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donc? lui dit un de ces rats; parlez!〃 She made me lift my hand… so… 
to remind me to raise my voice at the question。 Now shall I dance 
for you?' 
   'No; that will do: but after your mama went to the Holy Virgin; 
as you say; with whom did you live then?' 
   'With Madame Frederic and her husband: she took care of me; but she 
is nothing related to me。 I think she is poor; for she had not so fine 
a house as mama。 I was not long there。 Mr。 Rochester asked me if I 
would like to go and live with him in England; and I said yes; for I 
knew Mr。 Rochester before I knew Madame Frederic; and he was always 
kind to me and gave me pretty dresses and toys: but you see he has not 
kept his word; for he has brought me to England; and now he is gone 
back again himself; and I never see him。' 
   After breakfast; Adele and I withdrew to the library; which room; 
it appears; Mr。 Rochester had directed should be used as the 
schoolroom。 Most of the books were locked up behind glass doors; but 
there was one bookcase left open containing everything that could be 
needed in the way of elementary works; and several volumes of light 
literature; poetry; biography; travels; a few romances; etc。 I suppose 
he had considered that these were all the governess would require 
for her private perusal; and; indeed; they contented me amply for 
the present; compared with the scanty pickings I had now and then been 
able to glean at Lowood; they seemed to offer an abundant harvest of 
entertainment and information。 In this room; too; there was a 
cabinet piano; quite new and of superior tone; also an easel for 
painting and a pair of globes。 
   I found my pupil sufficiently docile; though disinclined to 
apply: she had not been used to regular occupation of any kind。 I felt 
it would be injudicious to confine her too much at first; so; when I 
had talked to her a great deal; and got her to learn a little; and 
when the morning had advanced to noon; I allowed her to return to 
her nurse。 I then proposed to occupy myself till dinner…time in 
drawing some little sketches for her use。 
   As I was going upstairs to fetch my portfolio and pencils; Mrs。 
Fairfax called to me: 'Your morning school…hours are over now; I 
suppose;' said she。 She was in a room the folding doors of which stood 
open: I went in when she addressed me。 It was a large; stately 
apartment; with purple chairs and curtains; a Turkey carpet; 
walnut…panelled walls; one vast window rich in stained glass; and a 
lofty ceiling; nobly moulded。 Mrs。 Fairfax was dusting some vases of 
fine purple spar; which stood on a sideboard。 
   'What a beautiful room!' I exclaimed; as I looked round; for I 
had never before seen any half so imposing。 
   'Yes; this is the dining…room。 I have just opened the window; to 
let in a little air and sunshine; for everything gets so damp in 
apartments that are seldom inhabited; the drawing…room yonder feels 
like a vault。' 
   She pointed to a wide arch corresponding to the window; and hung 
like it with a Tyrian…dyed curtain; now looped up。 Mounting to it by 
two broad steps; and looking through; I thought I caught a glimpse 
of a fairy place; so bright to my novice…eyes appeared the view 
beyond。 Yet it was merely a very pretty drawing…room; and within it 
a boudoir; both spread with white carpets; on which seemed laid 
brilliant garlands of flowers; both ceiled with snowy mouldings of 
white grapes and vine…leaves; beneath which glowed in rich contrast 
crimson couches and ottomans; while the ornaments on the pale Parian 
mantelpiece were of sparkling Bohemian glass; ruby red; and between 
the windows large mirrors repeated the general blending of snow and 
fire。 
   'In what order you keep these rooms; Mrs。 Fairfax!' said I。 'No 
dust; no canvas coverings: except that the air feels chilly; one would 
think they were inhabited daily。' 
   'Why; Miss Eyre; though Mr。 Rochester's visits here are rare; 
they are always sudden and unexpected; and as I observed that it put 
him out to find everything swathed up; and to have a bustle of 
arrangement on his arrival; I thought it best to keep the rooms in 
readiness。' 
   'Is Mr。 Rochester an exacting; fastidious sort of man?' 
   'Not particularly so; but he has a gentleman's tastes and habits; 
and he expects to have things managed in conformity to them。' 
   'Do you like him? Is he generally liked?' 
   'Oh; yes; the family have always been respected here。 Almost all 
the land in this neighbourhood; as far as you can see; has belonged to 
the Rochesters time out of mind。' 
   'Well; but; leaving his land out of the question; do you like 
him? Is he liked for himself?' 
