正文预览

第5章 失算

　　'She has screamed out on purpose,' declared Abbot, in some disgust.'And what a scream! If she had been in great pain one would haveexcused it, but she only wanted to bring us all here: I know hernaughty tricks.'

　　'Shall I have the pleasure of seeing Miss Fairfax to-night?' Iasked, when I had partaken of what she offered me.

　　'Too much noise, Grace,' said Mrs. Fairfax. 'Rememberdirections!' Grace curtseyed silently and went in.

　　I had nothing to say to these words: they were not new to me: myvery first recollections of existence included hints of the same kind.This reproach of my dependence had become a vague sing-song in my ear:very painful and crushing, but only half intelligible. Miss Abbotjoined in-

, I lifted myhead and tried to look boldly round the dark room; at this moment alight gleamed on the wall. Was it, I asked myself, a ray from the moonpenetrating some aperture in the blind? No; moonlight was still, andthis stirred; while I gazed, it glided up to the ceiling andquivered over my head. I can now conjecture readily that this streakof light was, in all likelihood, a gleam from a lantern carried bysome one across the lawn: but then, prepared as my mind was forhorror, shaken as my nerves were by agitation, I thought the swiftdarting beam was a herald of some coming vision from another world. Myheart beat thick, my head grew hot; a sound filled my ears, which Ideemed the rushing of wings; something seemed near me; I wasoppressed, suffocated: endurance broke down; I rushed to the doorand shook the lock in desperate effort. Steps came running along theouter passage; the key turned, Bessie and Abbot entered.

　　'Can I do anything?' I asked again.

　　A snug small room; a round table by a cheerful fire; an arm-chairhigh-backed and old-fashioned, wherein sat the neatest imaginablelittle elderly lady, in widow's cap, black silk gown, and snowy muslinapron; exactly like what I had fancied Mrs. Fairfax, only less statelyand milder looking. She was occupied in knitting; a large cat satdemurely at her feet; nothing in short was wanting to complete thebeau-ideal of domestic comfort. A more reassuring introduction for anew governess could scarcely be conceived; there was no grandeur tooverwhelm, no stateliness to embarrass; and then, as I entered, theold lady got up and promptly and kindly came forward to meet me.

in it a vein of interest deeperthan what I found in fairy tales: for as to the elves, having soughtthem in vain among fox-glove leaves and bells, under mushrooms andbeneath the ground-ivy mantling old wall-nooks, I had at length madeup my mind to the sad truth, that they were all gone out of England tosome savage country where the woods were wilder and thicker, and thepopulation more scant; whereas, Lilliput and Brobdingnag being, inmy creed, solid parts of the earth's surface, I doubted not that Imight one day, by taking a long voyage, see with my own eyes thelittle fields, houses, and trees, the diminutive people, the tinycows, sheep, and birds of the one realm; and the corn-fields,forest-high, the mighty mastiffs, the monster cats, the tower-like menand women, of the other. Yet, when this cherished volume was nowplaced in my hand- when I turned over its leaves, and sought in itsmarvellous pictures the charm I had, till now, never failed to find-all was eerie and dreary; the giants were gaunt goblins, the p

　　Mr. Brocklehurst again paused- perhaps overcome by his feelings.Miss Temple had looked down when he first began to speak to her; butshe now gazed straight before her, and her face, naturally pale asmarble, appeared to be assuming also the coldness and fixity of thatmaterial; especially her mouth, closed as if it would have requireda sculptor's chisel to open it, and her brow settled gradually intopetrified severity.