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第0章 霹雳散弹

　　'Mr. Rochester would be glad if you and your pupil would take teawith him in the drawing-room this evening,' said she: 'he has beenso much engaged all day that he could not ask to see you before.'

　　'That is not saying much. Your pleasures, by your own account, havebeen few; but I daresay you did exist in a kind of artist'sdreamland while you blent and arranged these strange tints. Did yousit at them long each day?'

　　A singular notion dawned upon me. I doubted not- never doubted-that if Mr. Reed had been alive he would have treated me kindly; andnow, as I sat looking at the white bed and overshadowed walls-occasionally also turning a fascinated eye towards the dimlygleaming mirror- I began to recall what I had heard of dead men,troubled in their graves by the violation of their last wishes,revisiting the earth to punish the perjured and avenge theoppressed; and I thought Mr. Reed's spirit, harassed by the wrongsof his sister's child, might quit its abode- whether in the churchvault or in the unknown world of the departed- and rise before me inthis chamber. I wiped my tears and hushed my sobs, fearful lest anysign of violent grief might waken a preternatural voice to comfort me,or elicit from the gloom some haloed face, bending over me withstrange pity. This idea, consolatory in theory, I felt would beterrible if realised: with all my might I endeavoured to stifle it-I endeavoured to be firm. Shaking my hair from my eyes

　　'Oh, don't fall back on over-modesty! I have examined Adele, andfind you have taken great pains with her: she is not bright, she hasno talents; yet in a short time she has made much improvement.'

　　'Did ever anybody see such a picture of passion!'

　　'Helen, why do you stay with a girl whom everybody believes to be aliar?'

　　'No, Miss Jane, not exactly: you are genteel enough; you looklike a lady, and it is as much as ever I expected of you: you wereno beauty as a child.'

　　'No; none that I ever saw.'

　　'A matter of six miles.'