《Jane Eyre》

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Jane Eyre- 第51部分


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d panes; her glorious gaze roused me。 awaking in the dead of night; i opened my eyes on her disk—silver… white and crystal clear。 it was beautiful; but too solemn; i half rose; and stretched my arm to draw the curtain。

good god! what a cry!

the night—its silence—its rest; was rent in twain by a savage; a sharp; a shrilly sound that ran from end to end of thornfield hall。

my pulse stopped: my heart stood still; my stretched arm was paralysed。 the cry died; and was not renewed。 indeed; whatever being uttered that fearful shriek could not soon repeat it: not the widest…winged condor on the andes could; twice in succession; send out such a yell from the cloud shrouding his eyrie。 the thing delivering such utterance must rest ere it could repeat the effort。

it came out of the third storey; for it passed overhead。 and overhead—yes; in the room just above my chamber…ceiling—i now heard a struggle: a deadly one it seemed from the noise; and a half…smothered voice shouted—

“help! help! help!” three times rapidly。

“will no one e?” it cried; and then; while the staggering and stamping went on wildly; i distinguished through plank and plaster:—

“rochester! rochester! for god’s sake; e!”

a chamber…door opened: some one ran; or rushed; along the gallery。 another step stamped on the flooring above and something fell; and there was silence。

i had put on some clothes; though horror shook all my limbs; i issued from my apartment。 the sleepers were all aroused: ejaculations; terrified murmurs sounded in every room; door after door unclosed; one looked out and another looked out; the gallery filled。 gentlemen and ladies alike had quitted their beds; and “oh! what is it?”—“who is hurt?”—“what has happened?”—“fetch a light!”—“is it fire?”—“are there robbers?”—“where shall we run?” was demanded confusedly on all hands。 but for the moonlight they would have been in plete darkness。 they ran to and fro; they crowded together: some sobbed; some stumbled: the confusion was inextricable。

“where the devil is rochester?” cried colonel dent。 “i cannot find him in his bed。”

“here! here!” was shouted in return。 “be posed; all of you: i’m ing。”

and the door at the end of the gallery opened; and mr。 rochester advanced with a candle: he had just descended from the upper storey。 one of the ladies ran to him directly; she seized his arm: it was miss ingram。

“what awful event has taken place?” said she。 “speak! let us know the worst at once!”

“but don’t pull me down or strangle me;” he replied: for the misses eshton were clinging about him now; and the two dowagers; in vast white wrappers; were bearing down on him like ships in full sail。

“all’s right!—all’s right!” he cried。 “it’s a mere rehearsal of much ado about nothing。 ladies; keep off; or i shall wax dangerous。”

and dangerous he looked: his black eyes darted sparks。 calming himself by an effort; he added—

“a servant has had the nightmare; that is all。 she’s an excitable; nervous person: she construed her dream into an apparition; or something of that sort; no doubt; and has taken a fit with fright。 now; then; i must see you all back into your rooms; for; till the house is settled; she cannot be looked after。 gentlemen; have the goodness to set the ladies the example。 miss ingram; i am sure you will not fail in evincing superiority to idle terrors。 amy and louisa; return to your nests like a pair of doves; as you are。 mesdames” (to the dowagers); “you will take cold to a dead certainty; if you stay in this chill gallery any longer。”

and so; by dint of alternate coaxing and manding; he contrived to get them all once more enclosed in their separate dormitories。 i did not wait to be ordered back to mine; but retreated unnoticed; as unnoticed i had left it。

not; however; to go to bed: on the contrary; i began and dressed myself carefully。 the sounds i had heard after the scream; and the words that had been uttered; had probably been heard only by me; for they had proceeded from the room above mine: but they assured me that it was not a servant’s dream which had thus struck horror through the house; and that the explanation mr。 rochester had given was merely an invention framed to pacify his guests。 i dressed; then; to be ready for emergencies。 when dressed; i sat a long time by the window looking out over the silent grounds and silvered fields and waiting for i knew not what。 it seemed to me that some event must follow the strange cry; struggle; and call。

no: stillness returned: each murmur and movement ceased gradually; and in about an hour thornfield hall was again as hushed as a desert。 it seemed that sleep and night had resumed their empire。 meantime the moon declined: she was about to set。 not liking to sit in the cold and darkness; i thought i would lie down on my bed; dressed as i was。 i left the window; and moved with little noise across the carpet; as i stooped to take off my shoes; a cautious hand tapped low at the door。

“am i wanted?” i asked。

“are you up?” asked the voice i expected to hear; viz。; my master’s。

“yes; sir。”

“and dressed?”

