06-01-简·爱 [80]
字路口。我乘上马车，经过36个小时的旅程，在特恩费得村下了车。我几乎是跑着走过田野，急切地想再次看到那熟悉的老屋和它的主人。我决定从前面过去，以便看得更清楚些。从这个角度我能见到主人房间的窗户。“他或许就在花园散步呢！”我想。“我可以向他跑过去，抚摸他！这肯定不会伤了谁吧？”
但是，当我来到大门的巨大石柱下时，我呆站着，心中充满恐惧。我原本希望看到一座府第巍然矗立的地方，此时却只剩下几堆焦黑的石头，周围是死一般的寂静。难怪写给这里的人的信，没有一点儿回音呢。一定是发生了大火灾，怎么引起的呢？有人死去吗？我跑回村子去寻找答案。
“是这样，女士。”旅馆的店主对我说。“我曾是罗切斯特先生的一个仆人，我可以告诉你，一定是他的疯老婆在家庭教师的房间里放了火。女士，你知道，尽管她只是个不起眼的小东西，可是主人却疯狂地爱上了她。她失踪后，他几乎要疯了。他的老婆一定还知道嫉妒那个姑娘。不管怎样，大火中主人冒着生命危险帮助所有的仆人们逃出了屋子，然后又勇敢地冲回去救那疯女人。我们看到她从屋顶跳下来，摔死了。可是他因为回去救她却被大火严重烧伤，失去了一只手，一双眼睛也瞎了。真让人伤心啊，女士。”
“他现在在哪儿？”我急切地问。
“在他的另一所房子枫丹庄园那儿，离这儿30英里。”
我立即租了辆马车，向那里驶去。
■ 25 Finding Mr Rochester again
Ferndean Manor was a large old house in the middle of a wood． It looked dark and lonely， surrounded by trees．As I approached，the narrow front door opened，and out came a figure I could not fail to recognize， Edward Rochester． I held my breath as I watched，feeling a mixture of happiness and sadness． He looked as strong as before and his hair was still black， but in his face I saw a bitter， desperate look，that I had never seen there before．He walked slowly and hesitatingly along the path．Although he kept looking up eagerly at the sky，it was obvious that he could see nothing．After a while he stopped， and stood quietly there， the rain falling fast on his bent， uncovered head．Finally he found his way painfully back to the house， and closed the door．
When I knocked at the door， Mr Rochester's old servant，John，opened it and recognized me． He and his wife Mary were the only servants their master had wanted to keep when he moved from Thornfield． Although they were surprised to see me，I had no difficulty in arranging to stay at Ferndean that night．
'But he may not want to see you，'warned Mary， as we sat together in the kitchen．'He refuses to see anybody except us．'She was lighting some candles．'He always wants candles in the sitting－room when it's dark， even though he's blind．'
'Give them to me，Mary，'I said．'I'll take them to him．'
The blind man was sitting near the neglected fire in the dark room．'Put down the candles， Mary，'he sighed．
'Here they are， sir，'I said．
'That is Mary， isn't it？'he asked， listening carefully．
'Mary's in the kitchen，'I answered．
'What sweet madness has seized me？'he cried suddenly．
'Where is the speaker？I can't see， but I must feel，or my heart will stop， and my brain will burst！Let me touch you，or I can't live！I held his wandering band with both of mine．'Is it Jane？This is her shape…' He released his hand and seized my arm，shouldter，neck， waist and held me close to him．
'She is here，'I said，'and her heart too．I am Jane Eyre．I've found you and come back to you．'
'My living darling！So you aren't lying dead in a ditch somewhere！Is it a dream？I've dreamed so often of you，only to wake in the
但是，当我来到大门的巨大石柱下时，我呆站着，心中充满恐惧。我原本希望看到一座府第巍然矗立的地方，此时却只剩下几堆焦黑的石头，周围是死一般的寂静。难怪写给这里的人的信，没有一点儿回音呢。一定是发生了大火灾，怎么引起的呢？有人死去吗？我跑回村子去寻找答案。
“是这样，女士。”旅馆的店主对我说。“我曾是罗切斯特先生的一个仆人，我可以告诉你，一定是他的疯老婆在家庭教师的房间里放了火。女士，你知道，尽管她只是个不起眼的小东西，可是主人却疯狂地爱上了她。她失踪后，他几乎要疯了。他的老婆一定还知道嫉妒那个姑娘。不管怎样，大火中主人冒着生命危险帮助所有的仆人们逃出了屋子，然后又勇敢地冲回去救那疯女人。我们看到她从屋顶跳下来，摔死了。可是他因为回去救她却被大火严重烧伤，失去了一只手，一双眼睛也瞎了。真让人伤心啊，女士。”
“他现在在哪儿？”我急切地问。
“在他的另一所房子枫丹庄园那儿，离这儿30英里。”
我立即租了辆马车，向那里驶去。
■ 25 Finding Mr Rochester again
Ferndean Manor was a large old house in the middle of a wood． It looked dark and lonely， surrounded by trees．As I approached，the narrow front door opened，and out came a figure I could not fail to recognize， Edward Rochester． I held my breath as I watched，feeling a mixture of happiness and sadness． He looked as strong as before and his hair was still black， but in his face I saw a bitter， desperate look，that I had never seen there before．He walked slowly and hesitatingly along the path．Although he kept looking up eagerly at the sky，it was obvious that he could see nothing．After a while he stopped， and stood quietly there， the rain falling fast on his bent， uncovered head．Finally he found his way painfully back to the house， and closed the door．
When I knocked at the door， Mr Rochester's old servant，John，opened it and recognized me． He and his wife Mary were the only servants their master had wanted to keep when he moved from Thornfield． Although they were surprised to see me，I had no difficulty in arranging to stay at Ferndean that night．
'But he may not want to see you，'warned Mary， as we sat together in the kitchen．'He refuses to see anybody except us．'She was lighting some candles．'He always wants candles in the sitting－room when it's dark， even though he's blind．'
'Give them to me，Mary，'I said．'I'll take them to him．'
The blind man was sitting near the neglected fire in the dark room．'Put down the candles， Mary，'he sighed．
'Here they are， sir，'I said．
'That is Mary， isn't it？'he asked， listening carefully．
'Mary's in the kitchen，'I answered．
'What sweet madness has seized me？'he cried suddenly．
'Where is the speaker？I can't see， but I must feel，or my heart will stop， and my brain will burst！Let me touch you，or I can't live！I held his wandering band with both of mine．'Is it Jane？This is her shape…' He released his hand and seized my arm，shouldter，neck， waist and held me close to him．
'She is here，'I said，'and her heart too．I am Jane Eyre．I've found you and come back to you．'
'My living darling！So you aren't lying dead in a ditch somewhere！Is it a dream？I've dreamed so often of you，only to wake in the