第173页

书籍名:《简·爱(英文版)》作者：夏洛蒂·勃朗特

behind  me.  'I  could  not  spare  the  money  on  any  account.'

      'Little  niggard!'  said  he,  'refusing  me  a  pecuniary  request!  Give

me  five  pounds,  Jane.'

      'Not  five  shillings,  sir;  nor  five  pence.'

      'Just  let  me  look  at  the  cash.'

      'No,  sir;  you  are  not  to  be  trusted.'

      'Jane!'

      'Sir?'

      'Promise  me  one  thing.'

      'I'll  promise  you  anything,  sir,  that  I  think  I  am  likely  to

perform.'

      'Not  to  advertise:  and  to  trust  this  quest  of  a  situation  to  me.

I'll  find  you  one  in  time.'

      'I  shall  be  glad  so  to  do,  sir,  if  you,  in  your  turn,  will

promise  that  I  and  Adele  shall  be  both  safe  out  of  the  house  before

your  bride  enters  it.'

      'Very  well!  very  well!  I'll  pledge  my  word  on  it.  You  go  to-morrow,

then?'

      'Yes,  sir;  early.'

      'Shall  you  come  down  to  the  drawing-room  after  dinner?'

      'No,  sir,  I  must  prepare  for  the  journey.'

      'Then  you  and  I  must  bid  good-bye  for  a  little  while?'

      'I  suppose  so,  sir.'

      'And  how  do  people  perform  that  ceremony  of  parting,  Jane?  Teach

me;  I'm  not  quite  up  to  it.'

      'They  say,  Farewell,  or  any  other  form  they  prefer.'

      'Then  say  it.'

      'Farewell,  Mr.  Rochester,  for  the  present.'

      'What  must  I  say?'

      'The  same,  if  you  like,  sir.'

      'Farewell,  Miss  Eyre,  for  the  present;  is  that  all?'

      'Yes.'

      'It  seems  stingy,  to  my  notions,  and  dry,  and  unfriendly.  I

should  like  something  else:  a  little  addition  to  the  rite.  If  one

shook  hands,  for  instance;  but  no-  that  would  not  content  me  either.

So  you'll  do  no  more  than  say  Farewell,  Jane?'

      'It  is  enough,  sir:  as  much  good-will  may  be  conveyed  in  one  hearty

word  as  in  many.'

      'Very  likely;  but  it  is  blank  and  cool-  "Farewell."'

      'How  long  is  he  going  to  stand  with  his  back  against  that  door?'

I  asked  myself;  'I  want  to  commence  my  packing.'  The  dinner-bell  rang,

and  suddenly  away  he  bolted,  without  another  syllable:  I  saw  him  no

more  during  the  day,  and  was  off  before  he  had  risen  in  the  morning.

      I  reached  the  lodge  at  Gateshead  about  five  o'clock  in  the

afternoon  of  the  first  of  May:  I  stepped  in  there  before  going  up  to

the  hall.  It  was  very  clean  and  neat:  the  ornamental  windows  were  hung

with  little  white  curtains;  the  floor  was  spotless;  the  grate  and

fire-irons  were  burnished  bright,  and  the  fire  burnt  clear.  Bessie  sat

on  the  hearth,  nursing  her  last-born,  and  Robert  and  his  sister  played

quietly  in  a  corner.

      'Bless  you!-  I  knew  you  would  come!'  exclaimed  Mrs.  Leaven,  as  I

entered.

      'Yes,  Bessie,'  said  I,  after  I  had  kissed  her;  'and  I  trust  I  am

not  too  late.  How  is  Mrs.  Reed?-  Alive  still,  I  hope.'

      'Yes,  she  is  alive;  and  more  sensible  and  collected  than  she  was.

The  doctor  says  she  may  linger  a  week  or  two  yet;  but  he  hardly  thinks

she  will  finally  recover.'

      'Has  she  mentioned  me  lately?'

      'She  was  talking  of  you  only  this  morning,  and  wishing  you  would

come:  but  she  is  sleeping  now,  or  was  ten  minutes  ago,  when  I  was  up