24 Further Cont. Jane Eyre - Abridged By Stephanie Poppins

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Jane Eyre Chapter 24 continued.

Glad was I to get him out of a silk warehouse and there he lay.

Then out of a jeweller's shop.

The more he bought me,

The more my cheek burned with a sense of annoyance and degradation.

As we re-entered the carriage,

I sat back feverish and fagged and remembered what in the hurry of events,

Dark and bright,

I had wholly forgotten.

The letter of my uncle John Eyre to Mrs.

Reed.

His intention to adopt me and make me his legatee.

It would indeed be a relief,

I thought,

If I had ever so small an independency.

I can never bear being dressed like a doll by Mr.

Rochester.

I will write to Madeira the moment I get home and tell my uncle John I'm going to be married.

And to whom?

If I had but a prospect of one day bringing Mr.

Rochester an accession of fortune,

I could better endure to be kept by him now.

And somewhat relieved by this idea,

I ventured once more to meet my master's and lover's eye,

Which most pertinaciously sought mine,

Though I averted both face and gaze.

He smiled,

And I thought his smile was such as a sultan might,

In a blissful and fond moment bestow on a slave.

So I crushed his hand which was ever hunting mine,

Vigorously,

And thrust it back to him red with a passionate pressure.

You need not look in that way,

I said.

If you do,

I'll wear nothing but my old lowered frocks to the end of this chapter,

And I'll be married in this lilac ginnom.

You may make a dressing gown for yourself out of the pearl grey silk,

And an infinite series of waistcoats out of the black satin.

He chuckled and rubbed his hands.

Oh,

Is it rich to see and hear her,

He exclaimed.

Is she original?

Is she Picon?

I would not exchange this one little English girl for the Grand Turk's whole seraglio,

Gazelle eyes,

Ari forms,

And all.

The Eastern illusion bit me again.

I'll not stand you as an inch in the stead of a seraglio,

I said,

So don't consider me an equivalent for one.

If you have a fancy for anything in that line,

Away with you,

Sir,

To the bazaars of Stambourg without delay,

And lay out in extensive slave purchases some of that spare cash you seem at a loss to spend satisfactorily here.

And what will you do,

Janet,

While I am bargaining for so many tons of flesh,

And such an assortment of black eyes?

I'll be preparing myself to go out as a missionary,

To preach liberty to those who are enslaved,

Your harem inmates among the rest.

I'll get admitted there,

And I'll stir up mutiny.

And you,

Threetell,

Be sure as you are,

There shall in a trice find yourself fettered amongst our hands.

Nor will I,

For one,

Consent to cut your bonds till you have signed a charter,

The most liberal despot ever yet conferred.

I would consent to be at your mercy,

Jane.

I would have no mercy,

Mr.

Rochester,

If you supplicated for it with an eye like that.

While you looked so,

I should be certain that whatever charter you might grant after coercion,

Your first act when released would be to violate its conditions.

My Jane,

What would you have?

I fear you will compel me to go through a private marriage ceremony besides that performed at the altar.

You will stipulate,

I see,

For peculiar terms.

What will they be?

I only want an easy mind,

Sir,

Not crushed by crowded obligations.

Do you remember what you said of Céline Véran,

Of the diamonds and the cashmeres you gave her?

I will not be your English Céline Véran.

I shall continue to act as Adèle's governess.

By that,

I shall earn my board and lodging and 30 pounds a year besides.

I'll furnish my own wardrobe out of that money and you shall give me nothing but.

.

.

Well,

But what?

Your regard,

And if I give you mine in return,

That debt will be quit.

Well,

For core native impudence and pure innate pride,

You haven't your equal,

Said he.

We were now approaching Thornfield.

Will it please you to dine with me today?

He asked,

As we re-entered the gates.

No,

Thank you,

Sir.

And what for no thank you,

If one may inquire?

I never have dined with you,

Sir,

And I see no reason why I should now,

Till.

.

.

Till what?

You delight in half-phrases.

Till I can't help it.

Do you suppose I eat like an ogre or a ghoul that you dread being the companion of my repast?

I have formed no supposition on the subject,

Sir,

But I want to go on as usual for another month.

I want to go on as usual for another month.

You will give up your governessing slavery at once.

Indeed?

Begging your pardon,

Sir,

I shall not.

I shall just go on with it as usual.

I shall keep out of your way all day,

As I have been accustomed to do.

You may send for me in the evening,

When you feel disposed to see me,

And I'll come then,

But at no other time.

I want a smoke,

Jane,

Or a pinch of snuff to comfort me under all this,

And unfortunately I have neither my cigar case nor my snuff box.

But listen,

It is your time now,

Little tyrant,

But it will be mine presently,

And when once I have fairly seized you to have to hold,

I'll just,

Figuratively speaking,

Attach you to a chain like this.

He touched his watchguard.

Yes,

Bonny wee thing,

I'll wear you in my bosom,

Lest my jaw I should tine.

He said this as he helped me to alight from the carriage,

And while he afterwards lifted out Adèle,

I entered the house and made good my retreat upstairs.

He duly summoned me to his presence in the evening.

I had prepared an occupation for him,

For I was determined not to spend the whole time in tête-à-tête conversation.

