第60部分(第2/7 页)

een；　the　intruders　were　gone；　and　all　was　over。

I　was　in　my　own　room　as　usual—just　myself；　without　obvious　change：　nothing　had　smitten　me；　or　scathed　me；　or　maimed　me。　And　yet　where　was　the　Jane　Eyre　of　yesterday？—where　was　her　life？—where　were　her　prospects？

Jane　Eyre；　who　had　been　an　ardent；　expectant　woman—almost　a　bride；　was　a　cold；　solitary　girl　again：　her　life　was　pale；　her　prospects　were　desolate。　A　Christmas　frost　had　e　at　midsummer；　a　white　December　storm　had　whirled　over　June；　ice　glazed　the　ripe　apples；　drifts　crushed　the　blowing　roses；　on　hayfield　and　cornfield　lay　a　frozen　shroud：　lanes　which　last　night　blushed　full　of　flowers；　to…　day　were　pathless　with　untrodden　snow；　and　the　woods；　which　twelve　hours　since　waved　leafy　and　flagrant　as　groves　between　the　tropics；　now　spread；　waste；　wild；　and　white　as　pine…forests　in　wintry　Norway。　My　hopes　were　all　dead—struck　with　a　subtle　doom；　such　as；　in　one　night；　fell　on　all　the　first…born　in　the　land　of　Egypt。　I　looked　on　my　cherished　wishes；　yesterday　so　blooming　and　glowing；　they　lay　stark；　chill；　livid　corpses　that　could　never　revive。　I　looked　at　my　love：　that　feeling　which　was　my　master’s—which　he　had　created；　it　shivered　in　my　heart；　like　a　suffering　child　in　a　cold　cradle；　sickness　and　anguish　had　seized　it；　it　could　not　seek　Mr。　Rochester’s　arms—it　could　not　derive　warmth　from　his　breast。　Oh；　never　more　could　it　turn　to　him；　for　faith　was　blighted—confidence　destroyed！　Mr。　Rochester　was　not　to　me　what　he　had　been；　for　he　was　not　what　I　had　thought　him。　I　would　not　ascribe　vice　to　him；　I　would　not　say　he　had　betrayed　me；　but　the　attribute　of　stainless　truth　was　gone　from　his　idea；　and　from　his　presence　I　must　go：　THAT　I　perceived　well。　When—how—whither；　I　could　not　yet　discern；　but　he　himself；　I