06-01-简·爱 [65]
期里才住在这幢叫摩尔屋的房子里。
我有力气穿好衣服下楼时，戴安娜和玛丽和善地照顾着我，让我觉得在这个和睦的家中是受欢迎的。但她们的哥哥却似乎严肃而冷漠。他约莫28到30岁，金发，非常英俊。戴安娜和玛丽对我的过去感到好奇，但却敏感地不提及可能伤害我的问题。另一方面，圣约翰却坚持不懈地想要搞清我究竟是谁，而我也坚决地拒绝做出没有必要的解释。我只告诉他们在洛伍德上学之后，我到一个富人家做家庭教师，一件不幸的事使我跑掉了，但那绝不是由于我的过错。我就准备说这些。我提出什么事我都愿做，教书、缝补、清洗，只要能再次独立。圣约翰赞同我对工作的迫切要求，答应帮我找份挣钱的工作。
■ 20 A new home
I spent a month at Moor House，in an atmosphere of warm friendship．I learned to love what Diana and Mary loved the little old grey house，the wild open moors around it，and the lonely hills and valleys where we walked for hours．I read the books they read，and we discussed them eagerly Diana started teaching me German，and I helped Mary to improve her drawing．We three shared the same interests and opinions，and spent the days and evenings very happily together．
However，St John hardly ever joined in our activities．He was often away from home，visiting the poor and the sick in Morton．His strong sense of duty made him insist on going，even if the weather was very bad．But despite his hard work I thought he lacked true happiness and peace of mind．He often stopped reading or writing to stare into the distance，dreaming perhaps of some ambitious plan．Once I heard him speak at a church service in Morton，and although he was an excellent speaker，there was a certain bitterness and disappointment in his words．He was clearly not satisfied with his present life．
The holiday was coming to an end．Soon Diana and Mary would leave Moor House to return to the wealthy families in the south，where they were both governesses，and St John would go back to the vicar's house in Morton，with Hannah，his housekeeper．Although，his cold manner made it difficult for me to talk to him，I had to ask him whether he had found any employment for me．
'I have，'he answered slowly，'but remember I am only a poor country vicar，and can't offer you a job with a high salary，so you may not wish to accept it．There's already a school for boys in Morton，and now I want to open one for girls，so I've rented a building for it it，with a small small cottage for the schoolteacher．Miss Oliver，who lives in the area and is the only daughter of a rich factory-owner，has kindly paid for the furniture．Will you be the schoolteacher？You would live in the cottage rent-free，and receive thirty pounds a year，no more．
I thought about it for a moment．It was not as good as being a governess in an important family，but at least I would have no master．I would be free and independent．
'Thank you，Mr Rivers，I accept gladly，'I replied．
'But you do understand？'he asked，a little worried．'It will only be a village school．The girls will be poor and uneducated．You'll be teaching reading，writing，counting，sewing，that's all．There'll be no music or languages or painting．'
'I understand，and I'll be happy to do it，'I answered．
He smiled，well satisfied with me．
'And I'll open the school tomorrow，if you like，'I added．
'Very good，'he agreed．Then looking at me，he said，'But 214
I don't think you'll stay long in the village．'
'Why not？I'm not ambitious，although I think you are．'
He looked surprised．'I know I am，but how did you discover that？No，I think you won't be satisfied by living alone．You need people to make you happy．'He said no more．
Diana and Mary lost their usual cheerfulness as the moment
我有力气穿好衣服下楼时，戴安娜和玛丽和善地照顾着我，让我觉得在这个和睦的家中是受欢迎的。但她们的哥哥却似乎严肃而冷漠。他约莫28到30岁，金发，非常英俊。戴安娜和玛丽对我的过去感到好奇，但却敏感地不提及可能伤害我的问题。另一方面，圣约翰却坚持不懈地想要搞清我究竟是谁，而我也坚决地拒绝做出没有必要的解释。我只告诉他们在洛伍德上学之后，我到一个富人家做家庭教师，一件不幸的事使我跑掉了，但那绝不是由于我的过错。我就准备说这些。我提出什么事我都愿做，教书、缝补、清洗，只要能再次独立。圣约翰赞同我对工作的迫切要求，答应帮我找份挣钱的工作。
■ 20 A new home
I spent a month at Moor House，in an atmosphere of warm friendship．I learned to love what Diana and Mary loved the little old grey house，the wild open moors around it，and the lonely hills and valleys where we walked for hours．I read the books they read，and we discussed them eagerly Diana started teaching me German，and I helped Mary to improve her drawing．We three shared the same interests and opinions，and spent the days and evenings very happily together．
However，St John hardly ever joined in our activities．He was often away from home，visiting the poor and the sick in Morton．His strong sense of duty made him insist on going，even if the weather was very bad．But despite his hard work I thought he lacked true happiness and peace of mind．He often stopped reading or writing to stare into the distance，dreaming perhaps of some ambitious plan．Once I heard him speak at a church service in Morton，and although he was an excellent speaker，there was a certain bitterness and disappointment in his words．He was clearly not satisfied with his present life．
The holiday was coming to an end．Soon Diana and Mary would leave Moor House to return to the wealthy families in the south，where they were both governesses，and St John would go back to the vicar's house in Morton，with Hannah，his housekeeper．Although，his cold manner made it difficult for me to talk to him，I had to ask him whether he had found any employment for me．
'I have，'he answered slowly，'but remember I am only a poor country vicar，and can't offer you a job with a high salary，so you may not wish to accept it．There's already a school for boys in Morton，and now I want to open one for girls，so I've rented a building for it it，with a small small cottage for the schoolteacher．Miss Oliver，who lives in the area and is the only daughter of a rich factory-owner，has kindly paid for the furniture．Will you be the schoolteacher？You would live in the cottage rent-free，and receive thirty pounds a year，no more．
I thought about it for a moment．It was not as good as being a governess in an important family，but at least I would have no master．I would be free and independent．
'Thank you，Mr Rivers，I accept gladly，'I replied．
'But you do understand？'he asked，a little worried．'It will only be a village school．The girls will be poor and uneducated．You'll be teaching reading，writing，counting，sewing，that's all．There'll be no music or languages or painting．'
'I understand，and I'll be happy to do it，'I answered．
He smiled，well satisfied with me．
'And I'll open the school tomorrow，if you like，'I added．
'Very good，'he agreed．Then looking at me，he said，'But 214
I don't think you'll stay long in the village．'
'Why not？I'm not ambitious，although I think you are．'
He looked surprised．'I know I am，but how did you discover that？No，I think you won't be satisfied by living alone．You need people to make you happy．'He said no more．
Diana and Mary lost their usual cheerfulness as the moment