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第6章 逆盟天返

　　'Miss Eyre, you are not so unsophisticated as Adele: she demandsa "cadeau," clamorously, the moment she sees me: you beat about thebush.'

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

　　'I will send her, then, as soon as possible, Mr. Brocklehurst; for,I assure you, I feel anxious to be relieved of a responsibility thatwas becoming too irksome.'

　　Ravenous, and now very faint, I devoured a spoonful or two of myportion without thinking of its taste; but the first edge of hungerblunted, I perceived I had got in hand a nauseous mess; burnt porridgeis almost as bad as rotten potatoes; famine itself soon sickens overit. The spoons were moved slowly: I saw each girl taste her food andtry to swallow it; but in most cases the effort was soon relinquished.Breakfast was over, and none had breakfasted. Thanks being returnedfor what we had not got, and a second hymn chanted, the refectorywas evacuated for the schoolroom. I was one of the last to go out, andin passing the tables, I saw one teacher take a basin of theporridge and taste it; she looked at the others; all theircountenances expressed displeasure, and one of them, the stout one,whispered-

　　'Wicked and cruel boy!' I said. 'You are like a murderer- you arelike a slave-driver- you are like the Roman emperors!'

　　'Don't talk to me about her, John: I told you not to go near her;she is not worthy of notice; I do not choose that either you or yoursisters should associate with her.'

　　The box was corded, the card nailed on. In half an hour the carrierwas to call for it to take it to Lowton, whither I myself was torepair at an early hour the next morning to meet the coach. I hadbrushed my black stuff travelling-dress, prepared my bonnet, gloves,and muff; sought in all my drawers to see that no article was leftbehind; and now having nothing more to do, I sat down and tried torest. I could not; though I had been on foot all day, I could notnow repose an instant; I was too much excited. A phase of my lifewas closing tonight, a new one opening to-morrow: impossible toslumber in the interval; I must watch feverishly while the changewas being accomplished.

　　'Don't trouble yourself to give her a character,' returned Mr.Rochester: 'eulogiums will not bias me; I shall judge for myself.She began by felling my horse.'

　　'Is your name Eyre, Miss?'