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简爱(英文版)-第章

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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 dare say 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 bedsteads 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 e 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 repassed the trap…door; I could scarcely see my way down the ladder; the attic seemed black as a vault pared with that arch of blue air to which I had been looking up; and to that sunlit scene of grove; pasture; and green hill; of which the hall was the centre; and over which I had been gazing with delight。
Mrs。 Fairfax stayed behind a moment to fasten the trap…door; I; by drift of groping; found the outlet from the attic; and proceeded to descend the narrow garret staircase。 I lingered in the long passage to which this led; separating the front and back rooms of the third storey: narrow; low; and dim; with only one little window at the far end; and looking; with its two rows of small black doors all shut; like a corridor in some Bluebeard’s castle。
While I paced softly on; the last sound I expected to hear in so still a region; a laugh; struck my ear。 It was a curious laugh; distinct; formal; mirthless。 I stopped: the sound ceased; only for an instant; it began again; louder: for at first; though distinct; it was very low。 It passed off in a clamorous peal that seemed to wake an echo in every lonely chamber; tho
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