简爱(英文版)-第28部分

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y　of　mighty　old　thorn　trees；　strong；　knotty；　and　broad　as　oaks；　at　once　explained　the　etymology　of　the　mansion’s　designation。　Farther　off　were　hills：　not　so　lofty　as　those　round　Lowood；　nor　so　craggy；　nor　so　like　barriers　of　separation　from　the　living　world；　but　yet　quiet　and　lonely　hills　enough；　and　seeming　to　embrace　Thornfield　with　a　seclusion　I　had　not　expected　to　find　existent　so　near　the　stirring　locality　of　Millcote。　A　little　hamlet；　whose　roofs　were　blent　with　trees；　straggled　up　the　side　of　one　of　these　hills；　the　church　of　the　district　stood　nearer　Thornfield：　its　old　tower…top　looked　over　a　knoll　between　the　house　and　gates。
I　was　yet　enjoying　the　calm　prospect　and　pleasant　fresh　air；　yet　listening　with　delight　to　the　cawing　of　the　rooks；　yet　surveying　the　wide；　hoary　front　of　the　hall；　and　thinking　what　a　great　place　it　was　for　one　lonely　little　dame　like　Mrs。　Fairfax　to　inhabit；　when　that　lady　appeared　at　the　door。
“What！　out　already？”　said　she。　“I　see　you　are　an　early　riser。”　I　went　up　to　her；　and　was　received　with　an　affable　kiss　and　shake　of　the　hand。
“How　do　you　like　Thornfield？”　she　asked。　I　told　her　I　liked　it　very　much。
“Yes；”　she　said；　“it　is　a　pretty　place；　but　I　fear　it　will　be　getting　out　of　order；　unless　Mr。　Rochester　should　take　it　into　his　head　to　e　and　reside　here　permanently；　or；　at　least；　visit　it　rather　oftener：　great　houses　and　fine　grounds　require　the　presence　of　the　proprietor。”
“Mr。　Rochester！”　I　exclaimed。　“Who　is　he？”
“The　owner　of　Thornfield；”　she　responded　quietly。　“Did　you　not　know　he　was　called　Rochester？”
Of　course　I　did　not—I　had　never　heard　of　him　before；　but　the　old　lady　seemed　to　regard　his　existence　as　a　universally　understood　fact；　with　which　everybody　must　be　acquainted　by　instinct。
“I　thought；”　I　continued；　“Thornfield　belonged　to　you。”
“To　me？　Bless　you；　child；　what　an　idea！　To　me！　I　am　only　the　housekeeper—the　manager。　To　be　sure　I　am　distantly　related　to　the　Rochesters　by　the　mother’s　side；　or　at　least　my　husband　was；　he　was　a　clergyman；　incumbent　of　Hay—that　little　village　yonder　on　the　hill—and　that　church　near　the　gates　was　his。　The　present　Mr。　Rochester’s　mother　was　a　Fairfax；　and　second　cousin　to　my　husband：　but　I　never　presume　on　the　connection—in　fact；　it　is　nothing　to　me；　I　consider　myself　quite　in　the　light　of　an　ordinary　housekeeper：　my　employer　is　always　civil；　and　I　expect　nothing　more。”
“And　the　little　girl—my　pupil！”
“She　is　Mr。　Rochester’s　ward；　he　missioned　me　to　find　a　governess　for　her。　He　intended　to　have　her　brought　up　in—shire；　I　believe。　Here　she　es；　with　her　‘bonne；’　as　she　calls　her　nurse。”　The　enigma　then　was　explained：　this　affable　and　kind　little　widow　was　no　great　dame；　but　a　dependant　like　myself。　I　did　not　like　her　the　worse　for　that；　on　the　contrary；　I　felt　better　pleased　than　ever。　The　equality　between　her　and　me　was　real；　not　the　mere　result　of　condescension　on　her　part：　so　much　the　better—my　position　was　all　the　freer。
As　I　was　meditating　on　this　discovery；　a　little　girl；　followed　by　her　attendant；　came　running　up　the　lawn。　I　looked　at　my　pupil；　who　did　not　at　first　appear　to　notice　me：　she　was　quite　a　child；　perhaps　seven　or　eight　years　old；　slightly　built；　with　a　pale；　small…featured　face；　and　a　redundancy　of　hair　falling　in　curls　to　her　waist。
“Good　morning；　Miss　Adela；”　said　Mrs。　Fairfax。　“e　and　speak　to　the　lady　who　is　to　teach　you；　and　to　make　you　a　clever　woman　some　day。”　She　approached。
“C’est　le　ma　gouverante！”　said　she；　pointing　to　me；　and　addressing　her　nurse；　who　answered—
“Mais　oui；　certainement。”
“Are　they　foreigners？”　I　inquired；　amazed　at　hearing　the　French　language。
“The　nurse　is　a　foreigner；　and　Adela　was　born　on　the　Continent；　and；　I　believe；　never　left　it　till　within　six　months　ago。　When　she　first　came　here　she　could　speak　no　English；　now　she　can　make　shift　to　talk　it　a　little：　I　don’t　understand　her；　she　mixes　it　so　with　French；　but　you　will　make　out　her　meaning　very　well；　I　dare　say。”