“yes。”

“e out; then; quietly。”

i obeyed。 mr。 rochester stood in the gallery holding a light。

“i want you;” he said: “e this way: take your time; and make no noise。”

my slippers were thin: i could walk the matted floor as softly as a cat。 he glided up the gallery and up the stairs; and stopped in the dark; low corridor of the fateful third storey: i had followed and stood at his side。

“have you a sponge in your room?” he asked in a whisper。

“yes; sir。”

“have you any salts—volatile salts? yes。”

“go back and fetch both。”

i returned; sought the sponge on the washstand; the salts in my drawer; and once more retraced my steps。 he still waited; he held a key in his hand: approaching one of the small; black doors; he put it in the lock; he paused; and addressed me again。

“you don’t turn sick at the sight of blood?”

“i think i shall not: i have never been tried yet。”

i felt a thrill while i answered him; but no coldness; and no faintness。

“just give me your hand;” he said: “it will not do to risk a fainting fit。”

i put my fingers into his。 “warm and steady;” was his remark: he turned the key and opened the door。

i saw a room i remembered to have seen before; the day mrs。 fairfahowed me over the house: it was hung with tapestry; but the tapestry was now looped up in one part; and there was a door apparent; which had then been concealed。 this door was open; a light shone out of the room within: i heard thence a snarling; snatching sound; almost like a dog quarrelling。 mr。 rochester; putting down his candle; said to me; “wait a minute;” and he went forward to the inner apartment。 a shout of laughter greeted his entrance; noisy at first; and terminating in grace poole’s own goblin ha! ha! she then was there。 he made some sort of arrangement without speaking; though i heard a low voice address him: he came out and closed the door behind him。

“here; jane!” he said; and i walked round to the other side of a large bed; which with its drawn curtains concealed a considerable portion of the chamber。 an easy…chair was near the bed…head: a man sat in it; dressed with the exception of his coat; he was still; his head leant back; his eyes were closed。 mr。 rochester held the candle over him; i recognised in his pale and seemingly lifeless face—the stranger; mason: i saw too that his linen on one side; and one arm; was almost soaked in blood。

“hold the candle;” said mr。 rochester; and i took it: he fetched a basin of water from the washstand: “hold that;” said he。 i obeyed。 he took the sponge; dipped it in; and moistened the corpse…like face; he asked for my smelling…bottle; and applied it to the nostrils。 mr。 mason shortly unclosed his eyes; he groaned。 mr。 rochester opened the shirt of the wounded man; whose arm and shoulder were bandaged: he sponged away blood; trickling fast down。

“is there immediate danger?” murmured mr。 mason。

“pooh! no—a mere scratch。 don’t be so overe; man: bear up! i’ll fetch a surgeon for you now; myself: you’ll be able to be removed by morning; i hope。 jane;” he continued。

“sir?”

“i shall have to leave you in this room with this gentleman; for an hour; or perhaps two hours: you will sponge the blood as i do when it returns: if he feels faint; you will put the glass of water on that stand to his lips; and your salts to his nose。 you will not speak to him on any pretext—and—richard; it will be at the peril of your life if you speak to her: open your lips—agitate yourself—and i’ll not answer for the consequences。”

again the poor man groaned; he looked as if he dared not move; fear; either of death or of something else; appeared almost to paralyse him。 mr。 rochester put the now bloody sponge into my hand; and i proceeded to use it as he had done。 he watched me a second; then saying; “remember!—no conversation;” he left the room。 i experienced a strange feeling as the key grated in the lock; and the sound of his retreating step ceased to be heard。

here then i was in the third storey; fastened into one of its mysti
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