Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre

'Please don't worry, Jane,' he said. 'Grace Poole is a strange woman. But she won't hurt anybody tonight.'

I stood up. 'Goodnight, sir,' I said.

Mr Rochester held my hand. He looked at me and he smiled.

'Thank you, my dear friend,' he said. 'You saved my life tonight, Jane.'

'Goodnight, sir,' I said again.

I went back to my bed. I was very tired. But at first, I could not sleep. Suddenly, I understood something. I loved Mr Rochester! He had smiled at me. He had held my hand. Did he love me? I did not know. But I thought about Mr Rochester for a long time.

****

I did not see Mr Rochester the next day. He did not send for me.

In the evening, I went down to Mrs Fairfax's sitting-room. The housekeeper was looking out of the window.

'The weather has been good today,' Mrs Fairfax said. 'Mr Rochester had a good day for his journey.'

'His journey? Where has he gone?' I asked. I was surprised.

'He has gone to Ingram Park,' Mrs Fairfax replied. 'Mr Rochester will stay there for a week or more. He has many friends. All his friends will be at Ingram Park this week.'

'Will there be any ladies at Ingram Park?' I asked.

'Yes,' Mrs Fairfax said. 'There will be many ladies there. Miss Blanche Ingram will be there. Mr Rochester has known her for many years.'

'Is Miss Ingram beautiful?' I asked.

'She is very beautiful,' Mrs Fairfax said.

'Will Mr Rochester marry her?' I asked.

Mrs Fairfax smiled. 'I don't know, Miss Eyre,' she replied. 'I don't know.'

I was very unhappy. I went up to my bedroom. I looked in my mirror.

'Jane Eyre,' I said to myself. 'You are not pretty. And you are poor. Mr Rochester will never marry you. He will marry Miss Blanche Ingram. She is a rich lady. You are a poor governess. Forget Mr Rochester, Jane Eyre! Forget him!'

Two weeks later, a letter arrived for Mrs Fairfax.

'Mr Rochester will return on Thursday,' Mrs Fairfax said. 'Some of his friends will come here with him. There will be many guests at Thornfield Hall.'

On Thursday evening, Mrs Fairfax, Adele and I were in Adele's bedroom. Mrs Fairfax was looking out of the window.

'The guests are arriving now!' Mrs Fairfax said.

I went to the window and I looked out. There were three carriages. Two people were riding horses. Mr Rochester was riding his big black horse. A beautiful young woman was riding a white horse.

Mrs Fairfax pointed to the young woman.

That is Miss Ingram,' the housekeeper said. Then she went downstairs.

Adele wanted to go downstairs too.

'No, Adele,' I said. 'We cannot go downstairs tonight. Mr Rochester is talking to his guests.'

The next day, Mrs Fairfax came into the schoolroom.

'Mr Rochester wants you to meet his guests tonight, Miss Eyre,' she said. 'Adele must meet them too.'

Later, Adele and I went quietly into the sitting-room. And soon, eight ladies came into the room. One of them was tall, dark and very beautiful. She was Blanche Ingram. Adele ran towards her.

'Good evening, beautiful lady,' she said in French.

'What a pretty little girl!' Blanche Ingram said. Miss Ingram spoke to the other ladies. And she spoke to Adele. But she did not speak to me.

Half an hour later, the gentlemen came into the room. I looked at Mr Rochester. He saw me, but he did not speak to me.

Miss Ingram pointed at Adele. 'Why doesn't this little girl live at a school, Mr Rochester?' she asked.

'Adele learns her lessons at home,' Mr Rochester replied. 'She has a governess.'

'Oh, yes. That small woman by the window,' Miss Ingram said. 'I had many governesses. I hated all of them. They were all ugly and stupid!'

Later, Miss Ingram and Mr Rochester sang some songs together. Mr Rochester had a fine voice. I listened to the songs, then I left the room. Mr Rochester followed me.

'What is wrong, Jane?' he asked.

'Nothing is wrong, sir,' I said. 'But I am tired. I am going to my room. Goodnight, sir.'

'You are tired. And you are unhappy too,' Mr Rochester replied. 'There are tears in your eyes. Rest now, Jane. But please come and meet my guests tomorrow evening. Don't forget, my —, don't forget, Jane.'

The guests stayed at Thornfield Hall for two weeks. Every evening, I went to the sitting-room with Adele. Nobody spoke to me. Mr Rochester and Miss Ingram were always together.

One afternoon, Mr Rochester went to Millcote. He returned late in the evening. I met him at the front door.

'Another guest has arrived, sir,' I told him. 'His name is Mr Mason. He has come from the West Indies.'

Suddenly, Mr Rochester's face was pale. He held my hand tightly.

'Mason. The West Indies. Mason —' he said. 'Are you ill, sir?' I asked.

'Jane, my little friend, I've had a shock,' he said. 'Bring me a glass of wine, please.'

I went quickly to the dining-room. I returned with a glass of wine and I gave it to Mr Rochester.

'What are my guests doing?' he asked.

'They are eating and laughing, sir,' I replied. 'Mr Mason is talking to the other guests.'

'One day, they will all hate me,' Mr Rochester said. 'Now go into the dining-room again. Tell Mason to meet me in the library.'

I gave Mr Mason the message. Then I went to my bedroom. I got into my bed.

Later, I heard Mr Rochester coming up the stairs with Mr Mason. They were laughing and talking. Soon, I was asleep.

Some hours later, I woke up. A terrible cry had woken me. The moon was bright. Its light was shining through my window. I listened. Then I heard somebody shouting.

'Help! Help! Rochester, help me!'

The voice came from the top corridor.

'Help! Help!'

I got out of bed and I put on a dress and some shoes. I opened my door. All the guests were in the corridor outside the bedrooms. They were all asking questions.

'What happened?' they asked. 'Is there a fire? Who is hurt? Where is Mr Rochester?'

'I am here!' Mr Rochester said. He was walking down the stairs from the top corridor.

'What is wrong, Mr Rochester?' Miss Ingram asked. 'What has happened?'

'Nothing is wrong,' Mr Rochester replied. 'One of the servants has had a bad dream. Go back to bed!'

I went back to my room. But something was wrong. I did not get into my bed. I waited. Soon, somebody knocked on my door. I opened the door. Mr Rochester was standing in the corridor.

'Jane, follow me. Do not make a sound,' Mr Rochester said.

We went up to the top corridor. Mr Rochester unlocked a door and we went inside a room.

Mr Mason was sitting on a chair in the room. His face was pale. And his shirt was covered with blood! Then I heard a terrible laugh. The sound came from the next room.

'Grace Poole is a madwoman,' I thought. 'Why does Mr Rochester have a mad servant?'

Mr Rochester spoke quietly to Mr Mason.

'I am going to bring a doctor, Richard,' he said.

Then he spoke to me. 'Stay here, Jane. Wash Mr Mason's arm. But do not speak to him.'

Mr Rochester left the room. I washed Mr Mason's arm. We waited for Mr Rochester and the doctor. Mr Mason did not speak to me and I did not speak to him.

After two hours, Mr Rochester returned. The doctor was with him. The doctor looked at Mr Mason's arm.

'She bit me,' Mr Mason said. 'I came up here. I wanted to see her. I wanted to help her. But she bit me!'