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第8章 合作吧

　　Long did the hours seem while I waited the departure of thecompany, and listened for the sound of Bessie's step on the stairs:sometimes she would come up in the interval to seek her thimble or herscissors, or perhaps to bring me something by way of supper- a bunor a cheese-cake- then she would sit on the bed while I ate it, andwhen I had finished, she would tuck the clothes round me, and twiceshe kissed me, and said, 'Good night, Miss Jane.' When thus gentle,Bessie seemed to me the best, prettiest, kindest being in the world;and I wished most intensely that she would always be so pleasant andamiable, and never push me about, or scold, or task me unreasonably,as she was too often wont to do. Bessie, Lee must, I think, havebeen a girl of good natural capacity, for she was smart in all shedid, and had a remarkable knack of narrative; so, at least, I judgefrom the impression made on me by her nursery tales. She was prettytoo, if my recollections of her face and person are correct. Iremember her as a slim young

　　I shook my head: I could not see how poor people had the means ofbeing kind; and then to learn to speak like them, to adopt theirmanners, to be uneducated, to grow up like one of the poor women I sawsometimes nursing their children or washing their clothes at thecottage doors of the village of Gateshead: no, I was not heroic enoughto purchase liberty at the price of caste.

　　'The carrier, no doubt,' I thought, and ran downstairs withoutinquiry. I was passing the back-parlour or teachers' sitting-room, thedoor of which was half open, to go to the kitchen, when some one ranout-

　　There is a thought that for strength should avail me,

　　'What would Uncle Reed say to you, if he were alive?' was myscarcely voluntary demand. I say scarcely voluntary, for it seemedas if my tongue pronounced words, without my will consenting totheir utterance: something spoke out of me over which I had nocontrol.

　　'Well, well! who knows what may happen?' said Mr. Lloyd, as hegot up. 'The child ought to have change of air and scene,' he added,speaking to himself; 'nerves not in a good state.'

　　'What foreign country was he going to, Bessie?'

　　'Yes.'

　　'I don't know: I asked Aunt Reed once, and she said possibly Imight have some poor, low relations called Eyre, but she knewnothing about them.'