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de with him and his sisters after the cousinship was discovered?”
“Five months。”
“Did Rivers spend much time with the ladies of his family?”
“Yes; the back parlour was both his study and ours: he sat near the window; and we by the table。”
“Did he study much?”
“A good deal。”
“What?”
“Hindostanee。”
“And what did you do meantime?”
“I learnt German; at first。”
“Did he teach you?”
“He did not understand German。”
“Did he teach you nothing?”
“A little Hindostanee。”
“Rivers taught you Hindostanee?”
“Yes; sir。”
“And his sisters also?”
“No。”
“Only you?”
“Only me。”
“Did you ask to learn?”
“No。”
“He wished to teach you?”
“Yes。”
A second pause。
“Why did he wish it? Of what use could Hindostanee be to you?”
“He intended me to go with him to India。”
“Ah! here I reach the root of the matter。 He wanted you to marry him?”
“He asked me to marry him。”
“That is a fiction—an impudent invention to vex me。”
“I beg your pardon; it is the literal truth: he asked me more than once; and was as stiff about urging his point as ever you could be。”
“Miss Eyre; I repeat it; you can leave me。 How often am I to say the same thing? Why do you remain pertinaciously perched on my knee; when I have given you notice to quit?”
“Because I am fortable there。”
“No; Jane; you are not fortable there; because your heart is not with me: it is with this cousin—this St。 John。 Oh; till this moment; I thought my little Jane was all mine! I had a belief she loved me even when she left me: that was an atom of sweet in much bitter。 Long as we have been parted; hot tears as I have wept over our sep
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