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.”