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s enough; to hold the swelling spring of pure; full; fervid eloquence? Such was the characteristic of Helen’s discourse on that; to me; memorable evening; her spirit seemed hastening to live within a very brief span as much as many live during a protracted existence。
They conversed of things I had never heard of; of nations and times past; of countries far away; of secrets of nature discovered or guessed at: they spoke of books: how many they had read! What stores of knowledge they possessed! Then they seemed so familiar with French names and French authors: but my amazement reached its climax when Miss Temple asked Helen if she sometimes snatched a moment to recall the Latin her father had taught her; and taking a book from a shelf; bade her read and construe a page of Virgil; and Helen obeyed; my organ of veneration expanding at every sounding line。 She had scarcely finished ere the bell announced bedtime! no delay could be admitted; Miss Temple embraced us both; saying; as she drew us to her heart—
“God bless you; my children!”
Helen she held a little longer than me: she let her go more reluctantly; it was Helen her eye followed to the door; it was for her she a second time breathed a sad sigh; for her she wiped a tear from her cheek。
On reaching the bedroom; we heard the voice of Miss Scatcherd: she was examining drawers; she had just pulled out Helen Burns’s; and when we entered Helen was greeted with a sharp reprimand; and told that to…morrow she should have half…a…dozen of untidily folded articles pinned to her shoulder。
“My things were indeed in shameful disorder;” murmured Helen to me; in a low voice: “I intended to have arranged them; but I forgot。”
Next morning; Miss Scatcherd wrote in conspicuous characters on a piece of pasteboard the word “Slattern;” and bound it like a phylactery round Helen’s large; mild; intelligent; and benign… looking forehead。 She wore it till evening; patient; unresentful; regarding it as a deserved punishment。 The moment Miss Scatcherd withdrew after afternoon school; I ran to Helen; tore it off; and thrust it into the fire: the fury of which she was incapable had been burning in my soul all day; and tears; hot and large; had continually been scalding my cheek; for the spectacle of her sad resignation gave me an intolerable pain at the heart。
About a week subsequently to the incidents above narrated; Miss Temple; who had written to Mr。 Lloyd; received his answer: it appeared that what he said went to corroborate my account。 Miss Temple; having assembled the whole school; announced that inquiry had been made into the charges alleged against Jane Eyre; and that she was most happy to be able to pronounce her pletely cleared from every imputation。 The teachers then shook hands with me and kissed me; and a murmur of pleasure ran through the ranks of my panions。
Thus relieved of a grievous load; I from that hour set to work afresh; resolved to pioneer my way through every difficulty: I toiled hard; and my success was proportionate to my efforts; my memory; not naturally tenacious; improved with practice; exercise sharpened my wits; in a few weeks I was promoted to a higher class; in less than two months I was allowed to mence French and drawing。 I learned the first two tenses of the verb etre; and sketched my first cottage (whose walls; by…the…bye; outrivalled in slope those of the leaning tower of Pisa); on the same day。 That night; on going to bed; I forgot to prepare in imagination the Barmecide supper of hot roast potatoes; or white bread and new milk; with which I was wont to amuse my inward cravings: I feasted instead on the spectacle of ideal drawings; which I saw in the dark; all the work of my own hands: freely pencilled houses and trees; picturesque rocks and ruins; Cuyp…like groups of cattle; sweet paintings of butterflies hovering over unblown roses; of birds picking at ripe cherries; of wren’s nests enclosing pearl…like eggs; wreathed about with young ivy sprays。 I examined; too; in thought; the possibility of my ever being able to translate currently a certain little French story which Madame Pierrot had that day shown me; nor was that problem solved to my satisfaction ere I fell sweetly asleep。
Well has Solomon said—“Better is a dinner of herbs where love is; than a stalled ox and hatred therewith。”
I would not now have exchanged Lowood with all its privations for Gateshead and its daily luxuries。
Chapter 9
But the privations; or rather the hardships; of Lowood lessened。 Spring drew on: she was indeed already e; the frosts of winter had ceased; its snows were melted; its cutting winds ameliorated。 My wretched feet; flayed and swollen to lameness by the sharp air of January; began to heal and subside under the gentler breathings of April; the nights and mornings no longer by their Canadian temperature froze the very blood in our veins; we could now endure the play…hour passed in the garden: sometimes on a sunny day it began even to be pleasant and genial; and a greenness grew over those brown beds; which; freshening daily; suggested the thought that Hope traversed them at night; and left each morning brighter traces of her steps。 Flowers peeped out amongst the leaves; snow…drops; crocuses; purple auriculas; and golden…eyed pansies。 On Thursday afternoons (half…holidays) we now took walks; and found still sweeter flowers opening by the wayside; under the hedges。
I discovered; too; that a great pleasure; an enjoyment which the horizon only bounded; lay all outside the high and spike…guarded walls of our garden: this pleasure consisted in prospect of noble summits girdling a great hill…hollow; rich in verdure and shadow; in a bright beck; full of dark stones and sparkling eddies。 How different had this scene looked when I viewed it laid out beneath the iron sky of winter; stiffened in frost; shrouded with snow!— when mists as chill as death wandered to the impulse of east winds along those purple peaks; and rolled down “ing” and holm till they blended with the frozen fog of the beck! That beck itself was then a torrent; turbid and curbless: it tore asunder the wood; and sent a raving sound through the air; often thickened with wild rain or whirling sle