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小说: jane eyre(简·爱) 字数: 每页4000字

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   THERE was no possibility of taking a walk that day。 We had been 
wandering; indeed; in the leafless shrubbery an hour in the morning; 
but since dinner (Mrs。 Reed; when there was no company; dined early) 
the cold winter wind had brought with it clouds so sombre; and a 
rain so penetrating; that further outdoor exercise was now out of 
the question。 
   I was glad of it: I never liked long walks; especially on chilly 
afternoons: dreadful to me was the coming home in the raw twilight; 
with nipped fingers and toes; and a heart saddened by the chidings 
of Bessie; the nurse; and humbled by the consciousness of my 
physical inferiority to Eliza; John; and Georgiana Reed。 
   The said Eliza; John; and Georgiana were now clustered round 
their mama in the drawing…room: she lay reclined on a sofa by the 
fireside; and with her darlings about her (for the time neither 
quarrelling nor crying) looked perfectly happy。 Me; she had 
dispensed from joining the group; saying; 'She regretted to be under 
the necessity of keeping me at a distance; but that until she heard 
from Bessie; and could discover by her own observation; that I was 
endeavouring in good earnest to acquire a more sociable and 
childlike disposition; a more attractive and sprightly manner… 
something lighter; franker; more natural; as it were… she really 
must exclude me from privileges intended only for contented; happy; 
little children。' 
   'What does Bessie say I have done?' I asked。 
   'Jane; I don't like cavillers or questioners; besides; there is 
something truly forbidding in a child taking up her elders in that 
manner。 Be seated somewhere; and until you can speak pleasantly; 
remain silent。' 
   A small breakfast…room adjoined the drawing…room; I slipped in 
there。 It contained a bookcase: I soon possessed myself of a volume; 
taking care that it should be one stored with pictures。 I mounted into 
the window…seat: gathering up my feet; I sat cross…legged; like a 
Turk; and; having drawn the red moreen curtain nearly close; I was 
shrined in double retirement。 
   Folds of scarlet drapery shut in my view to the right hand; to 
the left were the clear panes of glass; protecting; but not separating 
me from the drear November day。 At intervals; while turning over the 
leaves of my book; I studied the aspect of that winter afternoon。 
Afar; it offered a pale blank of mist and cloud; near a scene of wet 
lawn and storm…beat shrub; with ceaseless rain sweeping away wildly 
before a long and lamentable blast。 
   I returned to my book… Bewick's History of British Birds: the 
letterpress thereof I cared little for; generally speaking; and yet 
there were certain introductory pages that; child as I was; I could 
not pass quite as a blank。 They were those which treat of the haunts 
of sea…fowl; of 'the solitary rocks and promontories' by them only 
inhabited; of the coast of Norway; studded with isles from its 
southern extremity; the Lindeness; or Naze; to the North Cape… 
  
  
           'Where the Northern Ocean; in vast whirls; 
            Boils round the naked; melancholy isles 
            Of farthest Thule; and the Atlantic surge 
            Pours in among the stormy Hebrides。' 
  
