第158页
《简·爱(英文版)》章节:第158页,宠文网网友提供全文无弹窗免费在线阅读。!
I HAD forgotten to draw my curtain, which I usually did, and also
to let down my window-blind. The consequence was, that when the
moon, which was full and bright (for the night was fine), came in
her course to that space in the sky opposite my casement, and looked
in at me through the unveiled panes, her glorious gaze roused me.
Awaking in the dead of night, I opened my eyes on her disk-
silver-white and crystal clear. It was beautiful, but too solemn: I
half rose, and stretched my arm to draw the curtain.
Good God! What a cry!
The night- its silence- its rest, was rent in twain by a savage,
a sharp, a shrilly sound that ran from end to end of Thornfield Hall.
My pulse stopped: my heart stood still; my stretched arm was
paralysed. The cry died, and was not renewed. Indeed, whatever being
uttered that fearful shriek could not soon repeat it: not the
widest-winged condor on the Andes could, twice in succession, send out
such a yell from the cloud shrouding his eyrie. The thing delivering
such utterance must rest ere it could repeat the effort.
It came out of the third storey; for it passed overhead. And
overhead- yes, in the room just above my chamber-ceiling- I now
heard a struggle: a deadly one it seemed from the noise; and a
half-smothered voice shouted-
'Help! help! help!' three times rapidly.
'Will no one come?' it cried; and then, while the staggering and
stamping went on wildly, I distinguished through plank and plaster:-
'Rochester! Rochester! for God's sake, come!'
A chamber-door opened: some one ran, or rushed, along the
gallery. Another step stamped on the flooring above and something
fell; and there was silence.
I had put on some clothes, though horror shook all my limbs; I
issued from my apartment. The sleepers were all aroused: ejaculations,
terrified murmurs sounded in every room; door after door unclosed; one
looked out and another looked out; the gallery filled. Gentlemen and
ladies alike had quitted their beds; and 'Oh! what is it?'- 'Who is
hurt?'- 'What has happened?'- 'Fetch a light!'- 'Is it fire?'- 'Are
there robbers?'- 'Where shall we run?' was demanded confusedly on
all hands. But for the moon-light they would have been in complete
darkness. They ran to and fro; they crowded together: some sobbed,
some stumbled: the confusion was inextricable.
'Where the devil is Rochester?' cried Colonel Dent. 'I cannot
find him in his bed.'
'Here! here!' was shouted in return. 'Be composed, all of you:
I'm coming.'
And the door at the end of the gallery opened, and Mr. Rochester
advanced with a candle: he had just descended from the upper storey.
One of the ladies ran to him directly; she seized his arm: it was Miss
Ingram.
'What awful event has taken place?' said she. 'Speak! let us know
the worst at once!'
'But don't pull me down or strangle me,' he replied: for the Misses
Eshton were clinging about him now; and the two dowagers, in vast