06-01-简·爱 [25]
，'I answered．
'Not now，that's true，but he did have an older brother，who died nine years ago．'
'Nine years is a long time．Surely he has recovered from losing his brother by now．'
'Well，there was a lot of bad feeling in the family．The father was very fond of money，and wanted to keep the family property together，so the elder brother inherited most of it．I don't know what happened，but I do know Mr Edward（that's the master）quarrelled with his family．That's why he's travelled so much．When his brother died，he inherited Thornfield，but I'm not surprised he doesn't come here often．'
'Why should he stay away？'I asked，surprised．
'Perhaps he thinks it's a sad place．I really don't know．'It was clear that Mrs Fairfax would not tell me any more．
One evening，a few days later，I was invited to talk to Mr Rochester after dinner．At the far end of the room Adèle was delightedly telling Mrs Fairfax about the presents she had received． Mr Rochester called me closer to the fire．
'I don't like the conversation of children or old ladies，'he murmured to me．'But they are entertaining each other at the moment，so I can amuse myself．'Tonight he did not look so stern，and there was a softness in his fine，dark eyes．As I was looking at him，he suddenly turned and caught my look．
'Do you think I'm handsome，Miss Eyre？'he asked．
Normally I would have taken time to think，and said something polite，but somehow I answered at once，'No，sir．'
'Ah，you really are unusual！You are a quiet，serious little person，but you can be almost rude．'
'Sir，I'm sorry．I should have said that beauty doesn't matter，or something like that．'
'No，you shouldn't！I see，you criticize my appearance，and then you stab me in the back！ All right，tell me． What is wrong with my appearance？'
'Mr Rochester，I didn't intend to criticize you．'
'Well，now you can Look at my head．Do you think I am intelligent？'He pointed to his huge，square forehead．
'I do，sir．Is it rude to ask if you are also good？'
'Stabbing me again！Just because I said I didn't like talking to old ladies and children！Well，young lady，I wanted to be good when I was younger，but life has been a struggle for me，and I've become as hard and tough as a rubber ball． I only have a little goodness left inside．'He was speaking rather excitedly，and I thought perhaps he had been drinking．'Miss Eyre，you look puzzled．Tonight I want conversation．It's your turn．Speak．'
I said nothing，but smiled coldly．
'I'm sorry if I'm rude，Miss Eyre．But I'm twenty years older，and more experienced，than you．Don't you think I have the right to command you？'
'No，sir，not just because you're older and more experienced than me．You would have the right only if you'd made good use of your experience of life．'
'I don't accept that，as I've made very bad use of my experience！But will you agree to obey my orders anyway？'
I thought，'He is peculiar，he's forgotten that he's paying me ￡ 30 a year to obey his orders，'and I said，'Not many masters bother to ask if their servants are offended by their orders．'
'Of course！I'd forgotten that I pay you a salary！So will you agree because of the salary？'
'No， sir，not because of that，but because you forgot about it，and because you care whether a servant of yours is comfortable or not，I gladly agree．'
'You have honesty and feeling．There are not many girls like you．But perhaps I go too fast．Perhaps you have awful faults to counterbalance your few good points．'
'And perhaps you have too，'I thought．
He seemed to read my mind，and said quickly，'Yes，you're right．I have plenty of faults．I went the wrong way when I was twenty－one，and have never found the right path again．I might have been very different．I might
'Not now，that's true，but he did have an older brother，who died nine years ago．'
'Nine years is a long time．Surely he has recovered from losing his brother by now．'
'Well，there was a lot of bad feeling in the family．The father was very fond of money，and wanted to keep the family property together，so the elder brother inherited most of it．I don't know what happened，but I do know Mr Edward（that's the master）quarrelled with his family．That's why he's travelled so much．When his brother died，he inherited Thornfield，but I'm not surprised he doesn't come here often．'
'Why should he stay away？'I asked，surprised．
'Perhaps he thinks it's a sad place．I really don't know．'It was clear that Mrs Fairfax would not tell me any more．
One evening，a few days later，I was invited to talk to Mr Rochester after dinner．At the far end of the room Adèle was delightedly telling Mrs Fairfax about the presents she had received． Mr Rochester called me closer to the fire．
'I don't like the conversation of children or old ladies，'he murmured to me．'But they are entertaining each other at the moment，so I can amuse myself．'Tonight he did not look so stern，and there was a softness in his fine，dark eyes．As I was looking at him，he suddenly turned and caught my look．
'Do you think I'm handsome，Miss Eyre？'he asked．
Normally I would have taken time to think，and said something polite，but somehow I answered at once，'No，sir．'
'Ah，you really are unusual！You are a quiet，serious little person，but you can be almost rude．'
'Sir，I'm sorry．I should have said that beauty doesn't matter，or something like that．'
'No，you shouldn't！I see，you criticize my appearance，and then you stab me in the back！ All right，tell me． What is wrong with my appearance？'
'Mr Rochester，I didn't intend to criticize you．'
'Well，now you can Look at my head．Do you think I am intelligent？'He pointed to his huge，square forehead．
'I do，sir．Is it rude to ask if you are also good？'
'Stabbing me again！Just because I said I didn't like talking to old ladies and children！Well，young lady，I wanted to be good when I was younger，but life has been a struggle for me，and I've become as hard and tough as a rubber ball． I only have a little goodness left inside．'He was speaking rather excitedly，and I thought perhaps he had been drinking．'Miss Eyre，you look puzzled．Tonight I want conversation．It's your turn．Speak．'
I said nothing，but smiled coldly．
'I'm sorry if I'm rude，Miss Eyre．But I'm twenty years older，and more experienced，than you．Don't you think I have the right to command you？'
'No，sir，not just because you're older and more experienced than me．You would have the right only if you'd made good use of your experience of life．'
'I don't accept that，as I've made very bad use of my experience！But will you agree to obey my orders anyway？'
I thought，'He is peculiar，he's forgotten that he's paying me ￡ 30 a year to obey his orders，'and I said，'Not many masters bother to ask if their servants are offended by their orders．'
'Of course！I'd forgotten that I pay you a salary！So will you agree because of the salary？'
'No， sir，not because of that，but because you forgot about it，and because you care whether a servant of yours is comfortable or not，I gladly agree．'
'You have honesty and feeling．There are not many girls like you．But perhaps I go too fast．Perhaps you have awful faults to counterbalance your few good points．'
'And perhaps you have too，'I thought．
He seemed to read my mind，and said quickly，'Yes，you're right．I have plenty of faults．I went the wrong way when I was twenty－one，and have never found the right path again．I might have been very different．I might