第3页
《简·爱(英文版)》章节:第3页,宠文网网友提供全文无弹窗免费在线阅读。!
conception; but Eliza just put her head in at the door, and said at
once-
'She is in the window-seat, to be sure, Jack.'
And I came out immediately, for I trembled at the idea of being
dragged forth by the said Jack.
'What do you want?' I asked, with awkward diffidence.
'Say, "What do you want, Master Reed?"' was the answer. 'I want you
to come here;' and seating himself in an armchair, he intimated by a
gesture that I was to approach and stand before him.
John Reed was a schoolboy of fourteen years old; four years older
than I, for I was but ten: large and stout for his age, with a dingy
and unwholesome skin; thick lineaments in a spacious visage, heavy
limbs and large extremities. He gorged himself habitually at table,
which made him bilious, and gave him a dim and bleared eye and
flabby cheeks. He ought now to have been at school; but his mama had
taken him home for a month or two, 'on account of his delicate
health.' Mr. Miles, the master, affirmed that he would do very well if
he had fewer cakes and sweetmeats sent him from home; but the mother's
heart turned from an opinion so harsh, and inclined rather to the more
refined idea that John's sallowness was owing to over-application and,
perhaps, to pining after home.
John had not much affection for his mother and sisters, and an
antipathy to me. He bullied and punished me; not two or three times in
the week, nor once or twice in the day, but continually: every nerve I
had feared him, and every morsel of flesh in my bones shrank when he
came near. There were moments when I was bewildered by the terror he
inspired, because I had no appeal whatever against either his
menaces or his inflictions; the servants did not like to offend
their young master by taking my part against him, and Mrs. Reed was
blind and deaf on the subject: she never saw him strike or heard him
abuse me, though he did both now and then in her very presence, more
frequently, however, behind her back.
Habitually obedient to John, I came up to his chair: he spent
some three minutes in thrusting out his tongue at me as far as he
could without damaging the roots: I knew he would soon strike, and
while dreading the blow, I mused on the disgusting and ugly appearance
of him who would presently deal it. I wonder if he read that notion in
my face; for, all at once, without speaking, he struck suddenly and
strongly. I tottered, and on regaining my equilibrium retired back a
step or two from his chair.
'That is for your impudence in answering mama awhile since,' said
he, 'and for your sneaking way of getting behind curtains, and for the
look you had in your eyes two minutes since, you rat!'
Accustomed to John Reed's abuse, I never had an idea of replying to
it; my care was how to endure the blow which would certainly follow
the insult.
'What were you doing behind the curtain?' he asked.
'I was reading.'
'Show the book.'