第56章
第56章forseveralsubsequentdaysisawlittleofmr.rochester.inthemorningsheseemedmuchengagedwithbusiness,and,intheafternoon,gentlemenfrommillcoteortheneighbourhoodcalled,andsometimesstayedtodinewithhim.whenhissprainwaswellenoughtoadmitofhorseexercise,herodeoutagooddeal;probablytoreturnthesevisits,ashegenerallydidnotcomebacktilllateatnight.
duringthisinterval,evenadèlewasseldomsentfortohispresence,andallmyacquaintancewithhimwasconfinedtoanoccasionalrencontreinthehall,onthestairs,orinthegallery,whenhewouldsometimespassmehaughtilyandcoldly,justacknowledgingmypresencebyadistantnodoracoolglance,andsometimesbowandsmilewithgentlemanlikeaffability.hischangesofmooddidnotoffendme,becauseisawthatihadnothingtodowiththeiralternation;theebbandflowdependedoncausesquitedisconnectedwithme.
onedayhehadhadcompanytodinner,andhadsentformyportfolio;inorder,doubtless,toexhibititscontents:thegentlemenwentawayearly,toattendapublicmeetingatmillcote,asmrs.fairfaxinformedme;butthenightbeingwetandinclement,mr.rochesterdidnotaccompanythem.soonaftertheyweregoneherangthebell:amessagecamethatiandadèleweretogodownstairs.ibrushedadèle’shairandmadeherneat,andhavingascertainedthatiwasmyselfinmyusualquakertrim,wheretherewasnothingtoretouch—allbeingtoocloseandplain,braidedlocksincluded,toadmitofdisarrangement—wedescended,adèlewonderingwhetherthepetitcoffrewasatlengthcome;for,owingtosomemistake,itsarrivalhadhithertobeendelayed.shewasgratified:thereitstood,alittlecarton,onthetablewhenweenteredthedining-room.sheappearedtoknowitbyinstinct.
“mabo?te!mabo?te!”exclaimedshe,runningtowardsit.
“yes,thereisyour‘bo?te’atlast:takeitintoacorner,yougenuinedaughterofparis,andamuseyourselfwithdisembowellingit,”saidthedeepandrathersarcasticvoiceofmr.rochester,proceedingfromthedepthsofanimmenseeasy-chairatthefireside.“andmind,”hecontinued,“don’tbothermewithanydetailsoftheanatomicalprocess,oranynoticeoftheconditionoftheentrails:letyouroperationbeconductedinsilence:tiens-toitranquille,enfant;comprends-tu?”
adèleseemedscarcelytoneedthewarning—shehadalreadyretiredtoasofawithhertreasure,andwasbusyuntyingthecordwhichsecuredthelid.havingremovedthisimpediment,andliftedcertainsilveryenvelopesoftissuepaper,shemerelyexclaimed—
“ohciel!quec’estbeau!”andthenremainedabsorbedinecstaticcontemplation.
“ismisseyrethere?”nowdemandedthemaster,halfrisingfromhisseattolookroundtothedoor,nearwhichistillstood.
“ah!well,comeforward;beseatedhere.”hedrewachairnearhisown.“iamnotfondoftheprattleofchildren,”hecontinued;“for,oldbachelorasiam,ihavenopleasantassociationsconnectedwiththeirlisp.itwouldbeintolerabletometopassawholeeveningtête-à-têtewithabrat.don’tdrawthatchairfartheroff,misseyre;sitdownexactlywhereiplacedit—ifyouplease,thatis.confoundthesecivilities!icontinuallyforgetthem.nordoiparticularlyaffectsimple-mindedoldladies.by-the-bye,imusthavemineinmind;itwon’tdotoneglecther;sheisafairfax,orwedtoone;andbloodissaidtobethickerthanwater.”
herang,anddespatchedaninvitationtomrs.fairfax,whosoonarrived,knitting-basketinhand.
“goodevening,madam;isenttoyouforacharitablepurpose.ihaveforbiddenadèletotalktomeaboutherpresents,andsheisburstingwithrepletion:havethegoodnesstoserveherasauditressandinterlocutrice;itwillbeoneofthemostbenevolentactsyoueverperformed.”
adèle,indeed,nosoonersawmrs.fairfax,thanshesummonedhertohersofa,andtherequicklyfilledherlapwiththeporcelain,theivory,thewaxencontentsofher“bo?te;”pouringout,meantime,explanationsandrapturesinsuchbrokenenglishasshewasmistressof.
“nowihaveperformedthepartofagoodhost,”pursuedmr.rochester,“putmyguestsintothewayofamusingeachother,ioughttobeatlibertytoattendtomyownpleasure.misseyre,drawyourchairstillalittlefartherforward:youareyettoofarback;icannotseeyouwithoutdisturbingmypositioninthiscomfortablechair,whichihavenomindtodo.”
ididasiwasbid,thoughiwouldmuchratherhaveremainedsomewhatintheshade;butmr.rochesterhadsuchadirectwayofgivingorders,itseemedamatterofcoursetoobeyhimpromptly.
wewere,asihavesaid,inthedining-room:thelustre,whichhadbeenlitfordinner,filledtheroomwithafestalbreadthoflight;thelargefirewasallredandclear;thepurplecurtainshungrichandamplebeforetheloftywindowandloftierarch;everythingwasstill,savethesubduedchatofadèle(shedarednotspeakloud),and,fillingupeachpause,thebeatingofwinterrainagainstthepanes.
mr.rochester,ashesatinhisdamask-coveredchair,lookeddifferenttowhatihadseenhimlookbefore;notquitesostern—muchlessgloomy.therewasasmileonhislips,andhiseyessparkled,whetherwithwineornot,iamnotsure;butithinkitveryprobable.hewas,inshort,inhisafter-dinnermood;moreexpandedandgenial,andalsomoreself-indulgentthanthefrigidandrigidtemperofthemorning;stillhelookedpreciouslygrim,cushioninghismassiveheadagainsttheswellingbackofhischair,andreceivingthelightofthefireonhisgranite-hewnfeatures,andinhisgreat,darkeyes;forhehadgreat,darkeyes,andveryfineeyes,too—notwithoutacertainchangeintheirdepthssometimes,which,ifitwasnotsoftness,remindedyou,atleast,ofthatfeeling.