第30部分(第2/7 页)

been　more　uniform　towards　me　than　at　the　first。　I　never　seemed　in　his　way；　he　did　not　take　fits　of　chilling　hauteur：　when　he　met　me　unexpectedly；　the　encounter　seemed　wele；　he　had　always　a　word　and　sometimes　a　smile　for　me：　when　summoned　by　formal　invitation　to　his　presence；　I　was　honoured　by　a　cordiality　of　reception　that　made　me　feel　I　really　possessed　the　power　to　amuse　him；　and　that　these　evening　conferences　were　sought　as　much　for　his　pleasure　as　for　my　benefit。

I；　indeed；　talked　paratively　little；　but　I　heard　him　talk　with　relish。　It　was　his　nature　to　be　municative；　he　liked　to　open　to　a　mind　unacquainted　with　the　world　glimpses　of　its　scenes　and　ways　（I　do　not　mean　its　corrupt　scenes　and　wicked　ways；　but　such　as　derived　their　interest　from　the　great　scale　on　which　they　were　acted；　the　strange　novelty　by　which　they　were　characterised）；　and　I　had　a　keen　delight　in　receiving　the　new　ideas　he　offered；　in　imagining　the　new　pictures　he　portrayed；　and　following　him　in　thought　through　the　new　regions　he　disclosed；　never　startled　or　troubled　by　one　noxious　allusion。

The　ease　of　his　manner　freed　me　from　painful　restraint：　the　friendly　frankness；　as　correct　as　cordial；　with　which　he　treated　me；　drew　me　to　him。　I　felt　at　times　as　if　he　were　my　relation　rather　than　my　master：　yet　he　was　imperious　sometimes　still；　but　I　did　not　mind　that；　I　saw　it　was　his　way。　So　happy；　so　gratified　did　I　bee　with　this　new　interest　added　to　life；　that　I　ceased　to　pine　after　kindred：　my　thin　crescent…destiny　seemed　to　enlarge；　the　blanks　of　existence　were　filled　up；　my　bodily　health　improved；　I　gathered　flesh　and　strength。

And　was　Mr。　Rochester　now　ugly　in　my　eyes？　No；　reader：　gratitude；　and　many　associations；　all　pleasurable　and　genial；　made　his　face　the　object　I　best　like