I remembered his fine voice.

I knew he liked to sing.

Good singers generally do.

I was no vocalist myself,

And in his fastidious judgment,

No musician either,

But I delighted in listening when the performance was good.

No sooner had Twilight,

That hour of romance,

Began to lower her blue and starry banner over the lattice,

Than I rose,

Opened the piano,

And entreated him,

For the love of heaven,

To give me a song.

He said I was a capricious witch,

And that he would rather sing another time,

But I averred that no time was like the present.

Did I like his voice?

He asked.

Very much.

I was not fond of pampering that susceptible vanity of his,

But for once,

And from motives of expediency,

I would soothe and stimulate it.

Then Jane,

You must play the accompaniment.

Very well,

Sir,

I will try.

I did try,

But was presently swept off the stool and denominated a little bungler,

Being pushed unceremoniously to one side,

Which was precisely what I wished.

He unsurped my place,

And proceeded to accompany himself,

For he could play as well as sing.

I hied me to the window recess,

And while I sat there and looked out on the still trees and dim lawn,

To a sweet air was sung in mellow tones,

The following strain.

The truest love that ever heartfelt at its kindle core Did through each feigning quicken start the tide of being poor Her coming was my hope each day,

Her parting was my pain The chance that did her steps delay was ice in every vein And haunted as a robber path through wilderness or wood For might and right and woe and worth between our spirits stood Still bright on clouds of suffering dim shines that soft solemn joy Nor care I now how dense,

How grim disasters gather nigh Though haughty hate should strike me down,

Right bar approach to me And grinding might with furious frowns where endless them a-tee My love has swung with sealing kiss with me to live to die I have at last my nameless bliss as I love loved am I He rose and came towards me and I saw his face all kindled and his full falcon eye flashing and tenderness and passion in every liniment I quailed momentarily,

Then I rallied Soft scene,

Daring demonstration I would not have And I stood in peril of both A weapon of defence must be prepared I wetted my tongue As he reached me I asked with asperity whom he was going to marry now That was a strange question to be put by his darling Jane Indeed,

I considered it a very natural and necessary one He had talked of his future wife dying with him What did he mean by such a pagan idea?

I had no intention of dying with him,

He might depend on that Oh,

All he longed,

All he prayed for was that I might live with him Death was not for such as I Indeed it was,

I had as good a right to die when my time came as he had But I should bide that time and not be hurried away in a settee Would I forgive him for the selfish idea and prove my pardon by a reconciling kiss?

No,

I would rather be excused Here I heard myself apostrophised as a hard little thing And it was added,

Any other woman would have been melted to marrow at hearing such stanzas crooned in her praise I assured him I was naturally hard Very flinty,

And that he would often find me so And that moreover I was determined to show him rugged points in my character before the ensuing four weeks elapse He should know fully what sort of bargain he had made while there was yet time to rescind it Would I be quiet and talk rationally,

He said I would be quiet if he liked And as to talking rationally,

I flattered myself I was doing that now He fretted,

Pished and chawed Very good,

I thought,

You may fume and fidget as you please But this is the best plan to pursue with you,

I am certain I like you more than I can say But I'll not sink into a bathouse of sentiment And with this needle of repartee,

I'll keep you from the edge of the gulf too And moreover,

Maintain by its pungent aid that distance between you and myself most conducive to our real mutual advantage From less to more,

I worked him up to considerable irritation Then,

After he had retired in Dudgeon,

Quite to the other end of the room I got up and saying I wish you a good night,

Sir In my natural and wanted respectful manner I slipped by the side door and got away This system thus entered on I pursued during the whole season of probation And with the best success Mr Rochester was kept to be sure rather cross and crusty But on the whole,

I could see he was excellently entertained And that a lamb-like submission and turtle-dove sensibility while fostering his despotism more would have pleased his judgment satisfied his common sense and even suited his taste less In other people's presence,

I was,

As formerly,

Deferential and quiet Any other line of conduct being uncalled for It was only in the evening conferences I thus thwarted and afflicted him He continued to send for me punctually the moment the clock struck seven Though when I appeared before him now he had no such honeyed terms as love and darling on his lips The best words at my service were provoking puppet malicious elf sprite changeling,

Etc For caresses,

Too,

I now got grimaces for a pressure of the hand a pinch on the arm for a kiss on the cheek a severe tweak of the ear It was all right At present,

I decidedly preferred these fierce favours to anything more tender Mrs Fairfax,

I saw,

Approved me Her anxiety on my account vanished Therefore,

I was certain I did well Meantime,

Mr Rochester affirmed I was wearing him to skin and bone and threatened awful vengeance for my present conduct at some period fast coming I laughed in my sleeve at his menaces I can keep you in reasonable check now I reflected and I don't doubt to be able to do it hereafter If one expedient loses its virtue,

Another must be devised Yet,

After all,

My task was not an easy one Often,

I would rather have pleased than teased him My future husband was becoming to me my whole world and more than the world almost my hope of heaven He stood between me and every thought of religion as an eclipse intervenes between man and the broad sun I could not,

In those days,

See God for his creature,

Of whom I had made an idol