第50部分(第4/7 页)

arriage；　and　I　saw　no　preparation　going　on　for　such　an　event。　Almost　every　day　I　asked　Mrs。　Fairfax　if　she　had　yet　heard　anything　decided：　her　answer　was　always　in　the　negative。　Once　she　said　she　had　actually　put　the　question　to　Mr。　Rochester　as　to　when　he　was　going　to　bring　his　bride　home；　but　he　had　answered　her　only　by　a　joke　and　one　of　his　queer　looks；　and　she　could　not　tell　what　to　make　of　him。

One　thing　specially　surprised　me；　and　that　was；　there　were　no　journeyings　backward　and　forward；　no　visits　to　Ingram　Park：　to　be　sure　it　was　twenty　miles　off；　on　the　borders　of　another　county；　but　what　was　that　distance　to　an　ardent　lover？　To　so　practised　and　indefatigable　a　horseman　as　Mr。　Rochester；　it　would　be　but　a　morning’s　ride。　I　began　to　cherish　hopes　I　had　no　right　to　conceive：　that　the　match　was　broken　off；　that　rumour　had　been　mistaken；　that　one　or　both　parties　had　changed　their　minds。　I　used　to　look　at　my　master’s　face　to　see　if　it　were　sad　or　fierce；　but　I　could　not　remember　the　time　when　it　had　been　so　uniformly　clear　of　clouds　or　evil　feelings。　If；　in　the　moments　I　and　my　pupil　spent　with　him；　I　lacked　spirits　and　sank　into　inevitable　dejection；　he　became　even　gay。　Never　had　he　called　me　more　frequently　to　his　presence；　never　been　kinder　to　me　when　there—and；　alas！　never　had　I　loved　him　so　well。

Chapter　23

A　splendid　Midsummer　shone　over　England：　skies　so　pure；　suns　so　radiant　as　were　then　seen　in　long　succession；　seldom　favour　even　singly；　our　wave…girt　land。　It　was　as　if　a　band　of　Italian　days　had　e　from　the　South；　like　a　flock　of　glorious　passenger　birds；　and　lighted　to　rest　them　on　the　cliffs　of　Albion。　The　hay　was　all　got　in；　the　fields　round　Thornfield　were　green　and　shorn；　the　roads　white　and　baked；　the　trees　were　in　their　dark　prime