一首一发一内一容一在一6一9一书一吧一看！

“no,bygod!itookcarethatnoneshouldhearofit—orofherunderthatname.”hemused—fortenminutesheheldcounselwithhimself:heformedhisresolve,andannouncedit—

“enough!allshallboltoutatonce,likethebulletfromthebarrel.wood,closeyourbookandtakeoffyoursurplice;johngreen(totheclerk),leavethechurch:therewillbenoweddingto-day.”themanobeyed.