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together in a heap; they were then propped up with the monitors' 
high stools。 
   I have not yet alluded to the visits of Mr。 Brocklehurst; and 
indeed that gentleman was from home during the greater part of the 
first month after my arrival; perhaps prolonging his stay with his 
friend the archdeacon: his absence was a relief to me。 I need not 
say that I had my own reasons for dreading his coming: but come he did 
at last。 
   One afternoon (I had then been three weeks at Lowood); as I was 
sitting with a slate in my hand; puzzling over a sum in long division; 
my eyes; raised in abstraction to the window; caught sight of a figure 
just passing: I recognised almost instinctively that gaunt outline; 
and when; two minutes after; all the school; teachers included; rose 
en masse; it was not necessary for me to look up in order to ascertain 
whose entrance they thus greeted。 A long stride measured the 
schoolroom; and presently beside Miss Temple; who herself had risen; 
stood the same black column which had frowned on me so ominously 
from the hearthrug of Gateshead。 I now glanced sideways at this 
piece of architecture。 Yes; I was right: it was Mr。 Brocklehurst; 
buttoned up in a surtout; and looking longer; narrower; and more rigid 
than ever。 
   I had my own reasons for being dismayed at this apparition; too 
well I remembered the perfidious hints given by Mrs。 Reed about my 
disposition; etc。; the promise pledged by Mr。 Brocklehurst to 
apprise Miss Temple and the teachers of my vicious nature。 All along I 
had been dreading the fulfilment of this promise;… I had been 
looking out daily for the 'Coming Man;' whose information respecting 
my past life and conversation was to brand me as a bad child for ever: 
now there he was。 
   He stood at Miss Temple's side; he was speaking low in her ear: I 
did not doubt he was making disclosures of my villainy; and I 
watched her eye with painful anxiety; expecting every moment to see 
its dark orb turn on me a glance of repugnance and contempt。 I 
listened too; and as I happened to be seated quite at the top of the 
room; I caught most of what he said: its import relieved me from 
immediate apprehension。 
   'I suppose; Miss Temple; the thread I bought at Lowton will do; 
it struck me that it would be just of the quality for the calico 
chemises; and I sorted the needles to match。 You may tell Miss Smith 
that I forgot to make a memorandum of the darning needles; but she 
shall have some papers sent in next week; and she is not; on any 
account; to give out more than one at a time to each pupil: if they 
have more; they are apt to be careless and lose them。 And; O ma'am! 
I wish the woollen stockings were better looked to!… when I was here 
last; I went into the kitchen…garden and examined the clothes drying 
on the line; there was a quantity of black hose in a very bad state of 
repair: from the size of the holes in them I was sure they had not 
been well mended from time to time。' 
   He paused。 
   'Your directions shall be attended to; sir;' said Miss Temple。 
   'And; ma'am;' he continued; 'the laundress tells me some of the 
girls have two clean tuckers in the week: it is too much; the rules 
limit them to one。' 
   'I think I can explain that circumstance; sir。 Agnes and 
Catherine Johnstone were invited to take tea with some friends at 
Lowton last Thursday; and I gave them leave to put on clean tuckers 
for the occasion。' 
   Mr。 Brocklehurst nodded。 
   'Well; for once it may pass; but please not to let the circumstance 
occur too often。 And there is another thing which surprised me; I 
find; in settling accounts with the housekeeper; that a lunch; 
consisting of bread and cheese; has twice been served out to the girls 
during the past fortnight。 How is this? I looked over the regulations; 
and I find no such meal as lunch mentioned。 Who introduced this 
innovation? and by what authority?' 