   'I have no cause to do otherwise than like him; and I believe he is 
considered a just and liberal landlord by his tenants: but he has 
never lived much amongst them。' 
   'But has he no peculiarities? What; in short; is his character?' 
   'Oh! his character is unimpeachable; I suppose。 He is rather 
peculiar; perhaps: he has travelled a great deal; and seen a great 
deal of the world; I should think。 I daresay he is clever; but I never 
had much conversation with him。' 
   'In what way is he peculiar?' 
   'I don't know… it is not easy to describe… nothing striking; but 
you feel it when he speaks to you; you cannot be always sure whether 
he is in jest or earnest; whether he is pleased or the contrary; you 
don't thoroughly understand him; in short… at least; I don't: but it 
is of no consequence; he is a very good master。' 
   This was all the account I got from Mrs。 Fairfax of her employer 
and mine。 There are people who seem to have no notion of sketching a 
character; or observing and describing salient points; either in 
persons or things: the good lady evidently belonged to this class; 
my queries puzzled; but did not draw her out。 Mr。 Rochester was Mr。 
Rochester in her eyes; a gentleman; a landed proprietor… nothing more: 
she inquired and searched no further; and evidently wondered at my 
wish to gain a more definite notion of his identity。 
   When we left the dining…room she proposed to show me over the 
rest of the house; and I followed her upstairs and downstairs; 
admiring as I went; for all was well arranged and handsome。 The 
large front chambers I thought especially grand: and some of the 
third…storey rooms; though dark and low; were interesting from their 
air of antiquity。 The furniture once appropriated to the lower 
apartments had from time to time been removed here; as fashions 
changed: and the imperfect light entering by their narrow casement 
showed bed…steads of a hundred years old; chests in oak or walnut; 
looking; with their strange carvings of palm branches and cherubs' 
heads; like types of the Hebrew ark; rows of venerable chairs; 
high…backed and narrow; stools still more antiquated; on whose 
cushioned tops were yet apparent traces of half…effaced 
embroideries; wrought by fingers that for two generations had been 
coffin…dust。 All these relics gave to the third storey of Thornfield 
Hall the aspect of a home of the past: a shrine of memory。 I liked the 
hush; the gloom; the quaintness of these retreats in the day; but I by 
no means coveted a night's repose on one of those wide and heavy beds: 
shut in; some of them; with doors of oak; shaded; others; with wrought 
old English hangings crusted with thick work; portraying effigies of 
strange flowers; and stranger birds; and strangest human beings;… 
all which would have looked strange; indeed; by the pallid gleam of 
moonlight。 
   'Do the servants sleep in these rooms?' I asked。 
   'No; they occupy a range of smaller apartments to the back; no 
one ever sleeps here: one would almost say that; if there were a ghost 
at Thornfield Hall; this would be its haunt。' 
   'So I think: you have no ghost; then?' 
   'None that I ever heard of;' returned Mrs。 Fairfax; smiling。 
   'Nor any traditions of one? no legends or ghost stories?' 
   'I believe not。 And yet it is said the Rochesters have been 
rather a violent than a quiet race in their time: perhaps; though; 
that is the reason they rest tranquilly in their graves now。' 
   'Yes… 〃after life's fitful fever they sleep well;〃' I muttered。 
'Where are you going now; Mrs。 Fairfax?' for she was moving away。 
   'On to the leads; will you come and see the view from thence?' I 
followed still; up a very narrow staircase to the attics; and thence 
by a ladder and through a trap…door to the roof of the hall。 I was now 
on a level with the crow colony; and could see into their nests。 
Leaning over the battlements and looking far down; I surveyed the 
grounds laid out like a map: the bright and velvet lawn closely 
girdling the grey base of the mansion; the field; wide as a park; 
dotted with its ancient timber; the wood; dun and sere; divided by a 
path visibly overgrown; greener with moss than the trees were with 
foliage; the church at the gates; the road; the tranquil hills; all 
reposing in the autumn day's sun; the horizon bounded by a 
propitious sky; azure; marbled with pearly white。 No feature in the 
scene was extraordinary; but all was pleasing。 When I turned from it 
and rep

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