第30章 - 简·爱 - 佚名 - 都市言情小说 - 30读书
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第30章

第30章“weshallthinkyouwhatyouproveyourselftobe,mychild.continuetoactasagoodgirl,andyouwillsatisfyus.”

“shalli,misstemple?”

“youwill,”saidshe,passingherarmroundme.“andnowtellmewhoistheladywhommr.brocklehurstcalledyourbenefactress?”

“mrs.reed,myuncle’swife.myuncleisdead,andheleftmetohercare.”

“didshenot,then,adoptyouofherownaccord?”

“no,ma’am;shewassorrytohavetodoit:butmyuncle,asihaveoftenheardtheservantssay,gothertopromisebeforehediedthatshewouldalwayskeepme.”

“wellnow,jane,youknow,oratleastiwilltellyou,thatwhenacriminalisaccused,heisalwaysallowedtospeakinhisowndefence.youhavebeenchargedwithfalsehood;defendyourselftomeaswellasyoucan.saywhateveryourmemoryestsistrue;butaddnothinganderatenothing.”

iresolved,inthedepthofmyheart,thatiwouldbemostmoderate—mostcorrect;and,havingreflectedafewminutesinordertoarrangecoherentlywhatihadtosay,itoldherallthestoryofmysadchildhood.exhaustedbyemotion,mylanguagewasmoresubduedthanitgenerallywaswhenitdevelopedthatsadtheme;andmindfulofhelen’swarningsagainsttheindulgenceofresentment,iinfusedintothenarrativefarlessofgallandwormwoodthanordinary.thusrestrainedandsimplified,itsoundedmorecredible:ifeltasiwentonthatmisstemplefullybelievedme.

inthecourseofthetaleihadmentionedmr.lloydashavingcometoseemeafterthefit:forineverforgotthe,tome,frightfulepisodeofthered-room:indetailingwhich,myexcitementwassure,insomedegree,tobreakbounds;fornothingcouldsofteninmyrecollectionthespasmofagonywhichclutchedmyheartwhenmrs.reedspurnedmywildsupplicationforpardon,andlockedmeasecondtimeinthedarkandhauntedchamber.

ihadfinished:misstempleregardedmeafewminutesinsilence;shethensaid—

“iknowsomethingofmr.lloyd;ishallwritetohim;ifhisreplyagreeswithyourstatement,youshallbepubliclyclearedfromeveryimputation;tome,jane,youareclearnow.”

shekissedme,andstillkeepingmeatherside(whereiwaswellcontentedtostand,foriderivedachild’spleasurefromthecontemplationofherface,herdress,heroneortwoornaments,herwhiteforehead,herclusteredandshiningcurls,andbeamingdarkeyes),sheproceededtoaddresshelenburns.

“howareyouto-night,helen?haveyoucoughedmuchto-day?”

“notquitesomuch,ithink,ma’am.”

“andthepaininyourchest?”

“itisalittlebetter.”

misstemplegotup,tookherhandandexaminedherpulse;thenshereturnedtoherownseat:assheresumedit,iheardhersighlow.shewaspensiveafewminutes,thenrousingherself,shesaidcheerfully—

“butyoutwoaremyvisitorsto-night;imusttreatyouassuch.”sherangherbell.

“barbara,”shesaidtotheservantwhoansweredit,“ihavenotyethadtea;bringthetrayandplacecupsforthesetwoyoungladies.”

andatraywassoonbrought.howpretty,tomyeyes,didthechinacupsandbrightteapotlook,placedonthelittleroundtablenearthefire!howfragrantwasthesteamofthebeverage,andthescentofthetoast!ofwhich,however,i,tomydismay(foriwasbeginningtobehungry)discernedonlyaverysmallportion:misstemplediscernedittoo.

“barbara,”saidshe,“canyounotbringalittlemorebreadandbutter?thereisnotenoughforthree.”

barbarawentout:shereturnedsoon—

“madam,mrs.hardensaysshehassentuptheusualquantity.”

mrs.harden,beitobserved,wasthehousekeeper:awomanaftermr.brocklehurst’sownheart,madeupofequalpartsofwhaleboneandiron.

“oh,verywell!”returnedmisstemple;“wemustmakeitdo,barbara,isuppose.”andasthegirlwithdrewsheadded,smiling,“fortunately,ihaveitinmypowertosupplydeficienciesforthisonce.”

havinginvitedhelenandmetoapproachthetable,andplacedbeforeeachofusacupofteawithonedeliciousbutthinmorseloftoast,shegotup,unlockedadrawer,andtakingfromitaparcelwrappedinpaper,disclosedpresentlytooureyesagood-sizedseed-cake.

“imeanttogiveeachofyousomeofthistotakewithyou,”saidshe,“butasthereissolittletoast,youmusthaveitnow,”andsheproceededtocutsliceswithageneroushand.

wefeastedthateveningasonnectarandambrosia;andnottheleastdelightoftheentertainmentwasthesmileofgratificationwithwhichourhostessregardedus,aswesatisfiedourfamishedappetitesonthedelicatefaresheliberallysupplied.

teaoverandthetrayremoved,sheagainsummonedustothefire;wesatoneoneachsideofher,andnowaconversationfollowedbetweenherandhelen,whichitwasindeedaprivilegetobeadmittedtohear.

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