   'I must be responsible for the circumstance; sir;' replied Miss 
Temple: 'the breakfast was so ill prepared that the pupils could not 
possibly eat it; and I dared not allow them to remain fasting till 
dinner…time。' 
   'Madam; allow me an instant。 You are aware that my plan in bringing 
up these girls is; not to accustom them to habits of luxury and 
indulgence; but to render them hardy; patient; self…denying。 Should 
any little accidental disappointment of the appetite occur; such as 
the spoiling of a meal; the under or the over dressing of a dish; 
the incident ought not to be neutralised by replacing with something 
more delicate the comfort lost; thus pampering the body and 
obviating the aim of this institution; it ought to be improved to 
the spiritual edification of the pupils; by encouraging them to evince 
fortitude under the temporary privation。 A brief address on those 
occasions would not be mistimed; wherein a judicious instructor 
would take the opportunity of referring to the sufferings of the 
primitive Christians; to the torments of martyrs; to the 
exhortations of our blessed Lord Himself; calling upon His disciples 
to take up their cross and follow Him; to His warnings that man 
shall not live by bread alone; but by every word that proceedeth out 
of the mouth of God; to His divine consolations; 〃If ye suffer 
hunger or thirst for My sake; happy are ye。〃 Oh; madam; when you put 
bread and cheese; instead of burnt porridge; into these children's 
mouths; you may indeed feed their vile bodies; but you little think 
how you starve their immortal souls!' 
   Mr。 Brocklehurst again paused… perhaps overcome by his feelings。 
Miss Temple had looked down when he first began to speak to her; but 
she now gazed straight before her; and her face; naturally pale as 
marble; appeared to be assuming also the coldness and fixity of that 
material; especially her mouth; closed as if it would have required 
a sculptor's chisel to open it; and her brow settled gradually into 
petrified severity。 
   Meantime; Mr。 Brocklehurst; standing on the hearth with his hands 
behind his back; majestically surveyed the whole school。 Suddenly 
his eye gave a blink; as if it had met something that either dazzled 
or shocked its pupil; turning; he said in more rapid accents than he 
had hitherto used… 
   'Miss Temple; Miss Temple; what… what is that girl with curled 
hair? Red hair; ma'am; curled… curled all over?' And extending his 
cane he pointed to the awful object; his hand shaking as he did so。 
   'It is Julia Severn;' replied Miss Temple; very quietly。 
   'Julia Severn; ma'am! And why has she; or any other; curled hair? 
Why; in defiance of every precept and principle of this house; does 
she conform to the world so openly… here in an evangelical; charitable 
establishment… as to wear her hair one mass of curls?' 
   'Julia's hair curls naturally;' returned Miss Temple; still more 
quietly。 
   'Naturally! Yes; but we are not to conform to nature; I wish 
these girls to be the children of Grace: and why that abundance? I 
have again and again intimated that I desire the hair to be arranged 
closely; modestly; plainly。 Miss Temple; that girl's hair must be 
cut off entirely; I will send a barber tomorrow: and I see others 
who have far too much of the excrescence… that tall girl; tell her 
to turn round。 Tell all the first form to rise up and direct their 
faces to the wall。' 
   Miss Temple passed her handkerchief over her lips; as if to 
smooth away the involuntary smile that curled them; she gave the 
order; however; and when the first class could take in what was 
required of them; they obeyed。 Leaning a little back on my bench; I 
could see the looks and grimaces with which they commented on this 
manoeuvre: it was a pity Mr。 Brocklehurst could not see them too; he 
would perhaps have felt that; whatever he might do with the outside of 
the cup and platter; the inside was further beyond his interference 
than he imagined。 
   He scrutinised the reverse of these living medals some five 
minutes; then pronounced sentence。 These words fell like the knell 
of doom… 
   'All those top…knots must be cut off。' 
   Miss Temple seemed to remonstrate。 
   'Madam;' he pursued; 'I have a Master to serve whose kingdom is not 
of this world: my mission is to mortify in these girls the lusts of 
the flesh; to teach them to clothe themselves with shame…facedness and 
sobriety; not with braided hair and costly apparel; and each of the 
young persons before us has a string of hair twisted in plaits which 
vanity itself might have woven; these; I repeat; must be cut off; 
think of the time wasted; of…' 
   Mr。 Brocklehurst was here interrupted: three other visitors; 
ladies; now entered the room。 They ought to have come a little 
sooner to have heard his lecture on dress; for they were splendidly 
attired in velvet; silk; and furs。 The two younger of the trio (fine 
girls of sixteen and seventeen) had grey beaver hats; then in fashion; 
shaded with ostrich plumes; and from under the brim of this graceful 
head…dress fell a profusion of light tresses; elaborately curled; 
the elder lady was enveloped in a costly velvet shawl; trimmed with 
ermine; and she wore a 

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