第43章 - 简·爱 - 佚名 - 都市言情小说 - 30读书
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第43章

第43章“tome?blessyou,child;whatanidea!tome!iamonlythehousekeeper—themanager.tobesureiamdistantlyrelatedtotherochestersbythemother’sside,oratleastmyhusbandwas;hewasaclergyman,incumbentofhay—thatlittlevillageyonderonthehill—andthatchurchnearthegateswashis.thepresentmr.rochester’smotherwasafairfax,andsecondcousintomyhusband:butineverpresumeontheconnection—infact,itisnothingtome;iconsidermyselfquiteinthelightofanordinaryhousekeeper:myemployerisalwayscivil,andiexpectnothingmore.”

“andthelittlegirl—mypupil!”

“sheismr.rochester’sward;hecommissionedmetofindagovernessforher.heintendedtohaveherbroughtupin—shire,ibelieve.hereshecomes,withher‘bonne,’asshecallshernurse.”theenigmathenwasexplained:thisaffableandkindlittlewidowwasnogreatdame;butadependantlikemyself.ididnotlikehertheworseforthat;onthecontrary,ifeltbetterpleasedthanever.theequalitybetweenherandmewasreal;notthemereresultofcondescensiononherpart:somuchthebetter—mypositionwasallthefreer.

asiwasmeditatingonthisdiscovery,alittlegirl,followedbyherattendant,camerunningupthelawn.ilookedatmypupil,whodidnotatfirstappeartonoticeme:shewasquiteachild,perhapssevenoreightyearsold,slightlybuilt,withapale,small-featuredface,andaredundancyofhairfallingincurlstoherwaist.

“goodmorning,missadela,”saidmrs.fairfax.“comeandspeaktotheladywhoistoteachyou,andtomakeyouacleverwomansomeday.”sheapproached.

“c’estlàmagouverante!”saidshe,pointingtome,andaddressinghernurse;whoanswered—

“maisoui,certainement.”

“aretheyforeigners?”iinquired,amazedathearingthefrenchlanguage.

“thenurseisaforeigner,andadelawasbornonthecontinent;and,ibelieve,neverleftittillwithinsixmonthsago.whenshefirstcamehereshecouldspeaknoenglish;nowshecanmakeshifttotalkitalittle:idon’tunderstandher,shemixesitsowithfrench;butyouwillmakeouthermeaningverywell,idaresay.”

fortunatelyihadhadtheadvantageofbeingtaughtfrenchbyafrenchlady;andasihadalwaysmadeapointofconversingwithmadamepierrotasoftenasicould,andhadbesides,duringthelastsevenyears,learntaportionoffrenchbyheartdaily—applyingmyselftotakepainswithmyaccent,andimitatingascloselyaspossiblethepronunciationofmyteacher,ihadacquiredacertaindegreeofreadinessandcorrectnessinthelanguage,andwasnotlikelytobemuchatalosswithmademoiselleadela.shecameandshookhandwithmewhensheheardthatiwashergoverness;andasiledherintobreakfast,iaddressedsomephrasestoherinherowntongue:sherepliedbrieflyatfirst,butafterwewereseatedatthetable,andshehadexaminedmesometenminuteswithherlargehazeleyes,shesuddenlycommencedchatteringfluently.

“ah!”criedshe,infrench,“youspeakmylanguageaswellasmr.rochesterdoes:icantalktoyouasicantohim,andsocansophie.shewillbeglad:nobodyhereunderstandsher:madamefairfaxisallenglish.sophieismynurse;shecamewithmeovertheseainagreatshipwithachimneythatsmoked—howitdidsmoke!—andiwassick,andsowassophie,andsowasmr.rochester.mr.rochesterlaydownonasofainaprettyroomcalledthesalon,andsophieandihadlittlebedsinanotherplace.inearlyfelloutofmine;itwaslikeashelf.andmademoiselle—whatisyourname?”

“eyre—janeeyre.”

“aire?bah!icannotsayit.well,ourshipstoppedinthemorning,beforeitwasquitedaylight,atagreatcity—ahugecity,withverydarkhousesandallsmoky;notatallliketheprettycleantownicamefrom;andmr.rochestercarriedmeinhisarmsoveraplanktotheland,andsophiecameafter,andweallgotintoacoach,whichtookustoabeautifullargehouse,largerthanthisandfiner,calledanhotel.westayedtherenearlyaweek:iandsophieusedtowalkeverydayinagreatgreenplacefulloftrees,calledthepark;andthereweremanychildrentherebesidesme,andapondwithbeautifulbirdsinit,thatifedwithcrumbs.”

“canyouunderstandherwhensherunsonsofast?”askedmrs.fairfax.iunderstoodherverywell,forihadbeenaccustomedtothefluenttongueofmadamepierrot.

“iwish,”continuedthegoodlady,“youwouldaskheraquestionortwoaboutherparents:iwonderifsheremembersthem?”

“adèle,”iinquired,“withwhomdidyoulivewhenyouwereinthatprettycleantownyouspokeof?”

“ilivedlongagowithmama;butsheisgonetotheholyvirgin.mamausedtoteachmetodanceandsing,andtosayverses.agreatmanygentlemenandladiescametoseemama,andiusedtodancebeforethem,ortositontheirkneesandsingtothem:ilikedit.shalliletyouhearmesingnow?”

shehadfinishedherbreakfast,soipermittedhertogiveaspecimenofheraccomplishments.descendingfromherchair,shecameandplacedherselfonmyknee;then,foldingherlittlehandsdemurelybeforeher,shakingbackhercurlsandliftinghereyestotheceiling,shecommencedsingingasongfromsomeopera.itwasthestrainofaforsakenlady,who,afterbewailingtheperfidyofherlover,callspridetoheraid;desiresherattendanttodeckherinherbrightestjewelsandrichestrobes,andresolvestomeetthefalseonethatnightataball,andprovetohim,bythegaietyofherdemeanour,howlittlehisdesertionhasaffectedher.

thesubjectseemedstrangelychosenforaninfantsinger;butisupposethepointoftheexhibitionlayinhearingthenotesofloveandjealousywarbledwiththelispofchildhood;andinverybadtastethatpointwas:atleastithoughtso.

adèlesangthecanzonettetunefullyenough,andwiththenaiveteofherage.thisachieved,shejumpedfrommykneeandsaid,“now,mademoiselle,iwillrepeatyousomepoetry.”

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