按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
ye was large and well cut; but the life looking out of it was a tame; vacant life—at least so I thought。
The sound of the dressing…bell dispersed the party。 It was not till after dinner that I saw him again: he then seemed quite at his ease。 But I liked his physiognomy even less than before: it struck me as being at the same time unsettled and inanimate。 His eye wandered; and had no meaning in its wandering: this gave him an odd look; such as I never remembered to have seen。 For a handsome and not an unamiable…looking man; he repelled me exceedingly: there was no power in that smooth…skinned face of a full oval shape: no firmness in that aquiline nose and small cherry mouth; there was no thought on the low; even forehead; no mand in that blank; brown eye。
As I sat in my usual nook; and looked at him with the light of the girandoles on the mantelpiece beaming full over him—for he occupied an arm…chair drawn close to the fire; and kept shrinking still nearer; as if he were cold; I pared him with Mr。 Rochester。 I think (with deference be it spoken) the contrast could not be much greater between a sleek gander and a fierce falcon: between a meek sheep and the rough…coated keen…eyed dog; its guardian。
He had spoken of Mr。 Rochester as an old friend。 A curious friendship theirs must have been: a pointed illustration; indeed; of the old adage that “extremes meet。”
Two or three of the gentlemen sat near him; and I caught at times scraps of their conversation across the room。 At first I could not make much sense of what I heard; for the discourse of Louisa Eshton and Mary Ingram; who sat nearer to me; confused the fragmentary sentences that reached me at intervals。 These last were discussing the stranger; they both called him “a beautiful man。” Louisa said he was “a love of a creature;” and she “adored him;” and Mary instanced his “pretty little mouth; and nice nose;” as her ideal of the charming。
“And what a sweet…tempered forehead he has!” cried Louisa;—“so smooth—none of those frowning irregularities I dislike so much; and such a placid eye and smile!”
And then; to my great relief; Mr。 Henry Lynn summoned them to the other side of the room; to settle some point about the deferred excursion to Hay mon。
I was now able to concentrate my attention on the group by the fire; and I presently gathered that the new…er was called Mr。 Mason; then I learned that he was but just arrived in England; and that he came from some hot country: which was the reason; doubtless; his face was so sallow; and that he sat so near the hearth; and wore a surtout in the house。 Presently the words Jamaica; Kingston; Spanish Town; indicated the West Indies as his residence; and it was with no little surprise I gathered; ere long; that he had there first seen and bee acquainted with Mr。 Rochester。 He spoke of his friend’s dislike of the burning heats; the hurricanes; and rainy seasons of that region。 I knew Mr。 Rochester had been a traveller: Mrs。 Fairfax had said so; but I thought the continent of Europe had bounded his wanderings; till now I had never heard a hint given of visits to more distant shores。
I was pondering these things; when an incident; and a somewhat unexpected one; broke the thread of my musings。 Mr。 Mason; shivering as some one chanced to open the door; asked for more coal to be put on the fire; which had burnt out its flame; though its mass of cinder still shone hot and red。 The footman who brought the coal; in going out; stopped near Mr。 Eshton’s chair; and said something to him in a low voice; of which I heard only the words; “old e。”
“Tell her she shall be put in the stocks if she does not take herself off;” replied the magistrate。
“No—stop!” interrupted Colonel Dent。 “Don’t send her away; Eshton; we might turn the thing to account; better consult the ladies。” And speaking aloud; he continued—“Ladies; you talked of going to Hay mon to visit the gipsy camp; Sam here says that one of the old Mother Bunches is in the servants’ hall at this moment; and insists upon being brought in before ‘the quality;’ to tell them their fortunes。 Would you like to see her?”
“Surely; colonel;” cried Lady Ingram; “you would not encourage such a low impostor? Dismiss her; by all means; at once!”
“But I cannot persuade her to go away; my lady;” said the footman; “nor can any of the servants: Mrs。 Fairfax is with her just now; entreating her to be gone; but she has taken a chair in the chimney… er; and says nothing shall stir her from it till she gets leave to e in here。”
“What does she want?” asked Mrs。 Eshton。
“‘To tell the gentry their fortunes;’ she says; ma’am; and she swears she must and will do it。”
“What is she like?” inquired the Misses Eshton; in a breath。
“A shockingly ugly old creature; miss; almost as black as a crock。”
“Why; she’s a real sorceress!” cried Frederick Lynn。 “Let us have her in; of course。”
“To be sure;” rejoined his brother; “it would be a thousand pities to throw away such a chance of fun。”
“My dear boys; what are you thinking about?” exclaimed Mrs。 Lynn。
“I cannot possibly countenance any such inconsistent proceeding;” chimed in the Dowager Ingram。
“Indeed; mama; but you can—and will;” pronounced the haughty voice of Blanche; as she turned round on the piano…stool; where till now she had sat silent; apparently examining sundry sheets of music。 “I have a curiosity to hear my fortune told: therefore; Sam; order the beldame forward。”
“My darling Blanche! recollect—”
“I do—I recollect all you can suggest; and I must have my !”
“Yes—yes—yes!” cried all the juveniles; both ladies and gentlemen。 “Let her e—it will be excellent sport!”
The footman still lingered。 “She looks such a rough one;” said he。
“Go!” ejaculated Miss Ingram; and the man went。
Excitement instantly seized the whole party: a running fire of raillery and jests was proceeding when Sam returned。
“She won’t e now;” said he。 “She says it’s not her mission to appear before the ‘vulgar herd’ (them’s her words)。 I must show her into a room by herself; and then those who wish to consult her must go to her one by one。”
“You see now; my queenly Blanche;” be