06-01-简·爱 [73]
connected us．But St John continued his explanation．
'My mother's name was Eyre，'he said．'She had two brothers，one，a vicar，who married Miss Jane Reed of Gateshead，and the other，John Eyre of Madeira．Mr Briggs，Mr Eyre's lawyer，wrote to us telling us that our uncle had died，and left all his property，not to us，because of his quarrel with our father，but to his brother's daughter．Then Mr Briggs wrote again later，saying this girl could not be found．Well，I've found her．'He moved towards the door，his hat in his hand．
'Wait a moment，just let me think，'I said．'So you，Diana and Mary are my cousins？'
'We are your cousins，yes，'he said，waiting patiently．
As I looked at him，it seemed I had found a brother and sisters to love and be proud of for the rest of my life．The people who had saved my life were my close relations！This was wealth indeed to a lonely heart，brighter and more life-giving than the heavy responsibility of coins and gold．
'Oh，I'm glad—I'm so glad！'I cried，laughing．
St John smiled．'You were serious when I told you you had inherited a fortune．Now you're excited about something very unimportant．'
'What can you mean？It may mean nothing to you．You already have sisters and don't need any more family．But I had nobody，and now I suddenly have three relations in my world，or two，if you don't want to be counted．'I walked rapidly round the room，my thoughts rising so fast I could hardly understand them．The family I now had， the people who had saved me from starvation，I could now help them！There were the four of us cousins．Twenty thousand pounds，shared equally，would be five thousand pounds each，more than enough for each one of us．It would be a fair and just arrangement，and we would all be happy．I would no longer have the worry of controlling a large amount of money，and they would never have to work again．We would all be able to spend more time together at Moor House．
Naturally，when I made this suggestion to St John and his sisters，they protested strongly，and it was with great difficulty that I finally managed to convince them of my firm intention to carry out this plan．In the end they agreed that it was a fair way of sharing the inheritance，and so the legal steps were taken to transfer equal shares to all of us．
■ 22 财从天降
圣约翰离开时，天下起雪来，持续了一晚上和第二天一天。晚上，我坐在炉边，听着屋外呼啸的风声。我正要开始看书，突然听到什么响动。我想是风吹动门的声音吧，但不是，是圣约翰。他从寒夜中走进来，身上披满雪花。
“出了什么事？”我惊讶地问。“我以为没人会在这种鬼天气里外出。怎么啦？”
“没出什么事。”他平静地说，一边挂好帽子，并跺掉靴子上的积雪。“我只是要跟你谈谈。另外，从昨天开始，我很想听听你的另外一部分故事。”他坐了下来。我摸不清他指的是什么，想起他昨晚撕纸的奇怪举动，我开始担心他是不是要疯了。但是，他看上去一切正常，我们说了会儿话，不过他显然在想着别的事情。
突然，他说：“我刚才到的时候，说我想听听你另一部分故事，不过也许由我来讲更好。也许你以前听过，但还是再听听吧！二十年前，一个穷牧师爱上了一个富家的女儿，女孩也爱上了他，和他结了婚，违背了家庭的意愿。不幸的是，不到两年，他们便双双去世。我曾见到他们的墓。他们的小女儿由舅妈——盖茨赫德的里德太太抚养长大。你抖了一下，是听到什么动静了吗？我接着说。我不知道孩子跟着里德太太生活得是否幸福，但她在那儿住了十年，直到去洛伍德上学。你也在那儿待过。实际上，她的生活经历似乎和你很像。然后，她成了一位罗切斯特先生家的家庭教师。”
'My mother's name was Eyre，'he said．'She had two brothers，one，a vicar，who married Miss Jane Reed of Gateshead，and the other，John Eyre of Madeira．Mr Briggs，Mr Eyre's lawyer，wrote to us telling us that our uncle had died，and left all his property，not to us，because of his quarrel with our father，but to his brother's daughter．Then Mr Briggs wrote again later，saying this girl could not be found．Well，I've found her．'He moved towards the door，his hat in his hand．
'Wait a moment，just let me think，'I said．'So you，Diana and Mary are my cousins？'
'We are your cousins，yes，'he said，waiting patiently．
As I looked at him，it seemed I had found a brother and sisters to love and be proud of for the rest of my life．The people who had saved my life were my close relations！This was wealth indeed to a lonely heart，brighter and more life-giving than the heavy responsibility of coins and gold．
'Oh，I'm glad—I'm so glad！'I cried，laughing．
St John smiled．'You were serious when I told you you had inherited a fortune．Now you're excited about something very unimportant．'
'What can you mean？It may mean nothing to you．You already have sisters and don't need any more family．But I had nobody，and now I suddenly have three relations in my world，or two，if you don't want to be counted．'I walked rapidly round the room，my thoughts rising so fast I could hardly understand them．The family I now had， the people who had saved me from starvation，I could now help them！There were the four of us cousins．Twenty thousand pounds，shared equally，would be five thousand pounds each，more than enough for each one of us．It would be a fair and just arrangement，and we would all be happy．I would no longer have the worry of controlling a large amount of money，and they would never have to work again．We would all be able to spend more time together at Moor House．
Naturally，when I made this suggestion to St John and his sisters，they protested strongly，and it was with great difficulty that I finally managed to convince them of my firm intention to carry out this plan．In the end they agreed that it was a fair way of sharing the inheritance，and so the legal steps were taken to transfer equal shares to all of us．
■ 22 财从天降
圣约翰离开时，天下起雪来，持续了一晚上和第二天一天。晚上，我坐在炉边，听着屋外呼啸的风声。我正要开始看书，突然听到什么响动。我想是风吹动门的声音吧，但不是，是圣约翰。他从寒夜中走进来，身上披满雪花。
“出了什么事？”我惊讶地问。“我以为没人会在这种鬼天气里外出。怎么啦？”
“没出什么事。”他平静地说，一边挂好帽子，并跺掉靴子上的积雪。“我只是要跟你谈谈。另外，从昨天开始，我很想听听你的另外一部分故事。”他坐了下来。我摸不清他指的是什么，想起他昨晚撕纸的奇怪举动，我开始担心他是不是要疯了。但是，他看上去一切正常，我们说了会儿话，不过他显然在想着别的事情。
突然，他说：“我刚才到的时候，说我想听听你另一部分故事，不过也许由我来讲更好。也许你以前听过，但还是再听听吧！二十年前，一个穷牧师爱上了一个富家的女儿，女孩也爱上了他，和他结了婚，违背了家庭的意愿。不幸的是，不到两年，他们便双双去世。我曾见到他们的墓。他们的小女儿由舅妈——盖茨赫德的里德太太抚养长大。你抖了一下，是听到什么动静了吗？我接着说。我不知道孩子跟着里德太太生活得是否幸福，但她在那儿住了十年，直到去洛伍德上学。你也在那儿待过。实际上，她的生活经历似乎和你很像。然后，她成了一位罗切斯特先生家的家庭教师。”