第52章

第52章mr.rochester，itseems，bythesurgeon’sorders，wenttobedearlythatnight；nordidherisesoonnextmorning.whenhedidcomedown，itwastoattendtobusiness：hisagentandsomeofhistenantswerearrived，andwaitingtospeakwithhim.

adèleandihadnowtovacatethelibrary：itwouldbeindailyrequisitionasareception-roomforcallers.afirewaslitinanapartmentupstairs，andthereicarriedourbooks，andarrangeditforthefutureschoolroom.idiscernedinthecourseofthemorningthatthornfieldhallwasachangedplace：nolongersilentasachurch，itechoedeveryhourortwotoaknockatthedoor，oraclangofthebell；steps，too，oftentraversedthehall，andnewvoicesspokeindifferentkeysbelow；arillfromtheouterworldwasflowingthroughit；ithadamaster：formypart，ilikeditbetter.

adèlewasnoteasytoteachthatday；shecouldnotapply：shekeptrunningtothedoorandlookingoverthebanisterstoseeifshecouldgetaglimpseofmr.rochester；thenshecoinedpretextstogodownstairs，inorder，asishrewdlysuspected，tovisitthelibrary，whereiknewshewasnotwanted；then，whenigotalittleangry，andmadehersitstill，shecontinuedtotalkincessantlyofher“ami，monsieuredouardfairfaxderochester，”asshedubbedhim(ihadnotbeforeheardhisprenomens)，andtoconjecturewhatpresentshehadbroughther：foritappearshehadintimatedthenightbefore，thatwhenhisagecamefrommillcote，therewouldbefoundamongstitalittleboxinwhosecontentsshehadaninterest.

“etceladoitsignifier，”saidshe，“qu’ilyauralàdedansuncadeaupourmoi，etpeut-êtrepourvousaussi，mademoiselle.monsieuraparlédevous：ilm’ademandélenomdemagouvernante，etsiellen’étaitpasunepetitepersonne，assezminceetunpeupale.j’aiditqu’oui：carc’estvrai，n’est-cepas，mademoiselle？”

iandmypupildinedasusualinmrs.fairfax’sparlour；theafternoonwaswildandsnowy，andwepasseditintheschoolroom.atdarkiallowedadèletoputawaybooksandwork，andtorundownstairs；for，fromthecomparativesilencebelow，andfromthecessationofappealstothedoor-bell，iconjecturedthatmr.rochesterwasnowatliberty.leftalone，iwalkedtothewindow；butnothingwastobeseenthence：twilightandsnowflakestogetherthickenedtheair，andhidtheveryshrubsonthelawn.iletdownthecurtainandwentbacktothefireside.

intheclearembersiwastracingaview，notunlikeapictureirememberedtohaveseenofthecastleofheidelberg，ontherhine，whenmrs.fairfaxcamein，breakingupbyherentrancethefierymosaicihadbeenpiercingtogether，andscatteringtoosomeheavyunwelcomethoughtsthatwerebeginningtothrongonmysolitude.

“mr.rochesterwouldbegladifyouandyourpupilwouldtaketeawithhiminthedrawing-roomthisevening，”saidshe：“hehasbeensomuchengagedalldaythathecouldnotasktoseeyoubefore.”

“whenishistea-time？”iinquired.

“oh，atsixo’clock：hekeepsearlyhoursinthecountry.youhadbetterchangeyourfrocknow；iwillgowithyouandfastenit.hereisacandle.”

“isitnecessarytochangemyfrock？”

“yes，youhadbetter：ialwaysdressfortheeveningwhenmr.rochesterishere.”

thisadditionalceremonyseemedsomewhatstately；however，irepairedtomyroom，and，withmrs.fairfax’said，replacedmyblackstuffdressbyoneofblacksilk；thebestandtheonlyadditionaloneihad，exceptoneoflightgrey，which，inmylowoodnotionsofthetoilette，ithoughttoofinetobeworn，exceptonfirst-rateoccasions.

“youwantabrooch，”saidmrs.fairfax.ihadasinglelittlepearlornamentwhichmisstemplegavemeasapartingkeepsake：iputiton，andthenwewentdownstairs.unusedasiwastostrangers，itwasratheratrialtoappearthusformallysummonedinmr.rochester’spresence.iletmrs.fairfaxprecedemeintothedining-room，andkeptinhershadeaswecrossedthatapartment；and，passingthearch，whosecurtainwasnowdropped，enteredtheelegantrecessbeyond.

twowaxcandlesstoodlightedonthetable，andtwoonthemantelpiece；baskinginthelightandheatofasuperbfire，laypilot—adèlekneltnearhim.halfreclinedonacouchappearedmr.rochester，hisfootsupportedbythecushion；hewaslookingatadèleandthedog：thefireshonefullonhisface.iknewmytravellerwithhisbroadandjettyeyebrows；hissquareforehead，madesquarerbythehorizontalsweepofhisblackhair.irecognisedhisdecisivenose，moreremarkableforcharacterthanbeauty；hisfullnostrils，denoting，ithought，choler；hisgrimmouth，chin，andjaw—yes，allthreewereverygrim，andnomistake.hisshape，nowdivestedofcloak，iperceivedharmonisedinsquarenesswithhisphysiognomy：isupposeitwasagoodfigureintheathleticsenseoftheterm—broadchestedandthinflanked，thoughneithertallnorgraceful.

mr.rochestermusthavebeenawareoftheentranceofmrs.fairfaxandmyself；butitappearedhewasnotinthemoodtonoticeus，forheneverliftedhisheadasweapproached.

“hereismisseyre，sir，”saidmrs.fairfax，inherquietway.hebowed，stillnottakinghiseyesfromthegroupofthedogandchild.

“letmisseyrebeseated，”saidhe：andtherewassomethingintheforcedstiffbow，intheimpatientyetformaltone，whichseemedfurthertoexpress，“whatthedeuceisittomewhethermisseyrebethereornot？atthismomentiamnotdisposedtoaccosther.”

isatdownquitedisembarrassed.areceptionoffinishedpolitenesswouldprobablyhaveconfusedme：icouldnothavereturnedorrepaiditbyansweringgraceandeleganceonmypart；butharshcapricelaidmeundernoobligation；onthecontrary，adecentquiescence，underthefreakofmanner，gavemetheadvantage.besides，theeccentricityoftheproceedingwaspiquant：ifeltinterestedtoseehowhewouldgoon.