06-01-简·爱 [21]
good master．'
I could get no further information from Mrs Fairfax about Mr Rochester，but instead she offered to show me round the whole house．We went through many large，impressive rooms，finally reaching the top floor，where there was a narrow corridor with several small black doors，all shut．I stopped to look at them， and thought for a moment they looked like prison doors，hiding evil secrets．No sooner had I turned away to go downstairs than I heard a strange，ghostly laugh．
'Mrs Fairfax！'I called out，as the housekeeper was already on her way downstairs．'Did you hear that laugh？ Who is it？'
'It may be Grace Poole，'she answered calmly．'She is paid to help the housemaid in her work，and always sews in one of those rooms．'I heard the laugh again．It did not sound human to me．
'Grace！'called Mrs Fairfax．I did not expect anyone to answer，but in fact a door opened and a middle－aged woman appeared．She looked too plain and sensible to be a ghost．
'Too much noise，Grace，'said Mrs Fairfax．'Remember your instructions！'Grace nodded and went back into the roon．
Several times in the next few months I went up to the top floor again，where I could look out of the high windows in the roof to see the surrounding countryside and be alone with my thoughts．I was very happy teaching pretty little Adèle in the daytime，and talking to kind old Mrs Fairfax in the evening，but I felt that something was missing from my life．I had dreams of a greater and better life，and above all，I wanted to do more．People are not always satisfied with a quiet life， and women as well as men need action．
While on the top floor I often heard Grace Poole's strange laugh，and sometimes I saw her too．She used to go silently in and out of the room with a plate of food or a glass of beer．
One day in January I had a free afternoon， as Adèle wsa ill，so I decided to walk to Hay，a village two miles away，to post a letter for the housekeeper．It was a bright，frosty day，and I was enjoying the fresh air and the exercise．Stopping on the lonely road，I watched the sun go down in the trees behind Thornfield，and then in the silence I heard a horse approaching．Suddenly there was a crash as the horse slipped and fell on the ice，bringing down its rider．I ran to see if I could help the traveller，who was swearing furiously as he pulled himself free of his horse．
'Are you hurt，sir？ Can I do anything？'I asked．
'Just stand back，'he growled，as he lifted himself painfully to his feet．Obviously his leg hurt him，and he sat down quickly．
'If you need help，sir，I can fetch someone either from Thornfield Hall or from Hay，' I offered．
'Thank you， but I don't need anyone．I haven't broken any bones，'he replied crossly．I could see him clearly in the moonlight．He was of medium height，with wide shoulders and a strong chest．He had a dark face，with angry－looking eyes，and was about thirty－five．If he had been a young，attractive gentleman，I would have been too shy to offer help，but as he was not handsome，and even quite rough，I felt I wanted to help him．
'I can't leave you，sir，so late on this lonely road，till I see you are fit enough to get on your horse，'I insisted．
He looked at me for the first time when I said this．
'I think you ought to be at home yourself，'he answered．
'Do you live near here？'
'In that house over therd，'I said，'and I'm not at all afraid of being out at night．I'm just going to Hay to post a letter，and I'll be happy to take a message for you．'
'You live in…in that house？'he asked，surprised，pointing to Thornfield Hall，which was lit up in the moonlight．
'Yes，sir，'I replied．
'Whose house is it？'he asked．
'Mr Rochester's．'
'Do you know Mr Rochester？'was his next question．
'No， I've never seen him，'I answered
I could get no further information from Mrs Fairfax about Mr Rochester，but instead she offered to show me round the whole house．We went through many large，impressive rooms，finally reaching the top floor，where there was a narrow corridor with several small black doors，all shut．I stopped to look at them， and thought for a moment they looked like prison doors，hiding evil secrets．No sooner had I turned away to go downstairs than I heard a strange，ghostly laugh．
'Mrs Fairfax！'I called out，as the housekeeper was already on her way downstairs．'Did you hear that laugh？ Who is it？'
'It may be Grace Poole，'she answered calmly．'She is paid to help the housemaid in her work，and always sews in one of those rooms．'I heard the laugh again．It did not sound human to me．
'Grace！'called Mrs Fairfax．I did not expect anyone to answer，but in fact a door opened and a middle－aged woman appeared．She looked too plain and sensible to be a ghost．
'Too much noise，Grace，'said Mrs Fairfax．'Remember your instructions！'Grace nodded and went back into the roon．
Several times in the next few months I went up to the top floor again，where I could look out of the high windows in the roof to see the surrounding countryside and be alone with my thoughts．I was very happy teaching pretty little Adèle in the daytime，and talking to kind old Mrs Fairfax in the evening，but I felt that something was missing from my life．I had dreams of a greater and better life，and above all，I wanted to do more．People are not always satisfied with a quiet life， and women as well as men need action．
While on the top floor I often heard Grace Poole's strange laugh，and sometimes I saw her too．She used to go silently in and out of the room with a plate of food or a glass of beer．
One day in January I had a free afternoon， as Adèle wsa ill，so I decided to walk to Hay，a village two miles away，to post a letter for the housekeeper．It was a bright，frosty day，and I was enjoying the fresh air and the exercise．Stopping on the lonely road，I watched the sun go down in the trees behind Thornfield，and then in the silence I heard a horse approaching．Suddenly there was a crash as the horse slipped and fell on the ice，bringing down its rider．I ran to see if I could help the traveller，who was swearing furiously as he pulled himself free of his horse．
'Are you hurt，sir？ Can I do anything？'I asked．
'Just stand back，'he growled，as he lifted himself painfully to his feet．Obviously his leg hurt him，and he sat down quickly．
'If you need help，sir，I can fetch someone either from Thornfield Hall or from Hay，' I offered．
'Thank you， but I don't need anyone．I haven't broken any bones，'he replied crossly．I could see him clearly in the moonlight．He was of medium height，with wide shoulders and a strong chest．He had a dark face，with angry－looking eyes，and was about thirty－five．If he had been a young，attractive gentleman，I would have been too shy to offer help，but as he was not handsome，and even quite rough，I felt I wanted to help him．
'I can't leave you，sir，so late on this lonely road，till I see you are fit enough to get on your horse，'I insisted．
He looked at me for the first time when I said this．
'I think you ought to be at home yourself，'he answered．
'Do you live near here？'
'In that house over therd，'I said，'and I'm not at all afraid of being out at night．I'm just going to Hay to post a letter，and I'll be happy to take a message for you．'
'You live in…in that house？'he asked，surprised，pointing to Thornfield Hall，which was lit up in the moonlight．
'Yes，sir，'I replied．
'Whose house is it？'he asked．
'Mr Rochester's．'
'Do you know Mr Rochester？'was his next question．
'No， I've never seen him，'I answered