Jane Eyre Page #4

Forward a little.

So too far back.

I can't see you without disturbing

my position in this comfortable chair,

which I have no mind to do.

You examine me, Miss Eyre.

Do you find me handsome?

No, sir.

Indeed?

I beg your pardon. I was too plain.

My answer was a mistake.

Just so, and you should be answerable

for it.

Now then, explain.

Does my forehead not please you?

What do you tell from my head?

Am I a fool?

No, sir. Far from it.

Would you say it is the head of

a kindly man?

Hardly that, sir.

Very well, madam.

I'm not a kindly man, though l did once

have a sort of tenderness of heart.

You doubt that?

No, sir.

Since then, fortune's knocked me about,

and kneaded me with her knuckles

till I flatter myself I'm as hard and

tough as an india rubber ball with,

perhaps, one small, sensitive point in

the middle of the lump.

Does that leave hope for me?

Hope of what, sir?

My retransformation from india rubber

back to flesh.

You look very puzzled, young lady,

and a puzzled air becomes you.

Besides, it keeps those searching eyes

of yours away from my face.

You are silent, Miss Eyre.

Stubborn?

No. Annoyed, and quite rightly so.

I put my request in an absurd way.

The fact is, once and for all,

I do not wish to treat you as

an inferior, but I've...

battled through a varied experience

with many men of many nations around

over half the globe,

while you've spent your whole life

with one set of people in one house.

Don't you agree that gives me a right

to be a little masterful and abrup?

Do as you please, sir.

You pay me 30 pound a year for

receiving your orders.

Well, on that mercenary ground,

won't you agree to

let me hector you a little?

No, sir, not on that ground,

but on the ground

that you did forget it,

inquired of my feelings as an equal.

Good! Well,then, you'll let me dispense

with the conventional forms

without thinking me insolent.

I should never mistake informality

for insolence.

One I rather like,

the other no freeborn person would

submit to,

even for a salary.

Humbug.

Most freeborn people would submit

to anything for a salary.

Where are you going?

It's time for Adele's lesson.

Oh, no, young lady.

It's not for Adele that you're going.

It's because you're afraid of me.

You wish to escape me.

In my presence, you are hesitant to

smile gaily or speak too freely.

Admit that you're afraid.

I'm bewildered, sir,

but I am certainly not afraid.

Don't I look beautiful, monsieur?

This is how mama used to do it,

is it not?

Precisely.

That's how she charmed my English gold

out of my britches' pocket.

Then I shall dance for you.

You will not.

Go straight upstairs to the nursery.

But, monsieur...

At once. Miss Eyre,

I'm not finished talking to you.

Why are you looking at me like that?

I was thinking whatever

your past misfortune,

you have no right to revenge yourself

on the child.

You're quite right, of course.

I was thinking only of myself,

my own private memories and feelings.

The fact is, nature meant me to be,

on the whole, a good man--

One of the better kind,

but circumstance decreed otherwise.

I was as green as you once.

Aye, grass green.

Now my spring is gone, leaving me what?

This little artificial French flower.

You may go, Miss Eyre.

Miss Eyre.

I hope you'll be happy here

at Thornfield.

I hope so, sir. I think so.

I'm glad.

Who's there?

Mr. Rochester!

Done it.

I think someone must have tried

to kill you.

I heard footsteps along the gallery.

Shall I call Mrs. Fairfax?

Mrs. Fairfax?

What the deuce do you want to

call her for? let her sleep.

Come in, sit down.

I'm going to leave you here.

Be still as a mouse.

You came out of your room.

Did you see anything?

Only a candlestick on the floor,

but I... I heard a door shut.

Anything else?

Yes. Kind of a laugh.

Kind of a laugh.

Have you heard it before?

There's a strange woman here

called Grace Poole...

Just so.

Grace Poole.

You guessed it.

Well, it's a bit, um...

Meanwhile, say nothing about

this to anyone.

Adele! We forgot the child!

I had an awful fear.

You see what she has?

Poor little Adele,

trying to console herself from

my unkindness to her.

The child has dancig in her blood

and coquetry in the very marrow of

her bones.

I once had the misfortune to be in love

with this, to be jealous of that.

Love's a strange thing, Miss Eyre.

You can know that a person's worthless,

without heart or mind or scruple,

yet suffer to the point of torture

when she betrays you.

At least I had the pleasure of putting

a pistol bullet through

my rival's lungs.

And the little doll in

the dancing skirt?

We tell Adele she died.

The truth isn't quite so touching.

I gave her some money and

turned her out,

where upon she decamped with

an Italian painter,

leaving me with what she said was

my daughter.

Let me light you to your room.

Well, Miss Eyre,

now that you know what your pupil is--

the offspring of a French dancing girl,

I suppose you'll be coming to tell me

to look out for a new governess.

Adele had had so little love.

I shall try to make up for it.

Are you always drawn to the loveless

and unfriended?

When it's deserved.

Would you say that my life

deserved saving?

I should be distressed if harm came

to you, sir.

But you did save my life tonight.

I should like to thank you for it.

Please shake hands.

I knew you'd do me good in some way,

sometime.

Good night, Jane.

Good night, sir.

Oh, Miss Eyre, isn't it trrible?

We might all have been burnt

in our beds.

Where did Mr. Rochester go?

He said something about a house party

at Millcote.

Goodness knows how long he'll be away.

One can never tell with Mr. Rochester.

Maybe a day or a year or a month.

Mrs. Fairfax.

Yes, my dear?

Did Mr. Rochester tell you

how the fire started?

Why, of course.

He was reading in bed and fell asleep

with the candle lit

and the curtains took fire.

Why do you ask?

I wondered if the fire had anything

to do with Mr. Rochester's leaving.

What possible connection could there be

He said this morning

that he was restless.

The house with only us here was

unbearably oppressive for him.

Aah!

What are thou doing here?

No one is allowed up here. Understand?

No one. Get the down.

Had the mystery in the tower

driven him madly away,

just as we seemed so close together?

Winter turned to spring

and no news came.

But I found a measure of escape

in the happiness of Adele.

Look, mademoiselle!

Now, the moment the carriage is stopped

the carriage is stopped,

stand by the front door

and be ready to

take the gentlemen's cloacks.

Yes, ma'am.

My dear, I'm so glad you're back.

Mr. Rochester is so difficult.

Leah, Leah, you must be with me to

take the ladies to their rooms.

Yes, ma'am.

Imagine not even telling me

how many guests he's bringing.

Just said get all the best bedrooms

ready and more servants were needed.

They're coming, ma'am.

Oh, dear, 15 at least.

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