Fortunately　I　had　had　the　advantage　of　being　taught　French　by　a　French　lady；　and　as　I　had　always　made　a　point　of　conversing　with　Madame　Pierrot　as　often　as　I　could；　and　had　besides；　during　the　last　seven　years；　learnt　a　portion　of　French　by　heart　daily—applying　myself　to　take　pains　with　my　accent；　and　imitating　as　closely　as　possible　the　pronunciation　of　my　teacher；　I　had　acquired　a　certain　degree　of　readiness　and　correctness　in　the　language；　and　was　not　likely　to　be　much　at　a　loss　with　Mademoiselle　Adela。　She　came　and　shook　hand　with　me　when　she　heard　that　I　was　her　governess；　and　as　I　led　her　in　to　breakfast；　I　addressed　some　phrases　to　her　in　her　own　tongue：　she　replied　briefly　at　first；　but　after　we　were　seated　at　the　table；　and　she　had　examined　me　some　ten　minutes　with　her　large　hazel　eyes；　she　suddenly　menced　chattering　fluently。
“Ah！”　cried　she；　in　French；　“you　speak　my　language　as　well　as　Mr。　Rochester　does：　I　can　talk　to　you　as　I　can　to　him；　and　so　can　Sophie。　She　will　be　glad：　nobody　here　understands　her：　Madame　Fairfax　is　all　English。　Sophie　is　my　nurse；　she　came　with　me　over　the　sea　in　a　great　ship　with　a　chimney　that　smoked—how　it　did　smoke！—and　I　was　sick；　and　so　was　Sophie；　and　so　was　Mr。　Rochester。　Mr。　Rochester　lay　down　on　a　sofa　in　a　pretty　room　called　the　salon；　and　Sophie　and　I　had　little　beds　in　another　place。　I　nearly　fell　out　of　mine；　it　was　like　a　shelf。　And　Mademoiselle—what　is　your　name？”
“Eyre—Jane　Eyre。”
“Aire？　Bah！　I　cannot　say　it。　Well；　our　ship　stopped　in　the　morning；　before　it　was　quite　daylight；　at　a　great　city—a　huge　city；　with　very　dark　houses　and　all　smoky；　not　at　all　like　the　pretty　clean　town　I　came　from；　and　Mr。　Rochester　carried　me　in　his　arms　over　a　plank　to　the　land；　and　Sophie　came　after；　and　we　all　got　into　a　coach；　which　took　us　to　a　beautiful　large　house；　larger　than　this　and　finer；　called　an　hotel。　We　stayed　there　nearly　a　week：　I　and　Sophie　used　to　walk　every　day　in　a　great　green　place　full　of　trees；　called　the　Park；　and　there　were　many　children　there　besides　me；　and　a　pond　with　beautiful　birds　in　it；　that　I　fed　with　crumbs。”
“Can　you　understand　her　when　she　runs　on　so　fast？”　asked　Mrs。　Fairfax。
I　understood　her　very　well；　for　I　had　been　accustomed　to　the　fluent　tongue　of　Madame　Pierrot。
“I　wish；”　continued　the　good　lady；　“you　would　ask　her　a　question　or　two　about　her　parents：　I　wonder　if　she　remembers　them？”
“Adèle；”　I　inquired；　“with　whom　did　you　live　when　you　were　in　that　pretty　clean　town　you　spoke　of？”
“I　lived　long　ago　with　mama；　but　she　is　gone　to　the　Holy　Virgin。　Mama　used　to　teach　me　to　dance　and　sing；　and　to　say　verses。　A　great　many　gentlemen　and　ladies　came　to　see　mama；　and　I　used　to　dance　before　them；　or　to　sit　on　their　knees　and　sing　to　them：　I　liked　it。　Shall　I　let　you　hear　me　sing　now？”
She　had　finished　her　breakfast；　so　I　permitted　her　to　give　a　specimen　of　her　acplishments。　Descending　from　her　chair；　she　came　and　placed　herself　on　my　knee；　then；　folding　her　little　hands　demurely　before　her；　shaking　back　her　curls　and　lifting　her　eyes　to　the　ceiling；　she　menced　singing　a　song　from　some　opera。　It　was　the　strain　of　a　forsaken　lady；　who；　after　bewailing　the　perfidy　of　her　lover；　calls　pride　to　her　aid；　desires　her　attendant　to　deck　her　in　her　brightest　jewels　and　richest　robes；　and　resolves　to　meet　the　false　one　that　night　at　a　ball；　and　prove　to　him；　by　the　gaiety　of　her　demeanour；　how　little　his　desertion　has　affected　her。
The　subject　seemed　strangely　chosen　for　an　infant　singer；　but　I　suppose　the　point　of　the　exhibition　lay　in　hearing　the　notes　of　love　and　jealousy　warbled　with　the　lisp　of　childhood；　and　in　very　bad　taste　that　point　was：　at　least　I　thought　so。
Adèle　sang　the　canzote　tunefully　enough；　and　with　the　na？veté　of　her　age。　This　achieved；　she　jumped　from　my　knee　and　said；　“Now；　Mademoiselle；　I　will　repeat　you　some　poetry。”
Assuming　an　attitude；　she　began；　“La　Ligue　des　Rats：　fable　de　La　Fontaine。”　She　then　declaimed　the　little　piece　with　an　attention　to　punctuation　and　emphasis；　a　flexibility　of　voice　and　an　appropriateness　of　gesture；　very　unusual　indeed　at　her　age；　and　which　proved　she　had　been　carefully　trained。
“Was　it　your　mama　who　taught　you　that　pie