  
Nor could I pass unnoticed the suggestion of the bleak shores of 
Lapland; Siberia; Spitzbergen; Nova Zembla; Iceland; Greenland; with 
'the vast sweep of the Arctic Zone; and those forlorn regions of 
dreary space;… that reservoir of frost and snow; where firm fields 
of ice; the accumulation of centuries of winters; glazed in Alpine 
heights above heights; surround the pole and concentre the 
multiplied rigours of extreme cold。' Of these death…white realms I 
formed an idea of my own: shadowy; like all the half…comprehended 
notions that float dim through children's brains; but strangely 
impressive。 The words in these introductory pages connected themselves 
with the succeeding vignettes; and gave significance to the rock 
standing up alone in a sea of billow and spray; to the broken boat 
stranded on a desolate coast; to the cold and ghastly moon glancing 
through bars of cloud at a wreck just sinking。 
   I cannot tell what sentiment haunted the quite solitary churchyard; 
with its inscribed headstone; its gate; its two trees; its low 
horizon; girdled by a broken wall; and its newly…risen crescent; 
attesting the hour of eventide。 
   The two ships becalmed on a torpid sea; I believed to be marine 
phantoms。 
   The fiend pinning down the thief's pack behind him; I passed over 
quickly: it was an object of terror。 
   So was the black horned thing seated aloof on a rock; surveying a 
distant crowd surrounding a gallows。 
   Each picture told a story; mysterious often to my undeveloped 
understanding and imperfect feelings; yet ever profoundly interesting: 
as interesting as the tales Bessie sometimes narrated on winter 
evenings; when she chanced to be in good humour; and when; having 
brought her ironing…table to the nursery hearth; she allowed us to sit 
about it; and while she got up Mrs。 Reed's lace frills; and crimped 
her nightcap borders; fed our eager attention with passages of love 
and adventure taken from old fairy tales and other ballads; or (as 
at a later period I discovered) from the pages of Pamela; and Henry; 
Earl of Moreland。 
   With Bewick on my knee; I was then happy: happy at least in my way。 
I feared nothing but interruption; and that came too soon。 The 
breakfast…room door opened。 
   'Boh! Madam Mope!' cried the voice of John Reed; then he paused: he 
found the room apparently empty。 
   'Where the dickens is she!' he continued。 'Lizzy! Georgy! 
(calling to his sisters) Joan is not here: tell mama she is run out 
into the rain… bad animal!' 
   'It is well I drew the curtain;' thought I; and I wished 
fervently he might not discover my hiding…place: nor would John Reed 
have found it out himself; he was not quick either of vision or 
conception; but Eliza just put her head in at the door; and said at 
once… 
   'She is in the window…seat; to be sure; Jack。' 
   And I came out immediately; for I trembled at the idea of being 
dragged forth by the said Jack。 
   'What do you want?' I asked; with awkward diffidence。 
   'Say; 〃What do you want; Master Reed?〃' was the answer。 'I want you 
to come here;' and seating himself in an armchair; he intimated by a 
gesture that I was to approach and stand before him。 
   John Reed was a schoolboy of fourteen years old; four years older 
than I; for I was but ten: large and stout for his age; with a dingy 
and unwholesome skin; thick lineaments in a spacious visage; heavy 
limbs and large extremities。 He gorged himself habitually at table; 
which made him bilious; and gave him a dim and bleared eye and 
flabby cheeks。 He ought now to have been at school; but his mama had 
taken him home for a month or two; 'on account of his delicate 
health。' Mr。 Miles; the master; affirmed that he would do very well if 
he had fewer cakes and sweetmeats sent him from home; but the mother's 
heart turned from an opinion so harsh; and inclined rather to the more 
refined idea that John's sallowness was owing to over…application and; 
perhaps; to pining after home。 
   John had not much affection for his mother and sisters; and an 
antipathy to me。 He bullied and punished me; not two or three times in 
the week; nor once or twice in the day; but continually: every nerve I 
had feared him; and every morsel of flesh in my bones shrank when he 
came near。 There were moments when I was bewildered by the terror he 
inspired; because I had no appeal whatever against either his 
menaces or his inflictions; the servants did not like to offend 
their young master by taking my part against him; and Mrs。 Reed was 
blind and deaf on the subject: she never saw him strike or heard him 
abuse me; though he did both now and then in her very presence; more 
frequently; however; behind her back。 
   Habitually obedient to John; I came up to his chair: he spent 
some three minutes in thrusting out his tongue at me as far as he 
could without damaging the roots: I knew he would soon strike; and 
while dreading the blow; I mused on the disgusting and ugly appearance 
of him who would presently deal it。 I wonder if he read that notion in 
my face; for; all at once; without speaking; he struck suddenly and 
strongly。 I tottered; and on regaining my equilibrium retired back a 
step or two from his chair。 
   'That is for your impudence in answering mama awhile since;' said 
he; 'and for your sneaking way of getting behind curtains; and for the 
look you had in your eyes two minutes since; you rat!' 
   Accustomed to John Reed's abuse; I never had an idea of replying to 
it; my care was how to endure the blow which would certainly follow 
the insult。 
   'What were you doing behind the curtain?' he asked。 
   'I was reading。' 
   'Show the book。' 
   I returned to the window and fetched it thence。 
   'You have no business to take our books; you are a dependant; 
mama says; you have no money; your father left you none; you ought 
to beg; and not to live here with gentlemen's children like us; and 
eat t

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