第114章

第114章“‘oh，’returnedthefairy，‘thatdoesnotsignify！hereisatalismanwillremovealldifficulties；’andsheheldoutaprettygoldring.‘putit，’shesaid，‘onthefourthfingerofmylefthand，andiamyours，andyouaremine；andweshallleaveearth，andmakeourownheavenyonder.’shenoddedagainatthemoon.thering，adèle，isinmybreeches-pocket，underthedisguiseofasovereign：butimeansoontochangeittoaringagain.”

“butwhathasmademoiselletodowithit？idon’tcareforthefairy：yousaiditwasmademoiselleyouwouldtaketothemoon？”

“mademoiselleisafairy，”hesaid，whisperingmysteriously.whereuponitoldhernottomindhisbadinage；andshe，onherpart，evincedafundofgenuinefrenchscepticism：denominatingmr.rochester“unvraimenteur，”andassuringhimthatshemadenoaccountwhateverofhis“contesdefée，”andthat“dureste，iln’yavaitpasdefées，etquandmêmeilyenavait：”shewassuretheywouldneverappeartohim，norevergivehimrings，oroffertolivewithhiminthemoon.

thehourspentatmillcotewasasomewhatharassingonetome.mr.rochesterobligedmetogotoacertainsilkwarehouse：thereiwasorderedtochoosehalf-a-dozendresses.ihatedthebusiness，iedleavetodeferit：no—itshouldbegonethroughwithnow.bydintofentreatiesexpressedinenergeticwhispers，ireducedthehalf-dozentotwo：thesehowever，hevowedhewouldselecthimself.withanxietyiwatchedhiseyeroveoverthegaystores：hefixedonarichsilkofthemostbrilliantamethystdye，andasuperbpinksatin.itoldhiminanewseriesofwhispers，thathemightaswellbuymeagoldgownandasilverbonnetatonce：ishouldcertainlyneverventuretowearhischoice.withinfinitedifficulty，forhewasstubbornasastone，ipersuadedhimtomakeanexchangeinfavourofasoberblacksatinandpearl-greysilk.“itmightpassforthepresent，”hesaid；“buthewouldyetseemeglitteringlikeaparterre.”

gladwasitogethimoutofthesilkwarehouse，andthenoutofajewellersshop：themoreheboughtme，themoremycheekburnedwithasenseofannoyanceanddegradation.aswere-enteredthecarriage，andisatbackfeverishanded，irememberedwhat，inthehurryofevents，darkandbright，ihadwhollyforgotten—theletterofmyuncle，johneyre，tomrs.reed：hisintentiontoadoptmeandmakemehislegatee.“itwould，indeed，bearelief，”ithought，“ifihadeversosmallanindependency；inevercanbearbeingdressedlikeadollbymr.rochester，orsittinglikeaseconddanaewiththegoldenshowerfallingdailyroundme.iwillwritetomadeirathemomentigethome，andtellmyunclejohniamgoingtobemarried，andtowhom：ifihadbutaprospectofonedaybringingmr.rochesteranaccessionoffortune，icouldbetterenduretobekeptbyhimnow.”andsomewhatrelievedbythisidea(whichifailednottoexecutethatday)，iventuredoncemoretomeetmymaster’sandlover’seye，whichmostpertinaciouslysoughtmine，thoughiavertedbothfaceandgaze.hesmiled；andithoughthissmilewassuchasasultanmight，inablissfulandfondmoment，bestowonaslavehisgoldandgemshadenriched：icrushedhishand，whichwaseverhuntingmine，vigorously，andthrustitbacktohimredwiththepassionatepressure.

“youneednotlookinthatway，”isaid；“ifyoudo，i’llwearnothingbutmyoldlowoodfrockstotheendofthechapter.i’llbemarriedinthislilacgingham：youmaymakeadressing-gownforyourselfoutofthepearl-greysilk，andaninfiniteseriesofwaistcoatsoutoftheblacksatin.”

hechuckled；herubbedhishands.“oh，itisrichtoseeandhearher？”heexclaimed.“issheoriginal？isshepiquant？iwouldnotexchangethisonelittleenglishgirlforthegrandturk’swholeseraglio，gazelle-eyes，houriforms，andall！”

theeasternallusionbitmeagain.“i’llnotstandyouaninchinthesteadofaseraglio，”isaid；“sodon’tconsidermeanequivalentforone.ifyouhaveafancyforanythinginthatline，awaywithyou，sir，tothebazaarsofstamboulwithoutdelay，andlayoutinextensiveslave-purchasessomeofthatsparecashyouseematalosstospendsatisfactorilyhere.”

“andwhatwillyoudo，janet，whileiambargainingforsomanytonsoffleshandsuchanassortmentofblackeyes？”

“i’llbepreparingmyselftogooutasamissionarytopreachlibertytothemthatareenslaved—yourhareminmatesamongsttherest.i’llgetadmittedthere，andi’llstirupmutiny；andyou，three-tailedbashawasyouare，sir，shallinatricefindyourselffetteredamongstourhands：norwilli，forone，consenttocutyourbondstillyouhavesignedacharter，themostliberalthatdespoteveryetconferred.”

“iwouldconsenttobeatyourmercy，jane.”

“iwouldhavenomercy，mr.rochester，ifyousupplicatedforitwithaneyelikethat.whileyoulookedso，ishouldbecertainthatwhatevercharteryoumightgrantundercoercion，yourfirstact，whenreleased，wouldbetoviolateitsconditions.”

“why，jane，whatwouldyouhave？ifearyouwillcompelmetogothroughaprivatemarriageceremony，besidesthatperformedatthealtar.youwillstipulate，isee，forpeculiarterms—whatwilltheybe？”

“ionlywantaneasymind，sir；notcrushedbycrowdedobligations.doyourememberwhatyousaidofcélinevarens？—ofthediamonds，thecashmeresyougaveher？iwillnotbeyourenglishcélinevarens.ishallcontinuetoactasadèle’sgoverness；bythatishallearnmyboardandlodging，andthirtypoundsayearbesides.i’llfurnishmyownwardrobeoutofthatmoney，andyoushallgivemenothingbut—”

“well，butwhat？”

“yourregard；andifigiveyoumineinreturn，thatdebtwillbequit.”

“well，forcoolnativeimpudenceandpureinnatepride，youhaven’tyourequal，”saidhe.wewerenowapproachingthornfield.“willitpleaseyoutodinewithmeto-day？”heasked，aswere-enteredthegates.

“no，thankyou，sir.”

“andwhatfor，‘no，thankyou？’ifonemayinquire.”